Luis Palma Faces Frustration After Benchings in Honduras’ Match Against El Salvador

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Honduras National Team head coach Reinaldo Rueda explained the decision to bench winger Luis Palma during the recent 2-0 win against El Salvador. This marked a hopeful rebound for Honduras following a disappointing 6-0 loss to Canada in the Gold Cup opener, where Palma was substituted at halftime.

Palma, accustomed to being a key player for his team, expressed deep frustration after losing his starting position. The winger described the defeat to Canada as one of the lowest points in his career. ‘It’s very sad. We are going through a very difficult time. That was nowhere near acceptable,’ Palma said. ‘We must use this setback as a learning experience.’

After returning from a loan at Olympiacos, which did not materialize into a permanent transfer, Palma is back at Celtic for preseason training. He is eager to impress manager Brendan Rodgers and potentially secure a better future amid uncertainty about his place in the team.

During his first season with Celtic, Palma recorded an impressive ten goals and ten assists in 36 appearances. However, his performance at Olympiacos was less significant, leading to concerns about his role this upcoming season.

Despite being a talented player, Palma’s slower pace compared to teammates, Nicolas Kuhn and Daizen Maeda, has limited his playing opportunities. Rueda noted that Palma understands the reasons for his limited playtime, emphasizing the need for hard work and improvement.

As the Gold Cup continues, there is still hope that a strong showing in training could attract other clubs during the summer transfer window. Otherwise, Palma may face another challenging season with limited appearances for Celtic.