Qualification for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany is almost over.
There are just five more places for the finals in Germany which will start on June 9. Play-offs will be played on 12 and 16 November.
EUROPE
Read our previous post.
SOUTH AMERICA
Uruguay go into a two-legged play-off with Australia.
Although the USA and Mexico always start as favourites to take two of the CONCACAF berths at any FIFA World Cup™ finals, the manner in which the regional powerhouses got the job done this time around was noteworthy. Both Bruce Arena’s and Ricardo Lavolpe’s sides were ruthlessly effective in the ‘Hexagonal’ final phase, where six wins, one draw and one defeat apiece had them home and dry with time and games to spare.
Saturday, September 3, Columbus, Ohio, United States vs. Mexico, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany.
This is the big one in North, Central America and the Caribbean – the intriguing trans-Rio Grande ‘clasico’. Undefeated Mexico – with the best scorer in Germany 2006 qualifying – are perched atop the final-round table imperiously with 16 points. But with enhanced pedigree and an increasingly respectable reputation, second-placed USA, only one point behind, will in no way be overawed by their neighbours to the south when the sides meet in Columbus, Ohio.
Jared Borgetti became Mexico’s all-time leading scorer when his goal set Mexico on the way to a hard-fought 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Costa Rica on Wednesday. Unbeaten in their 14-match qualifying campaign to date, Mexico lead the six-team final stage with 16 points from six games.
The United States guaranteed themselves at least a fourth-place finish in the CONCACAF ‘Hexagonal’ despite struggling to dispatch Trinidad & Tobago 1-0 in Hartford.
Costa Rica will try to make history repeat itself when they visit Mexico for a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, four years after a historic win at the Azteca stadium.
Mexico, fresh from beating Brazil at the Confederations Cup, lead the final stage of the marathon CONCACAF qualifying competition with 13 points from five games and look certain to qualify for next year’s finals with matches to spare.
They have already beaten the Costa Ricans away, winning 2-1 in San Jose in February.
