OCTOBER 2001

VOLUME 11 / NUMBER 7

CONFEDERATION OF NORTH, CENTRAL AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL NEWSLETTER

CALENDAR OF EVENTS
11 November
(FIFA World Cup Qualifying)
Jamaica Honduras, Kingston (16:00)
Trinidad & Tobago USA, Port-of-Spain (14:00)
Mexico Honduras, Mexico, D.F (12:00)
19 November
FC Executive Committee
New York, New York USA (10:00)
1 December
2002 FIFA World Cup Draw
Busan, Korea
18 January 2 February 2002
FC Gold Cup
Miami, Florida
Pasadena, California
First-round matches
USA reaches the FIFA World Cup finals for the fourth consecutive time. (Photo Tony Quinn, SoccerPixUSA)
February August 2002

USA CLINCHES 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP BERTH;

MEXICO-HONDURAS MATCH TO DECIDE FINAL

The USA became the second FC country to qualify for the 2002 FIFA
World Cup finals after a dramatic 2:1 home victory against Jamaica.
Combined with Trinidad & Tobagos stunning 1:0 victory against
Honduras in San Pedro Sula, and the scoreless draw between Costa Rica
and Mexico in San Jos, the USA has reached the World Cup finals for
the fourth consecutive time, and made a tricky trip to Port-of-Spain on
the final matchday a mere formality.
With the victory, the USA now stands on 16 points, and cannot be passed by both
Mexico and Honduras who meet in Mexico City on the final matchday (11 November)
in a winner-take-all clash for the FCs third and final spot. In case of a draw, Mexico
would earn the trip to Korea/Japan 2002 by virtue of better goal differential.
In Foxboro, Massachusetts, Joe-Max Moore scored twice to give the USA the victory. His third-minute goal gave the USA a dream start, but Jamie Lawrence equalized
just 10 minutes later. But Moores penalty in the 79th minute was the match-winner
and sealed the USAs berth thanks to the other results.
One of the most shocking results of the entire final round came at Estadio Olimpico
Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, where a Trinidad &
FC QUALIFYING FINAL ROUND
Tobago side that had taken just one point from the first
MATCHDAY NINE
eight Final Round matches defeated Honduras thanks
San Pedro Sula, Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano to a 61st-minute goal from Stern John. Trinidad &
HONDURAS - TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 0:1 (0:0)
Tobago played a man down for the final 70 minutes by
Stern JOHN 61
R: Mike SEIFERT (CAN)
doggedly defended, helped also by the goalpost hit no
fewer than five times by Honduran shots.
Foxboro, Massachusetts, Foxboro Stadium
Costa Rica created the better chances at the Estadio
USA - JAMAICA 2:1 (1:1)
Joe-Max MOORE 3; 80 - James LAWRENCE
Saprissa, but despite being hard-fought, it was a tepid
13
encounter. Mexico goalkeeper scar Perez was called
R: Rodolfo SIBRIAN (SLV)
on more than his Costa Rican counterpart Erick Lonnis
San Jos, Estadio Ricardo Saprissa
to save the day, but in the end Mexico was happy for
COSTA RICA - MEXICO 0:0
the point which puts them in the drivers seat for next
R: Antonio PEREIRA (BRA)
months vital encounter against Honduras.

FC Champions Cup
(league stage)
various venues
April 2002
XXIII Ordinary Congress
The Football Confederation
site to be announced
31 May 2002
Opening match, 2002 FIFA World Cup
Seoul, Korea Republic
30 June 2002
Final, 2002 FIFA World Cup
Yokohama, Japan
17 August 1 September
FIFA Under-19 Womens World Championship
Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia; Victoria, British
Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta)

RECENT ELECTIONS
Football Federation of Belize
PRESIDENT: Bertie Chimilio
GENERAL SECRETARY: Ruperto Vicente
1st VICE PRESIDENT: Ray Davis
2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Miguel Rosado

