CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying: Mexico And USA Win, Honduras Stunned

Honduras Vs. Panama, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: Blas Perez Stuns Catrachos

Honduras are an emerging team in CONCACAF, the third-best team in the region and the ones most suited to challenge the U.S. and Mexico. They were the heavy favorites in Group C of the third round of World Cup qualifying and weren't really supposed to be challenged until the final round. Apparently nobody told Blas Perez and Panama that because thanks to Perez's brace, Panama went to Honduras and came away 2-0 winners on Friday.

After more than an hour of scoreless soccer, Perez finally broke the deadlock when he got the best of Victor Bernardez in the 65th minute. He notched the opener and the Panamanians were on their way to a shocker. Just for good measure, Perez added one more in the 81st minute and the upset was done.

With the win, Panama moves to the top of Group C with Canada on three points. Honduras and Cuba are bringing up the rear without a point.

Costa Rica Vs. El Salvador, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: Ticos Disappoint in Draw

Last qualifying cycle, Costa Rica was one of CONCACAF's top teams. They just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, but they were clearly among the best that the region had to offer. This time around they might not even qualify for the final round of qualifying. The Ticos drew 2-2 with El Salvador at home on Friday to open up World Cup qualifying and with Mexico also in the group, they are behind the eight ball early on.

The match started brilliantly for the Ticos too. Alvaro Saborio scored nine minutes in, then starlet Joel Campbell doubled Costa Rica's lead six minutes later. The Ticos had played just 15 minutes and were already up 2-0. Everything was great, right? Wrong.

Isidro Gutierrez cut the lead in half in the 23rd minute and made a match of things again in San Jose. Then in the 55th minute Osael Romero equalized to stun the Ticos and earn El Salvador a great draw on the road.

After one day of play, Costa Rica and El Salvador are both on one point, two behind Mexico and one ahead of Guyana. Even so, El Salvador is in the driver's seat with the Ticos still having to play them in El Salvador.

Jamaica Vs. Guatemala, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: Reggae Boyz Win 2-1

If anyone was going to challenge the United States for first place in Group A of the third round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, it was going to be Jamaica and they started off the round right on Friday. The Reggae Boyz got goals just before and after halftime to beat Guatemala, 2-1, and grab three points at home.

Demar Phillips got the opening tally for Jamaica, scoring in the 41st minute to get the Reggae Boyz a lead they deserved after a good opening to the match. They would take that 1-0 lead into halftime, but just one minute into the second half Ryan Johnson scored to double the lead for the home side.

Dwight Pezzarossi got a goal back for Guatemala in the 90th minute, but it was too late by then. Jamaica had lived up to the hyped of the group's top challenger to the favored U.S. with a solid 90 minutes and a deserved three points.

After one day, Jamaica and the U.S. are tied atop Group A with three points each. Guatemala is at the bottom of the group with Antigua and Barbuda without a point.

Mexico Vs. Guyana, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: Final Score, El Tri Unimpressive In Win

Fans of the United States probably aren't too pleased with their team's performance, but they can take some comfort in the fact that their biggest rivals did essentially the same thing. Against a Guyana team that they were supposed to crush, Mexico scored an early goal, fell asleep a bit, allowed a goal on a miscue and eventually coasted to a two-goal win against a team they should have defeated by six or seven goals.

Ultimately, they all count the same, and El Tri will be happy to take three points from their 3-1 win on Friday. Carlos Salcido scored the opener in the 11th minute and that was quickly followed by a Giovani dos Santos goal in the 15th minute, assisted by Aldo de Nigris. Just after halftime, 'Chicharito' Javier Hernandez flicked in a third for Mexico.

Guyana's goal was the last of the match, in the 62nd minute, and they didn't even get the pleasure of scoring it. Hector Moreno did the honors, deflecting a cross into his own net.

'Chepo' Jose Manuel de la Torre decided to show Guyana very little respect in this match, starting with one midfielder and two strikers in a 4-1-3-2. He'll play a different team against El Salvador on Tuesday. Most likely, de Nigris will move to the bench while Salcido moves to midfield and Jorge Torres Nilo comes in at left back.

USA Vs. Antigua & Barbuda, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: Final Score 3-1 USA As Hosts Flatter To Deceive

The United States put in a rather unimpressive performance in seeing off Antigua and Barbuda in their World Cup qualifying match in Tampa. The hosts should have absolutely demolished the minnows in a Floridian downpour, but were held to an unconvincing 3-1 victory instead, losing Jose Torres to a severe-looking ankle injury in the process..

Carlos Bocanegra opened the scoring with a toe-poke home following Molvin James' save from Hercules Gomez's header, and for a little while it seemed as though the floodgates would open. Slick moves from Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley cut open Antigua's back line, and it seemed as though the US would grab a hatful of goals before the end of the first half.

Instead, they only added one more, with Dempsey tacking on from the spot after Landon Donovan was brought down in the box. Incredibly, Antigua pulled a goal back after halftime when substitute Peter Byers finished low past Tim Howard, but the two-goal cushion was restored thanks to Gomez, who took advantage of a very fortunate rebound to make it 3-1 in the 71st minute. The rest of the match (save for Torres' injury, which saw him stretchered off in the 57th minute) was prettttty awful.

Cuba Vs. Canada, 2014 World Cup Qualifying: 10-Man Canucks Pick Up Road Win

Canada's quest to make their first World Cup since 1986 continued on Friday in Cuba where they got a good result, but hardly inspired confidence in their ability to get many more. The Canadians struggled with the lowly Cubans and had to play the last 30 minutes with 10 men, but Olivier Occean's second half goal held up and delivered Canada a 1-0 win.

Occean earned Canada the win early in the second half when he head home from close range. The goal was the result of a gorgeous David Edgar cross and Occean's finish was tidy.

Prior to the goal, Canada had their share of problems. Cuba was able to generate a few chances and Canada spent parts of the match on their heels, which is not what you would expect of a team that believes it can qualify for the World Cup.

Lars Hirschfeld was sent off not long after Canada went in front when he handled the ball outside of the box. Amazingly, it looked like Canada got better once they went down a man. They created more chances and kept more of the ball, keeping Cuba at bay and showing more fluidity than they did at 11 men. Dwayne De Rosario had several chances to score, but he couldn't convert. None of the misses mattered on this day, though.

This was the first match of the third round of qualifying, which is a four-team group that will see the top two advance to the final round. Canada got the three points they did to start off the third round of qualifying right. Still, they know they will have to play better in the future if they want to return to the World Cup.

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