Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers Still Wide Open

No Concacaf Teams Have Yet Qualified for South Africa 2010

Sep 15, 2009

The USA leads the pack but there is no clear front runner in the Concacaf qualifying group with only two games remaining to be played on October 10th and 14th.

Who Qualifies from Concacaf for South Africa 2010?

The top three teams in this Concacaf qualifying group will qualify directly for the World Cup Finals; at this point in time this is the USA, Mexico and Honduras. The fourth placed team, currently Costa Rica, will enter a two legged home and away play off versus the fifth placed Conmebol (South American) side, currently a ragged looking Argentina.

The Concacaf league as it stands

No Caribbean Representatives in South Africa

The only sure thing that has surfaced from this qualifying group so far is that Caribbean minnows Trinidad and Tobago have not qualified for the World Cup. With only five points from eight games they can only realistically, even with a maximum points haul in their final two games, come in fifth. So, unfortunately there will be no Caribbean nation in South Africa and the islanders will not be repeating their heroics as in Germany 2006.

Team USA

The USA can qualifying in their second to last game against Honduras with a win in the hostile environs of San Pedro Sula. Even a draw will be fine if Costa Rica fail to win. However, coach Bob Bradley will want to go through in the most positive and forthright fashion leaving nothing to chance and we can expect him to call on the expertise of Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey for what will be two unforgiving and physical games.

Mexico Put the Eriksson Saga Behind them

With Sven Goran Eriksson sacked in April the Mexican team were badly in need of some points as they looked direly close to the unthinkable, failure to qualify. Thumping Costa Rica in San Jose 3-0 and then Honduras in Mexico City 1-0 with a penalty by the 36 year old veteran Cuauhtémoc Blanco did their cause no end of good. Should they beat El Salvador in Mexico in their next fixture they will once again qualify.

Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica

El Salvador, of the three still in contention, are clearly in the most precarious situation and a failure to win in Mexico could see them eliminated. Costa Rica have parted company with their coach Rodrigo Kenton after a disastrous record of 3 straight losses and 8 goals conceded and may relinquish their well earned title as one of Central America’s most versatile and progressive teams. The Ticos will want to have made safe their position before a final day battle versus the USA in Washington DC. Honduras will qualify, for the first time since Spain 1982, should they triumph in San Pedro Sula versus the USA and Costa Rica loses.

Remaining Games in Concacaf Qualifying

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