WCQ - CONCACAF Final Round (The Hex) [R]

DJT · November 18, 2004

2006 WCQ - CONCACAF - Final Round (The Hex)</u>

[1st Round] [2nd Round] [Semifinal Round]

STANDINGS

Format</u>

- top 3 teams qualify

- 4th-placed team advances to playoff versus 5th-placed Asian team (Bahrain)

Tiebreakers</u>

- head-to-head points

- head-to-head goal difference

- head-to-head goals scored

- overall goal difference

- overall goals scored

- playoff

Legend</u>

Q = qualified for WC 2006

PO = qualified for playoff

Final

1  United States      10  7-1-2  16-6   22  Q

2  Mexico             10  7-1-2  22-9   22  Q

3  Costa Rica         10  5-1-4  15-14  16  Q

4  Trinidad & Tobago  10  4-1-5  10-15  13  PO

5  Guatemala          10  3-2-5  16-18  11

6  Panama             10  0-2-8   4-21   2[/code]RESULTS


[u]Matchday 1 - February 9</u>

Trinidad & Tobago 1 United States 2

Panama 0 Guatemala 0

Costa Rica 1 Mexico 2


[u]Matchday 2 - March 26</u>

Costa Rica 2 Panama 1

Guatemala 5 Trinidad & Tobago 1


[u]Matchday 2 - March 27</u>

Mexico 2 United States 1


[u]Matchday 3 - March 30</u>

Panama 1 Mexico 1

United States 2 Guatemala 0

Trinidad & Tobago 0 Costa Rica 0


[u]Matchday 4 - June 4</u>

Trinidad & Tobago 2 Panama 0

Guatemala 0 Mexico 2

United States 3 Costa Rica 0


[u]Matchday 5 - June 8</u>

Panama 0 United States 3

Costa Rica 3 Guatemala 2

Mexico 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0


[u]Matchday 6 - August 17</u>

United States 1 Trinidad & Tobago 0

Guatemala 2 Panama 1

Mexico 2 Costa Rica 0


[u]Matchday 7 - September 3</u>

Panama 1 Costa Rica 3

Trinidad & Tobago 3 Guatemala 2

United States 2 Mexico 0


[u]Matchday 8 - September 7</u>

Mexico 5 Panama 0

Guatemala 0 United States 0

Costa Rica 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0


[u]Matchday 9 - October 8</u>

Panama 0 Trinidad & Tobago 1

Mexico 5 Guatemala 2

Costa Rica 3 United States 0


[u]Matchday 10 - October 12</u>

United States 2 Panama 0

Guatemala 3 Costa Rica 1

Trinidad & Tobago 2 Mexico 1


SCHEDULE


CONCACAF/Asia Playoff

beachesl · November 20, 2004

The "draw" for the CONCACAF hexagon match dates will be November 30 in Zurich. I expect that many of the dates will in fact be negotiated.

http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2833

FIFA has yet to determine which order the half-place home-and-aways between the 5thAsian/4thCONCACAF and Oceania/5thSAm playoffs will be on November 12 and 16, 2005.

nolando · November 22, 2004

Pity...I think we honestly could have placed fourth in this group while at full strength( fully manned, etc.)...we maybe could have even pulled an Ecuador or China '02...and squeezed through in third...and to think of the extra half place for CONCACAF...sigh...last gasps...

nolando · November 22, 2004

And as for predictions, I personally think that the US and Mexico are (duh) sure things, while Guatemala will secure third place for their troubles. And after almost bailing out in the semis, I think Costa Rica will get their shaight together just in time to grab fourth and aplayoff with a likely very tough Asian side (Iran, Saudi Arabia, N./S.Korea??)

beachesl · November 30, 2004

From CONCACAF site......oh, what might have been.[V]

----------------------------------------------------------

Fixtures set for CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year

30.11.04 - The fixtures are set for the CONCACAF World Cup Final Round Qualification next year following a draw that took place at the FIFA offices in Zurich, Switzerland earlier today.

Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago and USA now know their respective home-and-away dates for the CONCACAF Final Round, which runs from 9 February – 12 October and will qualify the top three finishers directly to the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany.

The CONCACAF fourth-place finisher will compete in a home-and-away playoff against the fifth-place finisher of the Asian Football Confederation, for one of the last berths into the FIFA event. These games will take place in 12/13 and 16 November 2005.

2006 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Draw Results

#1 Panama

#2 Guatemala

#3 Costa Rica

#4 Mexico

#5 Trinidad & Tobago

#6 USA

2005 Final Round

Home Teams Listed First

Match Day 1 – Wednesday, 9 February

#1 Panama vs. #2 Guatemala

#3 Costa Rica vs. #4 Mexico

#5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #6 USA

Match Day 2 – Saturday/Sunday, 26/27 March

#3 Costa Rica vs. #1 Panama

#2 Guatemala vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago

#4 Mexico vs. #6 USA

Match Day 3 – Wednesday, 30 March

#1 Panama vs. #4 Mexico

#6 USA vs. #2 Guatemala

#5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #3 Costa Rica

Match Day 4 – Saturday/Sunday, 4/5 June

#5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #1 Panama

#2 Guatemala vs. #4 Mexico

#6 USA vs. #3 Costa Rica

Match Day 5 – Wednesday, 8 June

#1 Panama vs. #6 USA

#3 Costa Rica vs. #2 Guatemala

#4 Mexico vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago

Match Day 6 – Wednesday, 17 August

#2 Guatemala vs. #1 Panama

#4 Mexico vs. #3 Costa Rica

#6 USA vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago

Match Day 7 – Saturday/Sunday, 3/4 September

#1 Panama vs. #3 Costa Rica

#5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #2 Guatemala

#6 USA vs. #4 Mexico

Match Day 8 – Wednesday, 7 September

#4 Mexico vs. #1 Panama

#2 Guatemala vs. #6 USA

#3 Costa Rica vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago

Match Day 9 – Saturday/Sunday, 8/9 October

#1 Panama vs. #5 Trinidad & Tobago

#4 Mexico vs. #2 Guatemala

#3 Costa Rica vs. #6 USA

Match Day 10 – Wednesday, 12 October

#6 USA vs. #1 Panama

#2 Guatemala vs. #3 Costa Rica

#5 Trinidad & Tobago vs. #4 Mexico

4th Place Playoff Matches with Asia

First-leg – Saturday/Sunday, 12/13 November

Second-Leg – Wednesday, 16 November

Quick Facts on Teams

COSTA RICA

Federation Name: Federación Costarricense de Fútbol

Founded: 1921

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 51-29-30

FIFA World Cup Appearances: Two – 1990, 2002

GUATEMALA

Federation Name: Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala

Founded: 1919

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 27-28-24

FIFA World Cup Appearances: None

MEXICO

Federation Name: Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asocicación, A.C.

Founded: 1927

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 74-14-24

FIFA World Cup Appearances: Twelve – 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970*, 1978, 1986*, 1994, 1998, 2002

PANAMA

Federation Name: Federación Panameña de Fútbol

Founded: 1937

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 12-26-8

FIFA World Cup Appearances: None

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

Federation Name: Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation

Founded: 1908

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 35-31-19

FIFA World Cup Appearances: None

USA

Federation Name: United States Soccer Federation

Founded: 1913

CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Record (W-L-T): 39-28-27

FIFA World Cup Appearances: Seven – 1930, 1934, 1950, 1990, 1994*, 1998, 2002

* Host

canso · November 30, 2004

That's the saddest thing I've ever seen...nothing to look forward to now, I just can't bear to watch...until the North Korea vs Guatemala playoff!

