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CONCACAF gets down to business with Cup qualifiers

While the rest of the world's major teams competed in friendlies yesterday, CONCACAF got its World Cup qualifying under way with a series of first-round matches among the region's smallest countries.

The campaign began on Saturday with Bermuda being held to a 1-1 draw at home by the Cayman Islands. Six more games were set for yesterday involving nine Caribbean sides and three Central American teams.

In all, 11 teams will advance to another round of two-leg matches, where the region's perennial powers -- Mexico and the US -- join the fray in June. From that, 12 teams will emerge that will enter the group phase.

Except locally, most matches will get little attention with South American powers Brazil and Argentina and European counterparts Germany, Italy, Spain and England engaged in friendlies.

Within the region, Mexico were to face the US in Houston in what has become an annual grudge match.

El Salvador, who qualified for the World Cup in 1970 and 1982, are the biggest fish of the minnows required to fight their way from the opening round. They host 198th-ranked Anguilla in San Salvador and begin as prohibitive favorites.

"Anguilla might be an easy team, but we can't be overconfident," El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos said.

The winners of the two-leg series advance to play Central American championship runners-up Panama, who were eliminated from last year's Gold Cup by the US in the quarter-finals.

Honduras also reached the Gold Cup quarter-finals before being beaten by Guadeloupe.
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