Columbus Crew General Manager Mark McCullers announced today that Kyle Martino and Mario Rodriguez have been called into national team camp by their respective countries for World Cup qualifying matches this weekend.
Martino joined the U.S. squad in Miami as they prepare for their match on Saturday in Costa Rica, while Rodriguez and his Guatemalan side faces Mexico in Mexico on Saturday. Both players will miss The Crew's games in Dallas on Wednesday and in Chicago on Saturday.
U.S. Men's National Team Manager Bruce Arena has selected 18 players to prepare for the World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica on Saturday, October 8 in San Jose, Costa Rica. Kickoff at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa is set for 9 p.m. (ET), and the match will be broadcast on a one-hour tape delay on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the match live on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker, presented by Philips, beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
The U.S. sits in first place in the final round hexagonal with a 6-1-1 record, becoming the first team in CONCACAF to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany after defeating Mexico 2-0 on Sept. 3 at Crew Stadium. Costa Rica, currently in third place and five points ahead of Guatemala, can secure their place in the World Cup with a victory against the United States.
The U.S. has a lifetime record of 11-9-4 against Costa Rica, but has never won on the road and holds a 0-5-1 record in six qualifying appearances in Costa Rica. In their last 10 meetings, the U.S. holds a 6-3-1 advantage against the Ticos, with all six wins coming in the U.S. and all three losses coming in San Jose, Costa Rica.
The U.S. team began training this morning in Miami. After the Costa Rica match on Oct. 8, the team will depart directly for Boston in advance of their final World Cup qualifier against Panama. That match takes place Wednesday, Oct. 12 in Foxboro, Mass. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Guatemala hosts Costa Rica in their final qualifying match next Wednesday, Oct. 12. Guatemala is currently in fourth place in CONCACAF qualifying. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 2006 World Cup, while the fourth place team has a playoff against the fifth-place team from Asia.
