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VIDEO: MEXICO CITY - Carlos Salcido and Giovani Dos Santos scored less than four minutes apart early in the first half and Mexico cruised to a 3-1 victory over Guyana on Friday in the opening game for both in the semifinal round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.
Both sides traded own-goals in the second half as Mexico won a fourth straight and Guyana lost for the fourth time in five games.
Mexico controlled the match from the start, repeatedly threatening Guyana's net while El Tri keeper Jesus Corona didn't face a shot on goal until the 58th minute.
Guyana, which has never advanced this far in World Cup qualifying and was playing Mexico for the first time, often was forced to defend with 10 men behind the ball, leaving Carl Cort alone up front for much of the match.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez also hit the right post in the 22nd minute, although Guyana became more dangerous in the second half. It created two shots within a half a minute in the 58th - a 30-meter free kick by Kayode McKinnon that Corona had to go low to grab and a right-footed attempt by Cort. Cort then bounced a volleyed shot from Chris Nurse's cross off the crossbar in the 71st.
But Mexico went ahead early and never seemed threatened.
Salcido gave El Tri the lead in the 11th minute, running onto Pablo Barrera's cross that was headed away by John Rodrigues, but only as far as the top of the arc.
The Tigres defender raced in and volleyed a shot through three Guyanese defenders, bouncing it once before it skipped inside the right post.
Dos Santos doubled the lead in the 15th, getting the final touch on a series of quick passes that started with Salcido and went through Dos Santos, Chicharito and Aldo De Nigris before ending up on the Tottenham midfielder's foot for the shot from inside the arc.
While Guyana struggled to maintain any possession in the Mexican half in the first 45 minutes, it had a dangerous moment in the 43rd when Cort found space on the right side and sent in a ball across the face of goal that Ricky Shakes just missed getting an unchallenged header on just outside the six.
Mexico increased its lead to 3-0 in the 51st when Andres Guardado sent in a cross from the left that Chicharito, with his back to goal, flicked with his heel. But the ball struck Rodrigues in the shins and bounced past Guyana keeper Ronson Williams.
After McKinnon and Cort both tested Corona early in the second half, Guyana finally scored when second-half substitute Gregory Richardson sent in a cross from the right, and Hector Moreno's attempt to intercept only deflected it between the Mexican keeper -leaning to his right -- and the near post.
Mexico next will travel to El Salvador to play "Los Cuscatlecos" on Tuesday, while Guyana will return home to host Costa Rica.
