By Andrew Warshaw
September 11 – While the United States and Costa Rica celebrated qualification for next year’s World Cup finals, perennial powerhouses Mexico have been plunged into further anguish after a dramatic night of action in the CONCACAF region.
Second-half goals from Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan gave the United States a 2-0 win over their great rivals in Colombus to move Jurgen Klinsmann’s side top of the standings on 16 points and leave Mexico’s hopes on a knife-edge, with a playoff place now looking a serious possibility at best.
At the same time Costa Rica drew 1-1 against Jamaica, taking them to 15 points, enough to join the US on the plane to Brazil.
It was another desperate night for Mexico who appointed a new coach last Friday in a bid to avoid the humiliation of failing to qualify but who now sit next to bottom in the six-team standings with eight points along with Panama who have never made it to the finals.
Honduras currently occupy third place on 11 points and with only two rounds to go in October, the battle both for the final automatic spot and fourth-place, which offers the nervy prospect of a playoff against Oceania winners New Zealand, is set to go down to the final nail-biting series of games.
Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto broke down in joyful tears during an interview with local radio station Columbia. “I’ve worked all my life, so hard, to make it to the World Cup, all my life… this is sheer happiness,” he said.
Klinsmann, a World Cup winner with West Germany as a player in 1990, was delighted to be making a second trip to the finals as a coach following his run to the last four with his native Germany on home soil 2006.
“It’s a huge milestone whenever you make it to the World Cup, the biggest competition in this sport, especially hosted in Brazil, one of the biggest football nations,” he said. “It means a lot to all of us. To our fans and to this country as well.”
Contrast that with Mexico, who have just appointed a new coach in a last-ditch effort to take their customary place in the finals but who must now beat Panama on October 10 after a poor performance against the Americans.
“I don’t know what to tell you, we’re in debt with the people and very ashamed,” midfielder Christian Gimenez was quoted as telling told Mexico’s TV Azteca.
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