Mexico beats Costa Rica 3-0 in WCup qualifier

Sep 6, 2009 - 4:13 AM SAN JOSE, Costa Rica(AP) -- Mexico won for the first time in four road matches in the final round of World Cup qualifying, beating Costa Rica 3-0 Saturday night on goals by Giovanni Dos Santos, Guillermo Franco and Andres Guardado.

Dos Santos scored on a long left-footed shot that silenced the hostile crowd at Saprissa Stadium in the 45th minute. Dos Santos set up the final two goals, scored by Franco in the 61st, and Guardado in the 70th.

Honduras and the United States (both 4-2-1) have 13 points each in North and Central America and the Caribbean, while Mexico and Costa Rica (each 4-3) are one point back.

Honduras is at Mexico on Wednesday night, while the United States is at Trinidad and Tobago and Costa Rica is at El Salvador. The top three nations advance to next year's tournament, and the No. 4 nation meets South American's fifth-place team in a playoff.

Mexico had lost at the United States (2-0), Honduras (3-1) and El Salvador (2-1), while winning home games against Costa Rica, T&T and the U.S.