2002 World Cup - Costa Rica 5 Guatemala 2

Costa Rica have claimed the last place in the CONCACAF qualifying competition for the 2002 World Cup with a 5-2 mauling of Guatenmala in their Miami play off.

Both teams finished the first group stage with identicval records with 10 points. Each team beat the other 2-1 at home in the first criteria to separate them and each had a plus three goal difference after the end of the first stage forcing the play off.

Costa Rica president Miguel Angel Rodriguez was in the 50,000 crowd at the Orange Bowl to see Rolando Fonseca score twice after Guatemala had taken a fourth minute lead in their bid to reach a first ever World Cup finals..

Juan Carlos Plata crossed from the left wing for Carlos Ruiz to challenge Costa Rican goalkeeper Alvaro Mesen and force the ball in.

Paulo Wanchope cashed in on some weak defending when a loose balll ran to him and he stabbed it home in the 7th minute.

Rodrigo Cordero was put clear by Fonseca in the 43rd minute and he centred for the striker to hit a low shot to give Costa Rica a lead they built on in the second half.

Fonseca set up the third goal in the 58th minute with a corner was headed in after a good jump from Reynaldo Parks and Fonseca - who plays in Guatemala's league for the CDC club - hit a thirty metre drive high into the net for a spectacular finish after he cut inside from he left.

Substitute Jafet Soto reached a cross to score the fifth and Guatemala saw Ruiz hit a late penalty for his second goal.

Costa Rica now join Honduras, the US, Jamaica, Mexico, and Trinidad in the final round of World Cup qualifying section in the CONCACAF zone which begins next month.

Each team will play each other twice with the top three qualifying for the 2002 World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan.