This article was last updated on April 16, 2022
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Mexico and Panama open third round of WCQ with two-straight wins
Mexico and Panama were the only teams from CONCACAF to open the third round of World Cup Qualifying with two-consecutive wins.
Here is a recap of all the action after Matchdays 1 and 2:
GROUP A
June 8, 2012
In Tampa, Florida, the United States overcame a torrential rain storm to defeat Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 on goals from Carlos Bocanegra (8′), Clint Dempsey (44′ pen) and Herculez Gomez (72′). Substitute Peter Byers scored the lone goal (65′) for the visitors.
In Kingston, host Jamaica posted a 2-1 victory over Guatemala. Demar Phillips (41′) and Ryan Johnson (46′) gave the Reggae Boyz a lead they would never relinquish. Dwight Pezzarossi cut the deficit in half for the Central Americans with a goal in injury time.
June 12, 2012
In North Sound, reserve goalkeeper Dwayne Miller stepped in for injured veteran Donovan Ricketts and helped visiting Jamaica to a 0-0 draw against Antigua and Barbuda. The Reggae Boyz extended their unbeaten streak to five in World Cup qualifying, dating back to 2008.
In Guatemala City, an 83rd minute free kick by Marco Pappa gave host Guatemala a 1-1 tie with the United States. Clint Dempsey’s 27th career international goal had propelled the visitors into a 40th minute lead. Jurgen Klinsmann’s side maintained its lead in Group A with four points, holding first place on goal difference over Jamaica.
GROUP B
June 8, 2012
In Mexico City, Carlos Salcido (11′) and Giovani Dos Santos (15′) each scored early in the first half and Mexico cruised to a 3-1 victory over Guyana. The host increased its lead to 3-0 in the 51st when Andres Guardado sent in a cross from the left that Javier Hernandez, with his back to goal, flicked with his heel. The ball, though, struck John Rodrigues in the shins and bounced past Guyana goalkeeper Ronson Williams for an own-goal. The Guyanese scored when second-half substitute Gregory Richardson sent in a cross from the right that Hector Moreno deflected into his own net.
In San Jose, host Costa Rica let a two-goal lead slip away and had to settle for a 2-2 against El Salvador. Alvaro Saborio (10′) and Joel Campbell (16′) put the Ticos up early, before Jose Isidro Gutierrez (23′) Osael Romero (54′) leveled the score.
June 12, 2012
In Providence, Alvaro Saborio (20′, 26′, 52′) scored three times to lead visiting Costa Rica to a 4-0 victory over Guyana. The Ticos also got a goal from Joel Campbell (77′), who scored for a second straight game.
In San Salvador, a goal by Hector Moreno in the 85th minute broke a 1-1 deadlock and lifted Mexico to a 2-1 win over host El Salvador. Jesus Zavala gave El Tri a 60th lead before a free kick from Alfredo Pacheco leveled the score. Mexico tops Group B with six points, two ahead of second place Costa Rica.
GROUP C
June 8, 2012
In Havana, Canada outlasted Cuba 1-0 at the Estadio Pedro Marrero. Oliver Occean (54′) scored the game’s lone goal, as the visitors were forced to play a man down after a red card was issued to goalkeeper Lars Hirschfield in the 70th minute.
In San Pedro Sula, Panama earned a key 2-0 away victory over Honduras at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano. Blas Perez scored both goals (65′, 81′) for the visitors, giving him eight in five World Cup qualifiers for Brazil 2014.
June 12, 2012
In Toronto, host Canada could not capitalize on several good scoring chances and settled for a 0-0 draw with Honduras, leaving the North Americans in second place in Group C.
In Panama City, Panama got a 58th-minute goal from Nelson Barahona to beat visiting Cuba 1-0. The result left the Canaleros atop Group C with six points from two games in the third round of CONCACAF qualifying.
