2006 Qualification Process Announced

[cmonaco]

Yes, the Pot distincitons must be pre-seedings for the semi-final round.

But, even given that, you could very well see a semi-final round like this:

USA
Honduras
Guatemala
El Salvador

of course, you could also see one like this:

USA
Trinidad
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Lucia

[OBartleby]

Originally posted by Noah Elliott
There are 12 first round groups.
Whoops! I mis-read that on the CONCACAF site!

11 groups of 3 + 1 group of 2 = 12 groups

Voìla!

[Daniel from Montréal]

What happens if a D team wins its group? Does it take the loser's seeding or do teams get bumped up? If it's the latter (most fair), I can see some teams crying foul about which team might be bumped up...

[GRUNT]

Originally posted by cmonaco
But for once it seems CONCACAF has managed NOT to eff things up.


That's the funniest thing I have heard all day.

Are you serious? Why should CR, Mexico and USA have to play any of the teams in Pot D?

Did you think those matches where Australia beat a couple teams 20-0 or some such sh!t were good for the sport? Are such games worth the injury risk? For what?

You're out of your freakin' gourd.

[RalRhino]

Whats the over/under on the number of teams that withdraw from qualifying once they get drawn into a group with Mexico, US, or Costa Rica?

I'm guessing 2.

[IASocFan]

My take on why this format is that the minnows can get a home game against USA or Mexico or another power house that might either give them a big tourist boost or a shorter path to the semifinals (if they draw a group with Panama or Barbados).

[Autogolazo]

Do the minnows get a piece of the TV money when they're at home or the gate on the road?

[Eric B]

Originally posted by Daniel from Montréal
What happens if a D team wins its group? Does it take the loser's seeding or do teams get bumped up? If it's the latter (most fair), I can see some teams crying foul about which team might be bumped up...

I don't think pots A-C are for the semifinal groupings, I think instead it means that the teams from Pot A get first crack which they get drawn into, then Pot B, and then Pot C. They'll probably then do a new draw after the first round.

[Eric B]

I'm curious as to what were the other formats presented.

I assume one was just keeping the status quo from '02, which would have worked. Another might have been the one EvilRick said was proposed by UNCAF and the Mexies, but I can see that one being shot down by almost everyone else.

[desertfox2]

I'm glad that the semi-final round and the final round has stayed the same, but I am disappointed at the change in the opening rounds. It reminds me too much of the OFC region in the 2002 WC qualifiers where Australia destroyed weak minnows like Tonga (22:0) and American Samoa (31:0). And with teams like the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. having to possibly play teams like Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Isl., etc., expect to see similiar results. It just makes no sense to me to have these type of blowout games. The old format was fine with the carribean teams battling it out to see which teams were the best and then they would go to the semifinal round.

Now with this format, there will probably be very little if any upsets in round 1 and will ultimately hurt the progress of carribean soccer.

[Blue Eyed Soul]

Originally posted by desertfox2
I'm glad that the semi-final round and the final round has stayed the same, but I am disappointed at the change in the opening rounds. It reminds me too much of the OFC region in the 2002 WC qualifiers where Australia destroyed weak minnows like Tonga (22:0) and American Samoa (31:0). And with teams like the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. having to possibly play teams like Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Isl., etc., expect to see similiar results. It just makes no sense to me to have these type of blowout games. The old format was fine with the carribean teams battling it out to see which teams were the best and then they would go to the semifinal round.

Now with this format, there will probably be very little if any upsets in round 1 and will ultimately hurt the progress of carribean soccer.

[Blue Eyed Soul]

Amen to that last post. Sorry about the paste!

[um_chili]

Originally posted by desertfox2
I'm glad that the semi-final round and the final round has stayed the same, but I am disappointed at the change in the opening rounds. It reminds me too much of the OFC region in the 2002 WC qualifiers where Australia destroyed weak minnows like Tonga (22:0) and American Samoa (31:0). And with teams like the US, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. having to possibly play teams like Anguilla, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Isl., etc., expect to see similiar results. It just makes no sense to me to have these type of blowout games. The old format was fine with the carribean teams battling it out to see which teams were the best and then they would go to the semifinal round.

Now with this format, there will probably be very little if any upsets in round 1 and will ultimately hurt the progress of carribean soccer.

Before anyone buys into this comparison, let's remember the ugly fact that the Aussies ran up the scores in these games on purpose as a signal to the OFC that they shouldn't be made to compete with the minnows of their (already weak) confederation, but should get a bye to the next stage.

Whatever you think of that choice, I don't see any teams making the same move in Concacaf qualifying. That way scores will probably remain respectable -- once the superior team scores about 5-6 goals, things will relax a bit, subs will come in, etc. No Concacaf team has anything to gain from the kind of intentional humiliation Oz inflicted on American Samoa.

[JG]

Originally posted by Autogolazo
Do the minnows get a piece of the TV money when they're at home or the gate on the road?

Countries own the rights to their home games.

[ThreeApples]

Originally posted by um_chili

Whatever you think of that choice, I don't see any teams making the same move in Concacaf qualifying. That way scores will probably remain respectable -- once the superior team scores about 5-6 goals, things will relax a bit, subs will come in, etc. No Concacaf team has anything to gain from the kind of intentional humiliation Oz inflicted on American Samoa.

They will have motivation, because goal difference is the first tiebreaker in group play. Imagine the possible group Guatemala, Cuba, and Monserrat. Guatemala and Cuba are close enough in quality that it is quite possible that they will each win at home against each other, or perhaps they could draw twice. In that case the winner of the group will be the team with the best goal difference. Neither team could afford to let up with big lead over Montserrat, because they have no guarantee that the other will let up against Montserrat.

