FIRST ROUND
The early stages of CONCACAF qualifying are always headache inducing, but the format seemed even more perplexing this time round. Central American qualifying was contested in the form of two groups of three teams, with the upper two in each group surviving. In the Caribbean zone [into which Bermuda were also thrown], the teams would be split into three pools, and the pools would each play an elimination bracket of two leg playoffs. The pools' finalists would each move through.

But there were some twists. The region's representatives at France 1998 - Jamaica, Mexico, and the United States - earned byes into the semifinals, as did Costa Rica, for reasons that are still not fully clear. The second placed finishers in the Central American groups and in the Caribbean pools would face one another in the Interzone Round, into which Canada had a bye. The end result was that the three pools had eight teams each, and the groups were each three team affairs.

The SAT 04 MAR 2000 match between Trinidad and Tobago and the Netherlands Antilles was the world's first qualifier for Korea/Japan 2002. The Soca Warriors dismantled their pool 3 quarterfinal opponents 5-0 in the home leg, eventually winning the series 6-1. Weekend reports from the Caribbean pools read like one of Alex Trebek's questions in the Geography Bee, with obscure names like St Lucia, Surinam, and Grenada in Pool 1; St Kitts and Nevis, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Antigua and Barbuda in Pool 2; and Montserrat, Dominica, and Anguilla in Pool 3. Quarterfinal action in Pool 1 was the most active, with two series requiring overtime. Barbados and Grenada finished both legs tied 2-2, but six minutes into the first overtime period, Llewellyn RILEY found the back of the net for Barbados. At Paramaribo, second leg hosts Surinam won 1-0, reversing the first leg result against St Lucia and forcing overtime. Surinam won the shootout 3-1 after thirty scoreless minutes.

Goals, borders, and symmetry

For the most part, the elite Caribbean nations devoured their smaller opposition. Trinidad and Tobago outscored their opponents 10-1 entering their Pool 3 final against Haiti, who themselves racked up a 20-1 advantage. St Vincent and the Grenadines, having opened with a 14-1 aggregate win over the US Virgin Islands, then defeated St Kitts and Nevis 3-1 and prepared to take on Antigua and Barbuda in the Pool 2 final. Antigua and Barbuda had given up one goal, but had only scored one - they progressed automatically from the quarterfinals when their drawn opponent, Guyana, were suspended by FIFA and disqualified from the competition. After their overtime squeaker against Grenada, Barbados had an easy time with Aruba, winning 7-1; Cuba defeated the Cayman Islands and then Surinam to finish the Pool 1 last two.

In Central America, a continuing border dispute between Belize and Guatemala prompted the transfer of their two Group A encounters to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Guatemala won the first and drew the second. Belize lost both meetings with El Salvador, who defeated Guatemala away and defended their turf with a home draw. Group B saw symmetry between Panama and Honduras, with each shutting out Nicaragua twice. Los Cañaleros and los Catrachos also split their head to head encounters. Symmetry breaking occurred in the goals scored column, Panama scoring eight to Honduras's seven to jump past the interzones into the semifinal round.

The Caribbean pool finals were all close affairs. Haiti held Trinidad and Tobago to a draw in their home leg, but T-T's 3-1 advantage in the opener saw them through. Antigua and Barbuda took a 2-1 lead into the leg at St Vincent and the Grenadines but were relegated into the interzones with a 4-0 loss. Both legs of the Pool 1 final between Barbados and Cuba ended 1-1, and it was finally settled in Barbados's favour on penalties.

INTERZONE ROUND
Guatemala, second in Group A, were drawn up against Antigua and Barbuda, losers of the Pool 2 final. Haiti, second in Pool 3, met Honduras, second in Group B. Cuba, Pool 1 runnerups, were to meet one of the five teams that had been idle so far, Canada. Series 1 started with a 1-0 win for Canada on SUN 04 JUN 2000 on a first half goal by Jason DEVOS. Guatemala won 1-0 at St John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Shortly thereafter, the Canadians settled matters in their series by holding Cuba to a goalless draw in Winnipeg, Alberta.

Los Chapines rocketed into the semis with an 8-1 home victory over Antigua and Barbuda, whilst Honduras also had a comfortable win. In Port-au-Prince, Milton NUÑEZ and Samuel CABALLERO each scored their second goal of the Central Americans' 7-1 aggregate win.

SEMIFINAL ROUND
The semifinal round draw made for some enticing possibilities. Canada, still riding the success of its shocking victory at the 2000 Gold Cup, met up in Group C with the team they defeated in that tournament's final, Mexico, along with Panama and Trinidad and Tobago. A dogfight looked to be shaping up in Group D amongst Jamaica and the Central American pair of El Salvador and Honduras. Group E pitted three more traditional powerhouses of the region against one another: Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the United States.

