Re-energised Mexico seek to maintain momentum

Mexico, energised by a big win at Costa Rica, will try to build on that momentum on Wednesday when they host Honduras in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

It’s one of three matches on the slate in the North and Central America and Caribbean zone, where things are tight at the top in the six-nation final-round group from which three teams advance directly to the World Cup finals in South Africa.

The fourth-placed team will play off for a berth against the fifth-placed team from South America.

A stellar effort from Giovani Dos Santos, who scored one goal and created two more, lifted Mexico to a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica on Saturday – a triumph that saw the Costa Ricans tumble from the top of the table to fourth as Mexico rose to third – both with 12 points.

Honduras and the United States head the standings with 13 points each with three games remaining.

The USA and Costa Rica will hit the road hoping to rack up maximum points against the group stragglers: Trinidad and Tobago host the United States and El Salvador are at home to Costa Rica.

Both Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador have five points, with hopes of reaching the World Cup all but extinguished.

But US goalkeeper Tim Howard said the Americans couldn’t afford to let down their guard in Port of Spain.

“Nobody gives up when they’re playing for their country,” Howard said.

“Obviously it’s deflating for them,” he added of T and T’s 4-1 loss to Honduras on Saturday. “It’s still a home game, though, and you wonder how their crowd will react to them. Will they get on their backs or will they give them a lift? It’s tough to say.”

US coach Bob Bradley, whose team rallied for an unimpressive but valuable 2-1 victory over El Salvador on Saturday, said there was no room for error the rest of the way.

“The way results have gone thus far, there haven’t been many ties and teams have won at home, so teams are bunched at the top. We have to continue to fight for every point,” Bradley said.

Mexico have one advantage over the other top-four teams in that they have two more home matches at home while the United States, Costa Rica and Honduras each have just one home fixture left.