Belize dates set (and rest of Concacaf)

[Guest Jeffery S.]

From the wires today, Canada plays home June 12, 2004 and away a week later.

World Cup CONCACAF first stage fixture dates

ZURICH, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Dates for first stage fixtures of the World Cup CONCACAF zone released by FIFA on Monday:

First stage format: 34 teams drawn into 12 groups play a cup system on a home and away basis -- Groups 1 to 7 and 9 to 11 (two rounds), Groups 8 and 12 (one round). The 12 group winners advance to second stage.

GROUP ONE

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In St George's: Grenada v Guyana

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Georgetown: Guyana v Grenada

Aggregate winners play the United States.

- - - -

GROUP TWO

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Hamilton: Bermuda v Montserrat

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Plymouth: Montserrat v Bermuda

Aggregate winners play El Salvador.

- - - -

GROUP THREE

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Port-au-Prince: Haiti v Turks & Caicos Islands

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 TBA: Turks & Caicos Islands v Haiti

Aggregate winners play Jamaica.

- - - -

GROUP FOUR

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Tortola: British Virgin Islands v St Lucia

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Castries: St Lucia v British Virgin Islands

Aggregate winners play Panama.

- - - -

GROUP FIVE

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Grand Cayman: Cayman Islands v Cuba

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Havana: Cuba v Cayman Islands

Aggregate winners play Costa Rica.

- - - -

GROUP SIX

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Oranjestad: Aruba v Surinam

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Paramaribo: Surinam v Aruba

Aggregate winners play Guatemala.

- - - -

GROUP SEVEN

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In St John's: Antigua & Barbuda v Netherlands Antilles

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Willemstad: Netherlands Antilles v Antigua & Barbuda

Aggregate winners play Honduras.

- - - -

GROUP EIGHT

First leg, Saturday, June 12 TBA: Canada v Belize

Second leg, Saturday, June 19 In Orange Walk Town: Belize v Canada

Aggregate winners qualify for second stage.

- - - -

GROUP NINE

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In Roseau: Dominica v Bahamas

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Nassau: Bahamas v Dominica

Aggregate winners play Mexico.

- - - -

GROUP 10

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In St Croix: U.S. Virgin Islands v St Kitts & Nevis

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In Basseterre: St Kitts & Nevis v US Virgin Islands

Aggregate winners play Barbados.

- - - -

GROUP 11

First leg, Wednesday, February 18 In San Cristobal: Dominican Republic v Anguilla

Second leg, Wednesday, March 31 In The Valley: Anguilla v Dominican Republic

Aggregate winners play Trinidad & Tobago.

- - - -

GROUP 12

First leg, Saturday, June 12 In Diriamba: Nicaragua v St Vincent & Grenadines

Second leg, Saturday, June 19 In Kingstown: St Vincent & Grenadines v Nicaragua

Aggregate winners qualify for second stage.

- -

Second stage: Three groups of four teams play a league system on a home and away basis. Group 1 will consist of the four first stage winners from Groups 1 to 4, Group 2 from 5 to 8 and Group 3 from 9 to 12. The three group winners and three runners-up advance to the third stage. - -

Third stage: One group of six teams play a league system on a home and away basis. The top three teams qualify for the finals, the fourth-placed team go into a playoff against the Asian qualifier.

[canadiankick97]

Darn! I'm going to Cuba during the March Break and was hopeful I could catch Cuba vs. Cayman Islands just to sort of scout around. But, the game falls just after the March Break finishes. Ah well it's just Cuba...