London 2012 Olympics: Spain sent home after shock defeat to Honduras

Published on 30/07/2012 01:40

Striker Jerry Bengtson dumped Spain out of the Olympics as Honduras pulled off a major shock at St James’ Park.

The 25-year-old’s seventh-minute header, his third goal in two games, ensured that the Spaniards, whose senior team are reigning World and European champions, will go home early following an opening defeat by Group D leaders Japan.

Iker Muniain hit the post and substitute Rodrigo the bar amid a second-half Spanish onslaught, but the Central American side battled heroically to keep Luis Milla’s star-studded side at bay.

Bengtson got the game off to a sensational start when he climbed high to power Roger Espinoza’s driven cross past Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea.

Espinoza might have deepened Spain’s woe had his 
51st-minute header not come back off the post, but Adrian Lopez hit the bar at the other end three minutes later with the Spaniards swarming all over Honduras.

Athletic Bilbao midfielder Muniain rattled the foot of the post, it took a flying save from keeper Jose Mendoza to keep out Rodrigo’s 72nd-minute header, and the striker headed against the bar eight minutes from time.

Meanwhile, Ryan Giggs became the oldest goalscorer in Olympic history but Great Britain required a rather more youthful duo, Scott Sinclair and Daniel Sturridge, to drag them out of a hole after Rashed Eisa had equalised for United Arab Emirates.

The result, Great Britain’s first Olympic win since 1960, sent them top of Group A and got them back on track to secure a quarter-final berth, although they will almost certainly need to avoid defeat against Uruguay at the Millennium Stadium on Wednesday to seal their knockout berth.

Senegal’s shock win over Uruguay in the first match of the day had brought GB’s need for a victory into sharp focus.