KINGSTON — Nicaragua scored a shock 3-2 away win over Gold Cup runner-up Jamaica Friday to open the third round of CONCACAF 2qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. Nicaragua, which won all four matches in the opening two rounds of the competition, raced out to a 3-0 lead with captain Manuel Rosas scoring from the penalty spot in the fifth minute, Carlos Chavarria finding the back of the net three minutes later and Luis Galeano striking in the 48th minute. The Reggae Boyz, who had reached a new high meeting Mexico in July's CONCACAF Gold Cup final, fought back in the final 22 minutes with goals from Darren Mattocks (68th) and Adrian Mariappa (78) but it was not enough. A total of 12 teams are contesting six, two-legged series to determine the teams that will join the six seeded sides in the next phase. Canada, which has only once qualified for the World Cup in 1986, thumped Belize 3-0 with Tosaint Ricketts scoring on either side of the break and Atiba Hutchinson adding an injury time goal. Haiti also scored a comfortable 3-1 away win over Grenada. Jean Eudes Maurice, Mechack Jerome and Duckens Nazon each had a goal for Haiti while Anthony Straker scored from the penalty spot for Grenada. In other action, Myles Weston's 72nd minute penalty earned Antigua and Barbuda a 1-0 win over Guatemala while Larin's goal in the 12th minute stood up as the winner as El Salvador beat Curacao 1-0. Saint Vincent was a 2-0 winner over Aruba. Messi and Aguero score Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero struck two goals apiece in Argentina's 7-0 romp against an out-of-sorts Bolivia while Mexico was held 3-3 by Trinidad & Tobago in friendlies in the United States Friday. A largely second string side, with captain Lionel Messi coming on for the final 20 minutes, took to 12 the number of goals Copa America runner-up Argentina has put past Bolivia in two friendlies this year. Ezequiel Lavezzi also scored two goals while Angel Correa Argentina struck Argentina's seventh on his debut against a Bolivia side under new coach Julio Cesar Baldivieso. Veteran Bolivia defender Ronald Raldes lent the squad $21,000 of his own money to cover the travel costs to the United States for the squad while the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) is in turmoil over corruption charges against leading officials, Bolivian media reported. Top-ranked Argentina, warming up for the South American 2018 World Cup qualifiers, play again Tuesday in Dallas where it meets Mexico, held 3-3 by Trinidad & Tobago in Salt Lake City. Striker Jozy Altidore scored twice in the second half, his first from the rebound of his penalty saved by Pedro Gallese, as Juergen Klinsmann's US side recovered from a goal down to beat Peru 2-1 in Washington. Uruguay, missing suspended strikers Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, beat Panama 1-0 in Panama City with an 82nd minute goal by Cristhian Stuani in Panama City. Honduras won 3-0 against Venezuela, another team preparing for the South American World Cup qualifiers that kick off on Oct. 5. — Agencies
