Listed below are the dates and results for the tournament qualification. A total of 17 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. Honduras withdrew before the matches were played. The remaining 16 teams were divided into 3 zones, based on geographical considerations, as follows:
- North American Zone had 3 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would advance to the Final Round.
- Central American Zone had 4 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would advance to the Final Round.
- Caribbean Zone had 9 teams, which would be divided into 2 groups of 4 or 5 teams. The teams played in a knockout tournament, with matches on a home-and-away basis. The group winners would advance to the Final Round.
CONCACAF North American Zone edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Mexico
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | 1977 CONCACAF Championship |
| 2= |  Canada (O)
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4[a] | |
| 2= |  United States
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4[a] |
| 24 September 1976 | Canada | 1–1 | United States | Vancouver, Canada |
Bolitho  77' |
Bandov 8' |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 15,453[1] Referee: Dorantes García (Mexico) |
| 3 October 1976 | United States | 0–0 | Mexico | Los Angeles, United States |
| Stadium: Memorial Coliseum Attendance: 33,171[2] Referee: Dante Maglio (Canada) |
| 10 October 1976 | Canada | 1–0 | Mexico | Vancouver, Canada |
| Parsons 32' |
Stadium: Empire Stadium Attendance: 17,939[3] Referee: Toros Kibritjian (United States) |
| 15 October 1976 | Mexico | 3–0 | United States | Puebla, Mexico |
| Solís 28' Álvarez 40'Dávila 83' (pen.) |
Stadium: Cuauhtémoc Referee: Werner Winsemann (Canada) |
| 20 October 1976 | United States | 2–0 | Canada | Seattle, United States |
| Rys 55' Veee 81' |
Stadium: Kingdome Attendance: 17,675[4] Referee: Rubio Vásquez (Mexico) |
| 27 October 1976 | Mexico | 0–0 | Canada | Toluca, Mexico |
| Stadium: Nemesio Díez Referee: Landauer (United States) |
Canada and United States finished level on points and goal difference, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.
| 22 December 1976 | Canada | 3–0 | United States | Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Budd 21' Lenarduzzi 80'Bolitho 87' |
Attendance: 5,000 (estimated)[5] Referee: Velasquez Ramírez (Colombia) |
Mexico and Canada advanced to the tournament.
CONCACAF Central American Zone edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Guatemala
|
6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 6 | +9 | 8 | 1977 CONCACAF Championship |
| 2 |  El Salvador
|
6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 7 | |
| 3 |  Costa Rica
|
6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 6 | |
| 4 |  Panama
|
6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 21 | −14 | 3 |
Source: [citation needed]
| 4 April 1976 | Panama | 3–2 | Costa Rica | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |
| Tapia 48' Ponce 50'Sánchez 75' |
Jiménez 34' Barrantes 85' |
Referee: Cedillos (Honduras) |
| 2 May 1976 | Panama | 1–1 | El Salvador | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |
| Vázquez 50' (pen.) |
Ramírez 16' |
Referee: Rojas Luis (Costa Rica) |
| 11 July 1976 | Costa Rica | 3–0 | Panama | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San Juan de Tibás, Costa Rica |
| Alvarado 11', 22' Jiménez 44' |
Referee: Sazo Alvarez (Nicaragua) |
| 1 August 1976 | El Salvador | 4–1 | Panama | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Ramírez 7', 14', 78' Aquino 69' |
Hernández 88' |
Referee: Rubio Vásquez (Mexico) |
| 17 September 1976 | Panama | 2–4 | Guatemala | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |
| Wellmann 9' (o.g.) Montillo 25' |
Pennant 51' Sánchez 56', 63'Anderson 88' |
Referee: Álvarez Morales (Costa Rica) |
| 26 September 1976 | Guatemala | 7–0 | Panama | Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Sánchez 14', 68' Pennant 17', 40'McDonald 53', 62'Sandoval 70' |
Referee: Avendano Ruiz (El Salvador) |
| 1 December 1976 | El Salvador | 1–1 | Costa Rica | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Cabrera 27' |
Jiménez 78' |
Referee: Méndez Molina (Guatemala) |
| 5 December 1976 | Costa Rica | 0–0 | Guatemala | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica |
| Referee: Archundia (Mexico) |
| 8 December 1976 | Guatemala | 3–1 | El Salvador | Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| McNish 19' Monterroso 30'Sánchez 80' |
Valencia 14' (pen.) |
Referee: Luis Paulino Siles Calderón (Costa Rica) |
| 12 December 1976 | Guatemala | 1–1 | Costa Rica | Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Sandoval 77' |
Salgado 89' |
Referee: Andino Pinel (Honduras) |
| 15 December 1976 | Costa Rica | 1–1 | El Salvador | Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica |
| Figueroa 40' |
Ramírez 75' |
Referee: Mollinedo (Guatemala) |
| 19 December 1976 | El Salvador | 2–0 | Guatemala | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |
| Cabrera Valencia |
Referee: Segura (Mexico) |
Guatemala and El Salvador advanced to the tournament.
