GLENDALE, Arizona: Panama booked the last spot in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals against the United States with a 4-0 victory over Nicaragua in Group C on Sunday.
Mexico take top spot in the group after a 2-0 win over a Guadeloupe side who ended the game with nine men. The Mexicans will face Haiti in the last eight.
Both teams went into the game having already qualified and only top spot in the group at stake - Guadeloupe finish second and will face Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.
The other game in the last eight of the tournament for North and Central America and the Caribbean features Canada against Honduras.
Panama, the Central America champions, had no trouble against a Nicaragua side who had to play the entire second half down to 10 men after Franklin Lopez was sent off for kicking Gabriel Gomez just before the break.
Panama were 1-0 up at the interval after Blas Perez slotted home in the 35th minute after some poor Nicaraguan defending.
Gabriel Gomez made it 2-0 in the 56th minute before Luis Tejada scored twice to complete the rout.
In the late game, Mexico took the lead through a superb strike from Gerardo Torrado three minutes before the break, the midfielder taking the ball down on his thigh before blasting home from more than 20 meters out.
Guadeloupe, who do not feature in World Cup competition as they are not a member of FIFA, went down to 10 men after Alain Vertot was sent off for a second yellow card in the 72nd minute.
Ludovic Gotin was dismissed shortly after for a studs-up challenge. Miguel Sabah thundered in a header from a corner five minutes from the end to ensure victory for the Mexicans, who were without the leadership of manager Javier Aguirre.
Aguirre clashed with Panama midfielder Ricardo Phillips in their 1-1 draw on July 9 and given a three-match suspension.
Ferguson says United
done shopping
Meanwhile, Manchester United will not be signing any more players ahead of the new season after being priced out of the market for France striker Karim Benzema, manager Alex Ferguson said on Monday.
Ferguson, speaking at the presentation of his trio of new signings Michael Owen, Gabriel Obertan and Antonio Valencia, said he was satisfied with his close-season business, funded by the record 80-million-pound ($130 million) sale of winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.
“I think that has concluded our business,” Ferguson told reporters at the club’s Carrington training ground.
“I think we are in the middle of a difficult summer in football where it is difficult to get value but I think we have got good value and this is the right way to go for us.” United have reportedly paid 19 million pounds for their three new signings - 16 million to Wigan Athletic for Valencia and three million to Girondins Bordeaux for Obertan, while Owen arrived on a free transfer as he was out of contract having left Newcastle United.
United had been interested in signing striker Benzema, who completed his move from Olympique Lyon to Real Madrid last week.
“As far as we were concerned it was beyond our value,” Ferguson said in relation to Benzema.
“People have got to try and put a value on players which they think is fair. They [Lyon] have done well to get 42 million euros for him.
“What does that tell people about Manchester United? It tells you we are sensible.”
Real have spent more than 200 million euros over the past month on bringing in Ronaldo, Benzema, playmaker Kaka and defender Raul Albiol, leading Ferguson to question the “value” clubs were getting in the current transfer market.
“Everywhere, in England and Europe the value of transfers have shot sky high and I don’t think they are realistic,” Ferguson added.
