the dream Premier team and the Honduras vs Costa Rica playoff

Carlo Costly He assures that he continues to enjoy football at 41 years old in the Lone FC of the Honduras Promotion League. El Cocherito sees Honduras as the favorite in the duel against Costa Rica for a ticket to the Copa América.

Carlo Costly, one of the living legends of Honduran soccer, continues to enjoy soccer and with his experience and journey around the world he motivates and inspires his teammates from the Lone FC team of the Honduran Promotion League to achieve their goals in the next Clausura tournament that begins this Friday against the Villanueva at 7:00 pm at the Olympic Stadium in San Pedro Sula.

The 41-year-old forward, a former World Cup player with Honduras in Brazil 2014 and who played for the teams Platense, Real España, Olimpia and Marathon, He trains to get in good physical condition and then begin to be a protagonist in the Sampedrano team with which he dreams of being champion.

Costly, who also played for foreign teams such as Belchatok from Poland; Birmingham of England; Vaslui from Romania; Atlas of Mexico; Veria from Greece; Gaziantepspor from Türkiye; Guizhou Zhicheng from China and the Houston Dynamo of the MLS, explains that he had not retired from soccer, it was a calf injury that forced him to retire from the field for almost four months, but the Lone team decided to renew his contract.

El Cocherito spoke in an exclusive interview with Diario LA PRENSA about his football and gaming career Honduras vs Costa Rica for a ticket to qualify for the next America Cup.

How have you felt on your return to the courts?

I feel good, in fact I had already been on the team, but I had not played due to a discomfort in my calf. I am very happy to be training with my teammates, I want to contribute my experience every day.

You felt that energy, you missed football, what motivated you to return?

I never retired, I was part of the team, now I’m back, I renewed my contract for one more year because obviously I feel better about the injuries. The final tournament is coming, we hope to have the possibility of promoting this team. Logically, I am going little by little because I am afraid of relapse of the injury, but we are doing well, I want to contribute to this team the wisdom and experience acquired throughout our career. If I have to play I will do it with professionalism, let’s go with everything.

Do you enjoy football like before?

Yes, I am enjoying football as always, to the fullest. This is a new tournament and I will do it in the best way.

What is the goal with this team?

Obviously, being champions with the team. The previous tournament we were one minute away from winning the title, we will try again, this is another story, a new possibility and opportunity for each of the boys, we are here to fulfill those dreams or aspirations.

Would you like to return to the First Division?

We are talking about something that if it happened it would be something extraordinary, for now I am enjoying this team, Lone, happy here. I’ve practically been on this team for three seasons now and I’m enjoying it.

If we ascend, with the hand of God, we are already talking about another topic, but we are going step by step, I hope we start today with a victory and in the end we fulfill our desire to lift the cup. My teammates have great respect for me and I also respect them, we stay united.

Are you satisfied with your career, have you fulfilled all your dreams?

Yes, I feel happy for what I have done, obviously I wanted a little more, to play for other teams, to fulfill other dreams that I had since I was a child, but at this point complaining is not good, so I just have to continue enjoying what I have achieved . Like everything in life, sometimes we fail in some aspects and succeed in others, but I feel happy with what I did.

Which other team would you have liked to play for then?

My dream as a child was to play for Arsenal in England, but it didn’t happen to me, it didn’t come true. It is one of the best teams in the world, one of the best prepared, right now the coach is doing very well Mikel Arteta. I liked that team since the French striker Thierry Henry played there.

If at the best moment of my career I had had the opportunity to play there, it would have been the best.

At 41 years old, what other subject did you have left pending?

Maybe I could do something more with the National Team. I always remember that match at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in which I scored a goal. We were beating Ecuador, but in the end we lost. I believe that we should have won that game, but at this point nothing can be done or changed anything.

You cannot take away merit or value from what you did on your teams, but how did you transform yourself into your performances on the National Team?

The thing is that I gave everything, I always gave my best, like anyone called to the National Team, it was my inspiration to play in the National Team and my goals and dreams were fulfilled, like winning at the Azteca stadium, the Aztecazo, qualifying and playing a World.

Playing here in Honduras with the National Team was the best, at that time no one was going to say no to the Bicolor. We maintained a very nice and healthy environment, there were leading players like Carlos Pavón, Amado Guevara, Dani Turcios and Noel Valladares, among others, I just had to give my best professionally.

But what did you lack in the National Team then?

I was sad about missing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa due to an injury. Possibly, I would have arrived at that World Cup better, I was four years younger compared to the age at which I played in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. I missed that World Cup at the best moment of my career, I was in the loop as they say, but things They came about like that. In Brazil it was very positive to score that goal.

Do you often watch that World Cup goal against Ecuador?

Yes, I see it often, as if it were yesterday. There is the recognition of my effort and the memory of the fans for that goal, they always send me videos and photos, that goal will be remembered forever.

Is that goal what you treasure most in your career?

No, I do not think so. It is also nice to remember the goal I scored for the Aztec team, but I am left with the effort I gave for the National Team and the recognition of the fans. I didn’t save anything for the National Team, there are moments and cycles that one has to take advantage of and I made the most of it.