Caribbean U-20 qualifying details announced
Caribbean qualifying for the 2013 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship will begin July 23, with groups in Antigua & Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
All four groups will play from July 23-31, with the group winners — and the best overall second-place team — advancing to a second and final round with host Jamaica November 3-11.
Group 1 in Antigua also will include Grenada, Curacao and Dominica. Aruba, St. Kitts & Nevis and Cuba will play in Group 2 in the Dominican Republic; while Bermuda, Haiti and Barbados will travel to Puerto Rico to play in Group 3.
Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana will go to St. Vincent for Group 4.
Five of the six teams in the final round will qualify for the 12-team CONCACAF finals in Puebla, Mexico, February 18-March 2. Four teams from the CONCACAF championship qualify for the 2013 World Cup in Turkey.
U.S. U-20 complete South American tour
The U.S. U-20 National Team lost away to Chile 2-1 on Tuesday in the final match of its 12-day trip to South America. Daniel Garcia scored for the Americans with a penalty kick one minute into second half injury time.
The Tab Ramos-coached team opened the tour by losing two-consecutive game against Uruguay (June 6: 4-2, June 8: 2-0). Victor Pineda and Garcia scored the Americans’ only goals.
Next month, the U.S. U-20s will participate in the prestigious Milk Cup youth tournament in Northern Ireland and are scheduled to face their counterparts from Denmark (July 21) and Turkey (July 23).
Also participating in the six-team tournament are host Northern Ireland, Chile and Mexico. The playoff games to determine final placement in the event, including the final, will take place on Thursday, July 26.
Costa Rica sweeps El Salvador in futsal series
Costa Rica completed a two-game sweep of visiting El Salvador with a 6-2 win in a futsal friendly on Saturday at the Gimnasio Nacional.
Six different players got their names on the Tico scoresheet. Jorge Arias, Jean Marie Jimenez (pen) Nestor Daniel Carrera, Diego Vargas and Christopher Molina each netted first-half goals, while Yefrid Ruiz added one after the break.
Hector Bernal scored both El Salvador goals, which were the Cuscatlecos’ first since 2004.
The Salvadorans will meet Canada in a two-game playoff (June 28 and 29) at the Domo Polideportivo in Guatemala City, Guatemala, to determine the last qualifier for the 2012 CONCACAF Futsal Championship.
The winner of that series will join Group A, which consists of Panama, the United States and host Guatemala.
The eight-team competition will be played July 2-8, also in Guatemala City. Costa Rica, which defeated El Salvador in the series opener 10-0 on Thursday, is scheduled to host Canada on June 22 and 23 in two additional friendlies.
For the first time, CONCACAF will send four representatives to the FIFA Futsal World Cup, which will next be played in Thailand, Nov. 1-18, 2012.
United States concludes Guatemalan camp
The United States posted three wins and loss in friendly matches against local professional clubs during its week-long training camp in Guatemala.
The Stars & Stripes opened with victories over Legendarios FC (4-1) and Farmaceuticos (6-5) last Monday and Tuesday, respectively, before losing to Aquasistemas 7-2 on Wednesday.
The tour concluded with a 6-3 triumph over La Academia FC on Saturday. Forwards Machel Millwood and Bato Radoncic were the led the way for the U.S. with four goals each.
Costa Rican Football Federation modifies historical “A†matches to meet FIFA, CONCACAF standards
The Costa Rican Football Federation (Federacion Costarricense de Fútbol) and the country’s Commission of Football History and Statistics (Comisión de Historia y Estadísticas del Futbol) unveiled last week new modifications to its international men’s matches to meet the FIFA and CONCACAF standards.
The eight-man Historical & Stats Commission (CRC Commission), under chairmanship of Gerardo Coto joined Eduardo Li, the Costa Rican Football Federation president, in the announcement at a press conference at the Federation’s Proyecto Gol in San José on June 6.
Almost 70 matches were modified into the respective lists, which resulted in several changes, including the recognition that Costa Rica has now played 541 official matches and is 14 goals (986) shy of 1,000.
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