GRAND THEFT. Fifa takes S. America spot

[sammydog]

That's right the U-20 qualifiers have been very close with the home and away final series to be between Australia and Fiji.

In this age group the island nations are very competative and now, with oceania having direct qualification will really have something to aim for. Give them 10 years and there will be some strong teams from this confederation.

[fdp]

Originally posted by SoccerScout

COMEBOL should strike at the next World Cup . It would basicly become a Euro 2006.

When I first read about this a few minutes ago on Yahoo Sports, that was the exact thought that crossed my mind.

Fans should strike too.

We need a letter writing campaign to explain our intentions to FIFA !

[Screech]

Originally posted by deejay
90 percent of South American countries have qualified for the World Cup.

Maybe this is because this region has been granted too many places in the past.

It is about time Oceania got recognised as a federation. Why should the winner of this group be forced to travel to hellholes such as Iran and Uruguay to qualify.

Players getting attacked as they get off the plane is not exactly good match preparation.

[AFCA]

Originally posted by vico
Are you comparing Chzech Republic and England to Brazil? :D :D

You are the one who should get real...

Obviously you have never seen them play. Chzech Republic has been fielding one of the best teams in Europe for years now. A team capable of beating ANY European side. Thus, possibly capable of beating Brazil. I'm not saying they are the best in Europe. I'm not saying they are just as good as Brazil. But they are definitely one of the worlds top sides.

It's okay to comment. But it would be nice if you knew what you are talking about.

[fdp]

I've read through all the posts just now and have read a lot of bickering between South American and European fans.

Remember this is not about who is better, S.A. or Europe!

This is about South America and in a sense Europe vs Oceania, Asia, and Africa and FIFA!

Know who the true enemy before you pick a fight.

This is truly a sad day in world football history.

[AFCA]

To the point:

It's not fair that S.A. lose a spot.

[fdp]

1990 1994 1998 2002 2006

UEFA 14 13 15 15 (14.5) 14

Conmebol 4 (3.5) 4 (3.5) 5 5 (4.5) 4

CAF 2 3 5 5 5

Concacaf 2 2 (2.25) 3 3 3.5

AFC 2 2 4 (3.5) 4 (4.5) 4.5

OFC 0 (0.5) 0 (0.25) (0.5) 0 (0.5) 1

[Dune]

While I do agree that giving Australia a direct entry to the World Cup is very unfair to all other confederations I don't understand the crying among the COMEBOL people.
COMEBOL gets 4 out of 10 to the WC, and everybody knows that the only two teams that can compete there is Argentina and Brazil.
Sure, Uruguay has won 2 cups but the last one was 50 years ago. Anyone who tries to make a case for COMEBOL should remember that the last time another COMEBOL team than Argentina or Brazil made the last 8 of a WC was Peru in '78.

[Dune]

Originally posted by deejay
Since 1950 we have never had a team embarress themselves like the S. Arabia and China or, let me remind you, Slovenia.

Well, some people might say that Peru embarrest themselves, the COMEBOL and the Game of Football in that famous 0-6 game against Argentina in WC' 78 :rolleyes:

[olafgb]

I didn't read all prior pages, but I don't consider the decision to be that bad.

CONMEBOL basically has Brazil and Argentina. All others still have to be glad to survive the group stage. Also there are just ten nations and 40% qualifying is still much more than in any other confederation.

UEFA is still having the majority. One spot more or less doesn't hurt, that's okay. I think the decision also has something to do with the host automatically being from Europe.

AFC will have to prove themselves at the next WC. Without the host advantage I expect them much worse, which will cost them at least 0.5 spots for 2010.

CONCACAF had the best average at the WC IIRC and absolutely deserves a chance for a fourth team.

CAF still is kind of FIFA's darling. Reducing to 4 would have been justified as they play as always - big mouth, weak performance.

OFC IMO absolutely deserves this one direct spot. Of course usually this will be Australia, but they didn't have a fair chance so far despite of the playoffs they had. They use domestic players for defeating all the little islands in their qualifyers. Then the New Zealand games require some European upgrade before it goes to the two important games - two games for players who don't have a chance at all to get used to another as they simply don't play together often enough (and we don't have to speak about the whole sh!t that happened in Uruguay to disturb them before the crucial game). With all the good players they have in Europe I am convinced that they have a good chance to survive the group stage if they get 4 to 6 weeks preparation.

My basic idea would be more qualifyers though: CONMEBOL vs CONCACAF and AFC vs CAF

[Alex_1]

Originally posted by DoyleG
Define a good squad.

You guys would use the excuse that countries didn't send their top squads when they lose to a "minnow".

Why don't you look at what happened to the Brazilian coach at the 2001 Confed Cup.

Basing your feelings on a one-off match, as is the case with two-match series, is ludicrous at best.

As for the leagues of the OFC, the Australian NSL outlived the NASL and surely will outlive MLS.

How many players on the CBF Confed. Cup team were on the CBF WC Team? How many of the players on the CBF Copa America team were on the CBF WC Team? ;) It's a telling statistic of how the CBF was functioning. No fault of other nations for beating them - but they beat a Brazilian team that was NOT the WC team. Emerson Leao was a victim of politics and a few untimely mistakes, and goaded into being a scapegoat. Brazils WC squad = good squad. Top players available on the pitch. Brazils Copa America Squad = last minute make-shift selection for a half-hazard thrown together regional championship (Remember... Mauro Silva left the team at the airport). Confed. Cup squad = pure experimentation with lads that hardly made a qualifier roster, let alone a WC consideration.

