2015–16 Honduran Liga Nacional

Liga Nacional
Season2015–16
ChampionsApertura:
Honduras Progreso
Clausura:
Olimpia
RelegatedVictoria
Champions LeagueHonduras Progreso
Olimpia
Matches played200
Goals scored544 (2.72 per match)
Top goalscorerVega (25)
Biggest home winMotagua 7–1 Real España
(14 November 2015)
Biggest away winVictoria 0–4 Real Sociedad
(9 January 2016)
Victoria 0–4 Olimpia
(27 February 2016)
Highest scoringVictoria 4–4 Real España
(31 October 2015)
Motagua 7–1 Real España
(14 November 2015)
Longest unbeaten runReal Sociedad (18)
Longest losing runVictoria (7)
All statistics correct as of 22 May 2016.

The 2015–16 Honduran Liga Nacional season was the 50th Honduran Liga Nacional edition, since its establishment in 1965. For this season, the system format remained the same as the previous season. The tournament began on 31 July 2015[1] and ended on 22 May 2016.

2015–16 teams[edit]

A total of 10 teams will contest the tournament, including 9 sides from the 2014–15 season plus Juticalpa F.C., promoted from the 2014–15 Liga de Ascenso.

Team Location Stadium Capacity
Honduras Progreso El Progreso Estadio Humberto Micheletti 5,000
Juticalpa Juticalpa Estadio Juan Ramón Brevé Vargas 20,000
Marathón San Pedro Sula Estadio Yankel Rosenthal 15,000
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 Sociedad Tocoa Estadio Francisco Martínez Durón 3,000
Victoria La Ceiba Estadio Nilmo Edwards 18,000
Vida La Ceiba Estadio Nilmo Edwards 18,000

Managerial changes[edit]

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Vacancy Replaced by Appointment Position in table
Juticalpa Honduras Roger Espinoza Sacked[2] 7 September 2015 Honduras Emilio Umanzor 8 September 2015 7th (Apertura)
Platense Uruguay Ricardo Ortiz Sacked[3] 8 September 2015 Honduras Guillermo Bernárdez 8 September 2015 10th (Apertura)
Vida Honduras Ramón Maradiaga Resigned[4] 20 September 2015 Honduras Elvin López 21 September 2015 4th (Apertura)
Real Sociedad Colombia Horacio Londoño Resigned[5] 22 September 2015 Honduras Mauro Reyes 22 September 2015 5th (Apertura)
Real España Argentina Mario Zanabria Resigned[6] 3 November 2015 Uruguay Miguel Falero 3 November 2015 10th (Apertura)
Victoria Honduras Jorge Pineda Resigned[7] 19 January 2016 Colombia Horacio Londoño 19 January 2016 10th (Clausura)
Juticalpa Honduras Emilio Umanzor Sacked[8] 1 February 2016 Honduras Wilmer Cruz 1 February 2016 8th (Clausura)
Marathón Colombia Jairo Ríos Sacked[9] 19 February 2016 Honduras Carlos Pavón 19 February 2016 4th (Clausura)
Victoria Colombia Horacio Londoño Resigned[10] 5 April 2016 Honduras Jorge Lozano 5 April 2016 10th (Clausura)

Apertura[edit]

The Apertura tournament is the first half of the 2015–16 season. It began on 1 August with a 1–0 C.D. Victoria's win over Platense F.C. at Estadio Nilmo Edwards.[11] Juticalpa F.C.'s first ever Liga Nacional game occurred on 9 August with great success for the debs as they managed to beat Real C.D. España with a 2–0 score. This game also served as the first ever official game at recently opened stadium Juan Ramón Brevé Vargas.[12] On 30 August, C.D.S. Vida defeated Club Deportivo Olimpia with a 2–3 away score for the first time after 21 years at Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino.[13] That Olimpia's defeat represented their first time losing three consecutive games playing in Tegucigalpa since 2001 and their worst season start ever with a 1–0–4 record at the moment. On 7 September, Juticalpa's Roger Espinoza became the first coach to be sacked due to poor results.[14] On 12 September, Vida's defender Elder Torres broke an all-time record against C.D. Motagua for being sent off after only 8 seconds of kickoff in a match played at Tegucigalpa.[15] That same night, Olimpia's coach Héctor Vargas reached his 400 game as a manager in the Honduran Liga Nacional since his debut in 1998.[16] On 26 September, manager Ramón Maradiaga coached his last game with Vida leading his team in a 2–0 victory over C.D. Real Sociedad as he was hired by the El Salvador national football team on their quest to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[17] On 4 October, Malian defender Mamadou Traoré became the first African player to score a goal in the history of the league in the Platense's 2–1 win over Vida.[18] On 7 October, Marathón's president Yankel Rosenthal was arrested in Miami after the United States Department of Justice released a statement saying that he, as well as his uncle Jaime Rosenthal and cousin Yani Rosenthal were labeled "specially designated narcotics traffickers" under the Kingpin Act.[19] On 6 November, C.D. Honduras Progreso clinched their first ever regular season title after defeating 1–0 Marathón at Estadio Humberto Micheletti. On 14 November, Motagua defeated Real España 7–1 at Tegucigalpa setting a record as the largest victory against them;[20] representing also, the worst regular season finish for Real España with only 15 points of 54 possible (27.78%). On 10 December, international midfielder and Olimpia player Arnold Peralta was shot dead by a gunman in La Ceiba, five days after playing his last game in the semifinals.[21] On 19 December, Honduras Progreso lifted their first league title after defeating Motagua on penalty shootouts after a 4–4 aggregate.[22]

