Re: CONCACAF WCQ Semifinal Groups Re: Semifinal Group A Assuming, the United States beats Grenada to get to this round, its last group game will be against Jamaica or Haiti. The best team in the group other than the United States will be Jamaica or Haita based on the March 2004 FIFA rankings, both of those teams (and the U.S.) are ranked ahead of both teams in each of the other two matchups that send teams to Group A. The last United States vs. Jamaica game could decide who wins the group. Considering that the United States and Jamaica are both in the top four in the FIFA rankings among CONCACAF teams and that the fourth place CONCACAF team now gets an interconfederational playoff, those two countries and their fans should be disappointed if they don't make the final group. After making the World Cup 2002 quarterfinals, failing to qualify for the Olympics and failing to make the final group would be a big step back for the United States, even placing fourth, fifth, or sixth in the final group and not making the World Cup would be a big disappointment, but we don't have to be concerned with the final group anytime soon. The semifinal group games are in August through November. Semifinal group schedules: Group A: 1. United States or Grenada vs. Jamaica or Haiti El Salvador or Bermuda vs. St. Lucia or Panama 2. United States or Grenada vs. El Salvador or Bermuda Jamaica or Haiti vs. St. Lucia or Panama 3. United States or Grenada vs. St. Lucia or Panama El Salvador or Bermuda vs. Jamaica or Haiti 4. United States or Grenada vs. El Salvador or Bermuda Jamaica or Haiti vs. St. Lucia or Panama 5. United States or Grenada vs. St. Lucia or Panama El Salvador or Bermuda vs. Jamaica or Haiti 6. United States or Grenada vs. Jamaica or Haiti El Salvador or Bermuda vs. St. Lucia or Panama Group B: 1. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Canada or Belize Costa Rica or Cuba vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles 2. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Costa Rica or Cuba Canada or Belize vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles 3. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles Costa Rica or Cuba vs. Canada or Belize 4. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Costa Rica or Cuba Canada or Belize vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles 5. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles Costa Rica or Cuba vs. Canada or Belize 6. Surinam or Guatemala vs. Canada or Belize Costa Rica or Cuba vs. Honduras or Netherlands Antilles Group C: 1. Mexico or Dominica vs. Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic 2. Mexico or Dominica vs. Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic 3. Mexico or Dominica vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis 4. Mexico or Dominica vs. Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic 5. Mexico or Dominica vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis 6. Mexico or Dominica vs. Barbados or St. Kitts and Nevis Nicaragua or St. Vincent and the Grenadines vs. Trinidad and Tobago or Dominican Republic Set 1: August 18 Set 2: September 4/5 Set 3: September 8 Set 4: October 9/10 Set 5: October 13 Set 6: November 17 The EIFL site I use doesn't say what team number is at home when for the semifinal group games.
Re: CONCACAF WCQ Semifinal Groups The home teams are set out in this article. http://www.concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2451 Draw determines order of games in World Cup qualifying semi-final stage 1.3.04 - With the first round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2006 ™ now well under way, a draw was held in London by FIFA on Sunday February 29 to determine the schedule and order of matches during the semi-final stage of CONCACAF qualifying. These games are due to take place from August – November 2004. The original World Cup™ draw held by FIFA in Frankfurt in December already determined how the three CONCACAF qualifying semi-final groups would be configured and the schedule of games had been previously approved by FIFA. Today’s draw has now determined which team fills each of the four slots in each of the semi-final groups. The teams finishing first and second in these groups will progress to CONCACAF’s final qualifying round of six teams. The top three teams from the final round will travel to Germany for World Cup 2006™ and the fourth-placed team will play-off against Asia’s fifth-placed team for one of the final World Cup 2006™ spots. Semi Final Group A Team 1 Winner (Grenada or Guyana) vs. USA Team 2 Winner (Bermuda or Montserrat) vs. El Salvador Team 3 Winner Haiti vs. Jamaica Team 4 Winner (BVI or St. Lucia) vs. Panama Semi Final Group B Team 1 Winner (Aruba or Surinam) vs. Guatemala Team 2 Winner (Cayman Islands or Cuba) vs. Costa Rica Team 3 Winner Canada vs. Belize Team 4 Winner (Antigua & Barbuda or Netherlands Antilles) vs. Honduras Semi Final Group C Team 1 Winner (Dominica or Bahamas) vs. Mexico Team 2 Winner Nicaragua vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines Team 3 Winner (USVI or St. Kitts & Nevis) vs. Barbados Team 4 Winner (Dominican Republic or Anguilla) vs. Trinidad & Tobago
That means that if they beat Grenada, the United States will have their last two group games at home so if they need the final game that could be against Jamaica at least it will be at home, but it also means that the United States could get a bad start if their first game, at Jamaica, is their hardest game of the group. Hosting Jamaica in November will be the first game against a good team in the United States. I've looked at www.concacaf.com before but not to check for the home teams. It was actually looking for confederation websites that I found this place this week.
CONCACAF WCQ , Semi-Final Schedule Sorry, I cut and pasted the wrong part of the article: Semi Final Group A : Team 1 Winner (Grenada or Guyana) vs. USA Team 2 Winner (Bermuda or Montserrat) vs. El Salvador Team 3 Winner Haiti vs. Jamaica Team 4 Winner (BVI or St. Lucia) vs. Panama Semi Final Group B Team 1 Winner (Aruba or Surinam) vs. Guatemala Team 2 Winner (Cayman Islands or Cuba) vs. Costa Rica Team 3 Winner Canada vs. Belize Team 4 Winner (Antigua & Barbuda or Netherlands Antilles) vs. Honduras Semi Final Group C Team 1 Winner (Dominica or Bahamas) vs. Mexico Team 2 Winner Nicaragua vs. St. Vincent & the Grenadines Team 3 Winner (USVI or St. Kitts & Nevis) vs. Barbados Team 4 Winner (Dominican Republic or Anguilla) vs. Trinidad & Tobago The schedule of games that applies to each of these semi-final groups is as follows (Home Team listed first in each pairing): August 18: Team 3 vs. Team 1; Team 2 vs. Team 4 September 4/5: Team 1 vs. Team 2; Team 3 vs. Team 4 September 8: Team 4 vs. Team 1; Team 2 vs. Team 3 October 9/10: Team 2 vs. Team 1; Team 4 vs. Team 3 October 13: Team 1 vs. Team 4; Team 3 vs. Team 2 November 17: Team 1 vs. Team 3; Team 4 vs. Team 2 For USA, and if all the favourites (not clear in the case of Group A, as Haiti, St. Lucia or Bermuda could well advance) advance: (home team listed first) August 18: Jamaica vs. USA; El Salvador vs. Panama September 4/5: USA vs. El Salvador ; Jamaica vs. Panama September 8: Panama vs. USA; El Salvador vs. Jamaica October 9/10: El Salvador vs. USA; Panama vs. Jamaica October 13: USA vs. Panama ; Jamaica vs. El Salvador November 17: USA vs. Jamaica; Panama vs. El Salvador
The wrapup of the CONCACAF first round is now online at http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/2006/concacaf_wrapup01.html Preview of the second round due about June 1.