Mexico give TT 3-0 beating

PUEBLA: Jaime Lozano scored two goals on Wednesday night as Mexico advanced to the final CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round by beating Trinidad and Tobago 3-0. Lozano scored his first goal in the 55th minute, pushing the ball in after a blocked shot by TT goalkeeper Shaka Hislop, and followed with a second in the 85th off a pass from Luis Ernesto Perez. Brazilian-born forward Antonio Naelson also scored for Mexico in the 19th minute off a pass from Salvadorean-born team-mate Rodolfo Sibrian. Mexico dominated the match with seemingly endless shots on goal. They  now have 12 points from four matches in Group “C”. Trinidad and Tobago who are second with nine points from five matches, are followed by St Vincent and the Grenadines with six. But the Vincentians must beat Trinidad and Tobago by eight clear goals if they are to advance to the six-team final round.

St Kitts/Nevis, with zero points from four matches, have no chance to advance to the final six-team group. Three CONCACAF teams will qualify automatically for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, with the fourth-placed finisher facing an Asian team for another berth. After the game, TT coach Bertille St Clair expressed disappointment at the two soft early goals his team surrendered. St Clair admitted experimenting with players in the game, with Dennis “Tallest”  Lawrence playing in the unusual defensive midfield position. But St Clair promised, “Definitely the situation has to be a different one in the next stage.  The scoreline must read different of course in TT’s favour. TT missed the services of Pro League leading goalscorer Jerren Nixon, who suffered a strained thigh in training and defender Marlon Rojas also injured at practice. Skipper Angus Eve said his team was beaten by a team better prepared for the game. And goalkeeper Shaka Hislop said, “I thought we started well and were unlucky not to go a goal up or to equalise during the game.”

Lineups:
MEXICO: Oswaldo Sanchez (capt), Mario Mendez, Francisco Rodriguez, Hugo Sanchez Guerrero, Rafael Garcia (Gerardo Pineda 83rd), Carlos Salcido, Luis Ernesto Perez, Jaime Lozano, Zinha (Sergio Santana 84th), Jesus Arellano (Fernando Arce 81st), Jared Borgetti.
TRINIDAD and TOBAGO: Shaka Hislop, Dennis Lawrence (Silvio Spann 80th), Ian Cox, Marvin Andrews, Brent Sancho, Kenwyne Jones, Brent Rahim, Angus Eve (capt), Andre Boucaud (Densil Theobald 67th), Stern John, Cornell Glenn (Errol McFarlane 76th).             (AP)