U.S. GETS HIGH ON SCORELESS TIE IN JAMAICA

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Steve Cherundolo could just smell the
difference.

The defender from San Diego walked onto the field Saturday at National
Stadium and immediately noticed the pervasive smell of marijuana in
the air. Clearly, the United States was playing on the road.

"We knew what was going on," he said with a smile.

The United States then held together under pressure, playing a
lackluster scoreless tie against Jamaica to maintain its lead in the
regional finals of qualifying for next year's World Cup.

While it wasn't a win, it gave the Americans another point on the road
to the tournament in Japan and South Korea. In World Cup qualifying,
teams hope to win at home and tie on the road.

"We have one foot in the door. We have to get the rest of the door
open," U.S. defender Jeff Agoos said.

Plagued by a lack of speed, the Americans (3-0-1) managed little in
the first 80 minutes, then pushed at the end.

Ante Razov's header off a cross from Jovan Kirovski in the 82nd minute
was going in before goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made a great save,
deflecting the ball over the crossbar.

Claudio Reyna nearly scored on a free kick in the 90th minute but
Ricketts got a hand on the shot, the ball ricocheted off a post and
David Regis' bicycle kick attempt on the rebound went wide.

"It's a great result," said Reyna, the U.S. captain. "We're sitting
pretty good right now."

With six games remaining, including a Wednesday match against Trinidad
and Tobago at Foxboro, Mass., the United States is first in the North
and Central American and Caribbean region with 10 points.

Costa Rica (2-1-1) is next with seven, followed by Honduras and
Jamaica (both 1-1-2) with five each, Mexico (1-2-1) with four and
Trinidad and Tobago (0-3-1) with one. The top three nations qualify
for the 32-team field for next year's tournament.

Five more points probably would be good enough to earn a fourth
straight trip to the World Cup for the United States, which stretched
its unbeaten streak in qualifying to eight games.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena had hoped his team could get a late goal, as it
did in March's 2-1 win at Honduras.

"We were in position at the end to steal it," he said.

The near-sellout crowd of 32,000 arrived at National Stadium as much
as three hours early for a reggae concert.

Jamaica, unbeaten in 51 consecutive games at "The Office" since
November 1994, had the better of the play, using superior speed to
create breakaways for forward Onandi Lowe.

While Lowe, Theodore Whitmore and James Lawrence stretched the U.S.
defense in the first 30 minutes with quick runs, U.S. forwards Brian
McBride and Joe-Max Moore did little and were replaced in the second
half.

On the hot and humid afternoon, even Jamaica slowed up after the first
half hour, and the impatient crowd whistled its displeasure.

"You can't play a high-paced game in this weather," Cherundolo said.
"It just doesn't work."

The Reggae Boyz twice put the ball in the net, but both were
disallowed for offsides calls that were so obvious Jamaica didn't even
argue.

Jamaica had a great chance in the 63rd when Ricardo Fuller was
isolated one-on-one with U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller following an
awful pass by Regis, but Keller gave a hip fake and Fuller, who was at
a sharp angle, kept dribbling and never got off a shot.

"That can't happen," Jamaica coach Clovis de Oliviera said. "One clean
chance like that, we had to shoot the ball."

Keller, who has shutouts in his last four qualifiers, then made an
excellent save from about five yards out in the 85th against Lowe,
preserving the Americans' third straight scoreless tie in qualifiers
at Kingston. The Jamaicans have allowed just two goals in their last
15 home qualifiers.

"Balls were popping up, hitting rocks," Agoos said. "With the field,
it's really more of a circus atmosphere than soccer game."