After Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Costa Rica, the United States soccer team takes to the field against Honduras in a World Cup qualifying match at Soldier Field. BTSportsters @pjflynn23 and @btsports_brian will be following the action from Chicago. Honduras comes into the match not having played a World Cup qualifying match since April 1 when they defeated Mexico 3-1. The Hondurans are currently 1-1-1 (4 pts) in CONCACAF qualifying and sit in third place, three points behind the U.S. The top three teams in the group will qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. According to pre-game Twitterers, the scene felt more like Tegucigalpa than Chicago:

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   hexablog #hexagonal09 In Soldier Field…must be at least 15-1 Honduran fans here. Even in the club seats. 06 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   radiomogul At Soldier Field now. The place is a sea of blue and white. One again, Sam’s Army is in the minority. htp://twitpic.com/6saqt 06 Jun 2009 from TweetDeck
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   chicagosessions At Soldier Field. Hondurans out in FULL FORCE. 06 Jun 2009 from Twitterrific
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   mek2600 at soldier field in #chicago watching #usa vs #honduras in a world cup qualifying match. usa! usa! #worldcup (so many hondurians!) 06 Jun 2009 from TinyTwitter

Here is a scene pre-game at Soldier Field. Can you spot the American fan(s)?

USA vs Honduras soccer game!!! (@sethboyte)

There was some pre-game confusion as to which ESPN channel the game would originally air on due to NCAA baseball super regional action on the network. @ussoccer cleared up the confusion:

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   jaredstimson @ussoccer still on espn right? 06 Jun 2009 from UberTwitter in reply to ussoccer
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   bdure_usat Keeping an eye out for whether @ussoccer game against Honduras will be moved to another ESPN net. College baseball running long. 06 Jun 2009 from TweetDeck
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   ThisIsVictorKim @ussoccer what’s this college baseball on espn? any alternate channels? 06 Jun 2009 from web in reply to ussoccer
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   ussoccer TV UPDATE: The broadcast will start on ESPN classic and then switch to ESPN when the baseball game ends… 06 Jun 2009 from web

@BTSports_brian provides some pre-game observations from Soldier Field:

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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports The crowd noise is deafening especially on lower level #USHON 06 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports The whole crowd is blue except for one red spot. Everyone is going crazy as Honduras takes the field #USHON 06 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian http://twitpic.com/6sd0u – @BTsports The Hondurans take the field to the delight of the crowd #USHON 06 Jun 2009 from TwitPic
4. 
   BTSports_Brian http://twitpic.com/6sdmh – @BTsports The Americans take the field to cheers and boos and begin to warm up #USHON 06 Jun 2009 from TwitPic
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports Honduran fans are doing the wave– pregame!– and even the giant hanging blue and white flags are getting raised #USHON 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry

The teams line up for their respective national anthems:

US and Honduras line up for national anthems #USMNT #Honduras (via @BTSports_Brian)

Action early on proved costly to the Americans as Carlos Costly of Honduras scored in the fifth minute. Costa Rica scored within the first two minutes on Wednesday night, and the Americans were not able to bounce back. Lets see how this turns out. First, reactions after the first goal:

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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports Honduras strikes first 4 min in! Big left-footed shot just outside of box! #Honduras 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   jyesko Honduras 1 USA 0. 5th minute. Crowd goes wild. 07 Jun 2009 from Tweetie
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   CorrSports Honduras goal by Costly in 5th. Honduras fans going wild … some people who shouldn’t be cheering are nearby me 07 Jun 2009 from web
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   tokissthecook Hondurans scored, Soldier Field in its entirety shook, 70% of the crowd THREW their beers. 84 minutes to go. Yikes! 07 Jun 2009 from mobile web

While action at Soldier Field proves to be exciting in the opening minutes, action at the pub scene in Chicago seems to be tame. @pjflynn23 reports from Fado, known to be a high-energy soccer bar in Chicago:

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   pjflynn23 @BTsports I’m gonna have some tweets live from Fado. THE place to watch soccer in Chicago supposedly. I’ll be the judge of that… 06 Jun 2009 from TwitterFon
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   pjflynn23 @btsports Fado is pretty quiet. Hear it was crazy an hour go. Everyyone went to the game. It’s filling slowly though#ushon 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterFon
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   pjflynn23 @btsports people at Fado laughing at slow US start. Nobody really interested in game yet though. #Honduras 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterFon

Back to first-half action on the field per @BTSports_Brian:

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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports another US free kick this time from 30yds out but again off #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports yellow card on US! #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports High US shot over the goal! Great chance off header! #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports Donovan sent a cross far side to head of defense. Tried one time shot before it landed but tooi high #USMNT #Honduras 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports since Honduras scored, the ball has been in US end most of the time #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry

Just before hafltime, American Landon Donovan put one in the back of the net in the 43rd minute off a penalty kick:

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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports Honduras handball in box! PK time! #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports Donovan to shoot #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   BTSports_Brian @BTsports GOAL!!! Upper right! #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterBerry
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   pjflynn23 @btsports the only reaction to the US goal at Fado was a high piitched girl yelling “no!” #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitterFon
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   BTSports_Brian http://twitpic.com/6smlz – @BTsports Donovan scores and US fans go crazy #USMNT 07 Jun 2009 from TwitPic

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