Toronto FC midfielder Amado Guevara helped push Honduras even closer to its first World Cup bid since 1982, scoring in the 61st minute in a 4-1 win against Trinidad & Tobago Saturday night that moved Los Catrachos atop the CONCACAF qualifying table with 13 points.
Guevara's goal made it 3-0 for Honduras, which has won three consecutive games and eight qualifiers in a row in San Pedro Sula. Former Los Angeles Galaxy forward Carlos Pavon had a brace and Inter Milan's David Suazo added an 83rd minute goal for Honduras, which heads to Estadio Azteca to face Mexico Wednesday night.
San Jose Earthquakes forward Cornell Glen played the entire 90 minutes for the Soca Warriors, who are at the bottom of the group with five points from seven matches.
Trinidad & Tobago limp home to take on a United States team that rallied to beat El Salvador 2-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah Saturday night.
Former New England Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey and ex-New York Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore scored six minutes apart late in the first half after Christian Castillo put El Salvador in front on 32 minutes.
Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan played the entire 90 minutes, as did Columbus Crew defender Chad Marshall and Jonathan Bornstein of Chivas USA. Houston Dynamo midfielder Stuart Holden was one of three second-half subs for U.S. coach Bob Bradley, nearly setting up Jose Francisco Torres for a late goal with a sublime cross. Real Salt Lake midfielder Kyle Beckerman received a loud ovation from the home fans when he came on late for the U.S., which is second in the group on goal differential.
San Jose Earthquakes midfielders Ramon Sanchez and Arturo Alvarez both started for El Salvador, which is fifth in the group with five points from seven matches. New York Red Bulls fullback Alfredo Pacheco was on the substitute's bench for La Selecta Cuscatleca, which plays host to Costa Rica Wednesday night.
Once alone atop the group, the Ticos have suffered back-to-back blowout losses, losing 3-0 to surging Mexico at Estadio Saprissa Saturday night. Giovanni Dos Santos, Guillermo Franco and Andres Guardado struck for El Tri, which moved one point behind Honduras and the United States in the final hexagonal round.
Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco started and played the entire 90 minutes for Mexico, which has won three consecutive qualifying matches, while New York Red Bulls fullback Carlos Johnson started for Costa Rica, which lost 4-0 to Honduras in San Pedro Sula last month.
Columbus Crew forward Alejandro Moreno played the final 23 minutes for Venezuela, which tied Chile, 2-2 at Estadio Monumental David Arellano in Santiago Saturday. La Vinotinto, which stretched its unbeaten streak to four games, has 18 points from 15 matches, just two points behind fifth-place Colombia.
On Wednesday, Venezuela plays host to last-place Peru, which upset Uruguay, 1-0, Saturday night.
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham was an unused substitute for England, which defeated Slovenia 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium Saturday. England, which has full points from seven matches, is seven points in front of second-place Croatia in UEFA's Group 6. The Three Lions meet Croatia Wednesday night in London.
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