CONCACAF Caribbean Zone edit
Brackets edit
| Preliminary Round | First Round | Second Round | |||||||||||||||||
 Guyana | 2 | 0 | n | 2 | |||||||||||||||
 Suriname | 0 | 3 | n | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| Suriname (a.e.t.) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3* | |||||||||||||||
| Group A | |||||||||||||||||||
 Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
 Barbados | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2* | |||||||||||||||
 Jamaica | 1 | 0 | n | 1 | |||||||||||||||
 Cuba | 3 | 2 | n | 5 | |||||||||||||||
| Cuba | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Group B | |||||||||||||||||||
 Haiti | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2* | |||||||||||||||
 Netherlands Antilles | 1 | 0 | n | 1 | |||||||||||||||
| Haiti | 2 | 7 | n | 9 | |||||||||||||||
 Dominican Republic | 0 | 0 | n | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| Haiti | 3 | 3 | n | 6 | |||||||||||||||
Group A edit
First round edit
| 4 July 1976 | Guyana | 2–0 | Suriname | Georgetown Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown, Guyana |
| Butts 9' Niles 72' |
Referee: Gay (Trinidad and Tobago) |
| 29 August 1976 | Suriname | 3–0 (3–2 agg.) | Guyana | André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname |
| Playfaire 4' George 35', 53' |
Referee: Wooding (Trinidad and Tobago) |
Suriname advanced to the Second Round.
| 15 August 1976 | Barbados | 2–1 | Trinidad and Tobago | Barbados National Stadium, Bridgetown, Barbados |
| Clarke 47', 54' (pen.) |
David 83' |
Referee: Steeman (Suriname) |
| 31 August 1976 | Trinidad and Tobago | 1–0 (2–2 agg.) | Barbados | Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Douglas 36' |
Referee: Koetsier (Netherlands Antilles) |
The aggregate score was tied 2–2, and a play-off was played to decide who would advance to the Second Round.
| 14 September 1976 | Barbados | 1–3 | Trinidad and Tobago | Barbados National Stadium, Bridgetown, Barbados |
| Clarke 26' |
Llewellyn 3' Carpette 74'Clarke 85' (o.g.) |
Referee: Calderón Castro (Cuba) |
Trinidad and Tobago advanced to the Second Round, via the play-off.
Second round edit
| 14 November 1976 | Suriname | 1–1 | Trinidad and Tobago | André Kamperveen Stadion, Paramaribo, Suriname |
| George 2' |
David 9' |
Referee: Chandler (Barbados) |
| 28 November 1976 | Trinidad and Tobago | 2–2 (3–3 agg.) | Suriname | Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Figaro 29' (pen.) Llewellyn 64' |
Olmberg 44' Entingh 83' |
Referee: Llobregat Vicedo (Venezuela) |
The aggregate score was tied 3–3, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the tournament.
| 18 December 1976 | Suriname | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Trinidad and Tobago | Stade Georges-Chaumet, Cayenne, French Guiana |
| George 60', 80' Olmberg 107' (pen.) |
David 19', 70' |
Referee: Llobregat Vicedo (Venezuela) |
Suriname advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.
