This is it -- the final matchday of the 2009 Hexagonal. It's also the final matchday of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, and I'm going to do something different tonight. I'm going to liveblog the matches involving the three South American teams in contention for the playoff place -- Argentina, Uruguay, and Ecuador. Argentina have to cross the Río de la Plata to renew the oldest national team rivalry in world football in a must-win match for both teams. Ecuador have to travel to Santiago to play an already-qualified Chile.
As for CONCACAF, the situation is simpler. There's just one automatic qualification spot to be decided between Honduras and Costa Rica. By approximately 9pm Eastern time, we will know CONMEBOL's representative in the playoff. By 10pm Eastern time, we will know who between Honduras and Costa Rica will have confirmed their place in South Africa, and who will have to play a home-and-away playoff against CONMEBOL's fifth-place team.
The South American matches in question kick off at 1600 1500 Arizona time (GMT -7).
Chile 1-0 Ecuador F
Uruguay 0-1 Argentina F
All Hexagonal matches kick off at 1705 Arizona time (GMT -7)
Trinidad & Tobago 2-2 Mexico F
USA 2-2 Costa Rica F
El Salvador 0-1 Honduras F
Commentary after the jump.
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1924: And that's it from here. What. A. Hexagonal! It was dramatic, evenly played, and it went down to the final minute of the final game. USA, Mexico, and Honduras are in the World Cup finals. Costa Rica will play 180 minutes with Uruguay for another place. El Salvador tried but weren't good enough, and the T&T Old Guard rode off into the sunset as Trinidad & Tobago met the limits of their abilities.
Thank you so much for following me during the Hexagonal, and I've been flattered to receive so much attention from all over the world. It's definitely kept me going. But there are still two more games to go! And Champions League in between. So see you then.
1915: Donovan: "We played from the first minute to the last, and with this karma and spirit we can do anything in the World Cup...hoping for a better performance this time"
1913: What did I say about the US being a resilient team? And under tremendously trying circumstances, too. Again, my prayers to Charlie Davies, the Roberta family, and all those affected by that car crash on Tuesday. And I think all US fans are hoping and praying that Onyewu's injury isn't serious.
1911: So Honduras, after 28 years, are back in the World Cup finals. Costa Rica will play Uruguay in the playoff to determine who will go to South Africa.
1910: I'd like to tell you what's going on in Honduras, but most of the news and sports sites from there are down!
1906: Charlie Davies isn't far from anybody's mind right now, and the US players are standing at center circle with Davies #9 on a large banner. Carlos Bocanegra is saying words of gratitude to the supporters for following them throughout the final Hexagonal, and the entire World Cup qualifying run.
1903: Dramatic scenes in Washington and San Salvador -- celebrations among the US players, tears among the Costa Rican partisans, and tears of joy in the Honduran nation.
What an amazing game we follow.
HONDURAS QUALIFIES FOR THE 2010 WORLD CUP
1903: FULL TIME El Salvador 0-1 Honduras
1902: FULL TIME Trinidad & Tobago 2-2 Mexico
1901: FULL TIME USA 2-2 Costa Rica
1859: GOAL USA 2-2 Costa Rica 90+4'
My hands are shaking! Off a corner kick, it's Jonathan Bornstein with a powerful downward header, and USA have saved the game!! And Honduras are in the World Cup! Tremendous roar from the Honduran commentators and support staff in San Salvador!
1858: Corner kick to USA. It's punched away! Costa Rica had a foray downfield but it's won away. Now USA come back and get a corner...
1857: The Honduran announcers are now commenting on the US game. This is the only match that matters at the moment.
1854: Stoppage time. Five additional minutes in DC. Three minutes (I think) in El Salvador.
1854: Looks like Costa Rica's assistant has been sent off as well.
1852: A big scuffle in the Costa Rican technical area between match officials and CR staff, and Rene Simoes has been expelled!
1850: USA still attacking. Not very coherently, but they're attacking.
1849: Five minutes left.
1847: Oh no! Onyewu went up very strong from that header, and he is down on the ground, calling desperately for a stretcher. God I hope that's not a serious injury, but I don't want to speculate.
1845: Honduras attacking more. Ten minutes to go in San Salvador and Washington DC.
1844: Great break out to Altidore on the left flank, and he has an excellent chance to tie the game, but he sprays the ball off his left foot. That was 2-2 right there.
