Mexico Is Left Reeling

Carlos Pavon scored three goals Wednesday night to help Honduras demolish the once-powerful Mexican soccer team, 3-1, in a World Cup qualifier at San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Mexico Coach Enrique Meza quit immediately after the game, the sixth consecutive loss for a team that had been No. 4 in FIFA’s world rankings only three years ago.

The victory puts Honduras (2-1-2) into strong position for one of three regional berths to the World Cup and leaves Mexico (1-3-1), the longtime power of the North and Central American and Caribbean region, facing a tough fight to regroup for its next game, against the U.S. team July 1.

At Alajuela, Costa Rica, in a game interrupted by a power failure, Costa Rica defeated Jamaica, 2-1, and remained on track to qualify for next year’s World Cup.

Argentina’s Boca Juniors took a major step toward the Copa Libertadores championship, using a goal by Marcelo Delgado to defeat host Cruz Azul, 1-0, before a crowd of 100,000 at Mexico City.

The U.S. stayed alive in the World Youth Championship at Mendoza, Argentina, beating Chile, 4-1, behind DaMarcus Beasley’s two goals. The U.S. moved within a point of Ukraine and China in Group C. . . . Paul Bravo scored in the final seconds of regulation to give the Colorado Rapids a 3-3 tie with the New England Revolution in a Major League Soccer game at Foxboro, Mass. . . . Katia scored in the 48th minute, leading the Bay Area CyberRays to a 3-0 WUSA victory over the Philadelphia Charge at San Jose.