2015–16 Honduran Cup Explained

Honduran Cup
Season:2015–16
Other Titles:Copa Presidente
Dates:7 October 2015 – 23 July 2016
Num Teams:64
Winners:Juticalpa
Second:Real España
Third:Olimpia
Fourth:Real Sociedad
Matches:70
Goals:203
Prev Season:2015
Next Season:2017
Updated:23 July 2016

The 2015–16 Honduran Cup was the 11th staging of the Honduran Cup and the second edition as Copa Presidente. Olimpia were the defending champions. The cup was a creation of the Honduran government funded by money allocated to national security fund. Its purpose was to support the growth of sport to detract the youth from vices and to promote national tourism for rural towns.

The cup was contested by 64 teams from the top 3 divisions of the country.[1] There was a total of 10 teams from Liga Nacional (1st division), 27 from Liga de Ascenso (2nd division) and 27 from Liga Mayor (3rd division). It was the first time in which the tournament covered two calendar years.

Juticalpa F.C. obtained its first title after defeating Real C.D. España in the final match.[2]

Participants

Liga Nacional

Honduras Progreso (El Progreso, Yoro)

Juticalpa (Juticalpa, Olancho)

Marathón (San Pedro Sula, Cortés)

Motagua (Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán)

Olimpia (Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán)

Platense (Puerto Cortés, Cortés)

Real España (San Pedro Sula, Cortés)

Real Sociedad (Tocoa, Colón)

Victoria (La Ceiba, Atlántida)

Vida (La Ceiba, Atlántida)

Liga de Ascenso

Liga Mayor

Schedule and format

The first round started on 7 October 2015 and the final is scheduled to be held on 23 July 2016.

Round Date Fixtures Clubs
First leg Second leg
Round of 64 7–8 October 2015 32 64 → 32
Round of 32 4–5 November 2015 16 32 → 16
Round of 16 13 January 2016 8 16 → 8
Quarterfinals 17 February 2016 1–2 March 2016 8 8 → 4
Semifinals 23–24 March 2016 13 April 2016 4 4 → 2
Third place playoff 22 July 2016 1
Final 23 July 2016 1 2 → 1

Prize fund

Round Prize fund
per club
3rd place team L. 100,000
2nd place team L. 300,000
2015–16 Honduran Cup Winner L. 500,000

Quarterfinals

2nd legs

Semifinals

2nd legs

Final

GK 1 Sebastián Portigliatti
DF 2
DF 19 Sergio Mendoza
MF 3 Erick Peña
MF 5 Jesús Munguía
MF 16
MF 30 José Williams
FW 8
FW 20
FW 21 Rony Flores
FW 24 Sendel Cruz
Substitutions:
FW 9 Horacio Parham
DF 11
Manager:
Wilmer Cruz
GK 1 Kevin Hernández
DF 2
DF 5 Wilfredo Barahona
DF 18 José Velásquez
DF 25
DF 28 César Oseguera
MF 10
MF 23 Edder Delgado
FW 14 Cristhian Altamirano
FW 19
FW 35 Claudio Cardozo
Substitutions:
FW 59
Manager:
Mauro Reyes

Controversy

Juticalpa F.C. and Real C.D. España qualified to the tournament's final after defeating C.D. Real Sociedad and Club Deportivo Olimpia respectively. The final match was scheduled to be played by the end of May. After Juticalpa and Real España were eliminated from the league, both teams decided to postpone the match until July and sent their players on vacations. By the middle of July, both teams had released and acquired new players for the upcoming season. The cup organizers released a statement disclosing that the clubs couldn't use the new signed players as these weren't initially registered at the beginning of the tournament. Consequently, Juticalpa announced that they would not show to the game claiming that they were short on players.[3] A day later, the tournament's committee gave up at the pressure and finally announced that the clubs could use the new signings.[4]

Notes and References

  1. http://www.diariomas.hn/2015/08/17/la-ii-edicion-de-la-copa-presidente-ya-tiene-fecha-de-inicio/ DiarioMas.hn – La II edición de la Copa Presidente ya tiene fecha de inicio
  2. http://www.elheraldo.hn/deportes/982850-466/juticalpa-fc-es-el-nuevo-campe%C3%B3n-de-la-copa-presidente-al-vencer ElHeraldo.hn – Juticalpa FC es el nuevo campeón de la Copa Presidente al vencer al Real España
  3. http://www.diez.hn/futboldeprimera/realsociedad/981747-99/oficial-juticalpa-anuncia-que-no-se-presentar%C3%A1-a-la-final-de-la Diez.hn – OFICIAL: Juticalpa anuncia que no se presentará a la final de la Copa Presidente
  4. http://www.latribuna.hn/2016/07/20/equipos-podra-utilizar-refuerzos-la-final-copa-presidente/ LaTribuna.hn – Equipos podrá utilizar a sus refuerzos en la final de Copa Presidente