1843: I'm listening to the radio announcers in Honduras while watching the USA-CR game, and they're paying more attention to the US game!
1840: Was that a penalty on Costa Rica for that collar grab of Casey? Sure looked like it...
1838: Lots of drama everywhere...Robert Primus of T&T just his the crossbar with his header.
1837: I was about to say that if the USA can score one goal, I have the feeling that perhaps they can tie or win the game. Can they? Rogers was oh so close with his effort.
1836: GOAL USA 1-2 Costa Rica (72')
After a goalmouth scramble, started by a strike by Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley scores! And cheers in Honduras as well!
1832: GOAL Trinidad & Tobago 2-2 Mexico (65')
Now Mexico have tied up the match again! It's Carlos Salcido!
1832: What a strike by Michael Barrantes...shame it was high, but what a strike.
1828: GOAL Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 Mexico (60')
Kerry Baptiste scores his second goal, on a header.
1827: GOAL El Salvador 0-1 Honduras (63')
Carlos Pavón scores, from a cross by David Suazo!
1827: Almost all of the USA forays downfield have been frustrated at the final third of the field in the second half. And Torres is about to come on for Feilhaber.
1825: GOAL Trinidad & Tobago 1-1 Mexico
It's Enrique Esqueda, who fires in a shot from the right side to level the scores.
1819: Corner kick to El Salvador. Valladares great save from Marvin González!
1817: Corner kick to Honduras. In DC look like USA trying the Route 1 route.
1814: Honduras not able to do much. Or at least they weren't...great buildup by Honduras, David Suazo with a shot but it hits the post!!!
1813: And now the game in T&T has resumed.
1809: El Salvador-Honduras match has just restarted...and so has USA-Costa Rica
1809: The teams are returning to the field in DC.
1800: I'm watching the replay of the two goals. Ruíz's second goal was gorgeous, but where was the defense? They were like statues on both goals!
1758: In the dead rubber of the Hexagonal, Trinidad & Tobago lead Mexico on a goal by Kerry Baptiste.
1757: HALFTIME Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 Mexico
1757: About to enter stoppage time in Port-of-Spain.
1756: Honduras have been frustrated in their critical match against El Salvador, but the result's not going to matter if the USA-Costa Rica result stays the same.
1756: HALFTIME El Salvador 0-0 Honduras
1754: Two goals by Bryan Ruíz midway through the first half have put Costa Rica on the cusp on a return to the World Cup finals.
1754: HALFTIME USA 0-2 Costa Rica
1750: Good sequence from USA...Altidore, then Bradley, then Casey with a dummy, but Donovan shoots right into Navas' body. Really should have scored there.
1748: Altidore just won a free kick at the edge of the area. Free kick's deflected away for a corner. Comms said that Altidore most dangerous US player.
1746: GOAL Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 Mexico (32')
What is it with Mexico in Trinidad & Tobago? Kerry Baptiste runs in and fires a bullet from the right side that Ochoa could not deflect.
1744: Reinaldo Rueda has been expelled from the bench! First time that has happened to him as Honduras coach. Honduras are losing their nerve.
1743: Donovan just missed a glorious chance for the USA's first goal. Flicked on by Altidore, he was in free on the left and missed his shot high.
1739: Suazo is not playing very well, has trouble staying on his feet, and now has picked up a yellow card. Honduras bench warming up.
1737: Free kick to USA not far from the penalty area. Landon Donovan couldn't recreate his goal from San Pedro Sula, and the ball flies well over the bar.
1734: This news has to be absolutely deflating to Honduras, but they have to keep on fighting. El Salvador are controlling the match so far.
1734: Two strikes by Bryan Ruíz, two minutes apart.
1732: It's taken me a while to get straightened out. In the meantime, there have been two Costa Rican goals!!
1724: Now, our region. The matches kicked off 15 minutes ago, and there's no score anywhere last I checked.
1718: Seems the nerves played a huge role in this game, and Uruguay did not take advantage of the greater number of chances they had.
1717: Diego and the players are cussing out the press...Messi and Verón among others passed by them without acknowledging the reporters' presence.
1715: The matches were concluding when I arrived home, but I was able to listen to the Uruguay-Argentina game in the car. Argentina won on a very late goal by Bolatti to clinch their place in South Africa, and the result in Chile means that Uruguay will go to the CONCACAF/CONMEBOL playoff.
1713: I just arrived home. I got burned by the kickoff times again.
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