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The Seattle Sounders’ first competitive match is almost exactly a month away, but it apparently won’t be played at Olimpia’s home stadium after all. Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino is not up to Concacaf’s current standards, according to Motagua chief operating officer Juan Carlos Suazo (Olimpia shares its home stadium with Montagua, who host Atlanta United two days earlier). Instead, the match will be played in San Pedro Sula at Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, which is where the Honduras national team plays most of their games.
The Sounders previously visited San Pedro Sula when they faced Marathon in CCL group stage play back in 2012. The Sounders won that game 3-2 after blowing leads of 1-0 and 2-1, to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals.
While the Sounders won’t have to deal with the elevation of Tegucigalpa — about 3,200 feet above sea level — it will likely be a bit warmer in San Pedro Sula, where average highs in February are about 88 °F and the average lows are 68 °F.