In a dramatic display of heroic struggle, Honduras’ team trounced El Salvador in a 1-0 victory that put them solidly in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa roster. Thanks in part to the United States’ 2-2 tie with Costa Rica, which placed the bars and stripes first in the CONCACAF conference.

The Cuscatlan stadium in El Salvador hosted 5,000 buoyant Hondurans who flocked to the neighboring Country, hoping to see their dreams come true. At the 64th minute, star player Carlos Pavon scored the winner. Meanwhile, Costa Rica was pounding the U.S. in Washington. Anything short of a U.S. tie, would have sent Honduras to battle a South American team.

Cheers and tears rolled throughout Honduras’ main streets and Facebooks when U.S.’ Jonathan Bornstein knocked a corner kick that slivered between a Costa Rican defender and the post in the eleventh hour, tying the game 2-2, thus sending Honduras to South Africa.

Fans and players alike savored the moment in the stadium, refusing to leave and perhaps a little incredulous. The last and only time Honduras had been in a World cup was in Spain, 1982.

Minutes later, an emotive president Roberto Micheletti teared on the radio and gasped “God bless Honduras. What joy the players brought [to the country]... We thank the Americans. Congratulations to the players and to all Honduras.” He followed by declaring Thursday an official national holiday to celebrate the victory. Earlier, Tegucigalpa’s mayor, Ricardo Alvarez offered to suspend the “Safe Dawn” policy, which requires bars to close at 2am, as a gift to the city, if the team qualified for the World Cup.

Car horns, cheers and chants drowned the tensions between Hondurans that have been building up over the last 100 days, as the final negotiations in the Guaymuras accord loom over the horizon.