EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - All the United States has to do to qualify for its fifth straight World Cup is win one of its last four games.

"I think just showing up in the next two games, we could mathematically go through," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said after Wednesday night's 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago.

Brian McBride scored 91 seconds in, the second-fastest goal by an American in World Cup qualifying, trailing only Ante Razov at 74 seconds against T&T on June 20, 2001.

With a win over rival Mexico on Sept. 3 at Columbus, Ohio, the United States (5-1) would clinch one of the three berths from soccer's North and Central American and Caribbean region with three games to spare. The U.S. team also would clinch if all three games in the region that day are ties.

"I hope we can do it," American forward Landon Donovan said. "It would be the best possible ending to our qualifying."

The Americans played with a man advantage after T&T defender Dennis Lawrence was ejected in the 41st minute until Bobby Convey was sent off in the 88th for receiving his second yellow card. Even though they outshot the visitors 18-1, they frittered away another half-dozen good scoring chances.

"We were saying in the locker room, if we got the second, it really could have been four, five," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said.

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller didn't have to make a single save and got his fourth straight shutout in qualifying, extending his qualifying shutout streak to 417 minutes.

"We played very well. I think we felt guilty of perhaps making things a little bit difficult on ourselves," Arena said. "We created a number of good goal-scoring opportunities and came up short, and that allowed Trinidad to hang around for 89 minutes or so when they could have been punished and sent home a lot earlier."

The United States is second in the final round of qualifying with 15 points, one behind Mexico (5-0-1), which won 2-0 against visiting Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans and Guatemala (both 2-3-1) each have seven points, followed Trinidad (1-4-1) with four and Panama (0-4-2) with two after its 2-1 loss at Guatemala.

The Americans ensured themselves of no worse than fourth place - which would mean a playoff against Bahrain or Uzbekistan for a World Cup slot.

Oft-injured midfielder John O'Brien made his first appearance in a qualifier since Nov. 11, 2001, at Trinidad, and started the action that led to the goal. O'Brien took a backpass from Convey, moved upfield and played a 25-yard, left-footed pass that Convey ran onto and crossed to McBride, who knocked the ball in from about 4 yards.

It was McBride's 29th international goal, leaving him five shy of Eric Wynalda for the U.S. record, and his 10th in qualifying, moving him ahead of Earnie Stewart for the American career lead.

"Basically it was good ball movement," McBride said. "I just had to open up my foot - it went in."

Notes:

Convey received his first yellow card for a hard tackle in the 31st minute. He is suspended for the game against Mexico. ... Mexican captain Pavel Pardo got a yellow card in the first half against Costa Rica and also is suspended.