The United States won the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup title after playing 120 goalless minutes against Panama, winning the penalty shootout 3-1. Luis TEJADA's opening penalty was saved by US keeper Kasey KELLER, and los Cañaleros went on to miss two more shots in the afternoon heat in East Rutherford, NJ, USA. US coach Bruce ARENA was suspended from the match after being sent off in the semifinal against Honduras, but his squad performed well under assistant Mooch MYERNICK to claim their third Gold Cup.

On TUE 15 FEB 2005, the World won, figuratively as well as literally. RONALDINHO's World XI defeated Andriy SHEVCHENKO's European XI by a 6-3 scoreline at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. The match's most important number, of course, was the US$10,000,000 it was expected to pull in for the FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund, going toward efforts to rebuild football infrastructure in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and other nations struck by the tsunamis of SUN 26 DEC 2004. In the match, hometown hero Samuel ETO'O of Cameroon scored twice to put the World up 3-1 by halftime. Gianfranco ZOLA of Italy and David SUAZO of Honduras, a special European guest, then scored early in the second half to equalise. But Henri CAMARA of Senegal was quick to respond, with two goals in just five minutes.

A quick summary of action around the CONCACAF semifinal round on WED 17 NOV 2004. more...

A quick summary of action around the CONCACAF semifinal round on WED 13 OCT 2004. more...

A quick summary of action around the CONCACAF semifinal round on the weekend of SAT 09-SUN 10 OCT 2004. more...

Ten of twelve teams in the CONCACAF semifinal round were in action as the round began. The day's biggest result was Honduras's 5-2 win over Costa Rica in Group 2. With both teams reeling from recent coaching changes, it was the Catrachos who came away on top, Amado GUEVARA scoring from the penalty spot to take the lead for good. Guatemala defeated Canada 2-0 in Vancouver, BC in the group's other match. Jamaica gave the United States trouble for 88 minutes, but in the 89th, Brian CHING scored his first goal for the US to salvage a 1-1 away draw. In Group 1's other match, ten-man El Salvador held on for a 2-1 win over Panama. Trinidad-Tobago defeated St Vincent-Grenadines 2-0 in Group 3, both goals from Errol MCFARLANE. The other teams in Group 3, St Kitts-Nevis and Mexico, were idle; their meeting at Basseterre was postponed to SAT 13 NOV 2004 owing to Mexico's participation in the Olympic football tournament.