PAGE 2

CONFEDERATION NEWS - OCTOBER 2001

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 2001

HUGE SUCCESS IN EVERY WAY

With world-class football, packed stadia,

widespread television coverage and an
extraordinary atmosphere, the FIFA Under17 World Championship Trinidad and
Tobago 2001 presented by JVC was a huge
success in every way.
Thus did FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter summarize the triumph of Trinidad & Tobago, the smallest country ever to host a
FIFA world championship.
Any doubts as to the ability of a small nation at least in
terms of size to organise a FIFA competition will have been disproved beyond doubt by this years experiences in Trinidad &
Tobago. Under the expert guidance of Jack A. Warner, FIFA Vice
President and President of the CONCACAF The Football
Confederation, Oliver Camps, President of the Trinidad & Tobago
Football Federation, and Sandra Basheer, Chief Executive Officer of
the Local Organising Committee, the organisers of the 2001 FIFA
U-17 Championship did what they set out to accomplish.
They can be very satisfied on numerous
counts. Match attendance figures were excellent. The first-ever staging of a World
Championship in the
Caribbean no doubt goes
some way to explaining
the huge popular success
of the competition.
The construction of
four stadia (of a total of
five used during the
competition) and the
renovation of the national stadium the Hasely
Crawford Stadium in
Port-of-Spain in Trinidad
were decisive factors in
the success. Highly functional, perfectly suited to
While Trinidad and Tobago (here playing Brazil) the size of the event,
modern and fitted out
didnt have success on the field, they made
with excellent playing
the FIFA U-17 Championship a
surfaces that admirably
huge success in every way.

2002 FIFA U-19 WOMENS

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The Canadian
Soccer Association has
announced ticket
prices for the FIFA U-19
Womens World
Championship in
Edmonton, from 17 August to 1 September
2002. The Championships will focus on
attracting local soccer and sport enthusiasts
to Commonwealth Stadium and will provide
affordable tickets prices for families.
The ticket prices were announced at a
media conference in Edmonton where the
logo for the championships was also unveiled.

Before a packed house

at Hasely Crawford Stadium,
France completed a dominating performance from
start to finish by defeating
Nigeria 3:0 for their first FIFA
U-17 World Championship.
Florent Simana Pongolle
scored a goal and set up two
in the final, setting a goalscoring record for the championship with nine to win the
Golden Shoe while also winning the Golden Ball as the
tournaments top player.
Burkina Faso won third place
in the tournament by defeating Argentina 2:0.
Burkina Faso eliminated
Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, the only FC country to
advance out of the first round. The USA never found their stride and
lost all three group matches but in a group that also featured the
two countries that played in the final. Host Trinidad & Tobago also lost
all three of their group matches.

withstood the heavy rainfall and sometimes difficult weather conditions. Now that the competition is over, they will leave a lasting
legacy in the Caribbean.
Blatter added that he was highly impressed with the support
given by the fans of Trinidad and Tobago: The buoyant mood that
reigned in the stadia was truly awe-inspiring. Knowledgeable, vociferous crowds were a feature of all 32 matches in the competition,
even after the elimination of the host nation at the end of the first
round. Rarely has a tournament been contested where such a festive, sporting spirit has pervaded for its entire duration.
This fervour was diffused outside the stadia by television companies who clamoured to broadcast the event. Matches were shown
live or delayed in whole or part on TV in over 130 countries.
Blatter said that FIFA intends to nominate the Trinidad & Tobago
supporters for a 2001 FIFA special award and also paid special tribute to Warner.
FIFA would like to congratulate Trinidad & Tobago on these
superb achievements, giving special mention to the driving force
behind the scenes, Jack A. Warner. With my backing, it is also our
intention to honour the Trinidad and Tobago supporters by nominating them to the FIFA Fair Play Committee for the 2001 FIFA
special award, he said. Thank you, Trinidad and Tobago.

Ticket prices for the opening round and

quarter-finals, all double-headers, will be
between C$5 and C$10. Ticket prices will
rise slightly to a maximum of C$15 for semifinals which are also doubleheader games.
Tickets for the Final on 1 September will not
exceed C$20.
In March 2001, FIFA granted the right
to host the inaugural FIFA U-19 Womens
World Championship to Canada as a result
of the application submitted by the
Canadian Soccer Association.
The tournament will be held 17 August
to 1 September 2002 in the following cities:

Edmonton, Commonwealth Stadium

(12 matches, 18 August 1 September)

Vancouver, Swangard Stadium
(7 matches, 17 25 August)
Victoria, Centennial Stadium
(7 matches, 17 25 August)
A total of twenty six matches will be
played with the Final being held in
Edmontons Commonwealth Stadium on
1 September 2002.
Twelve teams from around the world
will compete in the championship. As host
nation Canada qualified automatically.
UEFA will have four berths, while the
Football Confederation and AFC have two
each. CONMEBOL, CAF and OFC have one
team each.

