Eddie Lewis got red carded in USA's win against Guatemala while Paul Peschisolido could not do anything to save Canada crashing out of the World Cup after a 4-0 thrashing by Trinidad & Tobago and Kit Symons, Steve Finnan and Maik Taylor had to sweat it out on the sub's bench.

Well done the Fulham All Stars, it's great to see so many internationals taking the name of Fulham around the world.

Canada's Men's World Cup Team was eliminated from qualifying for the 2002 World Cup after suffering a 4-0 loss to Trinidad and Tobago at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain, Sunday. The loss, in conjunction with Mexico’s 7-1victory over Panama left the Canadians with only one point after four games and tied with Panama. Trinidad and Tobago lead Group C with 12 points, followed by Mexico with nine. Both will advance to the Final Round.

Sunday’s game was played in front of 25,000 frenzied T and T fans on a hot and humid afternoon at a facility designed for cricket. The playing surface was one of the largest Canada has played on and the home team took advantage of the space to attack the Canadians.


September 3, 2000 – World Cup Qualifying Semi-Final Round
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Canada 0 (0) Trinidad and Tobago 4 (2)
Goals: Trinidad and Tobago – Russell Latapy (9), Reynold Carrington (12), Stokely Mason (55), Angus Eve (85)
Caution: Canada – Mark Watson (7), Martin Nash (86); Trinidad and Tobago – Dwight Yorke (7), Dennis Lawrence (60)
Ejections: Canada – Mark Watson (75); Trinidad and Tobago – Dennis Lawrence (85)
Referee: Mejias Olger (Costa Rica)
Assistant Referees: Rodriguez Efrain (Costa Rica), Brenes Vinicio (Costa Rica)
Fourth official: Araya Antonio (Costa Rica)
Canada: 1. Pat Onstad, 2. Paul Fenwick, 3. Mark Watson, 4. Tony Menezes (13. Richard Hastings, 46, Martin Nash, 60), 5. Jason deVos (Captain), 6. Jason Bent, 7. Carl Fletcher, 8. Nick Dasovic, 9. Carlo Corazzin (16. Paul Peschisolido, 80), 10. Davide Xausa, 11. Jim Brennan. Head Coach: Holger Osieck

Bjarne Goldbaek
Danmark fik en ønskestart på VM-kvalifikationen med tre point efter første kamp, da Island i Reykjavik blev besejret med 2-1 på mål af Jon Dahl Tomasson og Morten Bisgaard efter en kamp, der viste, at Danmark spillemæssigt er et langt bedre hold end Island.

Island - Danmark 1-2 (1-1)
Mål: 1-0 Eyjolfyr Sverrisson (12.), 1-1 Jon Dahl Tomasson (26.), 1-2 Morten Bisgaard (48.).
Udvisning: Brynar Gudjohnson, Island (74. minut).

Advarsler: Tryggvi Gudmundsson, Island (49. minut) samt Jon Dahl Tomasson (54. minut), Brian Steen Nielsen (64. minut), Peter Schmeichel (83. minut) og Claus Jensen (90. minut), alle Danmark.

Holdopstillinger:
Island: Arni Gautur Arason - Audun Helgason (29. minut Brynjar Bjorn Gunnarsson), Hermann Hreidarsson, Petur Marteinsson, Helgi Kolvidsson - Runar Kristiansson, Tryggvi Gudmundsson (70. minut Heidar Helguson)., Eyjolfur Sverrisson, Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen - Bordur Gudjonsson (70. Helgi Sigurdsson), Rikhardur Dadason.

Danmark: Peter Schmeichel - Jan Heintze, Thomas Gravesen,René Henriksen, Thomas Helveg - Brian Steen Nielsen, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Bjarne Goldbæk (76. minut Allan Nielsen) - Morten Bisgaard, (70. minut Claus Jensen), Ebbe Sand, Dennis Rommedahl (81. minut Jan Michaelsen).

Dommer: Stephane Bre, Frankrig
Tilskuere: 7.072 på Laugardalsvöllur.

(If you don't understand the above have a word with Bjarne)

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Maik Taylor

Maik Taylor had to sit on the sub's bench for the rather dour match against Malta with Phil Gray came to Northern Ireland's rescue to spare their blushes against Malta at Windsor Park.