Alex · November 30, 2004

its funny that on the fifa site it says that the final round is sure to be the most competitive ever! Ive never seen such a joke in my entire life! when 3 of the 6 lost blowout games....oh yeah it should be a barn burner. Then they go onto say that the 6 are the regions heavyweights! I predict a total embarrassment for CONCACAF. Panama lost 6-0 to USA, the Guats lost to Costa Rica 5-0 and T&T just outright blows. 2010 better still have 3.5 available CONCACAF spots.

Joe Concacaf · November 30, 2004

Too bad St. Vincent didn't knock off T&T.

beachesl · November 30, 2004

FIFA site seldom has very good observations, it's just slough.

Predictions:

1. Mexico (only because they have almost a guaranteed 5 wins at home, with the rest bonuses)

2. USA, will also have nearly perfect home record, but will lose more points on road

3. Costa Rica: over the nervous blips in the prelims and semis, back to normal

4. Guatemala: Will show weakness, and just tweak an overacheiving Panama for 1/2spot

5. Panama- will only fail for 4th due to some trouble in the higher altitudes

6. Trinidad- will be lucky to win one at home

Mexico 10 7W 1D 2L 22 points

USA 10 5 3 2 18

Costa Rica 10 5 2 3 17

Guatemala 10 3 3 4 12

Panama 10 2 4 4 10

T&T 10 1 1 8 4

canso · November 30, 2004

Predictions are fun:

The Guats win the final match at home and take the third spot, shocking the world and giving FIFA lots of photo opps for their program of spending lots of money to build soccer stadiums in the Third World. Sepp Blatter will wear traditional Mayan costume at said photo opp.

The Ticos never recover and are overrun by North Korea in the first leg in Pyongyang, however they get a reprieve when North and South Korea decide to send a united Korean team to the World Cup. Sepp Blatter is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.

Freddy Adu will be substituted into every match where the US have a two goal lead and will be loudly applauded...until a report surfaces that Freddy is actually 32 years old and grew up in Jersey!

December 1, 2004

quote:Originally posted by beachesl

FIFA site seldom has very good observations, it's just slough.

Predictions:

1. Mexico (only because they have almost a guaranteed 5 wins at home, with the rest bonuses)

2. USA, will also have nearly perfect home record, but will lose more points on road

3. Costa Rica: over the nervous blips in the prelims and semis, back to normal

4. Guatemala: Will show weakness, and just tweak an overacheiving Panama for 1/2spot

5. Panama- will only fail for 4th due to some trouble in the higher altitudes

6. Trinidad- will be lucky to win one at home

Mexico 10 7W 1D 2L 22 points

USA 10 5 3 2 18

Costa Rica 10 5 2 3 17

Guatemala 10 3 3 4 12

Panama 10 2 4 4 10

T&T 10 1 1 8 4

I'd be very surprised to see the USA drop three games in this group. Two at the most, more likely one.

beachesl · December 1, 2004

Still taking those paranoia-inducing drugs, eh canso?

The joint Korea team thing is not so far fetched, and both governments have recently begun talks to try to arrange it, but if it is decided before November 2005, then it would mean that another Asian country would contest the half-spot, and if either Korea wins the half-spot, it would certainly be awarded to the next highest Asian team, as Asia would not give that up.

More WorldCup predictions, a la canso:

England fail to auto-qualify when they finish second in their group after losing to Poland at home 1-0, and then fail to qualify when Russia beats them in the second goal in Moscow largely due to a Beckham missed field goal in early subartic conditions. Rooney, just along for a ride after a red card in the first leg, observes: "It's jussss like a foreign cunnnntry!" The whore decides it's time to resign from his cherished national team, his hopes at stylish WC glory and endorsement-bonuses thwarted, but no one notices except the Toronto and Calgary "expert soccer" columnists (none of whom have been to a Canadian MNT match) who announce it as the worst day for Canadian soccer ever ever and how we have been made so so proud by his career, especially when he scored for Bayern at the Skydome the summer before, when all Canada sighed as one in pride, and proven once and for all that he should have been named "The Greatest Canadian".

