Soccer News: U.S. DRAWN INTO GROUP A FOR CONCACAF’S SEMIFINAL ROUND OF QUALIFYING FOR THE 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP

USA Will Face Jamaica and Two Teams that Will Be Determined after Second Round Play; USA Will Begin Qualification Process for 2014 FIFA World Cup in June of 2012. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati says, “The Preliminary Draw is an important starting point as it allows us to begin preparations for our qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.”

The U.S. Men’s National Team was drawn into Group A of CONCACAF’s Semifinal Round of FIFA World Cup Qualifying during the Preliminary Draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup that took place Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The U.S., led by new head coach Juergen Klinsmann, will begin its quest to qualify for a seventh-consecutive FIFA World Cup when Semifinal Round play in CONCACAF begins in June of 2012.

The U.S. was drawn into Group A with Jamaica, and will be joined by the winners of Group E and Group F from the Second Round of qualifying. Group E is composed of Grenada, Guatemala, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Belize, while Group F features Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Curaçao and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The group winners will be determined during Second Round play which will be completed November of 2011.

“The Preliminary Draw is an important starting point as it allows us to begin preparations for our qualifying campaign for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.

“The teams in CONCACAF improve every year and that makes advancing to the World Cup more difficult, but we are look forward to the journey and the opportunity to be part of the world's biggest event in what will be an incredible atmosphere in Brazil."

The USA recently met Jamaica in the quarterfinals of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where goals from Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey sent the USA to the semifinal and the Reggae Boyz out of the tournament. The U.S. holds a lifetime record of 10-0-8 against Jamaica. The two teams last met in a World Cup qualifier almost seven years ago during qualifying for the 2006 tournament in Germany.

Last time, the USA defeated Jamaica 2-0 in the quarterfinal of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey scored both goals in the second half.

Beginning in June of 2012 and ending in October that same year, the U.S. will play each of its Group A opponents twice, once at home and once away, in round robin play, with the group winner and group runner-up advancing to Final Round of World Cup qualifying.

The Final Round, which will take place in 2013, will feature a group of six teams.

Each of the Semifinal Round group winners and runners-up making up the well-known Hexagonal that determines which CONCACAF nations qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The top three teams from round robin play will book their place in Brazil, with the fourth place team playing a home-and-away intercontinental playoff against a team from Oceania. The USA has finished first in the Hexagonal during the past two FIFA World Cup cycles.

The U.S. is next in action is coming up soon against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia. Now that U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati has named Juergen Klinsmann as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team last week, making him the 35th coach in the history of the program ... we may be on a new era for the US. 

Gulati has said, “We are excited to have Juergen as the head coach of our Men’s National Team. He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program. Juergen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field.”  The US v Mexico game will be the first test of this new leadership.

2014 FIFA World Cup – CONCACAF Draw Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

First Round  will be held on June 15 – July 17, 2011

• The 10 lowest-ranked teams in the region (based on March 2011 FIFA World Rankings) contested a home-and-away series.
• The five series winners advanced to the Second Round.

Second Round (Sept. 2 – Nov. 15, 2011)
Group A
El Salvador
Suriname
Cayman Islands
Dominican Republic

Group B
Trinidad and Tobago
Guyana
Barbados
Bermuda

Group C
Panama
Dominica
Nicaragua
Bahamas

Group D
Canada
St. Kitts and Nevis
Puerto Rico
St. Lucia

Group E
Grenada
Guatemala
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Belize

Group F
Haiti
Antigua and Barbuda
Curaçao
U.S. Virgin Islands

Semifinal Round (June 8 – Oct. 16, 2012)
Group A
USA
Jamaica
Winner E (Second Round)
Winner F (Second Round)

Group B
Mexico
Costa Rica
Winner A (Second Round)
Winner B (Second Round)

Group C
Honduras
Cuba
Winner D (Second Round)
Winner C (Second Round)

Final Round (Feb. 6 – Oct. 15, 2013)

• Three group winners and runners-up from Semifinal Round comprise a group of six teams. 
• The top three teams qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with the fourth placed team advancing to the intercontinental playoff against a team from Oceania.

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