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Mexico beat Panama to advance in Gold Cup

Francisco Rodriguez, right, of Mexico and Jose Luis Garces of Panama go up for a header during their CONCACAF Gold Cup match on Wednesday at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. PHOTO: AFP

Carlos Salcido scored off a corner kick in the 60th minute to help Mexico beat Panama 1-0 on Wednesday and advance to the Gold Cup quarter-finals.

Mexico finished Group C in second place and will play Costa Rica on Sunday in Houston, while Panama, who also advanced as one of two best third placed group finishers, plays Group B winner the US tomorrow at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Salcido, who plays for Dutch team PSV Eindhoven, was unhappy when he played only the last five minutes in Mexico's first Gold Cup game against Cuba, a 2-1 win.

He started on Wednesday and scored off Jose Andres Guardado's corner kick in front of a tournament-high crowd of 68,417 fans.

Panama had two players, Roman Torres and Rolando Escobar, sent off late in the second half.

Group C champion Honduras, a 5-0 winner over Cuba earlier on Wednesday, will face Guadaloupe on Sunday in Houston.

Carlos Pavon scored four goals, three in the first half, to lead Honduras to victory.

Two players from the Cuban team may have defected before the match a newspaper reported yesterday.

The Houston Chronicle said in its Internet edition that forward Lester More went missing at the team's last stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and midfielder Osvaldo Alonso did not return from a shopping trip in Houston.

"These two players left. They did not come back," a Cuban team trainer who declined to give his name told the newspaper.

Cuban coach Raul Gonzalez, questioned after the game, refused to confirm the players had defected but cryptically told reporters, "They went for the gold. I hope they don't end up with thorns."
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