Sammy McIlroy's men were heading for what would have been an embarrassing draw against the Mediterranean minnows before Gray struck in the 70th minute, his first international goal in nearly five years. The relief on the Northern Ireland bench was obvious and McIlroy danced a jig of joy on the pitch, which earned him a ticking off from the fourth official. McIlroy had stuck with his 4-5-1 formation with David Healy once again operating as the lone striker, while Stuart Elliott made his debut on the left wing.

Healy, who scored in Northern Ireland's 3-0 friendly success when the sides last met in March, was presented with an early chance when Maltese goalkeeper Ernest Barry dropped Kevin Horlock's corner, but his effort was blocked for a corner. Horlock then had three chances inside the space of four minutes. Those misses almost looked even more glaring in the 22nd minute when Malta should have taken the lead.

David Carabott broke through on the right with the Irish defence nowhere to be seen and squared the ball to striker George Mallia, but with the goal at his mercy he hit the ball against the foot of the post.Back came the home side and man-of-the-match Jim Magilton tried his luck with a 25-yard piledriver, which flew just over the crossbar. The Irish back line boobed again when Ian Nolan let in Mallia with a weak back header towards Roy Carroll, only for the Floriana hitman to nod the ball over the top.

Northern Ireland: Carroll, A. Hughes, Murdock, Taggart, Nolan, Elliott (Gray 61), Horlock, Magilton, Lomas, Johnson, Healy.

Subs Not Used: Taylor, J. Quinn, M. Williams, McKnight,Mulryne, J. Whitley.

Booked: Magilton, Healy. Goals: Gray 70.

Malta: Barry, Utheumo, Said, Debono, Dimech, Chetcuti, Carabott, Sylla (Brincat 45), Camilleri (Veseelji 78), Busuttil, Mallia (Turner 57).

Subs Not Used: Muscat, Okonkwo, Zahro, Holland.

Booked: Chetcuti, Carabott, Utheumo.

Att: 8,227 Ref: T Bezubiok (Russia).

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Steve Finnan

Mick McCarthy's fighting Irish had glory wrenched from their grasp as Holland struck twice in the last 19 minutes to salvage a World Cup point in the opening qualifier after Robbie Keane and Jason McAteer appeared to have set up a notable triumph in the Amsterdam ArenA.

Substitute striker Jeffrey Talan pulled the injury-decimated Dutch back into the contest with a far post header.

Then a net-bulging 30-yard rocket from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, a nominal left back who operates in midfield for Scottish champions Rangers, confounded Irish dreams six minutes from time.

Teams

Holland: van der Sar, Reiziger (Seedorf 45), Konterman (Talan 66), F. de Boer, van Bronckhorst, Bosvelt, R. de Boer, Witschge (Bruggink 60), Kluivert, Cocu, Bouma.

Subs Not Used: Ricksen, Lurling, Vennegoor, Westerveld.

Goals: Talan 71, van Bronckhorst 84.

Rep of Ireland: A. Kelly, Carr, Harte, Dunne, Breen, R. Keane, McAteer, Kinsella, N. Quinn (Connelly 73), R. Keane, Kilbane.

Subs Not Used: Staunton, G. Kelly, Duff, Kiely, Finnan, Foley.

Goals: R. Keane 21, McAteer 65.

Ref: Luvos Michel (Hungary).

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Chris Coleman, Andy Melville and Kit Symons

It needed 11 brave Welshmen to survive in the frantic atmosphere of the Dinamo Stadium. What Wales did not need was to make things any easier for Belarus by giving them 10 men to play against in this Group Five qualifier - and throwing in a terrible goalkeeper error by Paul Jones for good measure.

Manager Hughes had opted for Tranmere's Gareth Roberts in defence, which included Andy Melville making his 40th appearance for his country. Belarus surged at Wales from the start and it needed solid defending from Melville and Page in particular to keep them out. Melville had to clear off the line after Valentin Belkevich had rolled a shot past Jones. Chris Coleman in defence twice had to head clear under intense pressure as Wales fought to stay in contention and they almost reached half-time on level terms.

In the 66th minute came Bellamy's brainstorm. The Coventry striker had clearly been fouled by substitute Nikolai Ryndyuk on the half way line but he turned and flashed with an elbow and Italian referee Alfredo Trentalange instantly produced a red card which could see the Coventry boy banned for at least two matches from this qualifying campaign.

