Mexico vs. Costa Rica: Mexicans Set to Claim Vital 3 Points at Home

Mexico is set to top CONCACAF rival Costa Rica on Tuesday in Mexico City and add three big points to its bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The two squads will meet in an important match for the second time in five days on Tuesday; Mexico defeated Costa Rica 2-0 away on Friday. 

Mexico has not lost a World Cup qualifying match in 2012; they are 3-0 thus far and look poised to continue rolling until they are locked into a World Cup berth.

You have to go all the way back to 1982 to find the last time that Mexico failed to qualify for the World Cup. El Tri is an international football powerhouse, and the results back it up.

Sure, Mexico has never raised the cup, but it has made it to the Round of 16 at the past five World Cups, dating back to 1994.

The Mexicans have proved they are leagues better than Costa Rica in 2012, and they will prove that again at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday. 

Mexico boasts an unrivaled home-field advantage in Mexico City. After all, that support was partly responsible for an historic American losing streak south of the border that was snapped just last month in an international friendly matchup between the United States and Mexico.

To believe or even predict that Costa Rica could come into Estadio Azteca and win a meaningful match with qualifying implications would be foolish.

If Mexico's shutout of Costa Rica on Friday taught us anything, it's that El Tri is a far better unit—one with much higher expectations than their opponent on Tuesday night. 

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