Brazilian music concert
Flute and piano, 7 p.m., Fine Arts Theater, UCR, San Pedro. 

Nicola Di Bari in concert
Popular Italian singer, 8 p.m., Melico Salazar Theater, tickets at 2207-2025, www.mundoticket.com.

Indigenous fusion music
Performed by Proyecto Jironday and Nagual Trio, 9 p.m., Jazz Café, San Pedro.

A mid-May report that found San José's air quality to be hazardous to your health seems to have finally grabbed the government's attention.

Following five years of annual studies from the National University (UNA) that show increasing air pollution in the capital, the Oscar Arias administration has signed a series of agreements to bolster the university's research and act on its findings.

“The idea is for the government to have the data to make decisions,” said Félix Rojas, a researcher with UNA's Laboratory of Air Quality.

To tackle the problem, the Arias administration and UNA have agreed to create the National Atmospheric Pollutant Monitoring Network, a program that will expand the university's research and make it the basis for government policy.

The program takes the university's studies into the capital cities of other neighboring provinces, such as Alajuela to the northwest and Cartago to the east, that make up the greater metropolitan area surrounding the city proper of San José.

UNA's air quality study released in May found that levels of nitrogen dioxide, the metal manganese and fine-particulate matter exceeded levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as relatively safe (TT, May 23).

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Costa Rica's national men's soccer team beat Suriname 4-1 Saturday, its fourth consecutive win, to clinch a spot in next year's regional finals for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Captain Walter Centeno opened the scoring at 10 minutes, and midfielder Celso Borges notched the second goal just before the end of the first half, with forward Bryan Ruíz getting the assist for both.

Midfielder Armando Alonso scored minutes into the second half, this time with Centeno on the assist. Although Suriname striker Clifton Sandvliet responded less than a minute later, his team would never make any other serious threat to the Ticos, who rounded out the night with one more goal in the 76th minute by Alonso Solís, just three minutes after he was subbed in for Ruíz.

The win puts la Sele atop Group 3 with 12 points. The team hosts Haiti this Wednesday at the Saprissa Stadium in Tibás, on the north side of San José, and then travels to San Salvador for the final game of the quadrangular phase Nov. 19 against El Salvador, who also look likely to qualify with seven points.

While Costa Rica was largely expected to make it to the next round due to the relatively weak quadrangular group competition, the wins have proven important opportunities for the team to coalesce under new Coach Rodrigo Kenton, who took over this summer from Hernán Medford. The team suffered a year-long 12-game winless drought under Medford, who, although a former standout player for la Sele, was often testy and divisive as helmsman.

The United States also has secured their spot in next year's hexagonal phase after a 6-1 over Cuba to secure their lead in Group 1, also with 12 points. In Group 2, Mexico suffered a surprise 0-1 loss to Jamaica earlier in the week, but still co-leads the group along with Honduras at nine points, over Jamaica's four points and two games left for each team to play.

The top two teams from each of the three groups in the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central and Caribbean Association Football) regional tournament will play in a six-team final qualifying tournament, known here as the hexagonal phase.

The top three teams from the hexagonal phase will win automatic bids to South Africa, while the fourth-placed team will vie against the fifth-placed team in the South America tournament for the hemisphere's final qualifying slot.

Also in the CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament of the best club soccer teams in the region, local giant Saprissa drew a painful 2-2 tie against the U.S.' DC United Thursday in San José. After falling behind early, Saprissa scored a pair of goals to go ahead in the 85th minute. But DC United equalized in injury time. Saprissa, who beat DC United on their home turf last month, is now in a three-way tie in Group A with Honduras' Marathon and Mexico's SC Cruz Azul. Their next game in the tournament will be on Oct. 23 against Marathon in San Pedro Sula.