* Three points separate top four teams
* Sabah snatches late win for Mexico
* Honduras earn home win over Costa Rica
MEXICO CITY, Aug 12 - Honduras and Mexico threw
the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying competition wide open with
home wins over Costa Rica and the United States on Wednesday.
Honduras, helped by a Carlos Costly double, thrashed
leaders Costa Rica 4-0 while Mexico came from behind to beat
the United States 2-1, the second win over their bitter rivals
in less than a month.
Only three points now separate the top four sides in the
six-team group.
Costa Rica stayed top with 12 points, followed by Honduras
and the United States on 10 while Mexico, who beat an
experimental U.S. team 5-0 in the Gold Cup final last month,
are back in the hunt with nine, all of them picked up at home.
All teams have four matches to play.
The top three qualify directly for the World Cup in South
Africa next year while the fourth team will face a two-leg
playoff against a South American side for another berth.
El Salvador dropped four points behind Mexico after losing
1-0 in Trinidad and Tobago, who went level on points with their
opponents but stayed bottom on goal difference.
Cornell Glen scored the only goal in the seventh minute to
dent the Central Americans' hopes of a first World Cup
appearance since 1982.
SHORT-LIVED LEAD
The United States, who have never won a match or had even
held a lead in 19 previous visits to the Azteca, stunned the
105,000 crowd in Mexico City when Charlie Davis curled the ball
past Guillermo Ochoa in the ninth minute.
They held the lead for only 11 minutes though, Israel
Castro equalising with a 25-metre rocket.
With only seven minutes to go, Efrain Juarez burst down the
right into the area and the ball broke free to substitute
Miguel Sabah, who rifled in the winner only four minutes after
coming onto the field.
TEQUILA SHOTS
"It was a tight game and a fair score but it is a tough
loss -- to have so many guys work so hard and then give up a
late goal," said U.S. coach Bob Bradley.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, who has revived the team since
replacing Sven-Goran Eriksson, was reluctant to get carried
away with the win.
"There are still 12 points to play for, it's difficult to
say that we have the ticket to South Africa in our hands but we
did what we had to do today," he added.
"I feel calm now, the pressure of the last few days has
gone and I think I will go and have a couple of shots of
tequila."
Honduras striker Costly scored the first and last goals for
his side, who are attempting to reach their first World Cup
since 1982. Melvin Valladares and 35-year-old Carlos Pavon were
also on target.
Costa Rica are attempting to qualify for their third
successive World Cup.
(Reporting by Simon Evans and Gustavo Palencia; Writing by
Brian Homewood; Editing by Peter Rutherford; To query or
comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)