In a hex match in Trinidad against Panama, "Pops" Warner finally loses it and storms out onto the field, Eagleson-style, after one of his Rainbow Warriorz gets a red card, and, like Eagleson, he later goes to jail for finacial irregularities.

Australia again fails to qualify, losing to the Ecudorian B team flown, in for the last leg half-spot playoff at the last minute due to questionable vegimite poisoning of their A team. The revamped and thoroughly modernized Australian Socceroo-thingy Association wins a valuable concession from the receptionist at FIFA that the whole question of an automatic Australian, err, Oceania entry into the World Cup tournament will be revisited, by again referring to it's flawless Aussie logic that "this irrefutably proves once and for all that the qualifying system is unfair to us".

Kevan Pipe comes up with another brilliant sure-fire strategy, taken from the page of Veracruz club, to have Canada qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The strategy involves automatic qualification by hosting, by proving that South Africa will be too hot to have the World Cup. It is only when someone has the nerve to point out to him at the conclusion of his "well-researched" presentation to the pre-tournament conference in Munich that June is winter in the southern hemisphere does he concede that he has to "reevaluate" his strategy.

Arriving for the pre-WC conferences, Blatter loses it himself when he grabs the bottom of a lederhosen-clad fraulien cheerleader at the airport. His explanation that he was merely testing out the viability of more attractive ladies soccer shorts is not accepted, and he is voted out days later as FIFA president. Michel Platini is quickly drafted in his place after it is discovered that pretender Lennart Johansson can't fit in the president's chair.

At Klinnsmen's MacDonald's/Budwieser (hey, they HAVE been granted the exclusive distribution rights at the WC stadia) German National Team Training Centre in Santa Barbara, California, a week before the opening match against Uzbehkistan in Munich, Oliver Kahn and Lehmann go berserk and toe to toe with freewielding Tibetan prayer wheels during a stress relieving group enema session. Both are too injured to make the trip back to Germany, so the third string GK is drafted, but loses 1-0 in the opener when he falls asleep in injury time. Germany, as always, rebounds from the opener debacle, inserts a previously unknown teenage GK in the next group match who goes super-nova-wunderkind, and goes on to beat Holland (no, not Brazil, see below) in the Final of the Final in typical thrilling penalty kicks after a scoreless extra-time match.

Brazil again totally dominates the WC competition, setting new goal scoring records, until, after beating the US 10-0 in the quarter-final, the US team lawyer in a daring legal challenge, has the result nullified and Brazil suspended after it is proven that 2-time FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldihno is the first case of trans-species DNA doping. After losing in the semi against Holland, the US team lawyer tries a similiar tactic against the entire Dutch team for marijuana-enhancement, but the challenge is dismissed for lack of interest. ABC-Fox follows Bush's dictum not to cover the rest of the tournament because of his declaration that FIFA is a terrorist organization and part of the eleven-pronged ("cuz eleven is a nice round even figure") "Axis of Evil" along with Iraq (now with an elected Sunni government that nationalizes the oil industry), Iran, Afgahnistan (now with the world's higest GNP with the drug cartel government), South Korea, North Korea, Cuba, Proctor and Gamble, Equatorial Guinea, Canada and an unknown country that remains unknown because Bush has yet to figure out how to pronounce it.

canso · December 1, 2004

"Still taking those paranoia-inducing drugs, eh canso?"

Just call me nostrildamus[8D]

Heed my words, it shall all come to pass.

In the sixth year of the new millenium,

The lions of summer shall fight, watched by the cruel Negilum.

He who was young shall become old,

The man with the golden balls will find his second career gone cold.

The Teutons will find their strength failing,

The Samba shall stop, due to the buck toothed one's flailing.

The return of the chosen one will come too late,

He, like many others, will play long past their expiry date.

The Cheeseheads shall be overcome by the Eaters of Garlic,

In the semis, Paul Newman will throw a tantrum worthy of Herb Tarlic!