CONFEDERATION NEWS - OCTOBER 2001

CLUB COMPETITIONS RENEWED AS FC CHAMPIONS

CUP BEGINS NEW LEAGUE FORMAT FOR 2002

Club competitions in the Football Confederation will enter a

new phase beginning next year with the creation of an expanded,
comprehensive FC Champions Cup, announced by Chuck Blazer,
General Secretary of the Football Confederation.
The new FC Champions Cup will feature a league format with
the 16 top clubs from throughout North America, Central America
and the Caribbean. The tournament will replace all other
Confederation club competitions and will truly crown every year
the top club in the region.
As part of the expansion, the quarterfinal stage for the current Champions Cup has
been moved to the first months of the 2002, when it will take new shape in the planned
league format. Those clubs that have already qualified for the quarterfinal stage of the
2001 FC Champions Cup will move directly into the new league format.
To facilitate the shift to the new cycle of qualifying rounds in the latter half of one year and
the league stage in the first half of the following, the decision was taken to use the current competition as the transition period and fold those clubs already qualified into the league format.
In addition, the winner and runner-up of the 2001 FC Giants Cup (Club Amrica and
D.C. United) will also be merged into the first league edition to provide both of those clubs
the opportunity to compete for a spot in the 2003 FIFA Club World Championship, as
they would have done in early 2003 under the previous competition system.
Qualification rounds for future Champions Cups will begin in the latter half of each year
on a regional basis, with the league portion beginning early in each following calendar year.
As well, no champion clubs will lose out on their opportunities to play in the FC
Champions Cup. Because of the transition process, those Central American and Caribbean
clubs which won their domestic championships ending in 2001 will be included in the qualifying rounds for the 2003 FC Champions Cup, which will begin in the second half of 2002.
Thus: in Central America, the league champions from the 2000/01 and 2001/02 campaigns will be involved in qualifying for the 2003 FC Champions Cup. For the 2004
Champions Cup, it will involve champions only from the 2002/03 domestic seasons.
In the Caribbean, league champions from the 2001 (calendar year) or 2001/02 seasons
will be involved in qualifying for the 2003 FC Champions Cup.
For future FC Champions Cups, beginning with the 2003 event, countries in the
Central and Caribbean zones regions will be asked to inscribe their champion clubs by
June of each year for Champions Cup qualifying rounds beginning shortly thereafter.
Clubs from Mexico and the USA must be inscribed by December of each year, before the
league stage beginning shortly after the new year.
The competition brings the Football Confederation into line with the other
Confederations around the world who operate their premier club competitions in a similar
structure, notably the UEFA Champions League, the Toyota Copa Libertadores (CONMEBOL), the CAF Champions League and the upcoming Asian Champions League.
For the next FIFA Club World Championship, the winner and runner-up of the 2002
FC Champions Cup will fill the Football Confederations presently allotted berths.
Following, each years winner over a two-year cycle will earn the right to go to the Club
World Championship.
Under the old system, those clubs which have reached the quarterfinals of the current
FC Champions Cup would have had to play six matches to reach the 2003 Club World
Championship (including the FC Clubs Cup). Now, those same clubs need to play just two
matches more to secure their berths for the world championship.
The makeup of the 2002 FC Champions Cup, including match dates, competition format and prize structure will be announced in the near future.
2002 CHAMPIONS CUP PARTICIPANTS (LEAGUE STAGE)
CA Monarcas Morelia (Mexico; winner 2000 Torneo Invierno)
Club Santos Laguna (Mexico, winner 2001 Torneo Verano)
Kansas City Wizards (USA, winner 2000 MLS Cup)
Chicago Fire (USA, winner, 2000 MLS Supporters Shield)
Club Amrica (Mexico, winner 2001 FC Giants Cup)
D.C. United (USA, runner-up 2001 FC Giants Cup)
CSD Municipal (Guatemala, first place Central Zone qualifying)
Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica, second place Central Zone final round)
CD Olimpia (Honduras, third place Central Zone final round)
CSD Comunicaciones (Guatemala, fourth place Central Zone final round)
Tauro FC (Panama, Central Zone semifinalist)
LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica, Central Zone semifinalist)
Defence Force FC (Trinidad & Tobago, finalist Caribbean Zone qualifying)
W Connection FC (Trinidad & Tobago, finalist Caribbean Zone qualifying)
To Be Determined winner, Mexico 2001 Torneo Invierno winner, USA 2001 MLS Cup

