CONCACAF Final Round Match Day 7 Preview: A look back…
With the possibility of one or even two CONCACAF teams qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany on Saturday (3 September 2005), CONCACAF previews the Match Day 7 Final Round encounters.
At the same time, there is a look at historical record which include the last time teams met in the same venues during previous CONCACAF World Cup Qualification.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO vs. GUATEMALA
03.09.2005: Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO; Hasely Crawford Stadium (16:30)
Guatemala (2-3-1, 7 Points), who are currently fourth in the 2006 CONCACAF Final Round Standings, hold a 8-5-4 record since 1967 over Trinidad & Tobago (1-4-1, 4 Points), currently fifth, but the last four encounters has had each team winning two … The last time the soca warriors hosted the chapines in a World Cup Qualifying match at Port of Spain’s Hasely Crawford Stadium was on 6 October 1996 during the CONCACAF Semifinal Round Group 1 for the road to France 1998 … The crowd of 20,000 saw Rudy Ramirez give Guatemala 1:0 lead in the 24th minute of the first half, but Jerron Nixon leveled the match 15 minutes later for Trinidad & Tobago … Despite losing Evans Wise after being sent off with four minutes remaining, the soca warriors held on to the 1:1 draw.
CONCACAF Semifinal Round Group 1 – 1998 World Cup Qualification
06.10.1996: Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAG; Hasely Crawford Stadium (A: 20000)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO – GUATEMALA 1:1 (1:1)
Jerron NIXON 39’ – RUDY RAMIREZ 24’
Sent off: Evans WISE (TRI) 86’
R: Mark FORDE (BRB)
USA vs. MEXICO
03.09.2005: Columbus, Ohio USA; Crew Stadium (19:30)
Mexico (5-0-1, 16 Points) and USA (5-1-0, 15 Points) are aiming to fill the first Confederation berths to the World Cup as they are currently first and second, respectively, in the CONCACAF Final Round Standings … While a victory by either the tricolor or stars & stripes in their encounter on Saturday in Columbus will give them enough points to guarantee their place in the 32-team FIFA tournament next year, a draw could also see both nations claim a spot in the World Cup if Costa Rica and Guatemala fail to win their Match Day 7 encounters against Panama and Trinidad & Tobago, respectively …Mexico currently leads the all-time meetings against the USA with a 29-11-10 record, since their first encounter in 1934 … However, the USA has won six of the last nine matches against the tricolor, including a 2:0 victory in front of 24,624 spectators at Crew Stadium on 28 February 2001, during the CONCACAF Final Round of World Cup Qualification for Korea/Japan 2002 … Second half goals by Josh Wolff (47th) and Earnie Stewart (87th) led the stars & stripes to their first victory over tricolor in World Cup Qualifying since 1980.
CONCACAF Final Round – 2002 World Cup Qualification
28.02.2001: Columbus, Ohio USA; Crew Stadium (A: 24624)
USA – MEXICO 2:0 (0:0)
Josh WOLFF 47’; Earnie STEWART 87’
R: Rodolfo SIBRIAN (SLV)
PANAMA vs. COSTA RICA
03.09.2005: Ciudad de Panamá, PANAMA; Estadio Rommel Fernández (20:00)
Panama (0-4-2, 2 Points) is looking to get out of last place in CONCACAF Final Round Standings and avoid elimination, while Costa Rica (2-3-1, 7 Points), who is in third-place, is seeking to grab the final direct World Cup … Both have met 30 times since 1938 with the ticos winning 21, the canaleros taking four and five matches ending in ties … The last time Costa Rica visited Ciudad de Panamá during World Cup Qualification was on 16 August 1992 … A penalty kick goal by Victor René Mendieta in the 29th minute gave the canaleros the 1:0 victory over the ticos at the Estadio Rommel Fernández in the first-leg of the Central Zone Qualifying home-and-away series for 1994 World Cup in USA … Costa Rica won the second-leg a week later 5:1 over Panama and claimed the series 5:2 …The canaleros’ victory was the last one over the ticos whom have won seven consecutive matches since then.
Central Zone Series, CONCACAF – 1994 World Cup Qualification
16.08.1992: Ciudad de Panamá, PANAMA; Estadio Rommel Fernández
PANAMA – COSTA RICA 1:0 (1:0)
Victor René MENDIETA 29’ pen
R: Hoyos PEREZ (COL)
The road to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ for CONCACAF continues on 7 September as Match Day 8 will have three more encounters as Costa Rica host Trinidad & Tobago at the Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San José, while USA visits Guatemala at the Estadio Mateo Flores in Ciudad de Guatemala and Mexico greets Panama at the Estadio Azteca in Ciudad de México.
The CONCACAF Final Round will run until 12 October 2005, with the top three finishers in the group advancing directly to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany. The CONCACAF fourth-place finisher will compete in a home-and-away playoff against either Bahrain or Uzbekistan of the Asian Football Confederation, for one of the last berths in the FIFA event. These games will take place in November 2005.
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