Francisco Fonseca scored four goals as Mexico hammered Guatemala 5-2 Wednesday night in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and put the chapines hopes for a first World Cup Finals in real doubt.
In Panama, the lone goal of the match came from Stern John as Trinidad & Tobago won and moved into fourth place, two points ahead of Guatemala. Trinidad & Tobago play host to Mexico in the final match of the CONCACAF final hexagonal, while Guatemala play host to Costa Rica; the fourth-place finisher will take on either Uzbekistan or Bahrain in a playoff for one of the final places in Germany 2006.
In San Luis Potosi, Guatemala got off to a dream start as they chased their World Cup dreams. Gonzalo Pineda lost the ball and Mario Rodriguez (Columbus Crew) sent in a pass from the right flank that FC Dallas striker Carlos Ruiz knocked home, giving the visitors the lead in just the first minute.
But not 20 minutes later, Guillermo Franco scored on his Mexico national team debut, running onto a perfect pass from Fonseca to round Guatemala 'keeper Miguel Klee.
Then just after the break, Fonseca gave Mexico the lead when he knocked home a Franco corner, then three minutes later, in the 52nd minute, doubled the lead when he drove a pass from Jaime Lozano into the upper corner.
Defender Selvin Ponciano pulled a goal back for Guatemala just three minutes later with a header from a corner kick, but Guatemala never threatened to hit for an equalizer.
Fonseca, who in the days leading to the match said he was against the addition of the naturalized Argentinian to the Mexican national team, showed he had no trouble combined with Franco on the field, finished easily for his third goal after his strike partner skipped past a pair of defenders to put in a cross.
Then three minutes later the two combined again for Fonseca's fourth, Oscar Rojas setting Franco free before he put in another pinpoint pass.
With the victory, Mexico moved back ahead of the USA into the top spot in the CONCACAF final hexagonal, with 22 points from nine matches, three more than the U.S.
Trinidad & Tobago continued their amazing climb, aiming for a first-ever berth in the World Cup Finals themselves, thanks to their 1-0 victory in Panama.
A Trinidad player, despite being on the ground, was able to slip the ball through a host of watching Panamanian defenders and John finished from close range in the 62nd minute for the only goal of the contest and keep their Germany dreams alive.
T&T, which would become just the second English-speaking Caribbean country to reach a World Cup finals, after Jamaica, almost must defeat Mexico in Port-of-Spain on Wednesday. If the Soca Warriors draw, and Guatemala win against Costa Rica, then Guatemala will claim fourth place on goal difference.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or it's clubs.
