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Costa Rica wins berth
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ROLANDO FONSECA scored two goals and assisted on another as Costa Rica defeated Guatemala 5-2 on Saturday to clinch the final CONCACAF berth from Group E in first-round World Cup qualifying.
A crowd of 50,000 was on hand at Miami's Orange Bowl stadium, including Costa Rican president Miguel Angel Rodriguez, for the playoff for the final CONCACAF berth.
The playoff became necessary after the Central American rivals finished the first round tied with 10 points. Each team beat the other 2-1 at home, and each had a plus-three goal differential, forcing Saturday's match to be staged at the neutral site.
With the victory, Costa Rica joined the United States, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Trinidad in the final round of World Cup qualifying, beginning next month.
Each teams will play the other five twice in the final qualifying round with the top three qualifying for the 2002 World Cup finals in Korea and Japan.
Costa Rica and Guatemala have the oldest rivalry in Central America, having met 56 times. Costa Rica leads the series 26-15-15 with a 7-5-3 edge in World Cup qualifiers.
Guatemala, which was in the hunt for its first World Cup appearance, must now wait another four years for a shot.(SD-Agencies)
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