Winners
EDDIE JOHNSON, 20, became the first America to score in each of his first three World Cup qualifying appearances as his goal earned the USA a 1-1 tie with Jamaica in Columbus on Wednesday. The Americans came into the game already assured of a spot in the final qualifying round. The tie eliminated Jamaica. It was Johnson's first start for the USA after scoring four goals off the bench in two previous qualifiers.
PANAMA rebounded from its 6-0 loss to the USA in October and downed El Salvador, 3-0, to earn a spot in next year's Hexagonal, along with the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guatemala. Panama scored all three goals in the first 22 minutes of the game. The victory ignited street celebrations in Panama, which has never qualified for the World Cup.
COSTA RICA, after starting its semifinal qualifying campaign with two straight losses, advanced to the Hexagonal thanks to 0-0 tie in Honduras. The Ticos are aiming for a third World Cup appearance, having qualified in 1990 and 2002.
Iran's ALI DAEI became the first man to score 100 international goals when struck four times in Iran's 7-0 win over Laos as the Iranians advanced to the final round of Asian World Cup qualifying. Ali Daei, who spent much of his career in Germany, now has 102 goals in 133 appearances for Iran.
JUERGEN KLINSMANN, coach of World Cup 2006 host Germany, kept his undefeated streak in tact with a 3-0 friendly win over Cameroon. Since the California-based Klinsmann took over in July, Germany has notched nine goals in wins over Austria, Iran, Cameroon and a tie with Brazil. Germany had scored two goals in its last four games before Klinsmann took over.
Losers
CHINA became the first World Cup 2002 finalist to be eliminated from contention to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. China beat Hong Kong, 7-0, but was edged out by Kuwait, which beat Malaysia, 6-0, on goals scored for passage to the final round of Asian qualifying.
BRAZIL suffered its first loss of the qualifying campaign, going down, 1-0, in Ecuador on a goal by Edison Mendez. The loss, combined with Argentina's 3-2 win over Venezuela, puts the Argentines in first place, two points ahead of Brazil, in the 10-team group from which the top four qualify and the fifth-place team plays off against Oceania's champion. Ecuador moved into a third-place tie with Paraguay while Uruguay is two points back in fifth place.
Cameroon's German coach WINFRIED SCHAEFER, who guided the Indomitable Lions to the 2002 African Nations Cup title and into the 2002 World Cup, was fired after his team's friendly loss to Germany on Wednesday. Schaefer, who reportedly hadn't been paid for four months, said he was informed of the decision by journalists.
WAYNE ROONEY was subbed in the first half of a 1-0 friendly loss to Spain by England coach coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, who feared the 19-year-old was on the verge of receiving a red card after getting cautioned for pushing Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas in the back, then recklessly fouling defender Carlos Marchena. Upon being subbed, Rooney refused to shake replacement Alan Smith's hand and hurled onto the ground his black armband, which England's players wore in honor of recently deceased England players Emlyn Hughes and Keith Weller. The game was also marred by racist chants from SPANISH FANS in Madrid's Bernabeu stadium