Mexico try to build momentum, "Boyz" to rebound

Mexico will try to build on Tuesday’s 1-0 victory at Jamaica when they visit Panama on Friday, while the Reggae Boyz attempt to bounce back against the United States in CONCACAF 2014 World Cup qualifying.

Mexico’s narrow win at Kingston, courtesy of Aldo de Nigris’s 48th-minute header, was the country’s first after three draws in the hexagonal final round of World Cup qualifying for North and Central America and the Caribbean.

It moved Mexico at least briefly to the top of the table with six points from four matches.

Panama are one point back with the United States, Costa Rica and Honduras two adrift — all four with a match in hand.

On Friday, Costa Rica host Honduras, while Jamaica, with two points from four matches, have the unenviable task of trying to turn around their fortunes when they host a US side buoyed by a friendly victory over Germany on Sunday.

“It gives you confidence. Any time you have confidence from a win it puts more wind in your sails,” US captain Clint Dempsey said after scoring two goals against Germany.

“You feel by getting a result against a team like this that you can go down and get the job done in these games in CONCACAF.”

The United States have the added benefit of having arrived in Jamaica in time to watch Tuesday’s Jamaica-Mexico qualifier, which was moved up because of Mexico’s participation in the Confederations Cup.

“We really felt it was important to get the guys here early, get settled, and get used to environment,” said US manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

“We learned back in February that when you only come in two days before to place where it is 90 degrees and really high humidity, it is simply not possible to adjust.”

That’s when Klinsmann’s US squad suffered a 2-1 defeat at Honduras.

After getting that elusive first victory in the Hexagonal, the Mexicans will be hoping to further bump up their attack in their showdown with Panama for the top of the table.

They have scored three goals in four matches in the final round, from which the top three teams will advance to next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil, with the fourth-place team playing New Zealand for another berth.

Mexico coach Jose Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre said the win over Jamaica had “kick-started” his side’s campaign, a welcome development for a team that will end a run of three qualifiers in eight days when it hosts Costa Rica next Tuesday.

Honduras warmed up for their qualifier with a 2-0 loss to Israel in a friendly in New York on Sunday.

Honduran midfielder Roger Espinoza welcomed the chance to test themselves against a team that plays in European qualifying.

“Now we have to fix some things and do well over there in Costa Rica,” he said.

bb/js