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VIDEO: NEW YORK - Twenty-eight players who had received a single yellow card during the first two rounds of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying will have their cautions voided and begin the semifinal round with clean disciplinary records, FIFA informed the confederation on Monday.
The world body's disciplinary committee cancelled all single cards on a request from CONCACAF, allowing for all teams to begin the second group phase on an equal footing when qualifying resumes June 8.
El Salvador's Rdolfo Zelaya, Victor Turcios and Eliseo Quintanilla will benefit from the decision, as well as forward Dwight Pessarossi of Guatemala and Terry Dunfield and Julian de Guzman of Canada. Guyana was the biggest recipient, having cards for seven players wiped clean.
Despite the ruling, Jamaica's Jermaine Taylor and Honduras' Roger Espinoza will be suspended for the first match of the semifinal round. Taylor was ejected from the Reggae Boyz' 2-0 loss to the United States in the Gold Cup quarterfinals on June 19 and must sit out Jamaica's game against Guatemala.
Similarly, Espinoza received two yellow cards and was sent off from Honduras' 2-0 extra time loss to Mexico in the Gold Cup semifinals three days later and will miss the Catrachos' match against Panama.
Neither Jamaica nor Honduras played in the first two rounds of qualifying and were seeded into the semifinal stage.