Honduras, after rolling past Haiti in the previous round, served notice to the region that they were not to be taken lightly. On SUN 16 JUL 2000, they went into San Salvador and swiped a 5-2 win in their group opener. The bitter rivals, who infamously fought a war instigated by a qualifier for the 1970 World Cup, played a close match until Danny TURCIOS and Carlos PAVÓN scored five minutes apart in the first half, opening a 3-1 lead. Canada and Costa Rica both surprisingly dropped their openers. Trinidad and Tobago won 2-0 over an underwhelming Canadian side, and unfancied Barbados broke a late tie with Costa Rica on a goal by Michael FORDE two minutes from time.

Los Ticos bounced back by winning 2-1 at home over the US the following week, which left the Americans at the bottom of the group with one point and in a tizzy. The match was decided on a penalty to Costa Rica for an alleged handball by Gregg BERHALTER, a call that replays refuted. US midfielder Claudio REYNA, vehemently protesting the decision, was restrained by teammates. The US had three consecutive home matches next, though, and saw an opportunity to catch up. With a 7-0 dismantling of Barbados and a 1-0 win over Guatemala, they took it and leapt into second in the Group E table.

The other groups were more clear cut. Mexico scored back to back septuplets when they defeated Panama 7-1 and then Trinidad and Tobago 7-0. T-T in turn had pounded Panama 6-0 and even had an earlier home win against Mexico. Group C was already decided with two matchdays left: the Soca Warriors opened with four straight wins, and los Tricolores were right behind with nine points. Group D looked much the same, with a perfect record for Jamaica and Honduras, not yet qualified for the final round, only three points back.

Vitamin E complex

Three weeks ahead of the US's opportunity for revenge against Costa Rica, FIFA handed down a surprise. Reyna was suspended for the next two matches for his behaviour at the earlier match, and US coach Bruce ARENA was given a three match ban for his words about the quality of the referee. At the US's meeting with Costa Rica in Columbus, OH, neither side was able to string together much of an attack. 0-0 was the ultimate result as Reyna's absence took its toll. Guatemala beat Barbados in the other match to set up a last day showdown. In the meantime, Honduras handed the Reggae Boyz their first loss to grab Group D's other place in the last round.

The picture on WED 15 NOV 2000 was complex. Barbados were already eliminated, and the US could move through by defeating them in Waterford. That was the easy part, so start paying attention now. If the US did not do that, a win or draw by Costa Rica would also put them through. Los Ticos, the group leaders on ten points, needed only a point. Their opponents, Guatemala, had to win and hope for a Barbados win or draw to move through. But even if the US won, Guatemala could still move through by defeating Costa Rica by at least two goals, which would give them second on goal difference.

But the one combination of results that would have been extremely annoying was exactly the one that happened. The US had little trouble getting past Barbados, 4-0. In Mazatenango, Guatemala looked to be coming up empty as they were level 1-1 with Costa Rica. But three minutes from time, Carlos RUIZ emerged to strike past goalkeeper Alvaro MESEN. The match ended 2-1, which tied Guatemala with Costa Rica for second place, ten points apiece. Each team scored nine goals in the round and conceded six. The last remaining tiebreaker was head to head results. But their meeting in Alajuela went 2-1 in Costa Rica's favour, leaving Costa Rica and Guatemala perfectly symmetric. There was nothing to do but contest a playoff on neutral ground.

The two nations could not even agree on a venue. Finally it was decreed that they would play at the Orange Bowl in Miami, FL, USA. Ruiz picked up where he left off, beating Mesen in the fourth minute to give Guatemala a 1-0 lead. But only three minutes later, Paulo WANCHOPE answered for Costa Rica. Rolando FONSECA gave los Ticos the lead late in the first half, picked up an assist from a corner in the second, and then scored again. The final result was 5-2 for Costa Rica, placing them alongside Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States in the final round.

FINAL ROUND
Fortunately, by this point, the rules had become simple. Play everyone else twice. Be in the top three. Go to East Asia.

In the leadin to this round, Arena successfully appealed his suspension, reducing it to the two matches he'd already served and allowing himself to oversee all ten of the US's final round matches. That was especially important as a date with Mexico loomed at the start of the round. The US and Mexico have for some time been the two largest powers of CONCACAF, between them winning the first four Gold Cups. Mexico had represented North America at nearly every World Cup, but the US had been to three in a row. The US Soccer Federation selected as the match site a place that, though a bit out of the way, is rapidly becoming one of the best places to play soccer in the United States: Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, OH.

At game time on THU 01 MAR 2001, the temperature in the stadium was 271 K. "La Guerra Fría" went to the home side as Josh WOLFF scored in only his fifth appearance for the American side. Earnie STEWART added a second shortly before full time. Other results from the first matchday were a 1-0 win for Jamaica over Trinidad and Tobago, followed by a 2-2 draw between Honduras and Costa Rica.

Looking at the group table after the matches of APR 2001, most in the footballing community thought that they had their glasses on backward. Trinidad and Tobago, who rolled through the semifinal round virtually unscathed, had only one point after three matches. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica all had four apiece. And the group leader was: the United States? Somehow the Americans had ganked a 2-1 win at Honduras, their first qualifying win in Central America in more than eleven years. That was followed by a 1-0 win in the next chapter of their blossoming rivalry with Costa Rica.

