By Michael Lewis

To some, which teams would get to the World Cup from CONACACAF was clear.

After one game of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying - or the "hexagonal", former international coach Bora Milutinovic made what many thought was a bold prediction.

"Mexico, USA and Honduras will be the first three," he said when spied by a reporter in Columbus, Ohio, an hour after the United States beat Mexico 2-0 on February 11.

Milutinovic, who had coached all three teams, including Costa Rica, was amazingly prophetic.

Mexico and the United States have made it a habit, both qualifying in each of the last five World Cups. Honduras clinched a berth for the first time in more than a generation -- since 1982.

The odd team out was Costa Rica, which had qualified for the 2002 and 2006 tournaments.

For the second time in three qualifying cycles, the Mexicans needed coach Javier Aguirre to rescue their campaign at the start of the final round. Sven Goran-Eriksson was fired as coach and Aguirre was brought in the rescue an underachieving side. He accomplished that feat in 2001.

Given a new direction and vitality, the Mexicans gained momentum and qualified as the hottest team in CONCACAF. They clinched a spot behind a 4-1 home win over El Salvador at Estadio Azteca October 10 to finish with a 6-1-3 record and 19 points.

The United States likewise claimed their place in the 32-team South Africa field with a game to spare, outlasting Honduras 3-2 in San Pedro Sula to earn a sixth straight trip to the World Cup and finish atop the qualifying standings (6-2-2, 20) - one point ahead of Mexico.

Conor Casey, who had never started a qualifier or an important international match and who had a 14-game scoreless streak, scored twice for the Americans. The encounter was so riveting that the capacity crowd applauded the effort, despite the home side going down to defeat when Honduran veteran Carlos Pavon put an 87th-minute penalty kick over the bar.

That sent the last berth down to the last match day to decide between Honduras and Costa Rica.

Costa Rica needed at least a draw against the United States in Washington and loss by Honduras in El Salvador. A Honduras victory would require a Costa Rica victory for the Ticos to advance.

Neither scenario occurred.

Pavon atoned for his penalty miss four days earlier with a 65th-minute tally to give Honduras (5-1-4, 16 points) a 1-0 victory and a chance to go to the World Cup. But its efforts seemed in vain, with Costa Rica taking a 2-0 first-half lead over the United States and still leading 2-1 heading into extra time.

But U.S. defender Jonathan Bornstein scored 4 1/2 minutes into stoppage time, lifting the Americans to a 2-2 draw and earning himself hero status in Honduras.

Costa Rica (5-1-4, 16 points), was denied its berth on goal difference, but had another opportunity to qualify in a two-leg playoff against Uruguay, the fifth-place finisher from South America.

However, the Central American side lost at home to Uruguay in the first leg in San Jose, Costa Rica, on November 14, and wasn't able to overtake the South Americans four days later in Montevideo, settling for a 1-1 draw and only hopes for 2012.