1st leg, 24.07.1988: Jamaica 0-0 USA
Jamaica: Campbell – Brooks (Cargill 61), Corbett, Thompson, Gaynor, Grant, Anglin, Sterling, Williams (Tulloch h-t), Christian, Dennis
USA: Vanole – Armstrong (Trittschuh 76), Crow, Doyle, Windischmann, Davis, Stollmeyer, Bliss, Klopas, Vermes, Murray (Borja 61)

2nd leg, 13.08.1988: USA 5-1 Jamaica
Goals: U – Bliss, Pérez, Klopas 2, Krumpe. J – Sterling
USA (4-3-3): 1 Vanole – 17 Armstrong, 4 Crow, 2 Trittschuh, 5 Windischmann (11 Pérez h-t), 12 Krumpe, 8 Davis (c), 19 Bliss, 6 Klopas, 10 Vermes, 7 Gabarra (16 Murray 64)
Jamaica (4-3-3): 1 Campbell – 2 Gaynor, 6 Corbett (c), 3 Thompson, 5 Brooks, 4 Grant, 7 Anglin, 8 Sterling, 10 Tulloch, 9 Christian, 11 Hudson (13 Newman h-t) (15 Cargill)

USA progress with an aggregate scoreline of 5-1. 

1st leg, 01.10.1988: Netherlands Antilles 0-1 El Salvador
Goal: García
NA: Pieternella – Belioso, B. Poppen, Francisca, Gill (Neuman), Calmes, Andrade, Martina, Rovina (C. Poppen), Rosina, Rock
El-S: Guevara-Mora – Martínez Trigueros, Cárcamo, Cienfuegos, N. Rivera (Pacheco), Lazo, Abrego, García, Ramírez Zapata (López), Coreas Privado, Zapata

2nd leg, 16.10.1988: El Salvador 5-0 Netherlands Antilles
Goals: Coreas Privado, García, Zapata, Ramírez Zapata 2
El-S: Guevara-Mora – Martínez Trigueros, Cárcamo, Cienfuegos, Rivera (Chachagua), Lazo, Abrego, García, Ramírez Zapata, Coreas Privado (López), Zapata
NA: Pieternella – Regales, B. Poppen, Francisca, Gill (Martina), Calmes, Andrade (Rovina), Christopher, Neuman, Markes, Rock

El Salvador progress with an aggregate scoreline of 6-0.

1st leg, 09.10.1988: Guatemala 1-0 Canada
Goal: Byron Pérez 20 (pen.)
Guatemala: Jérez – Dávila (Gardiner), Wellmann, Monzón, Ortíz – Castañeda, Sandoval, Funes, Rodas – Paniagua, Pérez (Chacón)
Canada: Dolan – Sarantopoulos, Samuel, Bridge, Hooper, Gray, Limniatis, Valentine, Sweeney, Catliff, Mitchell

2nd leg, 15.10.1988: Canada 3-2 Guatemala
Goals: C – Mitchell 63, 83 (pen.), Bridge 88. G – Paniagua 7, Castañeda 37
Canada: Dolan – Sarantopoulos (Fitzgerald h-t), Samuel, Bridge, Miller, Gray, Limniatis, Valentine, Sweeney, Šegota (Mobilio 65), Mitchell
Guatemala: Jérez – Dávila (Gardiner 83), Wellmann, Monzón, Batres, Castañeda, Sandoval, Funes, Rodas, Chacón, Paniagua (de León 80)

Guatemala progress on the away goals rule after a 3-3 aggregate scoreline.

Having led by a single goal from their home leg, Guatemala would move into a seemingly unassailable lead with two first half goals in Vancouver, where the game was played in wet conditions. 3-0 up on aggregate, the Central Americans might have taken their foot off the pedal after the break, when the Canadian team fought back to at least restore tie parity, although they would bow out on the away goals rule. They sported the same goalkeeper and centre-back pairing which had featured in all three of their 1986 World Cup matches, though they would have to see Guatemala advance through to the qualification group stage. 

1st leg, 30.10.1988: Trinidad&Tobago 0-0 Honduras
T&T: Maurice – C. Morris, Williams, Francis, Faustin, Lawrence, Chinapoo, Charles, Latapy, Skeene (Jamerson), Corneal (Jones)
Honduras: Rivera – Soto, Yearwood, Costly, Martínez Sambulá, Fú Lanza, Cálix, Smith, Reyes, Laing (Dolmo Flores), Espinoza (Carias)

2nd leg, 13.11.1988: Honduras 1-1 Trinidad&Tobago
Goals: H – Flores. T&T – Charles
Honduras: Rivera – Soto, Yearwood, Costly, Martínez Sambulá, Flores, Cálix, Smith, Zapata, Laing (Dolmo Flores), Espinoza (Ávila)
T&T: Maurice – C. Morris, Williams, Francis, Faustin, Lawrence, Chinapoo (Lewis), Charles, Latapy, Skeene, Corneal

Trinidad&Tobago progress on the away goals rule after a 1-1 aggregate scoreline.

After drawing away in the first leg, Honduras would’ve been hoping to progress through to the qualification group stage against their Caribbean opposition, and they had even gone ahead during the first half. However, when goalkeeper Rivera had failed to claim a cross from Trinidad & Tobago’s right hand side, Charles could tuck the ball into the back of an empty net for a priceless equalizer. The video highlights then reveal little in terms of a Honduran chase for a second goal, and the visitors went through to the qualification group stage. Three players who had featured for Honduras during the 1982 World Cup were in action: Strapping centre-back Anthony Costly, solid defensive midfielder (now possibly a centre-half?) Gilberto Yearwood, as well as forward Eduardo Laing.

Walk-over: Costa Rica (v Mexico). Mexico were expelled from the competition thanks to having fielded at least four over-aged players in the 1988 CONCACAF U-20 tournament (the ‘Cachirules scandal’).