Mexico stunned by El Salvador

Eliseo Quintanilla scored on a penalty kick in the 85th minute to lift El Salvador to a crucial 2-1 victory over Mexico on Saturday in a World Cup qualifier.

The result gives El Salvador some hope of reaching next year’s World Cup finals in South Africa, while plunging Mexico into a deeper hole.

Julio Martinez gave El Salvador the lead in the 11th minute, but Mexico’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored on a penalty kick in the 71st.

El Salvador moved up to third place in the standings with five points, one point ahead of Honduras and two ahead of Mexico, which is still struggling under new Coach Javier Aguirre. The top three teams earn automatic berths.