In the Honduran League, did you have any dreams left to fulfill?

When I arrived at Real España, the team had just won the championship with Hernán Medford, the dream was to be a two-time champion, but I was injured in Tocoa, I stopped playing for two months, I almost missed the World Cup again, that injury took its toll on me and in the end I didn’t. we achieved the goal.

Do you consider yourself one of the best players in the history of Honduran soccer?

Not really, there are many players who also did positive things for the National Team. I am one more, I perhaps achieved things that other players did not achieve, but I do not consider myself a figure, I was just a worker, a worker who dedicated myself to the National Team.

When I was playing in Poland and I received the call for the National Team, I wanted to come right away, then, the next day, I was desperate to wait two weeks to be able to leave. My feet were itching to go back.

Who do you see now as your replacement in the National Team?

Until now I don’t see anyone. But rather than looking for my replacement, we have to wait for Carlos Pavón’s replacement to come out because he is the reference number 9 that Honduras had. Pavón was the one who grabbed the ball and put it in the goal, I was not a born 9, I scored goals because I am brave.

Honduras vs Costa Rica is coming up for qualification to the Copa América, what do you think of that game?

It will be a complicated game due to everything that is being played, both teams want to return to a Copa América. Honduras has not been in that competition since 2001 when it was invited and came in third place in Colombia, it would be positive for it to attend again, the same for Costa Rica, they are two teams that are always competing for World Cups and for everything in the area, they have had a good level. It will be a difficult game, brave, but we can qualify.

You lived that experience, what is it like playing those games?

They are played with everything, it is a classic, they are very brave games. I have beautiful memories of those games against the Ticos, once here we beat them 4-0, on another occasion we eliminated them from the Gold Cup. Against Costa Rica they are games to the death, but fighting with the National Team shirt is the most beautiful thing .

Don’t you feel very optimistic?

It’s not that I’m not optimistic, it’s just because of the type of game that Honduras played in the last game against Iceland, which they lost, but it is possible that with the incorporation of some legionnaires Honduras will change.

The people who played that match did not understand Professor Reinaldo Rueda’s idea because it was not a good match, but with the arrival of the players who are in Europe, plus those from here, perhaps things will change and it will be a beautiful match. A friendly match is not the same as an official one.

Does Honduras arrive as a favorite to that match?

I give Honduras as a favorite. As a Honduran I want the National Team to win, to pass, to score three or four goals against Costa Rica. The Ticos are a power in the area, but they are also doing poorly, I hope they have not recovered from those games they lost, this is a toss up, we have to wait and see what happens.

It is up for debate who will be the substitute in Antony “Choco” Lozano’s attack, who should be the center forward this time?

Honestly, the one I like to play that role is Jerry Bengtson, but he doesn’t play alone, you have to put someone as a partner in front of him, because if not, he dies. I played for many years in the National Team and in Olimpia with Jerry, you have to put someone on par with him to make the diagonals that he likes, he is fast, he moves short, he reaches the area and he is a scorer.

Alberth Elis I don’t think they will put him there because he is not a center forward, he plays on the wings. Bryant Róchez scored against Mexico and could be an option for the coach.

Do you think the atmosphere will be favorable for the National Team in Dallas on March 23?

I think so, I imagine that a lot of Honduran fans will travel to see that game, although if they scheduled it there it is because there must be a lot of Tico fans in that area.

Costly, with former coach Jorge Luis Pinto were you able to smooth things over?

Ha, ha, ha, yes, yes, we talk to Pinto now and everything is calm. What happens is that in the past, when one spoke, one did so in a heated manner, one did not take precautions due to life’s circumstances. This is football, you fight today and tomorrow you are talking.

And how did the reconciliation happen?

The thing is that I never fought with him, but rather we said two or three things to each other and the press made it bigger. We had tense moments of work, but there was always respect for him as a person and as a coach for what he did in the 2014 World Cup with Costa Rica and what he has done in Colombia. Things got heated with me but my respect goes to Professor Pinto.

How do you see the Honduran League with an Olimpia that no one can dethrone?

Olimpia is Olimpia, it is difficult for them to take away their hegemony, they have incredible players, incredible forwards. I believe that there is no one who can stop Olimpia, if he puts his mind to it again he will be champion two or three more times, it’s that simple.

It’s not because I’m Olimpia, but I’ve seen the games, they have very good players and I don’t see a team that can stop them. Now the San Pedro teams, Real España and Marathón, have been strengthened a little more, but in the final stages they deflate and Olimpia becomes stronger, almost always closing as champions.

Closing the interview, how do you currently rate the Honduran legionaries?

Very good, I think that Luis Palma is the legionnaire who has contributed a little more than the rest, I hope he continues his streak and can jump to another team where he is more seen, such as the English or Portuguese league. Alberth Elis and Rommel Quioto have also done well. Those from the MLS are doing well, we hope that when the qualifying round comes they come with everything to the National Team and we qualify for a new World Cup.