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.

Four matches began play in the UEFA group phase of qualifying for Germany 2006. Romania edged Finland 2-1 in a meeting of potential surprise packages in Group 1, but the early group leaders are Macedonia FYR, 3-0 winners over Armenia. In Group 3, Estonia seemed to struggle against Liechtenstein, who finished with nine players after Christof RITTER and Andreas GERSTER were both dismissed; the Estonians emerged with a 2-1 win. Slovakia defeated Luxembourg 3-1 at home in the day's only other match.

The suspension placed on the Kenya Football Federation has been lifted on a provisional basis, which allows the national team of Kenya to resume playing. Kenya, which had been suspended on WED 02 JUN 2004 after KFF executive officers were sacked by the government, will belatedly begin CAF second round Group 5 action on SAT 04 SEP 2004 against Malawi. The missed matches against Guinea, Morocco, and Tunisia will be made up at a later date.