22 November 2005
by FIFAworldcup.com
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As qualifying began for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™ in the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone, few would have backed against the traditional powers of Mexico, the United States and Costa Rica making the three automatic qualifying berths their own.
As it turned out, the favourites did indeed live up to their billing and made sure of their places in Germany with a game to spare, although not without a scare or two along the way. In a sport which thrives on unpredictability, however, it was left to Trinidad and Tobago to defy the odds and book their ticket for next summer's showpiece following a dramatic play-off win over Bahrain.
Read on as we take a look at how each of the qualified teams secured their progress while sparing a thought for those teams who fell by the wayside. Having failed to make it through this time round, the likes of Guatemala and Panama will be looking to make amends when qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ begins.
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Long-term planning stands US in good stead
Few teams around the world can lay claim to having kept faith in the same coach for eight long years. Following the USA's disappointing campaign at France 98, the US Soccer Federation (USSF) decided to put the national team's fate in the capable hands of Bruce Arena. Arena has since proved to be the ideal choice, taking his team to the quarter finals at Korea/Japan 2002 and now leading them to next year's finals with the minimum of fuss.
In fact, the USA were only defeated twice during the entire qualifying campaign, with both reverses coming away from home against their closest rivals, Mexico and Costa Rica, and with the Americans fielding a clearly weakened side in the latter match. Arena has used all his experience to find a solid blend of battle-hardened campaigners and up-and-coming stars.
With veteran keeper Kasey Keller in imperious form between the sticks and the always reliable Brian McBride banging in the goals up front, Arena unleashed Eddie Johnson to add a dash of unpredictability to his side's attack while shoring up the backline with giant defender Oguchi Onyenwu. Arena and his talented group of players head to Germany looking to make history and prove their worth to a country grown accustomed to sporting excellence.
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Calm returns to Mexico
In stark contrast to the trials and tribulations of the Mexican qualifying campaign for the 2002 finals in Korea/Japan, which saw them go through three different coaches before sealing qualification in their final match, Mexico needed just one man to steer them safely to Germany. As predicted by their Argentine coach Ricardo Lavolpe, Mexico's superior class saw them "stroll" through the qualifying phase.
Mexican fans will point to their team's excellent record over the entire qualifying process, with 18 games yielding an impressive 15 wins, just two defeats and one draw, with 67 goals scored and ten conceded. Mexico boasted three of the region's four leading goalscorers in Jared Borgetti, Jaime Lozano and Francisco Fonseca, and Borgetti's 14 goals were enough to see him lead the worldwide goalscoring chart in FIFA World Cup qualifying.
In the end, the Aztec side's one regret was missing out on first place in the group to arch-rivals the United States, courtesy of the US's better head-to-head record. (The Tricolor, for what it is worth, had a far superior goal difference.) Despite this minor setback, Lavolpe's Mexico side have more than enough ability to mix it with the best of them.
In the recent FIFA Confederations Cup, Borgetti, Fonseca, Rafael Marquez, Oswaldo Sanchez, Carlos Salcido and Co defeated eventual winners Brazil 1-0 in the group stage and only went down to Argentina in the semi-finals on penalties. With the same players at their disposal, Mexico will be looking to repeat these heroics when they return to Germany next summer.
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Costa Rica's rollercoaster ride
Costa Rica may have booked their place at Germany 2006 with a game still to play, but Tico fans were forced to endure more than their fair share of nail-baiting tension during their side's tortuous campaign.
First stop Cuba. Despite starting as heavy favourites, Costa Rica struggled to overcome the stubborn resistance of a hard-working Cuban side in the first phase of qualifying. The Cubans managed to hold their more illustrious rivals to a draw, not once but twice (2-2 and 1-1), only bowing out on the away goals rule.
The second round group stage, meanwhile, saw Central American arch-rivals Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras pitted against each other for a place in the 'Hexagonal' final qualifying round. Guatemala quickly made the group their own, leaving the Ticos and the Catrachos to fight it out for second place and a spot in the next round. A tightly contested 0-0 draw away to Honduras in Tegucigalpa proved just enough to see the Costa Ricans safely through.
Fans hoping to see more consistency from their side during the 'Hexagonal' phase were to be sorely disappointed. A nervous start prompted the Costa Ricans make the call to inspirational former coach Alexandre Guimaraes, in an attempt to get the team's campaign back on track. El Guima finally managed to bring some semblance of calm to proceedings, overcoming several hurdles to take the Ticos through with one game to spare.
However, any side who underestimate Costa Rica after their rocky road to the finals would be foolish indeed. Led from the front by the talismanic Paulo Wanchope, and aided and abetted by rising stars Gilberto Martinez and Walter Centeno, Costa Rica will be out to repeat their historic performance at Italia 90 where they reached the second round.
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Caribbean miracle workers
Nobody gave T&T a hope of getting to Germany, but there can be no denying that they earned their place on merit. Experienced Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker's timely arrival rescued a team whose qualifying hopes were hanging by a thread and led them to a hard-fought play-off win over Bahrain. With the tie delicately poised at 1-1 after the first leg, the Soca Warriors showed nerves of steel to snatch the 1-0 away win that saw them reach their first ever FIFA World Cup finals.
Next summer's tournament in Germany will give the country's best ever player Dwight Yorke the chance to hang up his boots having played on the world's biggest stage. The same can be said for the team's creative genius Russell Latapy, who at 37 must have thought that his chance to strut his stuff alongside the global elite had gone. As for Stern John, the top scorer with 12 goals in qualifying, Germany 2006 will see the former Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City striker at the peak of his powers, determined to prove that Trinidad and Tobago are not just there to make up the numbers.
Mixed feelings for those left behind
Such is the nature of football that a team's destiny can change in a matter of minutes. Guatemalan fans are still shaking their heads in disbelief after the home game against T&T, where two goals in the last five minutes from visiting striker John turned victory into defeat and struck a mortal blow to Guatemala's play-off hopes. As T&T start preparing for Germany, South Africa 2010 must seem a long way off for Guatemala's Carlos 'Little Fish' Ruiz and his dejected team-mates.
In the Panama camp, however, the mood is very different. By finishing runners-up in the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the summer, Panama sent out a warning that they were not to be taken lightly. Moreover, the Canaleros had already made it through to a historic first appearance in the 'Hexagonal' final group stage, a remarkable feat for a country with a relatively short footballing history. There is no doubt that Panama, along with a rejuvenated Honduras, traditional contenders El Salvador, the lively Jamaicans, and the ever more dangerous Cubans will be relishing the chance to have another crack at the big boys over the next four years.
