The 'Big Two' of CONCACAF - the United States and Mexico - are right where they were expected to be when qualifying began.

The United States defeated Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 with Ricardo Clark's blistering goal in the 62nd on Wednesday, and Mexico edged Honduras 1-0 at Estadio Azteca when Cuauhtemoc Blanco converted a penalty in 75th.

In the other match in the North and Central American and Caribbean region, El Salvador upended Costa Rica 1-0 on Rudis Corrales' goal in second-half injury time.

With two rounds of matches remaining next month to wrap up qualifying, the United States lead with 16 points. Mexico have 15, Honduras 13 and Costa Rica 12. El Salvador have eight points, while Trinidad have five and are eliminated. The first three teams advance automatically to next year's World Cup in South Africa, while the fourth-place team faces a play-off with the No. 5 in South America - at present Argentina - for another berth.

Blanco, the veteran who plays with US team the Chicago Fire, converted the penalty after Maynor Figueroa pushed down Giovanni Dos Santos in the area as he was chasing a ball and heading for the goal. Blanco swept the penalty home to beat keeper Noel Valladares, who dived to his left and came within inches of stopping the shot.

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, who took over in April after Sven-Goran Eriksson was fired following a 3-1 loss at Honduras, urged calm.

"I still feel out of the World Cup," Aguirre said. "Until all the games are over, we don't know where we will finish. Spain and England qualified today. We haven't. It's not over today. We have to play on October 10 and October 14 and under no circumstances do I think we are out - or in."

American goalscorer Clark had a special guest watch him hammer the winning goal from 30 metres: his father, Lance, who was born in Trinidad.

Let it rip

"It was special to score a goal while he was watching," Clark said. "I just let it rip and I hit it on frame and it went in.

"It's huge. It's huge," he added. "It gives a little bit of space when things are getting tight in our group. We knew we had to come out in this game and get a win."

Clark scored in the 62nd minute off passes from Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, the soaring shot rising over the outstretched hand of Trinidad goalkeeper Clayton Ince.

US coach Bob Bradley suggested his team's fitness paid off in the second half when the game opened up.

"This was a very important three points," Bradley said. "I felt that it was well earned because it was a difficult game. We spoke at half-time and we understood what kind of a game we were in. We raised the level in the second half."

Trinidad had the better scoring chances in the first half, though the United States also could have broken through with shots by Jozy Altidore and Donovan.

Trinidad's Kenwyne Jones had an early chance in the 27th on a close-in header that US keeper Tim Howard scrambled to save. Two minutes later Trinidad's Cornell Glen lobbed a ball over Howard that hit the crossbar and bounded away.

"The sound of crossbar is the best sound in the world - I'm telling you," said Howard, who called it a "turning point" in the match.

Neither team made changes starting the second half, with both teams hoping to score on counter-attacks.

Clark's goal prompted Bradley to bring off striker Altidore in the 63rd for midfielder Benny Feilhaber. Bradley was also getting ready to replace Clark with Stuart Holden.

"I had a feeling that it was going to be me," Clark said.

Midfielder Donovan warned that the next match at Honduras will be critical. The US plays in Washington, DC, on October 14 against Costa Rica.

"Honduras in Honduras is going to be a very different story than tonight," he said.

Honduran players Amado Guevara and Danilo Turcios both earned yellow cards in the loss against Mexico and will miss the October 10 match.