MLS players played a very prominent role in Tuesday’s CONCACAF Hexagonal matches, scoring five of the seven total goals in the pair of World Cup qualifying contests in Central America.
Panama 2, Honduras 2
GOOOAAALLL!!!
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) June 14, 2017
One final twist in the script as @romantorres05 stabs home a late equalizer! 🇵🇦 2-2 ðŸ‡ðŸ‡³ pic.twitter.com/gDj6dGJWYj
The Houston Dynamo’s Honduran stars showed up a big way on Tuesday night in Panama City, but a Seattle Sounder stole the show with a late goal to rescue a point for the home side.
Sounders defender Roman Torres scored in the 90th minute, collecting a loose ball at the top of the box, turning and slotting a shot past Honduras goalkeeper Donis Escober to equalize for Panama. His late goal cancelled out a fifth minute strike from Dynamo forward Romell Quioto that gave Honduras a 1-0 lead and a 66th minute goal from Houston’s Alberth Elis that put Honduras up 2-1. Former MLS forward Blas Perez scored Panama’s first goal in the 41st minute, with Red Bulls’ defender Michael Murillo registering the assist.
In total, seven MLS players featured in the match. Torres, Murillo, Toronto midfielder Armando Cooper and San Jose midfielder Anibal Godoy went the full 90 for Panama. Elis and FC Dallas defender Maynor Figueroa played the entire match for Honduras, while Quioto started and was subbed off in the 73rd minute.
Costa Rica 2, Trinidad and Tobago 1
¡GOOOL! En el primer minuto @calvo05oficial cabecea el primero para @FEDEFUTBOL_CR en el Estadio Nacional ante @TTFootballAssocpic.twitter.com/wf3TmvohoY
— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) June 14, 2017
A pair of Minnesota United players scored in Costa Rica on Tuesday, but Francisco Calvo and Los Ticos eventually emerged with a 2-1 win over Kevin Molino and Trinidad and Tobago at Estadio Nacional.
Calvo scored less than a minute into the match, heading home a Joel Campbell corner kick to give Costa Rica an early 1-0 lead. Molino pulled the Soca Warriors level in the 35th minute, collecting Seattle Sounders wide player Joevin Jones’ square ball just outside the box, taking a touch toward the middle and rifling a low left-footer past Costa Rica ‘keeper Keylor Navas and inside the left post to make it 1-1.
Trinidad and Tobago couldn’t quite hang on, however, with Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz scoring in the 44th minute to give the hosts a 2-1 win that kept them in second place in the Hex standings.
Nine MLS players played in the contest, though not all made it through unscathed, as Vancouver defender Kendall Waston was subbed off by Costa Rica in the 22nd minute due to injury. Calvo went the full 90 for Costa Rica, while Minnesota’s Johan Venegas and San Jose’s Marco Urena also started. Venegas was subbed off for Portland Timbers midfielder David Guzman in the 60th minute and Urena was removed for NYCFC’s Rodney Wallace in the 81st.
Molino, Jones and Colorado Rapids defender Mekeil Williams all started for Trinidad and Tobago, with Molino going the full 90, Jones getting subbed off in the 78th minute and Williams removed in the 90th as the Soca Warriors searched for a late equalizer.