Group B edit
Preliminary round edit
| 2 April 1976 | Dominican Republic | 0–3 |  Haiti | Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Auguste 12' Bayonne 29'Baptiste 32' |
Referee: Wuertz (United States) |
| 17 April 1976 | Haiti | 3–0 (6–0 agg.) | Dominican Republic | Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Bayonne 32', 63' Domingue 44' |
Referee: Villarejo Ramírez (Puerto Rico) |
Haiti advanced to the First Round.
First round edit
| 30 July 1976 | Netherlands Antilles  | 1–2 | Haiti | Guillermo Próspero Trinidad, Aruba, Netherlands Antilles |
| Ruiz 84' |
Sanon 27', 39' |
Referee: Chaplin (Jamaica) |
| 14 August 1976 | Haiti | 7–0 (9–1 agg.) | Netherlands Antilles | Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Domingue 5', 41' Sanon 27', 79'Labissiere 30'Brevil 50'Bayonne 56' |
Referee: Montane Bosch (Puerto Rico) |
Haiti advanced to the Second Round.
| 15 August 1976 | Jamaica | 1–3 | Cuba | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica |
| Brown 65' |
Rivero 29' Lara 50'Fariñas 75' |
Referee: De la Puente (Dominican Republic) |
| 29 August 1976 | Cuba | 2–0 (5–1 agg.) | Jamaica | Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba |
| Fariñas 42' Pérez 77' |
Referee: Pastor (Dominican Republic) |
Cuba advanced to the Second Round.
Second round edit
| 28 November 1976 | Cuba | 1–1 | Haiti | Estadio Latinoamericano, Havana, Cuba |
| Núñez 19' |
Sanon 54' |
Referee: Stewart (Jamaica) |
| 11 December 1976 | Haiti | 1–1 (2–2 agg.) | Cuba | Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Sanon 81' |
Roldán 79' |
Referee: Montane Bosch (Puerto Rico) |
The aggregate score was tied 2–2, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would advance to the Final Round.
| 29 December 1976 | Haiti | 2–0 | Cuba | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |
| Domingue 63' Désir 83' (pen.) |
Referee: Dorantes Garcia (Mexico) |
Haiti advanced to the tournament, via the play-off.
Goalscorers edit
- 6 goals
- 5 goals
- 4 goals
- 3 goals
- 2 goals
- 1 goal
Brian Budd- Bob Lenarduzzi
- Buzz Parsons
Mario Barrantes- Javier Masís
- William Fisher Salgado
Dagoberto Lara- Ramón Núñez
- Agustín Pérez Castillo
- Miguel Rivero
- Andrés Roldán
Silvio Aquino
Julio César Anderson- Leonardo McNish
- Felix McDonald
- Benjamin Monterroso
Vibert Butts- Keith Niles
Arsène Auguste- Jean Marie Jean Baptiste
- Carlo Brevil
- Jean-Claude Désir
- Louidor Labissiere
Carl Brown
Pedro Damián Álvarez- Hugo Dávila
- Francisco Solís
Monico Eluterio Ruiz
Hector Nestor Hernández- Daniel Montillo Ruíz
- Federico Ponce
- Agustín Sánchez
- Luis Ernesto Tapia
- Virgílio Vázquez
Rinaldo Entingh- Henry Playfair
Leon Carpette- Anthony Douglas
- Selris Figaro
Boris Bandov- Miro Rys
- Juli Veee
- 1 own goal
Victor Clarke (playing against Trinidad and Tobago)- Allan Wellmann (playing against Panama)
References edit
- ^ Stinson, Dan (25 September 1976). "Canadians forced to settle for tie". Vancouver Sun. p. 25. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jones, Grahame L. (4 October 1976). "Goalie Saves the Day for U.S." Los Angeles Times. sec. 3, p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Cross, Jeff (12 October 1976). "Crowd gets quite a Buzz". The Province. p. 17. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Petterson, Joel (9 June 2013). "It's been a long, successful road back to Seattle for U.S. Soccer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ Stinson, Dan (23 December 1976). "Budd blooms on time for Canada". Vancouver Sun. p. 35. Retrieved 21 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.