[Frank Cunha]

2. WORLD CUP 2006 QUALIFYING: U.S. to face Jamaica, El Salvador and Panama

The field for the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF is almost complete. Eleven teams qualified Saturday and Sunday, and Mexico will join them after completing its second-round series with Dominica next weekend.

Joining the United States in Group 1 are Jamaica, El Salvador and Panama.

Jamaica beat Haiti 3-0 on a Marlon King hat trick to win its series, 4-1, on aggregate. El Salvador received a scare from Bermuda, twice falling behind in Hamilton before earning a 2-2 tie that gave it a 4-3 advantage on aggregate. Panama beat St. Lucia, 3-0, on the road to go through, 7-0, on aggregate.

The U.S. will open the semifinal round in Jamaica on Aug. 18. The round-robin group continues with the U.S. at home on Sept. 4 in Foxboro, Mass. (against El Salvador), and on the road on Sept. 8 in Panama. Play concludes with a road game on Oct. 10 in El Salvador and then consecutive home games on Oct. 13 (against Panama in Washington, D.C.) and Nov. 17 in Columbus, Ohio (against Jamaica).

The top two teams in each group advance to the final round in 2005. The top three teams in the six-team group will play in the 2006 World Cup. The fourth-place team will meet an Asian team in a playoff for an additional berth.

The toughest CONCACAF semifinal group will be Group B, where Costa Rica, Canada, Guatemala and Honduras will meet. Honduras is coached by former U.S. and Costa Rica national team coach Bora Milutinovic. Costa Rica is coached by Steve Sampson, Milutinovic's assistant with the U.S. Guatemala is coached by former Honduran captain and national team coach Ramon Maradiaga. Canada is coached by Frank Yallop, who led San Jose to two MLS titles.

Mexico won its "road" game against Dominica, 10-0, in San Antonio, Texas and looks assured of moving into Group C, where it faces three Caribbean opponents: Trinidad & Tobago, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent & Grenadines.

St. Kitts & Nevis was the only unseeded team to advance, finishing off Barbados, 3-2, at home to win 5-2 on aggregate.

SEMIFINAL GROUPS (Aug. 18-Nov. 17)

Group 1
USA
Jamaica
Panama
El Salvador

Group 2
Costa Rica
Canada
Guatemala
Honduras

Group 3
Mexico or Dominica
St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago

3. WORLD CUP 2006 QUALIFYING: CONCACAF Results (June 19-20)

SECOND ROUND, FIRST LEG
June 19
Dominica 0 Mexico 10 (Bautista 9, 38, Borgetti 11, 36, Marquez 25, Osorno 50, 87, Lozano 70, Davino 75, Palencia 90).
SECOND ROUND, SECOND LEG
June 19
Honduras 4 (Guevara 7, D.Suazo 22, Alvarez 49, Pavon 70) Netherlands Antilles 0.
(Honduras wins 6-1 on aggregate.)
St. Kitts & Nevis 3 (Gomez 16, Willock 22, 29) Barbados 2 (Skinner 33, Hall 45).
(St. Kitts & Nevis wins 5-2 on aggregate.)
June 20
Grenada 2 (Roberts pen. 12, Charles 78) USA 3 (Donovan 6, Wolff 19, Beasley 77).
(USA wins 6-2 on aggregate.)
Jamaica 3 (King 5, 15, 32) Haiti 0.
(Jamaica wins 4-1 on aggregate.)
Bermuda 2 (Burgess pen. 5, Nusum 21) El Salvador 2 (Pacheco 9, pen. 43).
(El Salvador wins 4-3 on aggregate.)
St. Lucia 0 Panama 3 (Tejada 12, Julio Cesar Dely Valdes 89, Blanco 90).
(Panama wins 7-0 on aggregate.)
Costa Rica 1 (Gomez 30) Cuba 1 (Cervantez 45).
(Aggregate: 3-3; Costa Rica wins on away goals.)
Guatemala 3 (Ruiz 24, 85, Pezzarossi 82) Surinam 1 (Puperhart 84).
(Guatemala wins 4-2 on aggregate.)
St. Vincent & Grenadines 4 (Samuel 10, 55, Ballantyne 20, James 70) Nicaragua 1 (Palacios 31).
(St. Vincent & Grenadines wins 6-2 on aggregate.)
Trin. & Tobago 4 (Scotland 48, S.John pen. 69, Theobold 74, Silly 86) Dominican Rep. 0.
(Trin. & Tobago wins 6-0 on aggregate.)