FIFA World Cup Qualifying Preview: Costa Rica out to extend lead, USA host Mexico

Costa Rica will aim to take another step towards FIFA World Cup qualification with a win over Jamaica on Tuesday.

Jorge Luis Pinto’s side moved to the top of the CONCACAF qualifying section with an impressive 3-1 victory at home to the United States on Friday, ending the visitors’ 12-game winning streak in all competitions.

This result put them one point cleat of Jurgen Klinsmann’s men, and they will now turn their attention to Kingston, where they will face bottom-placed Jamaica – a team that are on a winless run of nine games.

Winfried Schafer’s side have scored just two goals in that sequence, and they they face an uphill struggle against a buoyant Costa Rican outfit who have lost just once so far in qualifying.

Elsewhere, the United States will look to get over the disappointment of defeat in San Jose when they welcome Mexico to Columbus for a match that sees second take on fourth.

Klinsmann’s side are currrently five points ahead of their visitors, who suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Honduras on Friday.

That result was only the second time Mexico had tasted defeat in a World Cup qualifier at the Azteca Stadium, and was enough to convince the Mexican Football Federation to sack coach Jose Manuel de la Torre.

Meanwhile, Honduras will be looking to build on that victory when they take on Panama at the Estadio Tiburcio Carias Andino on Wednesday.

But they will have to make sure they contain Panama striker Blas Perez, who is set to return for the visitors after serving a suspension.

The FC Dallas forward has found the net on 10 occasions so far in this campaign and was sorely missed on Saturday as Panama were held 0-0 by Jamaica.