Omar Bravo of Mexico celebrates his goal against Costa Rica during their FIFA World Cup South Africa-2010 qualifier football match at the Azteca stadium in Mexico City, on March 28, 2009. AFP PHOTO/Ronaldo SCHEMIDT

FIFA World Cup Mexico ends winless skid with 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in World Cup qualifying 3/28/2009 - MEXICO CITY – Mexico ended its four-game winless streak in World Cup qualifying, getting goals from Omar Bravo and Pavel Pardo to beat Costa Rica 2-0 on Saturday. The victory before a crowd of about 100,000 at Estadio Azteca was only Mexico’s third in its last nine games, the other two coming in friendlies. The win over Costa Rica was the first in qualifying since a 2-1 triumph over Canada on September 10. The result also ended Costa Rica’s eight-game winning streak in qualifying and was its first loss in nine games since qualifying began. It left both with three points after two of 10 matches in the final round of CONCACAF qualifying. Mexico, playing without regular captain Rafael Marquez due to suspension, earned a corner kick 10 seconds after the opening kickoff, but Costa Rica had the better of play early. Despite forcing three corners in the first 14 minutes, Costa Rica had the best early chance in the third minute when Michael Umana was able to get unarked to a free kick at the back post but shot into the side netting. Mexico slowly began to assert control and took the lead on a quick striker out of the midfield in the 20th minute. Leandro Augusto, a naturalized Argentine that plays for Pumas UNAM, drove a low ball to Bravo, who exchanged passes with Matias Vuoso and was able to break in on Costa Rican keeper Ricardo Gonzalez. Bravo’s first shot from the top of the penalty area was blocked by Gonzalez, but the rebound fell into the path of the Tigres striker, who easily scored over the sprawled keeper from eight meters. Costa Rica started the second half looking more dangerous, but the Ticos hopes faded when Pardo drew a penalty and converted in the 52nd minute. Vuoso sent him a short ball down the left side of the area, and Roy Myrie ran over Pardo from behind, sparking U.S. referee Terry Vaughn to point to the spot. Mexico will look to build on its momentum on Wednesday when it travels to San Pedro Sula to face Honduras, while Costa Rica will try to recover at home in San Jose against El Salvador. Injury time goal by Jones salvages 1-1 draw for Trinidad with Honduras
3/28/2009 - PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad – Kenwyne Jones scored in the fifth minute of injury time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Trinidad & Tobago with Honduras on Saturday in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The result was a reversal of fortune for the Soca Warriors from their last game, when they allowed two goals in the final eight minutes, including an equalizer in injury time, and had to settle for a 2-2 draw at El Salvador. Honduras appeared headed for victory after Carlos Pavon scored in the 51st minute. The 35-year-old Pavon, a veteran of the Honduran national side since 1993, was making his first appearance in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. After Trinidad failed to completely clear a corner kick, Pavon nodded it in to give Honduras its first points in the final round of qualifying. After playing both of its opening games on the road, it gets to return home on Wednesday to face Mexico, which beat Costa Rica 2-0 in Mexico City on Saturday to end its four-game winless streak in qualifying. Trinidad had the better of play early, but was unable to convert its dominance of possession into quality chances. The Soca Warriors, which failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July, was playing without striker Dwight Yorke, who was suspended for four games for cursing at the officials following the draw with El Salvador. They will travel to Nashville, Tennessee, on Wednesday for their next qualifier, against the United States. FIFA World Cup Hejduk scores one, sets up another to rally USA to 2-2 draw at El Salvador 3/28/2009 - SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – Frankie Hejduk scored one goal and set up another in the final 13 minutes, rallying the United States to a 2-2 draw against El Salvador to put it alone atop the standings in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. Hejduk, a veteran of the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, sent in a cross for Jozy Altidore to head in in the 77th minute, and then scored with a header from a corner kick in the 88th to give the USA four points in the six-team final round group. The United States moved alone atop, one point ahead of Mexico and Costa Rica, with a home match against Trinidad next on Wednesday at home in Nashville, Tennessee. The result ended the United States’ seven-game winning streak against El Salvador, but extended its unbeaten streak to 13 versus the Custcatlecos. El Salvador has one only once in 18 career meetings between the two, a friendly in 1992. Eliseo Quintanilla gave El Salvador the lead in the 15th minute, finishing a counterattack that involved a series of quick exchanges starting with Rodolfo Zelaya and a deft touch by Osael Romero. It was El Salvador’s first goal against the United States in seven games dating back to 1997, and enlivened a raucous crowd to provide the Custcatlecos an added boost. Cristian Castillo doubled the lead in the 72nd minute, finishing a counter with a header. Castillo outleapt USA right back in the middle of the area to get to Zelaya’s cross, driving it past goalkeeper Brad Guzan. Guzan, who plays for Aston Villa in the English Premier League, was playing in place of regular USA keeper Tim Howard, who was suspended after accumulating a second yellow in a 2-0 victory over Mexico on February 11. The United States had it share of possession but was unable to create anything dangerous until Brian Ching had a goal disallowed for offside on a free kick. USA manager Bob Bradley began to make tactical changes, beginning with the insertion of Altidore for Heath Pearce in the 61st, and then Mexican-based Francisco Torres for Sacha Kljestan in the 72nd. The changes enabled the Americans to begin to dominate possession, leading to constant pressure on the Salvador goal. El Salvador had to adjust when goalkeeper Miguel Montes appeared to develop severe leg cramps, and had to be replaced by Juan Jose Gomez in the 75th. Altidore’s goal initiated a period of complete domination by the USA, which twice nearly scored a winner in injury time on chances by Brian Ching. El Salvador, which rallied with a pair of goals in the final eight minutes to earn a 2-2 draw at home against Trinidad in its final round opener, improved to two points, in fourth place.