PAGE 3

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
TO MEET 19 NOVEMBER
The Executive
Committee of the
Football
Confederation will
hold its second meeting of 2001 on 19
November at the
offices of the General
Secretariat in New
York City.
The primary order of business will be reports
on the Confederations two main competitions
set to kick off just after the start of the year. The
2002 FC Gold Cup, the Confederation championship, is set for 18 January 2 February, and
the committee will hear a full report on the preparations for the FCs signature event. As well, the
Executive will hear a report on the newlyexpanded FC Champions Cup, which will begin
after the completion of the Gold Cup.
In addition, the committee will hear a report on
the recently completed FIFA Under-17 World
Championship, hosted in outstanding fashion in
Trinidad & Tobago, as well as a preliminary report
on the FIFA Womens Under-19 World
Championship, to be hosted by Canada next year.
As always, the committee will hear reports
from the various departments and affiliated bodies within the Confederation as well as a
detailed economic accounting. The committee
will also be apprised of preparations for the XXIII
Congress of the Football Confederation to be
held in April of 2002.

SOCCER RELIEF FUND

ESTABLISHED IN USA

Leaders of the American soccer community

have announced a far-reaching industry-wide initiative to raise funds for the relief, recovery and
rebuilding due to the tragedies of 11 September
in New York, Washington, D.C. and
Pennsylvania. The Soccer United Relief Fund
(SURF) is a national campaign combining the
efforts and resources of the vast U.S. soccer
community in a single relief effort.
All donations collected, all net proceeds generated from the sale of SURF merchandise and
net proceeds from SURF charity matches will go
toward the Soccer United Relief Fund.Donations
can also be made directly to:
Soccer United Relief Fund
c/o United States Soccer Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 96444
Washington, DC 20077-7391
In addition, the four professional soccer
teams in the New York/New Jersey and
Washington D.C. areas: NY/NJ MetroStars and
D.C. United of Major League Soccer, and New
York Power and Washington Freedom of the
Women's United Soccer Association, will join
together to raise funds for those affected by the
11 September tragedy by hosting the Unity
Games, to be held on Sunday, October 28 at
Giants Stadium in New Jersey and on Saturday,
November 3 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.

PAGE 4

CONFEDERATION NEWS - OCTOBER 2001

BLATTER CALLS FOR SOLIDARITY

AFTER VISIT TO THE CARIBBEAN

HOLLAND SUPPORTS SURINAME,

ARUBA, NETHERLANDS ANTILLES

In the space of just five days, FIFA

President Joseph S. Blatter, accompanied by
Jack Warner, the FIFA Vice President and
President of the Football Confederation, visited six Caribbean countries including
Trinidad and Tobago where he attended the
semi-finals and final matches of the FIFA U17 World Championship. Blatter met representatives from the national associations of Suriname, Guyana,
the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Grenada and Trinidad &
Tobago. I was very pleased with what I learnt about the status
of football in the region, the FIFA President said. However, I
call on sister associations and famous players with roots in these
countries and now playing abroad to make their contribution to
the development of football in a spirit of solidarity. The recentlyopened Clarence Seedorf Sports Centre in Paramaribo,
Suriname is a very fine example of this type of support.
The FIFA President heard reports on the planned FIFA Goal
projects of the national associations in Suriname, Guyana, Aruba
and Grenada, all of which include the construction of a technical
centre. In the Netherlands Antilles, not yet involved in the Goal
Programme, it is hoped that new headquarters for the national
association will be built on the island of Curacao and regional
offices in Bonaire, where Blatter confirmed support from the
Goal Programme.

The Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB)

has decided to support FIFAs development activities with Goal and the Financial Assistance
Programme in Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles
and Aruba.
The details of these joint programmes have still
to be defined. In principle, it has been planned that
the Royal Dutch Football Association will co-finance
the projects along with the FIFA Goal Programme and the Financial
Assistance Programme. The contribution made by the Royal Dutch
Football Association will allow football facilities in the three countries to be extended and optimised.
In Suriname, the project envisages the construction of a technical centre in Paramaribo. On the Netherlands Antilles federation
headquarters are to be built in Curacao and a regional office on the
island of Bonaire.
The FIFA Financial Assistance Programme guarantees USD 1
million to each of the 204 FIFA member associations between 1999
and 2002. In addition to this, the six confederations will each
receive USD 10 million during the same period, making an overall
total of USD 264 million.
The second major pillar of the FIFA Development Programme
is the Goal Programme, which has funds of around CHF 100 million for the same time period.