Road Ahead Coming Into Focus
Two years before he hopes to take the men’s national team to Japan or South Korea, U.S. Coach Bruce Arena has been presented with the first rough map to help him plot a course to the 2002 World Cup.
In Zurich, Switzerland, on Friday, the draw was held for the 12-nation semifinal qualifying round in the North and Central American and Caribbean (CONCACAF) region, and the first stage of the U.S. team’s journey is finally known.
It’s still a bit sketchy, but the outline can be seen.
Lying in the Americans’ path quite definitely is Costa Rica. Also scheduled will be either Barbados or Cuba. The other country in the four-team group has yet to emerge from a qualifying round in progress, but it will be either El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines or Antigua and Barbuda.
Odds are it will be Guatemala.
Three groups of four will play in a round-robin home-and-home series between July 12 and Nov. 15. The top two teams from each group will advance to the final six-nation qualifying round, which will be played in 2001.
In all, CONCACAF will send three teams to the 2002 World Cup, to be jointly staged by Japan and South Korea.
The U.S. enjoyed a relatively fortunate draw. In all likelihood, it will be the U.S. and Costa Rica that will advance to the next stage. Others were not so fortunate.
Mexico, for example, finds itself potentially in the same group as Trinidad and Tobago, Canada and Honduras.
Jamaica was more lucky. The “Reggae Boyz” landed in a group where the only other tough challenger probably will be El Salvador.
Exact dates for the qualifying games have yet to be determined, but “windows” have been established during which they must be played.
The U.S. will open on the road July 12-16, probably in Guatemala City if Guatemala emerges as the fourth team in the Americans’ group. It then travels to Costa Rica for a game between July 22-26.
The first home game will be against Barbados or Cuba Aug. 15 or 16, followed by two more home games Sept. 2 or 3, probably against Guatemala, and between Oct. 7-11 against Costa Rica. The final qualifying match is at Barbados or Cuba Nov. 14 or 15.
“We will be ready for whatever we have to face,” Arena said Friday. “Obviously, starting with two road matches will put our backs up against the wall a little bit, and the conditions in Central America in July will be tough, but we have prepared ourselves by playing games on the road, and this is all part of World Cup qualifying.
“We will have three straight games at home in August, September and October and for the majority of qualifying we will have our MLS players fit and in form for matches.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
World Cup Draw
A look at the United States and Mexico’s four-team groups for the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying, to be played this summer and fall:
GROUP E
* Who’s in: United States and Costa Rica.
* Who else can make it: Barbados vs. Cuba winner, and El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, St. Vincent/Grenadines or Antigua/Barbuda.
*
GROUP C
* Who’s in: Mexico.
* Who else can make it: Haiti vs. Trinidad and Tobago winner, Honduras vs. Panama winner, and Barbados, Cuba or Canada.
