Honduras Wins At Home Against El Salvador

A single goal by ex-Los Angeles Galaxy striker Carlos Pavon in the 14th minute held up as the game winner versus El Salvador in a World Cup qualifying match in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

It was a tightly-contested match in which the visiting Savadoreans kept fighting for the equalizer.

Pavon's goal came when Toronto FC's Amado Guevara fired a shot that El Salvador's goalkeeper Miguel Montes was able to stop, but the rebound fell to the feet of Pavon, who immediately fired the ball into the net.

Referee Baldomero Toledo was forced to reach for cards often to in an attempt to keep control of the match. Yellow cards were given to Honduran players Julio César de León, Wilson Palacios, Ramón Núñez and Pavon.

The card for Palacios, who plays in England for Tottenham, means that he will not play in the next qualifying game because of accumulation of yellow cards.

Toledo also handed out yellow cards to Ramón Sánchez and Salvador Coreas of El Salvador.

Honduras now has seven points in the final round of qualifying for the World Cup.

Costa Rica leads CONCACAF qualifying with 12 points, two ahead of the United States. Mexico has six, El Salvador follow with five while Trinidad and Tobago round out the group with two.

The top three teams advance automatically to the World Cup finals. The country that finishes fourth plays the fifth-place team from South American for another berth.

Lineups:

Honduras: Noel Valladares - Mauricio Sabillón, Osman Chávez, Maynor Figueroa, Emilio Izaguirre - Amado Guevara, Wilson Palacios, Ramón Núñez (Walter Martínez, 72), Julio de León (Hendry Thomas, 83) - Carlo Costly (Víctor Bernardez 90+3) Carlos Pavón.
Coach: Reinaldo Rueda.

El Salvador: Miguel Montes - Marvin González, Alfredo Pacheco (William Torres, 89), Alexander Escobar, Manuel Salazar - Salvador Corea, Ramón Sánchez, Eliseo Quintanilla, Julio Martínez - Cristian Castillo y Rudy Corrales (William Reyes, 80).
Coach: Carlos de los Cobos.

Andrea Canales, Goal.com

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