2009–10 Honduran Liga Nacional Explained

Competition:Liga Nacional
Season:2009–10
Winners:Apertura: Marathón (8th title)
Clausura: Olimpia (23rd title)
Relegated:Real Juventud
Continentalcup1:Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Marathón
Olimpia
Motagua
League Topscorer:Apertura: Jerry Palacios (13 goals)
Clausura: Jerry Bengtson (12 goals)
Prevseason:2008–09
Nextseason:2010–11

The 2009–10 Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras season is the 45th season of top-flight professional football in Honduras and the nineteenth season in which the Apertura and Clausura system is used.

Marathón and Olimpia claimed the Apertura and Clausura championships, respectively.

Club information

Ten teams will participate in the 2009–10 season. Nine teams from last season remain for this season. Real Juventud were relegated at the end of the 2008–09 season. They would have been replaced by Liga Nacional de Ascenso de Honduras promotion play-off winners Atlético Gualala. However, both teams decided to merge under the name of Real Juventud prior to the season.

ClubCity
Deportes SavioSanta Rosa de Copán
HispanoComayagua
MarathónSan Pedro Sula
MotaguaTegucigalpa
OlimpiaTegucigalpa
PlatensePuerto Cortés
Real EspañaSan Pedro Sula
Real JuventudSanta Bárbara
VictoriaLa Ceiba
VidaLa Ceiba

Torneo Apertura

The Torneo Apertura began on July 18, 2009, and ended on November 25, 2009. Marathón, Motagua, Olimpia and Real España qualified for the Apertura final round after ending the tournament in the top four places.

Classification stage

Standings

Results

Final stage

The Final Stage ran from November 7, 2009, to November 25, 2009. Two-legged ties in this stage were settled by points: three for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. Ties in points in the semifinals were settled first by goal difference, followed by the Classification Stage standings. A tie in points in the Finals would be settled by goal difference first, followed by two 15-minute extra-time periods, then a penalty shootout if necessary.

Semifinals

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Finals

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GK 27 Juan Obelar
RB 23 Mauricio Sabillón
CB 4
CB 5 Erick Norales
LB 6 Juan Carlos García
CM 3
CM 19 Mario Berríos
AM 11
RF 15 Walter Martínez
CF 10 Jerry Palacios
LF 22 Mitchel Brown
Substitutions:
MF
DF
MF
Manager:
Manuel Keosseian
GK 27 Noel Valladares
RB 30 Johnny Palacios
CB 4 Fabio de Souza
CB Jaime Rosales
LB 7 Rony Morales
DM Franklin Arévalo
CM Rubén Matamoros
CM
AM Danilo Turcios
CF 11
CF 33
Substitutions:
MF
FW
FW
Manager:
Juan Carlos Espinoza

Top goalscorers

width=23PosPlayerTeamGoals
1 Jerry PalaciosMarathón13
2 Georgie WelcomeMotagua11
3 Mauricio CopeteVictoria9
4 Mitchel BrownMarathón8
Wilmer VelásquezOlimpia8
6Vida7
Charles CórdobaVida7
Harrison RóchezPlatense7
9 Douglas CaetanoReal España6
10 Pompilio CachoReal Juventud5
Randy DiamondReal Juventud5
Sergio DiduchMotagua5

Torneo Clausura

The Torneo Clausura will begin in January 2010 and end in May 2010. The best four clubs will qualify for the Clausura final round.

Classification stage

Standings

Results

Final stage

Semifinals

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Final

GK 28 Donis Escober
DF 4 Fabio de Souza
DF 30 Johnny Palacios
DF 32 Oscar García
DF 19 Johnny Calderón
MF 20 Walter Hernández
MF 10 Danilo Turcios (C)
MF
FW
FW 21 Roger Rojas
FW
Substitutions:
MF
DF
FW 33
Manager:
Carlos Restrepo
GK 1 Ricardo Canales
DF 3 Guillermo Díaz
DF 5 Milton Reyes
DF 23 Sergio Mendoza
DF 12 Iván Guerrero
MF 8 Jorge Claros
MF 21
MF 6
MF 20 Amado Guevara (C)
FW 11
FW 7
Substitutions:
FW 10
MF 36
MF 13 Ronald Martínez
Manager:
Ramón Maradiaga

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GK 22 Donaldo Morales
DF 3 Guillermo Díaz
DF 4 Johnny Leverón
DF 23 Sergio Mendoza
DF 12 Iván Guerrero (C)
DF 21 Emilio Izaguirre
MF 8
MF 13 Ronald Martínez
MF 6
FW 11
FW 7
Substitutions:
FW 9
MF 36
FW 10
Manager:
Ramón Maradiaga
GK 28 Donis Escober
DF 4 Fábio de Souza
DF 30
DF 19
DF 32 Oscar García
MF 20 Walter Hernández
MF 10 Danilo Turcios (C)
MF
FW
FW 21
FW
Substitutions:
MF
FW 33
MF
Manager:
Carlos Restrepo

Top goalscorers

width=23PosPlayerTeamGoals
1 Jerry BengtsonVida12
2 Carlos PavónReal España10
3 Roger RojasOlimpia8
4 Elmer ZelayaReal Juventud7
5 Mauricio CopeteVictoria6
Charles CórdobaVida6
Douglas CaetanoReal España6
Héctor FloresHispano6
Walter MartínezMarathón5
Georgie WelcomeMotagua6

Relegation

Relegation to the 2010–11 Liga Nacional de Ascenso de Honduras is determined from an aggregate table of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. The team with the worst overall record will be relegated.