New York - Costa Rica, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago all advanced to the final of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying round on Wednesday, while Jamaica was left out after a 1-1 draw at the United States.
The Americans, Mexico and Guatemala had already qualified for the six-team final round.Costa Rica, which also played at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, advanced despite a 0-0 draw at Honduras.
Trinidad needed a 90th-minute winner from Angus Eve to edge St Vincent and the Grenadines 2-1, and Panama topped El Salvador 3-0.
Also, Canada beat Guatemala 1-0 and Mexico crushed St Kitts and Nevis 8-0. Both Mexico and the United States finished the round unbeaten, but only Mexico had a perfect 6-0-0 record.
Three of the six finalists will qualify directly for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany, while the fourth-place team faces an Asian team for another berth.
In Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Hector Sam got Trinidad's equaliser at Hasely Cawford Stadium. Substitute Renson Haynes put St Vincent in the lead in the 49th.
Trinidad looked disjointed and unsettled against the fast-paced visitors, but the match changed when Sam sent a powerful left-footed shot past St. Vincent goalkeeper Melvin Andrews to get the equaliser in the 84th minute.
Trinidad got its winning goal after substitute Scott Sealey was pulled down from behind by St Vincent defender Wesley Charles, who was red-carded.
In San Pedro Sula, Honduras, the hosts dominated possession and forced the pace, but they could not penetrate the Costa Rican area as Amado Guevara and Danilo Turcios widely roamed the field looking for holes in the defense.
Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto was ejected late in the match.
In Panama City, Roberto Brown converted from the penalty spot in just the third minute to send Panama into the final round. Brown stepped to the spot after El Salvador's Julio Castro took down forward Ricardo Phillips near the goal.
Felipe Baloy made it 2-0 in the seventh minute and Jose Luis Garces added the third in the 21st.
In Columbus, Ohio, Eddie Johnson scored in the 15th minute for the Americans on a lofting pass from Pablo Mastroeni. It was his fifth goal in just three matches.
Andy Williams equalised in the 27th minute on a penalty kick.
The Jamaicans played with the ferocity of a team that had everything to lose, winning the ball in the air and challenging the US defence in the second half by pulling all of their players up the field.
Jamaica would have advanced with a win, or a draw coupled with a Panama draw or loss. The Reggae Boyz were seeking to return to the World Cup finals after qualifying in 1998 and falling short in 2002.
In Monterrey, Mexico, Luis Ernesto Perez scored three goals and Francisco Fonseca added two more for Mexico. Hector Altamirano, Daniel Osorno and Sergio Santana also scored.
In Guatemala, Dwayne De Rosario scored the match-winning goal in the 57th minute to help Canada win for the first time in the semifinal round.
Guatemala played with 10 men after Gustavo Cabrera was ejected in the 62nd minute, and Canada was reduced in the 66th when Olivier Occean was expelled. - Sapa-AP
