Costa Rica beats Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 to bolster chances of qualifying for 2010 World Cup

Costa Rica wins easy to bolster WCup chances

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — Costa Rica beat Trinidad & Tobago 4-0 on Saturday to put itself in position to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

Alvaro Saborio scored two goals and Walter Centeno added another, while Radanfa Abubakr’s own-goal opened the scoring at the Ricardo Saprissa Stadium as new coach Rene Simoes made a winning debut.

Costa Rica moved into third — and the last automatic qualifying place — with 15 points.

Costa Rica can secure its third straight trip to the finals to be played in South Africa with a win against the already-qualified United States on Wednesday.

Trinidad & Tobago, last in the North, Central America and Caribbean group, finished with 10 men after Julius James was given a red card following Saborio’s pair.