As for los Ticos, that US match was something of a wakeup call. Though they had an easy time with Trinidad and Tobago, their Honduras opener saw them fall behind and struggle in front of their home fans. T-T bounced back with a 1-1 draw at home to Mexico.

Azteca riddle solved

It was 18:30 UTC, SUN 16 JUN 2001. Mexico were ahead of Costa Rica, 1-0, at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Mexico were playing their 52nd match there, a venue labelled one of the most difficult places in the world to play. The factors commonly identified as causes of this are the high altitude, the smoggy air of Mexico City, and the noise of the 120,000 Mexicans who pack the stands for every national team appearance.

The midday heat also seemed to have its effect on the play, as both sides were missing their traditional attacking flair. Mexico appeared to be suffering the effects of their recent globetrotting tour, during which they lost all three matches at the Confederations Cup in the Korea Republic and lost a 4-0 friendly in England. Fonseca turned the match around in the 73rd minute when he rocketed a free kick 25 metres into the upper corner of Osvaldo SÁNCHEZ's goal. Hernán MEDFORD pounced on a loose ball as the seconds ticked away, scoring three minutes from time to make the final scoreline 2-1 in Costa Rica's favour.

When José ABUNDIS scored Mexico's goal in the seventh minute, he lifted up his green jersey to reveal a T shirt with the words "Profe Meza, Somos Con Usted" - "Professor Meza, We're With You". Coach Enrique MEZA may have had the players' support, but after a few days, that was about it. Mexico's heartbreaking loss, their first ever at Estadio Azteca, was followed immediately by a 3-1 loss at Honduras, in which they gave up a hat trick to Pavón. In the Costa Rica match, Mexico had plenty of goalscoring opportunities but sent shots off the posts and over the bar. The Honduras match, by contrast, was nothing short of a debacle. The defense could not handle the intense pressure from the frontlines of los Catrachos, and had it not been for the fine show by Jorge CAMPOS in goal, the score could well have been 8-1.

The inevitable happened just a day after the Honduras match, when Meza was relieved of his duties. Javier AGUIRRE was tapped to turn Mexico back into the regional superpower that they always expect to be.

South American boosts

Mexico's next home match was the reprisal of La Guerra Fría, as the US side headed for Mexico City on SUN 01 JUL 2001. Billed as "La Venganza en el Azteca" - "Revenge at Azteca", Mexico did everything they could think of to try to turn their fortunes around, including changing their kits. Los Tricolores' new uniforms dispensed of the white horizontal stripe in which they'd opened qualifying. The visitors did not play up to their potential, and Jared BORGETTI took advantage with an early goal. Mexico got their revenge with a 1-0 final. Costa Rica won 3-2 away to Honduras to draw even with the US atop the group.

There followed a two month gap in qualification. Mexico, Costa Rica, and Honduras competed in CONMEBOL's Copa América in Colombia during the downtime. Los Catrachos defeated Brazil on their way to third place, and Mexico went to the final before losing 1-0 to the hosts. As the final round resumed on SAT 01 SEP 2001, the three Copa América participants posted victories, including Honduras's wild 3-2 win at the United States that turned on Noel VALLADARES's save of a Stewart penalty just before the half.

Costa Rica, three points ahead of the US, then had an opportunity to secure qualification as they hosted their closest rivals five days later. The Americans could not repeat their springtime feat of winning in Central America, as los Ticos dominated the match end to end. Their 2-0 win stamped their ticket for the Far East, and the final whistle blew at the Azteca with Mexico having defeated T-T 3-0 to pull into a tie with the US. Honduras, 1-0 winners over Jamaica, were five points behind Costa Rica but one ahead of both the US and Mexico.

The events of TUE 11 SEP 2001, obviously, affected CONCACAF the most. US defender Carlos LLAMOSA, in fact, had once worked at the World Trade Center in New York and would have been working only metres away from the 1993 garage bombing but for a fortuitous lunch trip at the moment of the blast.

The three matches of SUN 07 OCT 2001 kicked off mere hours after the US military began its strike on the Taleban in Afghanistan. Mexico played to a goalless draw with Costa Rica, and the US defeated Jamaica 2-1 at home. The key result of the day was acquired by Stern JOHN, who scored in the 61st minute to earn the Soca Warriors a 1-0 win at Honduras. With that result, the US's second place position was unassailable, and they earned their fourth straight World Cup berth. Mexico and Honduras, meanwhile, had a meeting in Mexico City on SUN 11 NOV 2001 that would determine the final allocation.

Tied on 14 points, Mexico had the better goal difference and needed only a draw to qualify. Cuauhtémoc BLANCO, who had missed a year after being injured in a semifinal round match, was playing his fourth match of the final round, but he didn't look that raw. With two goals and an assist, not to mention several other attacking opportunities, Blanco almost singlehandedly put his side into the final 32. Mexico's 3-0 win was a heavy disappointment for the Honduran side that had seesawed through the final round, sometimes looking like worldbeaters but too often getting unlucky, especially in their three home losses.