Sounders midfielder Mario Martinez has been summoned by the Honduras National Team for a friendly Wednesday against Peru at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston. Martinez, 23, has 21 caps for Honduras, including four recent World Cup qualifiers, and also participated in the 2012 London Olympics.
Martinez, replacing injured Mauro Rosales in the starting lineup, scored the winning goal in Seattle’s Western Conference semifinal series against Real Salt Lake last week, sending the Sounders to their first conference championship series. The Sounders were blown out in the first leg of the two-match aggregate series, losing to the L.A. Galaxy 3-0 in Carson, CA.
Martinez will return to Seattle Thursday. FIFA regulations require that a club release a player for a 48-hour period for a friendly.
The Sounders host the Galaxy at 6 p.m. Sunday in the second leg of the Western Conference championship.
The Sounders need a four-goal margin of victory to advance to the MLS Cup final Dec. 1 at the home field of the team with the highest seed.
Houston, a No. 5 seed, leads D.C. United in the Eastern Conference semifinals after winning 3-1 Sunday.
