2008–09 Honduran Liga Nacional

2008–09 teams

Scouting Reports

In the 2007–08 season, Platense suffered great adversity avoiding relegation in their last match. Their manager Nahúm Espinoza is the mastermind for which the 'dogfish' have changed their form of play and have transformed into a dangerous team aiming for great things. A key benchmarks for Platense is midfielder Carlos Will Mejia, with his talent will try to carry the team on a good path and hopefully a fight for the title. Platense has not fallen behind in signing new players for this tournament. New arrivals include Edilson Pereira, who played previously with Deportes Savio, Willian Veloso, who has shown in preseason matches to be a prominent goalscorer, and Evandro Ferreira, with his speed will try to unbalance the opposing defenses. To add to this is the experience of Walter López,who will be in charge of creating plays and give dynamism to the goalkeepers.

Despite Victoria's manager Javier Padilla insisting the main objective is save their position, the fans think the opposite because they know they have a good lineup to aspire for more. The fans think of nothing more than to lift another trophy, considering that Victoria maintains the fundamental parts of the team from the previous tournaments. They have reinforced the squad with talented and nationally experienced players like José Luis Pineda, Juan Manuel Cárcamo, and Carlos Discua. They also signed the Uruguayans Richard Pérez and Mauricio Webber and have promoted from their reserves forwards Erick Natividad Ayala and Victor Leonel Maldonado. With their current squad, Victoria can reach at the least the playoff round to satisfy their fans, who expected something more dignified in the previous tournament but finished in sixth place despite the strong investment from their patroness. The team had a good preseason. The team aims to bring honor to their name.

Recently promoted Real Juventud have prepared for one goal: to maintain the position in the league. Since their establishment on May 30, 1965, the team never had the opportunity to be able to ascend and play in the Liga Nacional but they now find the opportunity to assemble their own history. Their manager Emilio Umanzor have stated in addition to staying in the league, the team will try to classify as one of the best four in the league and not playing a relegation battle like the majority of the sporting people and press have insisted. Real Juventud arrives with great expectations for the Apertura tournament. Real Juventud will fall upon the success of their Liga de Ascenso campaign and aim for decent position.

A team with the squad and budget of Deportes Savio obviously won't compete for the title. This does not stop them from causing harm to other clubs with greater aspiration. They will be playing their home matches on an unfamiliar field: Stadium Roberto Martinéz Ávila in Siguatepeque, since their stadium is being remodeled. A key loss for the team is the Brazilian Edilson Pereira who signed with Platense. On the other hand, important arrivals include goalie Hugo Caballero, the midfielders Marco Antonio Mejía and Elmer Marín, and forward Edgar Núñez. Deportes Savio will seek to grab points early on to avoid suffering like the previous tournament and with that seek, maybe not the playoff rounds, but their permanency in the league.

Vida will participate in the tournament with a modest team filled with prospects that intend to shine in the league. The directive administration will wage at their inferior categories that they intend to remain in the league. The challenges their manager Alberto Romero faces are difficult because he must erase the frustration from the fans and support the team's president character, who at the moment of saying things says it first and then thinks. The team president and manager have clashed before with Romero threatening to quit the team due to some unilateral decision but soon was resolved. Vida had a good preseason with many matches in the US and Guatemala.

Results

Source: RSSSF
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Standings

Goal scorers

As of 2008-12-13

Squads

The 2008–09 Clausura was the second part of the 2008–09 season of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras, the first division national football league in Honduras. The season started on 10 January 2009 and finished on 24 May 2009. It followed the 2008–09 Apertura season. The winner will compete in the 2009-10 CONCACAF Champions League.

Box score

Source: RSSSF
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Standings

On 2 May, Honduras was awarded a 3rd spot in the 2009–2010 CONCACAF Champions League due to lack of adequate stadia in Belize. The 3rd spot would go to the short tournament runner-up with the highest overall season points total. Because of Real Espana's overall season point total of 68 being highest in the league, they clinch a spot in the 2009–2010 CONCACAF Champions League. Already a runner-up from Apertura 2008, it is guaranteed that the Clausura 2009 runner-up would not have a higher overall season point total than Real Espana. At this point, a bye to the Group Stage of the 09-10 CONCACAF CL is still up for grabs.

Olimpia clinches a spot in the 2009–2010 CONCACAF Champions League with their victory over Vida. An Olimpia victory in the Final would clinch a Group Stage bye for Marathon. A loss would give Real Espana the bye. Either way, the Honduran representatives for the 09-10 CONCACAF CL are Marathon, Real Espana and Olimpia.

2008–09 Clausura Champion

Marathon is classified as HON1 for the CONCACAF Champions League 2009–10, due to their tiebreaker over Olimpia (higher goal differential since both teams had a total of 66 points). Olimpia gets HON2. Real Espana gets HON3, being the only runner-up to short tournaments in the 2008–2009 Honduran National Football League season.

Goal scorers

2008–09 relegation table

As of 2009-05-02

Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

International Competition