In the dying minutes Speed underlined the determination of this team against a team made up of players from Dinamo Kiev and the big Moscow clubs, when he crashed home his header of defiance. But the Newcastle player's breakthrough was too little too late for Hughes and his team.

Belarus:
Tumilovich, Yakhimovich, Yaskovich (Shuneiko 72), Lukhvich, Shtanyuk, Gurenko, Khatskevich, Belkevich, M. Romaschenko (Rinadyuk 28), Vasilyuk,Orlovski (Skripchenko 84).

Subs Not Used: Ostrovski, Milevsky, Lavrik, Varivonchik.

Booked: Lukhvich. Goals: Khatskevich 40, Belkevich 56.

Wales:
P. Jones, Page, G. Roberts, Melville, C. Coleman, Savage, J. Robinson, Bellamy, I. Roberts (Blake 74), Speed,Giggs.

Subs Not Used: Johnson, C. Robinson, Barnard, Weston, Davies,Freestone.

Sent Off: Bellamy (66). Booked: J. Robinson, Savage. Goals: Speed 89.

Att: 35,000 Ref: A Trentalange (Italy).

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Eddie Lewis -Red carded !!!

Brian McBride converted a perfect pass from Cobi Jones in the 72nd minute as the United States defeated Guatemala, 1-0, before 51,996 at RFK Stadium to take a firm grasp on second place in CONCACAF World Cup Group "E" qualifying. With the victory, the United States extends its home qualifying unbeaten streak to 15 games and moves three points ahead of third-place Guatemala in the standings.

Despite a 65th minute red card to the USA's Eddie Lewis who was sent off within five minutes of appearing for the USA against Guatemala as a substitute. His elbow to the face of Fabricio Benitez gave the referee no option other than to show him red and that reduced the home team to ten men. The United States fought to press the attack in search of the tying goal. Referee Ulises Rangel, from Mexico, issued the red card for an apparent elbow to Guatemala's Fabricio Benitez. The complexion of the match changed after the Lewis ejection, which came less than ten minutes after the United States had made a pair of substitutions in an attempt to jump-start the offense. In the 57th minute head coach Bruce Arena inserted Jones into the lineup in place of Earnie Stewart, who will miss the next match after picking up his second yellow card of the semifinal qualifying round, and replaced defender Tony Sanneh in favor of the midfielder Lewis.

After some tactical maneuvering that saw Arena move defensive midfielder John O'Brien into Lewis' left flank spot, the United States nearly missed on one of the game's best scoring chances when O'Brien's great touch to Jones in the penalty area almost resulted in a 70th minute goal. The two teams combined for 30 fouls in a physical match that saw cautions issued to Guatemala's Julio Giron, Everaldo Valencia and Dwight Pezzarossi. David Regis and Earnie Stewart of the United States were also shown the yellow card.

The United States was encouraged by a huge showing from a pro-USA crowd, who filled the lower bowl of RFK Stadium with a sea of red shirts in support of the home team. The crowd was the largest ever for the full Men's National Team at RFK, and the third largest to witness a qualifying match in the United States.

With the three points, the United States greatly improves its chances of qualifying for the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan, and after four games of qualifying action remains the only team in the group to have taken points on the road. The top two teams from each of the three semifinal qualifying groups will advance to the next round, from which the three CONCACAF representatives for World Cup 2002 will be determined.

Lineups:
USA - 18-Kasey Keller; 17-Tony Sanneh (13-Cobi Jones, 57), 3-Gregg Berhalter, 23-Eddie Pope, 6-David Regis; 8-Earnie Stewart (7-Eddie Lewis, 57), 5-John O'Brien, 10-Claudio Reyna (Capt.) (Carlos Llamosa, 77), 19-Jovan Kirovski; 20-Brian McBride, 9-Joe-Max Moore.

GUA - 1-Edgar Estrada; 3-Erick Miranda, 4-Luis Swisher (20-Fredy Garcia, 74), 6-Julio Giron; 17-German Ruano, 10-Juan Manuel Funes (11-Guillermo Ramirez, 64), 7-Fabricio Benitez, 19-Everaldo Valencia, 16-Martin Machon; 15-Juan Carlos Plata (18-Mario Acevedo, 37), 14-Dwight Pezzarossi.

• The USA will be without the services of both Eddie Lewis and Earnie Stewart for the Costa Rica match in Columbus on October 11, as each will be serving one-game suspensions.

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