[RalRhino]

There probably will be some instances of running up the score. But I doubt that it will happen too often. The US, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. depending on who they draw will most likely use these games as tune-ups to evaluate players before going into the "meaningful" semi-final and final rounds.

I don't think the format is that bad. How can you expect some of the island nations to improve if they don't play quality teams? Overall, I think a first round of this format will only help the level of play throughout the region. My only concern would be if nations start bailing out to save money/embarassment. That would undermine the whole premise this type of format is based on.

Also, I think the Pot A, B, C, D setup is for semifinal pairings because I'm pretty sure FIFA will not allow a plan that calls for teams to be reseeded based on the results of the first round. If I had to bet, I expect to see the first round groups called A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, and C1 - C6. Then after round 1 the winners of the three A groups will go into one pot, B groups into a second and C groups into a third. No matter who wins. Then the semis would be drawn as one team from Pot A, one from B, and two from C. So should Aruba beat the US in the first round, they would have the benefit of not having to face Mexico or Costa Rica in the semis.

[desertfox2]

Originally posted by RalRhino
There probably will be some instances of running up the score. But I doubt that it will happen too often. The US, Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. depending on who they draw will most likely use these games as tune-ups to evaluate players before going into the "meaningful" semi-final and final rounds.

I don't think the format is that bad. How can you expect some of the island nations to improve if they don't play quality teams? Overall, I think a first round of this format will only help the level of play throughout the region. My only concern would be if nations start bailing out to save money/embarassment. That would undermine the whole premise this type of format is based on.

Also, I think the Pot A, B, C, D setup is for semifinal pairings because I'm pretty sure FIFA will not allow a plan that calls for teams to be reseeded based on the results of the first round. If I had to bet, I expect to see the first round groups called A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, and C1 - C6. Then after round 1 the winners of the three A groups will go into one pot, B groups into a second and C groups into a third. No matter who wins. Then the semis would be drawn as one team from Pot A, one from B, and two from C. So should Aruba beat the US in the first round, they would have the benefit of not having to face Mexico or Costa Rica in the semis.

Aruba beating the US? I hope your not serious lol.

What I don't understand is how do the weaker carribean teams get better when they are being destroyed by the best CONCACAF has to offer? To me it makes no sense. They need tough competition, yes, but they shouldn't be in games where they are losing by double figures (and yes, I know it wouldn't be as bad as what happened in the OFC region in 2002 WC qualifying, but it would still be bad). Do you think that a team like say Guam which went 0-2-0 and had a -35 goal differential or say American Samoa which went 0-4-0 and had a -57 goal differential in the 2002 WC qualifying round are any better now because of it? I doubt it. Carribean teams will get better if they play other carribean teams like themselves or a little better than themselves.

Personally, the idea of having groups in the early stages is not a bad idea, but let the big guns get byes into the semifinal round. Then that could be interesting and would still leave the door open for an upset or two and would give every team a fair chance.

[DaMunk]

Originally posted by desertfox2
Aruba beating the US? I hope your not serious lol.

What I don't understand is how do the weaker carribean teams get better when they are being destroyed by the best CONCACAF has to offer? To me it makes no sense. They need tough competition, yes, but they shouldn't be in games where they are losing by double figures (and yes, I know it wouldn't be as bad as what happened in the OFC region in 2002 WC qualifying, but it would still be bad). Do you think that a team like say Guam which went 0-2-0 and had a -35 goal differential or say American Samoa which went 0-4-0 and had a -57 goal differential in the 2002 WC qualifying round are any better now because of it? I doubt it. Carribean teams will get better if they play other carribean teams like themselves or a little better than themselves.


I can understand why one would argue in favor of the Confederation powers not needing to play in the first round. It does not seem to be the most logical plan. That is where Jack Warner figures in to the mix. He has done everything in his power to give the Caribbean teams a leg up: from $250K annual FIFA grants to GOAL Projects all over the region to now, a chance to play with the big dogs. This plan is about inclusion and equal opportunity. IMHO, those against is are akin to those UEFA fans that insist they deserve more spots in the WC b/c their region is the toughest. It's all sheer snobbery.

[cmonaco]

Originally posted by GRUNT
That's the funniest thing I have heard all day.

Are you serious? Why should CR, Mexico and USA have to play any of the teams in Pot D?

Did you think those matches where Australia beat a couple teams 20-0 or some such sh!t were good for the sport? Are such games worth the injury risk? For what?

You're out of your freakin' gourd.

Yes, there will be some blowouts in the earlier rounds. It's not a perfect system. But there's more of an injury risk on the FieldTurf of MLS or the overloaded schedule in Europe than there is in adding 2 or 3 matches to the qualifiers. That's a ridiculous argument.

Look at Asia: S. Korea has to play a minnow like Laos in qualifying. Look at Europe: France has to play San Marino. Look at Africa: Cameroon has to play Chad. The system is like this all over the world. It is fairer to all involved, and the higher seeded teams shouldn't even have to field an A-level squad to throughly outplay the minnows.

The positives outweigh the negatives. This is a fairer, simpler qualifying system for ALL teams in CONCACAF.

[photar74]

If Pot D isn't seeded, that means that Cuba and Haiti could both be in the same first round group along with a semi-finalist from the last campaign.

Guatemala
Cuba
Haiti

USA
Cuba
Haiti

Or this:

Canada
Cuba