WINNERS & LOSERS: Mexico rebounds, books World Cup ticket

MEXICO bounced back from Saturday's loss to the USA with a 5-0 rout over Panama on goals by Luis Perez, Rafael Maquez, Jared Borgetti, Francisco Fonseca and Pavel Pardo to become the 10th team in the 2006 World Cup's 32-nation field. Also in CONCACAF, COSTA RICA boosted its chances of qualifying for its second straight finals with a 2-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago.

PORTUGAL and ITALY took big steps toward qualifying for Germany. Portugal's scoreless tie in Russia gives it a five-point lead in Group 3. Italy thumped Belarus, 4-1, and sits comfortably atop of Group 5. The FRENCH, who started the campaign dismally, downed Ireland in Dublin, 1-0, on a Thierry Henry goal and share Group 4's lead with Switzerland, which the French meet Oct. 8. The NETHERLANDS' 4-0 win over Andorra puts it four points ahead of the Czech Republic, which recovered from last weekend's loss
to Romania with a 4-1 win over Armenia.

GERMANY, an automatic 2006 World Cup qualifier as host, bounced back from an embarrassing 2-0 loss to Slovakia over the weekend with a 4-2 win over South Africa, the 2010 World Cup host that has been eliminated from contention for next year's finals. The German hero was 20-year-old Polish-born striker Lukas Podolski who notched a hat trick. "Prince Poldi" has now scored 10 goals in 17 internationals.

Losers:

New England forward TAYLOR TWELLMAN, so prolific in MLS, failed in his 11th appearance to hit his first international goal despite a handful of golden chances in the USA's scoreless tie with Guatemala.

As ENGLAND fell, 1-0, to Northern Ireland, its boy wonder once again blew his top. After falling victim to some rough fouls, WAYNE ROONEY  hammered a free kick to nowhere in anger, forearmed Keith Gillespie, berated the officials and lashed out at David Beckham when the captain tried to calm him. Rooney's caution keeps him out of England's Oct. 8 game against Austria. England trails first-place Poland by five points but has a game in hand.