While all eyes in the home country were on Crew Stadium, where the United States defeated Mexico 2-0 in Columbus Wednesday night, Major League Soccer players competed in World Cup qualifiers throughout the region and in friendlies around the globe.
At Saprissa Stadium in San Jose, Costa Rica also claimed all three points as Andy Furtado's brace lifted the ticos over Honduras, 2-0. Chicago Fire defender Gonzalo Segares was on the substitute's bench for Costa Rica, while Toronto FC midfielder Amado Guevara and Ivan Guerrero from the Colorado Rapids were in the Honduras starting lineup.
Guevara, the Honduras captain, nearly brought the visitors to within a goal in the 73rd minute when he beat goalkeeper Ricardo Gonzalez, but he fired wide.
In the other CONCACAF qualifier Wednesday night, El Salvador rallied from a 2-0 deficit after 27 minutes to play Trinidad & Tobago to a 2-2 draw with a pair of goals in the final 11 minutes at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador.
It was a historic day for David Beckham, as the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder equaled Bobby Moore's England record of 108 caps when he came on as a substitute at the start of the season half of a friendly against Spain in Seville Wednesday.
Beckham, who is on loan to AC Milan of Italy's Serie A, came on for Stewart Downing, but he was unable to prevent his side from falling to the defending European champions, 2-0.
In London, Jamaica and Nigeria played to a scoreless draw at the New Den. Seattle Sounders FC defender Tyrone Marshall played the entire 90 minutes for the Reggae Boyz, who were without Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who picked up a preseason knock. Red Bulls midfielder Dane Richards was called up to the Jamaican team, but visa issues didn't allow him to travel to London.
Another Red Bulls midfielder, Jorge Rojas, came on at halftime for Venezuela in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Guatemala in a friendly Wednesday in Maturin, Venezuela. Columbus Crew forward Alejandro Moreno played the full 90 minutes for Venezuela, while Marco Pappa of the Chicago Fire started for Guatemala and was replaced in the 63rd minute by Jaime Vides.
Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare earned his first cap for Mali and was in the starting XI on Wednesday as Mali thrashed Angola, 4-0, at the Bois-Guillaume in France. News accounts gave Soumare a 9 rating (out of 10) as he played in central defense for the Aigles.
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