Final World Cup Qualifying Round Set
The United States will open its final round of qualifying play for the 1998 World Cup in France on the road against Jamaica at Kingston on March 2, according to the qualifying schedule announced Monday by U.S. Soccer.
The match against Jamaica is one of three qualifying games in March for the American team, which also will be home to Canada on March 16 and plays Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica, on March 23.
The late March date means that striker Eric Wynalda, the U.S. national team’s all-time leading scorer, will have to miss Major League Soccer’s season opener. Wynalda plays for the San Jose Clash, which launches the second MLS season at home against the New York/New Jersey MetroStars on March 22.
The Los Angeles Galaxy, more than most MLS teams, will also be affected by the CONCACAF qualifying schedule and can expect to be without such players as goalkeeper Jorge Campos of Mexico, midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos of El Salvador and winger Cobi Jones of the United States on several occasions during the season.
On April 20, the United States plays host to Mexico, but as is the case in all five U.S. home games, the site has yet to be announced. Unlike the five other participants in the final round of six nations, the United States does not have a favored home field and probably will play its home games at sites least convenient and least familiar to opponents.
There is virtually no chance, for example, that the American team will play Mexico, El Salvador or Costa Rica in Los Angeles unless it already has clinched a berth in France ’98. But Coach Steve Sampson said after the U.S. had beaten Costa Rica at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto on Dec. 14 that the team would probably return there for at least one of its 10 final-round games. Chances are, that is where it will play either Jamaica or Canada.
The U.S. has one qualifying game a month in June, September and October, playing El Salvador on June 29 at Cuscatlan Stadium in San Salvador, the same stadium where it tied Guatemala, 2-2, on Saturday night; Costa Rica at home on Sept. 7, and Jamaica at home on Oct. 3.
Qualifying for France ’98 ends in November with U.S. games Nov. 2 against Mexico at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Nov. 9 against Canada at Swanguard Stadium in Vancouver, B.C., and at home against El Salvador on Nov. 16.
The United States, whose 10-4-2 record and .741 winning percentage in 1996 is its best since 1971, is favored to be one of the three countries from the Central and North American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region to qualify for the World Cup.
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Qualifying Schedule
CONCACAF World Cup Soccer qualifying schedule:
* March 2--Canada vs. Mexico at Mexico City; Jamaica vs. U.S. at Kingston, Jamaica.
* March 16--Canada vs. U.S., site TBA.
* March 23--U.S. vs. Costa Rica at San Jose, Costa Rica.
* April 6--El Salvador vs. Canada at Vancouver, Canada.
* April 13--Jamaica vs. Mexico at Mexico City.
* April 20--Mexico vs. U.S., site TBA.
* April 27--Jamaica vs. Canada at Vancouver.
* May 4--Costa Rica vs. El Salvador at San Salvador, El Salvador.
* May 11--Jamaica vs. Costa Rica at San Jose.
* May 18--El Salvador vs. Jamaica at Kingston.
* June 1--Costa Rica vs. Canada at Vancouver.
* June 8--Mexico vs. El Salvador at San Salvador.
* June 29--U.S. vs. El Salvador at San Salvador.
* Aug. 10--El Salvador vs. Costa Rica at San Jose.
* Sept. 7--Costa Rica vs. U.S., site TBA; Canada vs. Jamaica at Kingston.
* Sept. 14--Costa Rica vs. Jamaica at Kingston.
* Oct. 3--Jamaica vs. U.S., site TBA; El Salvador vs. Mexico at Mexico City.
* Oct. 12--Mexico vs. Canada at Vancouver.
* Nov. 2--U.S. vs. Mexico at Mexico City.
* Nov. 9--U.S. vs. Canada at Vancouver; Jamaica vs. El Salvador at San Salvador; Costa Rica vs. Mexico at Mexico City.
* Nov. 16--Mexico vs. Jamaica at Kingston; Canada vs. Costa Rica at San Jose; El Salvador vs. U.S., site TBA.
