Rounds 7 and 8 of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers were the rounds that re-established the known order of CONCACAF national teams. The US & Mexico came into these rounds in need of 6 points to overtake Honduras & Costa Rica in the standings. The Stars & Stripes defeated El Salvador 2-1 at home in Utah with Jozy Altidore scoring the game winner in 1st half injury time. The US then traveled to Port of Spain and defeated Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 on a Ricardo Clark long distance GOLAZO. The victories moved the US to the top of the hexagonal.
Mexico was in the same position as the US, needing 6 points to affirm their position as a CONCACAF power. Beginning with an impressive 3-0 road win against Costa Rica at Saprissa Stadium. Giovani Dos Santos was the man of the match scoring a GOLAZO to open the scoring and set up the other two goals to give El Tri a massive 3 points. Mexico’s next match was at home against a hot Honduras team that had won 4 of their last 5 matches. It was a hard fought match that was decided in the 74th minute when Dos Santos was fouled in the box and Cuauhtemoc Blanco buried the PK to give Mexico its 4th consecutive WCQ win and 2nd place in the standings.
Here are the results & standings from these rounds:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5TH
United States 2 – 1 El Salvador
USA: Clint Dempsey (41′) & Jozy Altidore (45′+2′)
SLV: Cristian Castillo (31′)
Honduras 4 – 1 Trinidad & Tobago
HON: Carlos Pavon (20′, 28′), Amado Guevara (62′), David Suazo (83′)
TNT: Kerry Baptiste (86′)
Costa Rica 0 – 3 Mexico
MEX: Giovani Dos Santos (45′+1′), Guillermo Franco (62′), Andres Guardado (71′)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH
El Salvador 1 – 0 Costa Rica
SLV: Rudis Corrales (90′+1′)
Trinidad & Tobago 0 – 1 United States
USA: Ricardo Clark (62′)
Mexico 1 – 0 Honduras
MEX: Cuauhtemoc Blanco (pen 75′)
STANDINGS
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