2010 qualifying semifinal draw preview

[scaryice]

It's a little early, but I like speculating about this kind of stuff. Assuming two things: First, that the system CONCACAF uses remains the same, which is probably a 50% chance at best, and second, that the USA, Mexico, and Costa Rica finish in the top three of the hex this time.

Pot A (top 3 in hex)

Costa Rica
Mexico
United States

Pot B (bottom 3 of hex)

Guatemala
Panama
Trinidad & Tobago

Pot C (teams eliminated in semifinal round)

Canada
El Salvador
Honduras
Jamaica
St. Kitts
St. Vincent

Each group would have one from Pot A, one from Pot B, and two from Pot C. If any of these teams got beaten, then you could see Haiti, Cuba, Barbados or others. You could definitely have another group of death if Honduras and Jamaica ended up in the same group.

[Daniel from Montréal]

There are too many unknowns here, like the 3 that will qualify, and will CONCACAF keep a system that unfairly punishes teams like Haiti and Cuba because of results from 8 years ago.

[MoRado]

It's a little early, but .....

Little early_?

[Gary V]

Each group would have one from Pot A, one from Pot B, and two from Pot C.Provided, of course, that they all advance from their respective first rounds.

If any of these teams got beaten, then you could see Haiti, Cuba, Barbados or others.Which is how St Kitts got to the second round this year.

You could definitely have another group of death if Honduras and Jamaica ended up in the same group.This year we had a Pot D containing Nicaragua and Belize. I presume that's where Jamaica would end up for the 2010 qualifying, and maybe Barbados as well. That gets a little messy, though - this pot was called the "remaining Central American" pot. Start putting some of the islands in there, and now you'll have a fight for other countries - like Cuba and Haiti - to be included. Also if the 4th place team this year beats Asia's 5th and goes to Germany, they would argue for inclusion in Pot A.

a little earlyYes, definitely. We'll probably see a change in 2010 qualifying. How things come out in Germany will determine whether it's major or minor.

[eldiablito]

I would fully expect a different qualifying method.

Like Gary V mentioned, so much depends on whether or not 4 teams make it AND then how well those 4 teams do. Hypothetically speaking, say Guatemala comes in 4th. Then say they beat Uzbekistan, but in the process Ruiz tears his ACL and isn't exactly 100% come June. Then say Guatemala get pasted like Saudi Arabia in the last world cup. Or stranger, all 4 Concacaf teams advance to the knockout stage.

See. Too many variables as to what should happen for qualifying in 2010.

[tiCo enfeRmo]

Little early_?
just 6 years early
that is nothing if you are honduran....LOL