Mexico can become the first CONCACAF team to qualify for the World Cup, and nobody knows that better than coach Javier Aguirre.

Mexico host El Salvador at Estadio Azteca tomorrow, and the team needs only three points to reach next year's 32-team tournament in South Africa. Mexico have not lost a match at Azteca since falling to Costa Rica 2-1 in 2001.

"If we can manage to pick up three points against El Salvador, we are in the World Cup," Aguirre said.

In tomorrow's other two CONCACAF qualifiers, the United States play at Honduras and Costa Rica are home against Trinidad and Tobago.

Like Mexico, a victory will put the United States into the World Cup. But, playing at Honduras, the Americans have a much more difficult task because the Hondurans will have some extra motivation.

A victory might put them into the World Cup, which would briefly lift the spirits of the impoverished Central American nation, which has been divided since June by a coup. It would be only Honduras' second trip to the World Cup.

Both Mexico and the United States would like to seal their places in South Africa tomorrow.

Final qualifying group matches

If they don't, it will come down to the final qualifying group matches on October 14 - and anything could happen with the standings so tight.

On October 14, it's: El Salvador vs Honduras; Trinidad and Tobago vs Mexico; and the United States vs Costa Rica.

Going into the final two rounds, the United States lead the group with 16 points. Mexico are next with 15 points, followed by Honduras with 13, Costa Rica with 12, El Salvador with eight and Trinidad and Tobago with five. Trinidad have already been eliminated.

The top three teams advance automatically. The fourth-place team faces a play-off in November with the fifth-place team from South America - now Argentina - for another berth.

Mexico should get a lift from the return of Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez, who will be playing his first match for Mexico since being sent off in the 65th minute on February 11 in a qualifier against the United States. Marquez has been sidelined with a leg injury and has not played for Aguirre since he became coach - his second stint - in April when he replaced the fired Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The last time Marquez played for Aguirre was on June 17, 2002, when Mexico were beaten by the United States 2-0 in the final 16 of the World Cup in South Korea and Japan. Marquez was also sent off in the second half of that match.

Mexico's big absence will be Giovanni dos Santos, the small, wily Tottenham striker who is probably Mexico's top offensive talent. His injury is expected to keep him out for four weeks.