Suriname, Costa Rica and Guatemala opened their League A Concacaf Nations League accounts with victories, as did El Salvador in League B as the fourth edition of the tournament got into full swing on Thursday.

All battling for Group A honours, Suriname and Guatemala topped Guyana and Martinique 3-1, while Costa Rica blanked Guadeloupe 3-0, as all three teams sit on three points, separated only by a slight goal difference.

Meanwhile, in Group A of League B, El Salvador romped to a 4-1 win over Montserrat, while Bonaire and St Vincent and the Grenadines played out a 1-1 stalemate.

Guyana vs. Suriname

Suriname’s victory away to Guyana spoiled the Golden Jaguars League A debut at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora.

After three seasons in League B, Guyana would have hoped to start life in League A on a positive note, but it was not to be.

Djevencio van der Kust sent Suriname in front with an 18th-minute strike. However, Omari Glasgow pulled Guyana level with a 41st-minute penalty conversion for his 11th Nations League goal to extend his tally as the nation’s leading scorer in the competition.

But Guyana’s celebrations were short-lived as Jaden Montor drove home a powerful effort from an angle in the 66th to put Suriname 2-1 up.

Virgil Misidjan then sealed the win for the Dutch-speaking Caribbean island with a tidy 83rd-minute finish.

Costa Rica vs. Guadeloupe

Costa Rica were always favoured to secure three points here and they did just that on home soil at Estadio Nacional in San José.

After a goalless first half, Costa Rica’s captain Francisco Calvo led from the front with an expert header from Joel Campbell’s weighted corner kick to put his team in front in the 50th minute.

Ariel Lassiter doubled the lead in the 77th when he tucked home a right-footer from close range.

Warren Madrigal added another in 81st to cap the win.

Guatemala vs. Martinique 

Guatemala extended their all-time unbeaten record at home to eight matches as they bettered Martinique in a first-ever meeting between the two at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores.

Rubio Rubin fired home from Oscar Santis’ cross to give Guatemala a 3rd-minute lead.

After keeping Guatemala at bay thanks to goalkeeper Yannis Clementia, who came up big to deny Rubin and Alejandro Galindo in the 10th and 22nd minutes, respectively, Martinique pulled level in the 51st when Kevin Appin headed home.

However, Guatemala regained the lead from the penalty spot when Jose Pinto converted in the 61st.

Martinique should have been back on level terms in the 72nd, but Brighton Labeau’s penalty kick was saved by Guatemala’s custodian Nicholas Hagen.

That allowed Guatemala to capitalise as Jose Martinez fired home in the 90+5 to secure all three points.

Group A action will resume on Monday, beginning with Guadeloupe against Suriname and Martinique against Guyana. A Central American clash will conclude the day’s play as Guatemala hosts Costa Rica.

Over in League B, El Salvador will be aiming to consolidate their lead atop the group when they take on Bonaire on Sunday, while St Vincent and the Grenadines play Montserrat.

Paraguay coach Daniel Garnero knows a dismal Copa America campaign may end up costing him his job.

Garnero's team, who were already eliminated before kick-off, lost 2-1 to Costa Rica on Tuesday.

It means they finished bottom of Group D, having lost each of their three matches.

Paraguay had not lost all of their group games at the Copa America since 1925.

And Garnero knows it could spell the end of his tenure.

"It was a bad tournament, a bad performance," he said.

"I am here because the association requested my services and if they don't want me to continue, that is their decision. I'll have to discuss that with them."

Paraguay did at least score in all their group stage matches, a feat they have achieved two other times this century in the Copa America (2015 and 2004), but the group, which also included Colombia and Brazil, proved far too strong.

They had the better of the chances against Costa Rica, who became the first team to score two goals within the first 10 minutes of play in a Copa America match since Argentina did so against Chile in 1995.

Francisco Calvo and Josimar Alcocer put Costa Rica 2-0 up. At 19 years and 362 days old, the latter is the third youngest player from a non-CONMEBOL team to score at the Copa America.

Ramon Sosa lashed in a brilliant effort to get Paraguay back into the contest, but Costa Rica held firm.

They have now gone four consecutive matches without losing to Paraguay in all competitions (W2 D2). This is the second-longest unbeaten streak for the Ticos against a CONMEBOL team, only surpassed by a five-match unbeaten run against Venezuela between 2001 and 2011 (W2, D3).

The victory was not enough to send Costa Rica through, though, as they finished third, one point behind Brazil.

"This was a very tough group. We were playing against Brazil and Colombia, two of the four favourites to win the Copa," Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro said.

"We had our strengths, our achievements and our mistakes, but we grew and we're analysing the performance rather than the results.

"The important thing is that we learn."