Monday, September 10 was a huge day in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying hexagonal. With 3 matches taking place within mere minutes of one another, each of the 6 teams in the pool had something on the line. Whether you were cheering for the United States to clinch its seventh-consecutive trip to the World Cup or for Honduras to hang onto the pivotal third spot in the hex, each match had a tremendous level of importance since the qualifying round nears completion.
Entering the evening, Costa Rica held a one-point advantage over the United States for the top spot in the CONCACAF hex. Honduras - thanks to a win over Mexico in their last qualifying match - sat in third place, two clear of El Tri. The reason third position in the hexagonal is so important is because each of the top 3 teams at the end of qualifying will automatically advance to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil while the fourth place finisher enters a playoff against New Zealand to determine another ticket. Panama - still with a chance to move up - and Jamaica rounded out the six-team field.
CONCACAF Final Scoring And Numbers
(1) Costa Rica vs. (6) Jamaica
Thanks to a step-up performance from Jermaine Anderson, the Reggae Boyz were able to earn a draw with Costa Rica. Randall Brenes of Costa Rica recorded the only goal of the game at the 74' minute until Anderson notched one in stoppage time to earn the tie.
(2) USMNT vs. (4) Mexico
Mexico recently fired head coach Chepo de la Torre after the team showed no signs of continuity in a loss to Honduras. With Luis Fernando Tena now leading the charge, El Tri struggled once again on both sides of the ball. Surrendering goals to Eddie Johnson (49') and Landon Donovan (78'), El Tri suffered another shutout loss to the US on American soil. With the victory and a Honduras draw, the United States clinched its seventh-straight World Cup berth.
(3) Honduras vs. (5) Panama
Honduras entered the match against Panama coming off a complete effort against Mexico. Looking to maintain third position with another strong performance, Honduras took the early lead with a Carlos Costly goal in the 28th-minute. Following a goal by Panama's Gabriel Torres in the second half, Wilson Palacios regained the lead with a 61st-minute tally. Holding the lead until extra time, Honduras was not able to stop Torres from recording his second goal one-minute into stoppage.
Updated CONCACAF Hexagonal Standings (As of 9/11/13)
1. United States, 16 points
2. Costa Rica, 15 points
3. Honduras, 11 points
4. Panama, 8 points
5. Mexico, 8 points
6. Jamaica, 4 points
Other Notable World Cup Qualifying Scores - CONMEBOL
Argentina defeats Paraguay, 5-2
Leo Messi and the Argentines poured it on Paraguay. Messi scored once in each half and thanks to supporting goals from Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria and Maxi Rodriguez, Argentina is going back to the World Cup finals.
"Qualification was the goal we've been looking for a long time," Messi said after Argentina defeated Paraguay. "Achieving that with two games remaining is very important. We have achieved our goal and now we are hoping to keep winning and progressing. The World Cup is seven games and you have to be in perfect form. You cannot make mistakes. We have already beaten big teams, but we still need to make some improvements to be world champions."
Venezuela Upends Peru, 3-2
With the one goal victory, Venezula remains 5 points ahead of Peru in the loaded South America bracket.
Uruguay takes down Colombia, 2-0
In need of a huge win, Uruguay defeated the second place team in CONMEBOL by a count of 2-0. Thanks to goals from Edinson Cavani and Christian Stuani, Uruguay now sits fifth in the group with 22 point, 7 points behind group-leading Argentina.
Bolivia and Ecuador draw, 1-1
With only 10 points entering, Bolivia picked up a big draw against fourth place Ecuador on Monday night. Ecuador sits 2 behind Chile for third in the group and 7 behind Argentina.
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