PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) - Trinidad and Tobago's victory over Panama on Saturday night has hauled them from bottom of the six-team table to fourth in the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying football standings, reviving their hopes of claiming a spot in next year's finals in Germany.
T&T, Mexico, and USA posted victories in the fourth series of games on Saturday, results that left leaders Mexico, 10 points, and the USA (nine) clear as the top two, with a keen tussle for third.Three teams are locked on four points, but Guatemala, with a goal difference of zero, hang on to third ahead of Trinidad and Tobago (-3), with Costa Rica, also with a minus-three goal difference, but with three goals, one less than T&T's Soca Warriors, are fifth.
Panama have slipped to the bottom of the table with two points.
Mexico, the only unbeaten team in the series, stretched their unbeaten streak against CONCACAF opposition to 17 games after defeating hosts Guatemala 2-0 at the Mateo Flores Stadium.
Mexico's win came through Antonio Naelson and an own goal in the 40th and 45th minutes.
At the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, Landon Donovan scored in the sixth and 62nd minutes, while Brian McBride added another with three minutes remaining for the Americans' 3-0 victory over Costa Rica.
Stern John (34th) and Dennis Lawrence (70th) led Trinidad & Tobago to their 2-0 home win over Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain.
The road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany will reach its midway point on Wednesday when T&T's Soca Warriors make the daunting trip to Mexico, Panama play the USA in Panama City, and Guatemala visit Costa Rica in San Jos?.
The CONCACAF Final Round will run until October, with the top three finishers in the group advancing directly to the finals in Germany next year.
The CONCACAF fourth-place finishers will compete in a home-and-away playoff against fifth-place finisher of the Asian Football Confederation, for one of the last berths into the FIFA event.
These games will take place in November 2005.
Points Standings
TEAMS MTS WIN LOSS DRAW PTS
Mexico 4 3 0 1 10
USA 4 3 1 0 9
Guatemala 4 1 2 1 4
T&T 4 1 2 1 4
Costa Rica 4 1 2 1 4
Panama 4 0 2 2 2
