The 2017–18 Honduran Liga Nacional season was the 43rd Honduran Liga Nacional edition since its establishment in 1965. For this season, the system format remained the same as the previous season. The tournament ran from 19 July 2008 to 24 May 2009. The season was divided into two halves (Apertura and Clausura), each crowning one champion. C.D. Marathón and Club Deportivo Olimpia won one tournament each and qualified to the 2009–10 CONCACAF Champions League. Additionally, Real C.D. España also qualified with the best non-champion record as Belizean teams failed the CONCACAF stadium requirements.CONCACAF.com – Champions League qualifying simplified for Central America – 2 December 2008
2008–09 teams
A total of 10 teams competed in the tournament, including 9 sides from the 2007–08 season plus C.D. Real Juventud, promoted from the 2007–08 Liga de Ascenso.
Team Location Stadium Capacity Deportes Savio Santa Rosa de Copán Estadio Miraflores 3,000 Hispano Comayagua Estadio Carlos Miranda 10,000 Marathón San Pedro Sula Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano 37,000 Motagua Tegucigalpa Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino 35,000 Olimpia Tegucigalpa Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino 35,000 Platense Puerto Cortés Estadio Excélsior 7,910 Real España San Pedro Sula Estadio Francisco Morazán 26,781 Real Juventud Santa Bárbara Estadio Argelio Sabillón 5,000 Victoria La Ceiba Estadio Nilmo Edwards 18,000 Vida La Ceiba Estadio Nilmo Edwards 18,000
Deportes Savio also used Estadio Roberto Martínez Ávila due to field renovations. C.D. Motagua also used Estadio Marcelo Tinoco due to field renovations. C.D. Olimpia also used Estadio Carlos Miranda due to field renovations. C.D. Platense also used Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano due to a dispute between the club and the city of Puerto Cortés.
Apertura Scouting reports In the 2007–08 season, C.D. Platense suffered to avoid relegation in their last match. Their manager Nahúm Espinoza transformed the team. A key benchmark for Platense is midfielder Carlos Mejía. 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.
Manager Javier Padilla has stated that the main objective of the team is to retain their position in the league. C.D Victoria kept the core of the squad from previous tournaments and reinforced it with players including José Pineda, Juan Cárcamo, and Carlos Discua. The club also signed the Uruguayan players Richard Pérez and Mauricio Webber and promoted forwards Erick Ayala and Víctor Maldonado from the reserve squad. Victoria finished sixth in the previous tournament despite the financial investment from the club's owner.
Recently promoted C.D. Real Juventud have prepared for one goal: to maintain the position in the league. Since their establishment on 30 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. They will be playing their home matches on an unfamiliar field: Estadio Roberto Martínez 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, arrivals include goalie Hugo Caballero, the midfielders Marco Mejía and Elmer Marín, and forward Édgar 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.
C.D.S. 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 United States and Guatemala.
Regular season Standings
Results As of 22 November 2008
Round 1 Date Home Score Away Attendance 26 July 2008 Marathon 2:1 Platense 26 July 2008 Victoria 0:4 Motagua 27 July 2008 Deportes Savio 0:1 Real Espana 27 July 2008 Real Juventud 0:1 Vida 27 July 2008 Olimpia 0:0 Hispano
Round 2 Date Home Score Away Attendance 30 July 2008 Platense 2:1 Victoria 30 July 2008 Marathón 1:0 Real Juventud 30 July 2008 Motagua 2:1 Hispano 30 July 2008 Vida 2:3 Real Espana 31 July 2008 Deportes Savio 0:1 Olimpia
Round 3 Date Home Score Away Attendance August 2, 2008 Real España 2:2 Marathón August 2, 2008 Hispano 2:0 Vida August 2, 2008 Victoria 1:0 Deportes Savio August 2, 2008 Platense 2:2 Olimpia August 2, 2008 Real Juventud 1:1 Motagua
Round 4 Date Home Score Away Attendance August 6, 2008 Platense 1:1 Deportes Savio August 6, 2008 Victoria 1:1 Olimpia August 6, 2008 Marathón 1:1 Vida August 6, 2008 Hispano 2:0 Real Juventud August 6, 2008 Motagua 0:0 Real Espana
Round 5 Date Home Score Away Attendance 9 August 2008 Deportes Savio 2:1 Hispano 9 August 2008 Olimpia 0:1 Marathon 9 August 2008 Vida 1:1 Motagua 9 August 2008 Real Espana 4:0 Platense 9 August 2008 Real Juventud 2:0 Victoria
Round 6 Date Home Score Away Attendance 16 August 2008 Deportes Savio 2:1 Marathon 16 August 2008 Hispano 5:3 Victoria 16 August 2008 Vida 1:1 Platense 16 August 2008 Real Espana 3:1 Real Juventud 11 September 2008 Motagua 2:0 Olimpia
Round 7 Date Home Score Away Attendance 23 August 2008 Marathón 4:0 Motagua 23 August 2008 Victoria 1:0 Vida 24 August 2008 Platense 2:2 Hispano 24 August 2008 Olimpia 2:1 Real Espana 24 August 2008 Real Juventud 0:3 Deportes Savio
Round 8 Date Home Score Away Attendance 30 August 2008 Real Espana 2:2 Hispano 30 August 2008 Victoria 2:2 Marathon 30 August 2008 Deportes Savio 1:1 Vida 30 August 2008 Motagua 1:0 Platense 30 August 2008 Real Juventud 0:0 Olimpia
Round 9 Date Home Score Away Attendance 7 September 2008 Platense 2:1 Real Juventud 7 September 2008 Real Espana 1:1 Victoria 7 September 2008 Vida 0:1 Olimpia 7 September 2008 Hispano 1:2 Marathon 7 September 2008 Motagua 0:2 Deportes Savio
Round 10 Date Home Score Away Attendance 13 September 2008 Real Espana 2:0 Deportes Savio 13 September 2008 Vida 1:2 Real Juventud 14 September 2008 Hispano 3:1 Olimpia 14 September 2008 Motagua 0:4 Victoria 14 September 2008 Platense 1:2 Marathon
Round 11 Date Home Score Away Attendance 20 September 2008 Victoria 1:2 Platense 20 September 2008 Real España 2:0 Vida 21 September 2008 Hispano 1:3 Motagua 21 September 2008 Real Juventud 0:1 Marathón 1709 21 September 2008 Olimpia 2:0 Deportes Savio
Round 12 Date Home Score Away Attendance 27 September 2008 Marathon 0:2 Real Espana 27 September 2008 Vida 1:1 Hispano 27 September 2008 Platense 1:2 Olimpia 27 September 2008 Deportes Savio 3:1 Victoria 27 September 2008 Motagua 2:1 Real Juventud
Round 13 Date Home Score Away Attendance 4 October 2008 Vida 1:3 Marathón 4 October 2008 Real España 3:2 Motagua 5 October 2008 Deportes Savio 2:1 Platense 5 October 2008 Real Juventud 3:1 Hispano 5 October 2008 Olimpia 2:1 Victoria
Round 14 Date Home Score Away Attendance 18 October 2008 Marathon 1:0 Olimpia 18 October 2008 Victoria 1:0 Real Juventud 19 October 2008 Motagua 1:0 Vida 19 October 2008 Platense 0:1 Real Espana 19 October 2008 Hispano 2:1 Deportes Savio
Round 15 Date Home Score Away Attendance 25 October 2008 Marathón 2:2 Deportes Savio 25 October 2008 Victoria 1:2 Hispano 26 October 2008 Olimpia 0:2 Motagua 26 October 2008 Platense 2:0 Vida 26 October 2008 Real Juventud 0:1 Real Espana
Round 16 Date Home Score Away Attendance 1 November 2008 Real Espana 2:2 Olimpia 1 November 2008 Vida 0:1 Victoria 1 November 2008 Hispano 1:2 Platense 1 November 2008 Motagua 2:0 Marathon 1 November 2008 Deportes Savio 2:1 Real Juventud
Round 17 Date Home Score Away Attendance 16 November 2008 Hispano 2:3 Real Espana 16 November 2008 Platense 1:0 Motagua 16 November 2008 Vida 0:0 Deportes Savio 16 November 2008 Marathon 1:1 Victoria 16 November 2008 Olimpia 1:0 Real Juventud
Round 18 Date Home Score Away Attendance 23 November 2008 Victoria 1:0 Real España 23 November 2008 Marathon 0:2 Hispano 23 November 2008 Real Juventud 1:1 Platense 23 November 2008 Olimpia 2:0 Vida 23 November 2008 Deportes Savio 2:1 Motagua
On 12 August, Real España obtained 2 additional points and Deportes Savio had 1 deducted for fielding an ineligible player in round 1; the goal records of both clubs remain unchanged.