Regular season[edit]

Standings[edit]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Honduras Progreso 18 11 3 4 31 21 +10 36 Qualification to the Semifinals
2 Motagua 18 9 5 4 41 25 +16 32
3 Olimpia 18 8 2 8 32 25 +7 26 Qualification to the Second round
4 Vida 18 7 5 6 19 24 −5 26
5 Marathón 18 6 6 6 19 20 −1 24
6 Real Sociedad 18 6 5 7 26 22 +4 23
7 Platense 18 5 7 6 20 20 0 22
8 Juticalpa 18 6 4 8 19 22 −3 22
9 Victoria 18 4 7 7 20 35 −15 19
10 Real España 18 3 6 9 26 39 −13 15
Updated to match(es) played on 19 November 2015. Source: [citation needed]

Results[edit]

As of 19 November 2015
Home \ Away HON JUT MAR MOT OLI PLA RES RSO VIC VID
Honduras Progreso 1–0 1–0 4–1 4–1 4–3 4–2 2–1 1–1 1–1
Juticalpa 0–1 2–0 1–2 0–1 3–1 2–0 0–1 2–1 0–3
Marathón 1–2 1–1 2–1 1–0 0–0 2–0 0–3 2–0 5–2
Motagua 3–0 2–2 2–0 1–0 2–1 7–1 2–4 5–1 5–0
Olimpia 2–1 2–2 4–1 1–2 0–1 1–2 2–0 6–0 2–3
Platense 1–1 2–0 0–0 1–1 4–2 1–0 1–1 1–1 2–1
Real España 1–2 2–0 1–3 2–2 1–2 1–1 1–1 4–2 0–1
Real Sociedad 0–1 0–1 1–1 3–1 1–2 1–0 3–3 1–1 4–0
Victoria 1–0 1–1 0–0 2–2 1–4 1–0 4–4 2–1 1–0
Vida 2–1 1–2 0–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 2–0 1–0
Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Postseason[edit]

Playoffs[edit]

3rd seeded Agg. 6th seeded 1st leg 2nd leg
Olimpia 5–4 Real Sociedad 2–2 3–2
4th seeded Agg. 5th seeded 1st leg 2nd leg
Vida 0–0 Marathón 0–0 0–0
Match details
1st leg
Real Sociedad2–2Olimpia
Abbott 50'
Tobías 75' (pen.)
Report 67' Alvarado
79' Fonseca
Real Sociedad
Olimpia
Olimpia
Real Sociedad
1st leg
Marathón0–0Vida
Report
Marathón
Vida
2nd leg
Vida0–0Marathón
Report
Vida
Marathón

Semifinals[edit]

1st seeded Agg. 4th seeded 1st leg 2nd leg
Honduras Progreso 1–0 Vida 0–0 1–0
2nd seeded Agg. 3rd seeded 1st leg 2nd leg
Motagua 2–2 Olimpia 1–1 1–1
Match details
1st leg
Vida0–0Honduras Progreso
Report
Vida
Honduras
2nd leg
Honduras Progreso1–0Vida
León 88' Report
Attendance: 2,280
Referee: Miguel Torres
Honduras
Vida
1st leg
Olimpia1–1Motagua
Méndez 22' Report 35' Hernández
Attendance: 12,087
Referee: Geovanny Mendoza
Olimpia
Motagua
2nd leg
Motagua1–1Olimpia
López 84' Report 21' Quioto
Motagua
Olimpia

Final[edit]

1st seeded Agg. 2nd seeded 1st leg 2nd leg
Honduras Progreso 4–4 Motagua 3–3 1–1
Match details
Motagua
Honduras
Honduras
Motagua