Two late goals allowed the US to grab a 2-2 draw in El Salvador on Saturday to seize the regional 2010 World Cup qualifying lead, while Mexican chances were boosted by a key home triumph.
Mexico were 2-0 losers in the US in last month’s opening qualifier, but bounced back with a 2-0 home triumph over Costa Rica, joining their victims in second in the table.
Saturday’s other game in the six-team fight for three World Cup 2010 berths in South America saw Ataullah Guerra’s 89th-minute goal give Trinidad and Tobago a 1-1 draw with Honduras after Carlos Pavon had scored the opener in the 50th minute.
PHOTO: AFP
Trinidad and Tobago, who surrendered two goals in the last 11 minutes to settle for an opening draw in El Salvador, were without Dwight Yorke, serving a four-match ban, while Chris Birchall and Clayton Ince were suspended after second yellow cards.
El Salvador could have jumped to the top of the table by defeating the US, but settled for a share of fourth on two points with Trinidad and Tobago.
The Salvadoreans seized command after goals by Eliseo Ortiz Quintanilla in the 15th minute and Cristian Castillo in the 72nd minute.
Trailing by two goals with the hosts poised to go top of the table, the Americans grabbed a draw thanks to goals from Jozy Altidore in the 77th minute and Frankie Hejduk in the 88th minute. It also needed a defender’s saving header late in stoppage time to deny a bicycle kick from Brian Ching.
Costa Rica had inflicted Mexico’s lone home defeat in World Cup qualifying at the Azteca Stadium in 2001, but could not repeat the feat with a chance to seize the lead in the table with a victory.
Omar Bravo scored in the 19th minute and Pavel Pardo netted a penalty kick in the 52nd minute for a victory before 105,000 spectators at the Azteca Stadium that eased the pressure on Mexico manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Jobe Bellingham on Tuesday admitted to having “anxieties” on following in brother Jude’s footsteps after joining Borussia Dortmund in the summer. Jobe Bellingham, 19, is two years younger than Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in 2023 after three years at Dortmund. A centerpiece of the England national team, Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the best players in the world in recent seasons. The younger Jobe Bellingham joined Dortmund in June from Sunderland after their promotion to the English Premier League. He admitted he understood what the perception would be ahead of the move to Germany. “It’s something you do think about.
Before Tuesday’s 7-2 win at the Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy suggested “most people couldn’t tell you five players on our team.” A look at the standings would indicate more Brewers players soon will be recognized by more fans. After all, it is difficult to overlook a team that not only continues to extend their lead in the National League Central, but also boasts the best record in the majors. “What we’re doing in here right now is special,” right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta said after allowing only four hits and one run in five innings, while setting a career high with
A baseball team from New Taipei City won the US Pony Palomino Division World Series yesterday in Laredo, Texas, defeating the US West representative team from Azusa, California, 2-1. Ku-Pao Home Economics and Commercial High School earned the right to represent Taiwan in the Pony Palomino (17 to 18 age group) World Series after winning this year's Wang Chen-chih Cup, a competition named after Taiwanese-Japanese baseball legend Wang Chen-chih (王貞治), also known as Sadaharu Oh. In the championship game against Azusa, Ku-Pao's starting pitcher Luo Yu-yan (羅于晏) was erratic early, giving up two hits in the bottom of the first inning, followed
NEXT ROUND: World No. 1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka opened their title defenses with straight-sets wins, while Iga Swiatek and Taylor Fritz also advanced Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka got their title defenses off to smooth starts as they powered into the third round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open on Saturday. The men’s and women’s top seeds, each ranked No. 1 in the world, were both competing for the first time since Wimbledon, where Sinner lifted the title and Sabalenka bowed out in the women’s semi-finals. Sinner crushed Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan 6-1, 6-1 in steamy afternoon weather, while Sabalenka beat 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 7-5, 6-1 under the lights of the night session. Sabalenka needed 54 minutes and a service break in the final game
RSS