Expect the unexpected: Turks and Caicos, Netherlands Antilles, Belize, and Dominica

The Netherlands Antilles took on favored yet perpetually-underachieving Nicaragua on the road in Diriamba. In what would end up being the theme in four of the six CONCACAF qualifiers, the unexpected wound up happening. After a long training trip to Brasil, Nicaragua figured to have a good chance to win. The Netherlands Antilles had other plans, though, and took an early goal to a 1-0 road win. They have a chance to knock out the mainlanders in the return match in Willemstad.

"I'm not writing off Belize, but I am confident we should beat them." -forward Atiba Harris of St. Kitts and Nevis

Belize refused to be disrespected in such a way, and pulled off an upset of the higher-ranked islanders. WIth a 3-1 lead at the half, Belize clamped down on defense and won by the same score. With a game in Basseterre to come, Belize have a good chance to win the two-legged tie and a date with México.

Barbados boss Eyre Sealy is already looking past his first opponents and on to the next test: a date with the mighty USA. "We should really beat Dominica, and then why shouldn't we be able to get a result against the States."

Dominica pulled off a surprise tie against favored and overconfident Barbados. Dominica had an early one-goal lead only to see the game tied at 1 at the half and at its conclusion. Barbados now have some work to do in Bridgeport before facing the mighty United States of America.

In the first game to go to form, Antigua and Barbuda poured in three first-half goals against Aruba in Oranjestad, including an own goal from the home side. The Antiguans take a 3-0 aggregate lead back home to St. John's.

Turks and Caicos Islands were playing their first ever match on home soil. To say that they were not expected to win would be an understatement. Their opponent was St. Lucia. What an opening match it was for the home side. They garnered a 2-0 lead with goals in both halves and looked like incredibly good bets to make the second round until St. Lucia pulled back a goal late in second half stoppage time. "Overall I feel we were much better than they were, but they took the two chances they had and we were wasteful, and you can't afford to do that in football at any level," said Terrence Caroo, coach of St. Lucia. With the aggregate score now standing at 2-1, the return match in St. Lucia will be full of intrigue.

In the final match of the day, El Salvador did what it was supposed to do, a rather strange occurence on this day. In fact, the Salvadorians pummeled poor Anguilla with a 12-0 demolition and are all but assured a berth in the second round against Panamá, an interesting matchup to say the least.

All six of these ties will resume and finish on March 26.

Goal scorers:
Netherlands Antilles: Jongsma 15

Belize: McCauley 6, 41; Roches 21

St. Kitts and Nevis: G. Williams 13

Dominica: Pacquette 20

Barbados: R. Williams 42

Antigua and Barbuda: Dublin 22; Gregory 27; Sierra 40 OG (Aruba)

Turks and Caicos Islands: Lowery 33; Clinton 72

St. Lucia: Nyhime 90+2

El Salvador: Hasani Martín 5, 17; Corrales Rivera 30, 32, 55, 65, 68; Cerritos 46, 77, 85; E. Quintanilla 70; Umaña 80