WC 2006 Qualifying

[IASocFan]

CONCACAF has announced the schedule for 2004 and 2005 qualifying for Deutschland 2006. The drawing for team match-ups will be early December in Leipzig, Germany.
For details, see:http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2157

The game schedule is:
2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Dates for CONCACAF
2004
Saturday/Sunday, 17-18 January, Preliminary Round – Date 1
Wednesday, 21 January, Preliminary Round – Date 2
Wednesday, 18 February, Preliminary Round – Date 3
Wednesday, 31 March, Preliminary Round – Date 4
Saturday/Sunday, 12-13 June, Preliminary Round – Date 5
Saturday/Sunday, 19-20 June, Preliminary Round – Date 6

Wednesday, 18 August, Semi-Final Round – Game 1
Saturday/Sunday, 4-5 September, Semi-Final Round – Game 2
Wednesday, 8 September, Semi-Final Round – Game 3
Saturday/Sunday, 9-10 October, Semi-Final Round – Game 4
Wednesday, 13 October, Semi-Final Round – Game 5
Wednesday, 17 November, Semi-Final Round – Game 6

2005
Wednesday, 9 February, Final Round – Game 1
Saturday/Sunday, 26-27 March, Final Round – Game 2
Wednesday, 30 March, Final Round – Game 3
Saturday/Sunday, 4-5 June, Final Round – Game 4
Wednesday, 8 June, Final Round – Game 5
Wednesday, 17 August, Final Round – Game 6
Saturday/Sunday, 3-4 September, Final Round – Game 7
Wednesday, 7 September, Final Round – Game 8
Saturday/Sunday, 8-9 October, Final Round – Game 9
Wednesday, 12 October, Final Round – Game 10
Saturday, 12 November, Fourth-Place Team Playoff – First-leg
Wednesday, 16 November, Fourth-Place Team Playoff – Second-leg

[kevbrunton]

So in the Preliminary Round, Dates 5 & 6 will affect MLS games.

All of the Semifinal round dates will likely affect some MLS games. Plus, Date 6 is likely the weekend of the Conference Championship games during the MLS Playoffs -- unless MLS chooses to schedule around that date.

In the Finals, Games 4 thru 10 will conflict with the MLS schedule. God forbid, we finish 4th and have to play in the playoff because that would certainly affect the playoffs again.

[_chachi]

why does the preliminary round have 6 dates when each team only plays 4 matches?

[IASocFan]

Originally posted by _chachi
why does the preliminary round have 6 dates when each team only plays 4 matches?

You have three teams, so each team gets two byes while the other two teams play. AB, BC, CA, BA, CB, AC = 6 dates (4 games, 2 byes).

[Atouk]

According to CONCACAF big shot Chuck Blazer, last cycle's hex teams won't play on the first two dates, making February 18th the date of the first game on our road to Germany.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer9oct09,1,6125993.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-soccer