Originally posted by Dune
COMEBOL gets 4 out of 10 to the WC, and everybody knows that the only two teams that can compete there is Argentina and Brazil.


Size of confederation... fair enough. Strength of confederation - another story. Safe to say that the top of CONMEBOL is far stronger than the top of Oceana or CAF, and the bottom of CONMEBOL is also far stronger than the bottom of Oceana or CAF. Yes, everyone seems to recognize Brazil and Argentina. Just as quickly as they write off how horrible the US was in 1998, they want to write off how good Paraguay performed in 1998. Two straight years they've advanced... Uruguay was very competitive this year as well.

I would love to hear the definition of "compete"... because at the end of the day there are 31 losers in the tournament.

[Oscar]

I don't think anybody agrees with the amount Asia gets, could/should have been at least 1 less. Oceania getting a full spot is questionable as well, especially seeing as they're a 'weak' confed, but why should they be the only confederation that doesn't have at least 1 place for the WC?

A team from Oceania going to the WC will most likely raise the popularity of the sport in that region and probably improve their game in time...like it has for teams in Asia and CONCACAF. (I know one doesn't automatically lead to the other, but it sure as hell won't hurt)

If a team can't get out of their qualifiers then they didn't deserve to go as one of the best from their region, the World Cup is not about sending the best teams from the world, but about the best of each region (and money of course, but then everything is about money and this goes without saying :D ) Oh boo hoo, an actual good side might be left at home in South America come the next WC, this has been happening in Europe for a long time now.

UEFA and CONMEBOL still send more teams %-wise than any other confed (methinks) if the non-big 2 South American teams are as good as some here would like to believe (3 didn't even make it out of the 1st group this time around, and surprise surprise, only Brasil was left after the 2nd group stage) then they will no doubt have a case to regain their ½ spot for the World Cup following the one in 2006.

[SoccerScout]

Does anyone know how the SPOTS were given out, say back in the 1970's or even early 80's? I think only 16 to 24 nations played then so I imagine it was a tighter and more QUALITY based method than today.

ANYONE KNOW?

[biosoccer]

Originally posted by olafgb
I didn't read all prior pages

You should.

[SoccerScout]

I can see why EURO's dont care about this. The World Cup is composed of 44% Euro teams while SA only gets 12.5% and 15.6% of teams are African.

It just doesnt seem right that the Continent that has won 53% of All WC titles gets only 12.5% of the WC spots. On the other hand if that doesnt show you how much better SA's are at soccer than the rest of the world, nothing will. If Euro soccer was that good & with usually half or more of all the WC participants shouldn't be losing to 1 lowly represented continent. But they are.

Euro soccer is mostly a myth. They import all the best SA players for their clubs and they NEVER win a WC away from Europe. Don't fool yourselfs, European soccer is 2nd tier. They can only dream of having the flair of a Brazilian, Argentinian or other talented South AMerican. Michael Owen for example would sit on the bench in many South American Clubs...

[Alex_1]

Originally posted by SoccerScout
I can see why EURO's dont care about this. The World Cup is composed of 44% Euro teams while SA only gets 12.5% and 15.6% of teams are African.

It just doesnt seem right that the Continent that has won 53% of All WC titles gets only 12.5% of the WC spots. On the other hand if that doesnt show you how much better SA's are at soccer than the rest of the world, nothing will. If Euro soccer was that good & with usually half or more of all the WC participants shouldn't be losing to 1 lowly represented continent. But they are.

Euro soccer is mostly a myth. They import all the best SA players for their clubs and they NEVER win a WC away from Europe. Don't fool yourselfs, European soccer is 2nd tier. They can only dream of having the flair of a Brazilian, Argentinian or other talented South AMerican. Michael Owen for example would sit on the bench in many South American Clubs...

Not going to win many over with most of that argument. And you are skewing the numbers. CONMEBOL is 10 nations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela. (For some reason, I think people think it is only 9). 40% of CONMEBOL participates. The better argument is that the strength of the confederation is far greater than others - which reflects that number. One of my big points is that the stronger confederations should not be punished for being better.

[El_Maestro]

Originally posted by Screech
It is about time Oceania got recognised as a federation. Why should the winner of this group be forced to travel to hellholes such as Iran and Uruguay to qualify.

That hellhole Uruguay is a two time World Champ, which by the way kicked your sorry aussie arse in the qualifying stage.

[SoccerScout]

>> And you are skewing the numbers. CONMEBOL >>

No. WC has 32 Nations, SA takes 4. Thats 12.5% of all WC participants. Meanwhile Europe fills up almost Half of all WC spots and AFrica for example 15.6%.

[biosoccer]

Originally posted by Screech
It is about time Oceania got recognised as a federation. Why should the winner of this group be forced to travel to hellholes such as Iran and Uruguay to qualify.

Players getting attacked as they get off the plane is not exactly good match preparation.

I think is time for you to get out of your bubble/island. That isolation is affecting your brain.

[nicodemus]

Originally posted by Screech
It is about time Oceania got recognised as a federation. Why should the winner of this group be forced to travel to hellholes such as Iran and Uruguay to qualify.

Players getting attacked as they get off the plane is not exactly good match preparation.

Basically you're complaining that Australia actually has to go through what just about everyone has to go through when they travel. CONCACAF, CAF, CONMEBOL and certain parts of AFC are brutal on the road. That's just soccer friend. Go to Saprissa in Costa Rica and get pelted by some ice, coins, batteries and bags of piss. That's just about every CONCACAF road game whether Costa Rica, Honduras or wherever.