November 13, 2012 – Source CONCACAF –
The schedule for the fourth and final round of the CONCACAF Qualifiers to the FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014™ was determined Wednesday evening through a random drawing performed in Miami by FIFA Head of World Cup and Olympic Qualifying, Gordon Savic. As a result of the draw, the first round of matches in the CONCACAF Hexagonal round, which will begin on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013, will feature Mexico hosting Jamaica, Honduras hosting the United States, and Panama hosting Costa Rica.
The six countries that have advanced to the CONCACAF Hexagonal represent the top two finishers from group play in the third round of FIFA World Cup™ Qualifiers. In the Hexagonal round, each team will play every other twice—once at home, once away—for a total of 10 matches per team, and 30 matches total. The top three teams at the end of the Hexagonal round will automatically advance to the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil. The fourth place team will advance to an intercontinental playoff, where it will compete against the first place team from the Oceania Football Confederation in a home-and-home match-up in November of 2013.
“We want to thank FIFA for holding this draw as we are proud for our six Member Associations who will be competing for the honor of representing CONCACAF at the next FIFA World Cup,” said CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb. “This process is a clear example of the integration among all Federations who are committed to safeguarding football standards and encourage authentic rivalry and competition. “Guided by principles of sharp vision and a strategy of continuous expansion, this region is developing strength to reach all-time highs.”