Postseason Semifinals 1st seed 4th seed 1st leg 2nd leg Real España Olimpia 1–2 3–2 2nd seed 3rd seed 1st leg 2nd leg Marathón Motagua 0–1 1–0
Real España 4–4 Olimpia on aggregated. Real España advanced on regular season record.
Marathón 1–1 Motagua on aggregated. Marathón advanced on regular season record.
Final 1st seeded 2nd seeded 1st leg 2nd leg Real España 1–2 Marathón 0–1 1–1
GK 27 Juan Obelar RB – Erick Norales CB – Mario Beata CB – Óscar Bonilla LB – Marvin Chávez CM – Mariano Acevedo CM – Reinieri Mayorquín CM 13 Dennis Ferrera CM 19 Mario Berríos SS – Carlos Mejía CF – Milton Núñez Substitutions: FW – Andy Furtado FW – Saúl Martínez MF – Arnold Solórzano Manager: Manuel Keosseián
GK – Marcelo Macías RB – Nery Medina CB – Marlon Peña CB – Elder Valladares LB – Carlos Palacios CM – Elkin González CM – Alex Andino CM – Carlinho CM – Mario Rodríguez CF – Carlos Pavón CF – Everaldo Ferreira Substitutions: FW – Allan Lalín MF – Mario Martínez FW – Edmilson da Silva Manager: Mario Zanabria
GK - Marcelo MacíasRB – Nery MedinaCB – Marlon Peña CB – Elder ValladaresLB – Carlos PalaciosDM – Mario RodríguezCM – Alex AndinoCM – Elkin GonzálezCM – CarlinhoCF – Allan Lalín CF – Everaldo FerreiraSubstitutions:FW – Carlos Pavón Manager: Mario Zanabria
GK 27 Juan ObelarRB 23 Mauricio SabillónCB – Erick NoralesCB – Mario BeataLB – Óscar BonillaDM – Reinieri MayorquínCM 19 Mario BerríosRM – Mariano AcevedoLM – Marvin ChávezSS – Carlos Will MejíaCF – Milton Núñez Substitutions:FW – Jerry Palacios Manager: Manuel Keosseián
Marathón won 2–1 on aggregate.
Top goalscorers As of 13 December 2008 13 goals Everaldo Ferreira (Real España) 9 goals Marcelo Cabrita (Platense) 8 goals
Leonardo Isaula (Hispano) Allan Lalín (Real España)
7 goals
Mauricio Copete (Victoria) Ney Costa (Deportes Savio) Milton Ruiz (Hispano)
6 goals
Oscar Torlacoff (Motagua) Ramiro Bruschi (Olimpia) Carlos Pavón (Real España)
5 goals
Saúl Martínez (Marathón) Nicolás Cardozo (Vida) Jocimar Nascimento (Motagua) Rigoberto Padilla (Hispano) Nery Medina (Real España) Wilmer Velásquez (Olimpia) Carlos Will Mejía (Marathón)
4 goals
Marvin Chávez (Marathón) Jorge Lozano (Deportes Savio)
3 goals
Mario Rodríguez (Real España) Marcelo Cabecao (Hispano) Mauricio Sabillón (Marathón) Juan Manuel Cárcamo (Victoria) Georgie Welcome (Motagua)