Mexico 2 - El Salvador 1; Costa Rica 4 - Guyana 0

Guyana played their first ever home match in a CONCACAF Third Round when Costa Rica came to call at Georgetown.  The crowd was treated to exciting football with both teams playing positively.  Shaky defending in the back by the Golden Jaguars allowed Ticos striker Alvaro Saborio to bag the opener on twenty minutes as a weak rolling pass made its way to his feet.  Gregory Richardson nearly found an equalizer soon thereafter, but his header hit the crossbar and then the goal line without going in.  Saborio made it 2-0 to Costa Rica six minutes after his opener after his header finished the hard work done by a pinpoint Joel Campbell cross.  The half ended 2-0.

Saborio certainly had no complaints about the service he received on this night.  Michael Barrantes provided another picture perfect cross for Saborio's head to easily tap home for a 3-0 lead on the back of Saborio's hat trick.  Campbell capped off the match with a lofted chip over a goalkeeper who had strayed too far off his line.  Costa Rica win 4-0.

2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup champions Mexico played their first road match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in San Salvador against El Salvador.  The hospitality for Mexico was great; the Salvadoran fans even took it upon themselves to throw a party outside the hotel at which Mexico were stationed the night before the match in order to celebrate their presence in San Salvador!  The tactic seemed to work as Mexico came out of the gates slowly, but El Salvador did not look as dangerous as one would expect a home side to be.  The half ended as it began, 0-0.

A long through ball from the touch line was enough to give Mexico the break through on the hour mark.  Jesus Zavala was the recipient of the pass, and he curled his shot around the oncoming goalkeeper to give Mexico a 1-0 lead.  Five minutes later, Alfredo Pacheco responded with a beautiful free kick goal that he curled around a wall and into the bottom corner of the goal.  The match was equalized and should in all honesty have ended 1-1.  Mexico were able to escape with a win after a highly disputed goal.  A free kick for Mexico was swung into the Salvadoran penalty area very short of its intended target.  Mexico center back Francisco Rodriguez may or may not have grazed the ball as he attempted to leap over its bounce.  If he did touch it, then two Mexican players were both five yards offside before Hector Moreno's lucky double-header goal.  Moreno's initial header went off the Salvadoran goalkeeper's chest before it rebounded off Moreno's head and back into the goal, giving Mexico a 2-1 advantage with less than ten minutes to play.  Mexico win 2-1 with the aid of the disputed goal call.

Mexico 6 pts +3
Costa Rica 4 pts +4
El Salvador 1 pts -1
Guyana 0 pts -6

Goals
Costa Rica
Alvaro Saborio 20, 26, 52
Joel Campbell 77

Mexico
Jesus Zavala 60
Hector Moreno 82

El Salvador
Alfredo Pachecho 65

Match Reports:
http://www.guyanachronicleonline.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=44874:2014-brazil-world-cup-qualifiers-&catid=12:sports&Itemid=4
http://insider.espn.go.com/sports/soccer/blog?name=mexican_national_team&id=8045656&_slug_=el-tri-grading-player-performances-world-cup-qualifier-win-el-salvador&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fsports%2fsoccer%2fblog%3fname%3dmexican_national_team%26id%3d8045656%26_slug_%3del-tri-grading-player-performances-world-cup-qualifier-win-el-salvador
http://www.goal.com/en-us/match/72581/el-salvador-vs-mexico/report
http://www.lasoccernews.com/international/mexico/mexico2.php?article_id=8576

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMGLgkO-_fw (Costa Rica v. Guyana)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AhjdlEj2FlE (Mexico v. El Salvador)