With the world watching the final with bated breath,

The big eared boy shall score in sudden death!

beachesl · December 22, 2004

Sweden-Mexico soccer match set for Padres' ballpark

December 21, 2004

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Mexican national soccer team will start its 2005 U.S. tour by playing Sweden on Jan. 26 at Petco Park.

It will be the first non-baseball event at the home of the San Diego Padres, which opened in March.

The two countries haven't played each other since just prior to the 1994 World Cup, when Mexico beat Sweden 2-1 in Fresno. Sweden trained in San Diego prior to the 1994 World Cup.

Both countries are currently in the midst of regional qualifying matches for the 2006 World Cup.

Mexico, coached by Ricardo Lavolpe, concluded the semifinal round of CONCACAF qualifiers without a loss and will use its match against Sweden as preparation for its first two qualifiers of the final round, against Costa Rica on Feb. 9 and the United States on March 26.

Sweden, coached by Lars Lagerb?ck, is in first place in Group 8 of UEFA World Cup qualifying with nine points.

beachesl · December 22, 2004

Trinidad and Tobago calling on Yorke

Trinidad and Tobago coach Bertille St Clair wants Birmingham City's Dwight Yorke to end his international exile and help the Caribbean island's final push to qualify for the 2006 soccer World Cup.

Former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Yorke has not played competitively for the national side since 2001, and St Clair is desperate to convince him to return to the fold.

The coach, in Britain to monitor his English-based players, has steered the Caribbean side through to the third and final qualifying stage for World Cup and is calling on Yorke to return for a shot at glory.

'He's been unhappy with his treatment in the past, but the country needs him now,' St Clair said.

'He was my protege - from age six Dwight belonged to my academy. When Villa toured in Trinidad they spotted him and he had trials with Aston Villa at 17.

'I then got 12,000 pounds ($23,220) for Dwight Yorke, while Villa got 12 million pounds ($23.22 million),' he said, referring to Yorke's move from Villa to Old Trafford.

'But money wasn't a problem...all I wanted was to get the young man out.'

St Clair, sacked in 2000 after losing in the semi-finals of the Gold Cup, returned as national coach earlier this year.

Trinidad and Tobago have never qualified for a World Cup and kick off the third stage of qualifying with a clash against the United States in February.

Mexico, Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica make up the six-nation qualification group.

Trinidad and Tobago have never beaten the U.S. at senior level before and St Clair hopes some tips he has picked up in England will help him break that jinx.

'We are going to have a nutritionist,' he said. 'Some of the guys only want to eat chicken and chips.'

Three nations from the group will earn automatic qualification for the tournament in Germany while one will enter a play-off.

beachesl · February 2, 2005

Another good analysis by Peter Goldstein on the teams in the Hex, their current strengths and weaknesses, including key players available:

http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/2006/concacaf_p04.html

...okay, enough, I can't hadle this anymore..boo hoo

beachesl · February 4, 2005

La Volpe targets early qualification for Mexico

MEXICO CITY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe has said that he wants his team to qualify for the 2006 World Cup with matches to spare.

"My intention is to qualify as quickly as possible, in other words two or three games before the end," he said on Thursday.

"I don't want to end up in the last round of matches waiting for other results."

Mexico scraped into the 2002 World Cup after winning their final game against Honduras.

They kick off the final stage of the 2006 CONCACAF qualifying competition with a tricky match away to Costa Rica on Wednesday.

Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, Guatemala and the United States complete the six-team group. The top three qualify directly for Germany and the fourth will play off against an Asian team.

"I want Mexico to play our own game, to go out on to the pitch and look for the result, not wait for the result," La Volpe said.

"Mexico have to understand that we're going to be the team to beat," added the gruff Argentine, who was reserve goalkeeper in his country's 1978 World Cup winning squad.

La Volpe, who took over in October 2002, has been repeatedly criticised for his sides allegedly lacklustre performances and his threatened to resign on several occasions in frustration.

The fiercest criticism has come from his bitter personal rival, former Mexico and Real Madrid striker Hugo Sanchez, who has made it clear that he wants the job for himself.

beachesl · February 4, 2005