KINGTHE REGGAE Boyz will kick off their semi-final round group campaign with a midweek fixture on Wednesday, August 18 at 'The Office'.
The clash against the United States is one of two Group A contests that will take place on the day.
Jamaica moved on to this stage of the qualifiers by ousting Caribbean neighbours Haiti 4-1 on aggregate in their two-leg eliminator last month. The Boyz drew the first leg encounter 1-1 in Miami, then thrashed the French-specking team 3-0 in the return-leg in Kingston.
English-based striker Marlon King, a relatively new addition to the squad, emerged Jamaica's hero by scoring all four goals in the two-match series.
The last time Jamaica hosted the United States at the National Stadium in a World Cup qualifier, the homesters dominated but could not score in a goalless Final Six round tie.
However, they went on to qualify for their first World Cup Finals berth during that France '98 campaign.
El Salvador and Panama, the other teams in Group A, are also down to tackle each other on that same day at the Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador.
Twelve countries from the Caribbean and Central America are competing in three groups of four for a place in the next stage of the World Cup qualifying tournament for Germany 2006.
The top two nations in each of the semi-final groups advance to CONCACAF's final round of six that will be contested from February 9 to October 12 next year.
TOP THREE FINISHERS
The top three finishers in the final round will advance directly to the 2006 World Cup, while the fourth-place finisher faces the fifth-place finisher of the Asian Football Confederation in a home-and-away playoff in November next year for one of the last berths.
Besides Jamaica and the United States, a number of other CONCACAF teams will kick off their schedule on August 18 as well, including an all-Eastern Caribbean match-up between St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Trinidad & Tobago.
Team SVG and the Soca Warriors get the ball rolling in the semi-finals with a Group C encounter on August 18 at Arnos Vale with a contest commencing at 4:00 p.m. (East Caribbean Time).
In the other Group C encounter on Match Day 1, St. Kitts/Nevis hosts Mexico at Warner Park in Basseterre.
Match Day 1's fixtures are completed with two matches in Group B.
Canada tackle Guatemala at Swangard Stadium in Vancouver and Costa Rica meet Honduras at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela.
CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
Semi-finals - Round 1 - August 18
Group A:-
Jamaica vs United States at Kingston
El Salvador vs Panama at San Salvador
Group B:-
Canada vs Guatemala at Vancouver
Costa Rica vs Honduras at Alajuela
Group C:-
St. Kitts/Nevis vs Mexico at Basseterre
St. Vincent & the Grenadines vs Trinidad & Tobago at Kingstown
