Argentine Esteban Solari hit a hat-trick, Pablo Barrera and Ignacio Scocco scored twice each and Brazilian-born Leandro Augusto got the Pumas' other goal.

The Red Sharks were floundering after Barrera, Solari and Leandro Augusto scored in a four-minute spell to put the Pumas 3-0 ahead in less than 20 minutes.

Scocco made it 4-0 in the 38th minute and the hosts produced another flurry of goals after the break as Scocco notched his second and Solari added two more in a five-minute spell.

Veracruz goalkeeper Fabian Villasenor picked the ball out of the net for the last time in the 59th minute when Barrera swept in Scocco's pass.

The result lifted the Pumas to second place in Group One, ahead of defending champions Pachuca on goal difference, with one match each to play in the qualifying stage.

Leaders Toluca, who won 3-2 away to Cesar Luis Menotti's UAG Tecos, have already qualified.

The 18 teams play each other once but are divided into three groups. The top two in each group qualify for the quarter-finals and the four best teams of the remainder, regardless of group, play off for two more places.

Pachuca kept their hopes alive by winning 2-0 at Chiapas with two goals from Mexico forward Juan Carlos Cacho. Javier Campora missed a late penalty for the hosts.

San Luis and Guadalajara made sure of the top two places in Group Three with a match to spare.

San Luis drew 1-1 at Atlas while Guadalajara, the country's most popular club and the only one not to field foreigners, won 3-0 at Puebla.

Omar Bravo scored twice for the Chivas in the opening 2-0 minutes and Alberto Medina added the third.

America beat Necaxa 1-0 at the Azteca to stay third in Group Two and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the repechage.

Santos Laguna and Atlante have already taken the top two places in the group.