The United States, which has already lost midfielders Earnie Stewart (accumulation of cards) and Eddie Lewis (red card) for the important Costa Rica game Oct. 11 in Columbus, has now lost playmaker Claudio Reyna! Reyna will miss the rest of the semifinal round of World Cup 2002 qualifying after being suspendedtwo games by the FIFA disciplinary committee for his actions after the first Costa Rica-USA game. Also, Coach Bruce Arena have been suspended for the next three qualifiers for his actions after the game when he confronted Jamaican ref Peter Prendergast. “We respect and understand the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decisions in this matter,” said U.S. Soccer Secretary General Dan Flynn. “We have spoken to both Bruce and Claudio, and they understand the reasons behind FIFA’s decision. What’s important now is how we move forward in preparation for our two remaining World Cup qualifiers in this round. All of our preparation is geared toward advancing to the next round of qualifying, and that is what our team needs to be focused on.” “The game in Costa Rica was an emotional defeat for us, and our reactions to that loss were equally emotional,” said Arena. “We acknowledge and understand FIFA’s decision in this process, and we need to put it behind us and move forward in our preparation for these upcoming games.” “Everyone that has watched me throughout my career, knows how uncharacteristic my actions were after the loss in Costa Rica, and I am sorry for losing my composure,” said Reyna from Scotland. The U.S. must beat Costa Rica to ensure passage to the final round of qualifying. The U.S. is currently in second place in their four-team group with seven points, behind Costa Rica’s nine points and ahead of Guatemala (four points) and Barbados (three points). The top two teams in the group will advance to the final six-team group of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying to be played in 2001.