Uruguay earns final World Cup berth

Nov 19, 2009 - 1:13 AM MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay(AP) -- Uruguay earned the final berth in the 32-nation field for next year's World Cup, tying Costa Rica 1-1 Wednesday night.

Sebastian Abreu scored for Uruguay on a header in the 70th minute, but Walter Centeno tied the score on a 16-yard shot in the 74th.

Uruguay, the 1930 and 1950 World Cup champion, won the home-and-home playoff on 2-1 aggregate. It beat Australia in a playoff to reach the 2002 World Cup, then lost to the Australians in a playoff for a berth at the 2006 tournament.

Costa Rica will miss the World Cup for the first time since 1998.