Costa Rica 1 - El Salvador 0; Mexico 5 - Guyana 0

Houston, United States of America was the nominal home for Guyana as they faced Mexico, though the majority of the fans in attendance were supporting Mexico.  They had much to cheer, beginning with an early penalty earned by striker Javier Hernandez as he was tripped by the goalkeeper's hand.  However, Hernandez sent his penalty kick into the crossbar, so the opener decided to be fashionably late.  Mexico winger Javier Aquino beat his men down the field on a delayed break, but his wonderful chip found the far post and rebounded away for an easy clearance.  With only a dozen minutes left in the half, it appeared Mexico would pay for their lack of finishing.  Mr. Richardson stripped Francisco Rodriguez up Mexico's right flank and proceeded unimpeded into the box, where his shot was saved by the knee of Mexico goalkeeper Javier Orozco.  On the ensuing corner kick, the ball fell for Charles Pollard in the box, but his shot sailed high over the bar.  The Guyana goal continued its charmed existence as the crossbar turned away a one bounce volley from Israel Jimenez.  The half finished as it began, 0-0.

Derrick Carter in the Guyanese goal was having a great afternoon as it was, but he smothered a free header from Hector Moreno off an early second-half corner kick, and surely Guyana must have thought that today would be their day.  Guyana's Walter Moore made a diving block of an Oribe Peralta shot a dozen minutes in, and Mexico's frustration must have been impossible to contain any further.  With thirteen minutes left to play, Jamaal Smith blocked a Hernandez shot, but a well-timed strike by Andrew Guardado off a loose ball soon thereafter finally breached the Guyanese goal for a 1-0 lead to Mexico.  Two minutes later, an Angel Reyna through ball put Hernandez one-on-one with an onrushing Carter, so Hernandez slotted to Peralta in open space for the easy finish for 2-0.  An own goal made it three goals in six minutes to Mexico.  Hernandez finally got his goal on a Guardado cross and suddenly it was 4-0 nine minutes after it had been 0-0.  One minute later, Reyna scored the best goal of Mexico's bunch from just beyond the half circle, giving Mexico their fifth of the night and Reyna his first ever for the national team.  Carter stopped a one-on-one with Hernandez, but he must really have wondered what happened to his defense in the final minutes of the match.  The final scoreline was rather harsh to a Guyana side that went stride for side with the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup champions for the first seventy-five minutes, but football is not about scorelines that reflect the story; it is about goals scored.  Mexico win 5-0 and maintain their perfect record on route to the CONCACAF Fourth Round.  With the loss, Guyana are eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

San Salvador was the site for the most important CONCACAF qualifier of the day as the hosts El Salvador would eliminate Costa Rica with a win but would be all but eliminated with anything short of three points.  On the half hour mark, Costa Rica forward Alvaro Saborio made a great effort to save a ball off the end line with his head, and, after a touch from Cristian Bolaños, Jose Cubero had a running start onto the ball.  Cubero placed his shot beautifully, tucking it into the corner by the far post and giving the visiting Ticos a 1-0 lead.  Costa Rica had all the scoring chances in the half but only lead 1-0 at the break.

Costa Rica nearly doubled their lead just after the hour mark, but the one-on-one opportunity of Randall Brenes was saved by the foot of an onrushing Dagoberto Portillo in the El Salvador goal.  Portillo made another kick save to preserve hopes for El Salvador, but the offense never got going.  With three minutes left in regulation, Eliseo Quintanilla went crazy, elbowing Tico defender Michael Umaña in the face and then shoving another Tico in the eyes as he came to accost Quintanilla.  The straight red all but ended El Salvador's hopes of reaching Brasil 2014.  Alfredo Pacheco got his own red card one minute into stoppage time as he viciously slapped the back of Bolaños's neck and then stepped on him as he walked away from the play.  El Salvador finished with nine men and with little hope of advaning to the CONCACAF Fourth Round after Costa Rica defeat them 1-0.

Mexico 15 pts IN
Costa Rica 7 pts +2
El Salvador 5 pts -1
Guyana OUT

Goals
Mexico
Andres Guardado 77
Oribe Peralta 79
Charles Pollard 83 OG
Javier Hernandez 84
Angel Reyna 86

Costa Rica
Jose Cubero 31

Match Reports:
http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2012/10/12/guardado-peralta-score-late-to-help-mexico-rout-guyana-5-0-in-neutral-site-wc/
http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Mexico-explodes-in-second-half-beats-Guyana-5-0-3944542.php
http://futbol.univision.com/centroamerica/costa-rica/article/2012-10-13/aplauden-costa-rica-que-la-victoria-en-el-salvador#axzz29F5ovnce

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APHqcDynJK8 (Mexico v. Guyana)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ur6TUbTyT6s (Costa Rica v. El Salvador)