2006 Qualification Process Announced

[IASocFan]

CONCACAF has announced the proposed qualification process. It looks like a combination of the Asia method and previous CONCACAF groups.

12 initial groups (11 w/ 3 teams; one with 2 teams)
Winners qualify for semis: 3 groups of 4
Top two qualify for final Hexagonal:
Top 3 qualify for WC; 4th will play Asia 5th.

See: http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1202

[IASocFan]

It's proposed only in that FIFA has to bless it. I would assume this will be final.

It looks like the sharks - like US, Mexico, and Costa Rica will get a couple of minnows to devour before the semis.

Maybe Costa Rica will draw Barbados again. :D

[BuffloSoldier]

My question is how the teams get divided into that first round (groups of three, etc).

Pot A: 3
Pot B: 3
Pot C: 6
Pot D: 23

How does that get split into those first groups?

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by BuffloSoldier
My question is how the teams get divided into that first round (groups of three, etc).

Pot A: 3
Pot B: 3
Pot C: 6
Pot D: 23

How does that get split into those first groups?

I believe pot A/B/C can't play each other and thus can only draw from pot D in the first round.

[BuffloSoldier]

Originally posted by Canadian_Supporter
11 groups of three and one group of two, which equals 34 teams in the first round.
I realize that--but how do those teams get drawn into said 12 groups?

There's not an even amount from the pots to be thrown into those groups. How many from A or B or C or D can be drawn into a three team group?

[RalRhino]

Originally posted by BuffloSoldier
How does that get split into those first groups?

I'm guessing draw 1 from Pot A and 2 from D until Pot A is empty, then 1 from B and 2 from D, then C...

The reason for having 4 pots instead of only 2 must have something to do with the semi-final groupings.

More explaination is obviously needed.

I'm just very glad they kept the final stage as a single group format.

[Raider Red]

Pots A, B, and C will be drawn into groups 1 through 12, then Pot D will be drawn. You'll have one team from pots A, B, and C in each group, and two teams from pot D, except for group 12 which will have only one team from pot D.

[IASocFan]

My guess is that one team from Pots A, B, and C are put in a group with 2 from pot D (with a bye for the odd group).

The average group might include a seeded team, Surinam, and Aruba.

Sounds like a good time for a Caribbean trip. :)

[ChuckA]

I recall the last time, the three teams that had qualified in for France in 98 were given byes into the semis. Doesn't look like that is happening this time around.

I would assume that the split will be like this:

Pot A: 3 Qualifiers (US, Mexico and CR)
Pot B: The other 3 finalsts (Jamaica, T&T and Honduras)
Pot C: The other 6 semifinalists (Can't remember them all but here goes: Guatamala, Barbados, Canada, El Salvador, ?, ?)
Pot D: Everybody else

[RalRhino]

Originally posted by IASocFan
It looks like the sharks - like US, Mexico, and Costa Rica will get a couple of minnows to devour before the semis.

I just did a quick random draw based on how I anticipate this will work...

Group A: Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Turks & Caicos

OUCH!

Although I did get one group with Haiti, St. Kitts, and Surinam which could be intersting.

[BuffloSoldier]

Ok...that 2 from D and one from any other pot makes sense...would have been nice for CONCACAF to actually spell that out.

Two things:
1) It should allow Arena to know who's on board and who isn't rather quickly...guys like Reyna, Friedel, Keller, et al.

2) Club vs. country...can see the Euro managers bitching already. Even though it'll be on an international date, I can't see Misters Souness, Hoddle, et al being too happy to release their players to for the US to face the Cayman Islands or something akin to that.

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by BuffloSoldier
2) Club vs. country...can see the Euro managers bitching already. Even though it'll be on an international date, I can't see Misters Souness, Hoddle, et al being too happy to release their players to for the US to face the Cayman Islands or something akin to that.

The US will do just fine in the first round with an all MLS team.

[BuffloSoldier]

Originally posted by Canadian_Supporter
The US will do just fine in the first round with an all MLS team.
In theory, sure. MLS should be able to take care of those potential first round opponents.

But imagine not calling your Euro-based players at the Cayman Islands, and losing...forcing a Barbados 2000-esque win or out match. Just makes no sense, other than creating more games to make money off....gasp...think I may have broken the code.

[BuffloSoldier]

Potential first round opponents:

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Dominican Republic
French Guyana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guyana
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Saint-Martin
Sint-Maarten
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Vincent and The Grenadines
Suriname
Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands

That's 28...only 23 in that pot...wonder who's out.

[michael greene]

Originally posted by ChuckA
I recall the last time, the three teams that had qualified in for France in 98 were given byes into the semis. Doesn't look like that is happening this time around.



I agree there should be some prize for qualifying, but CONCACAF has to keep all the members happy, so a plan like this is fair enough.

What are the odds that the smaller countries have the $$ to pay for all this travel? Didn't we have to pony up for Barbados last time?

I guess that since goal diff could be a tie breaking factor, it is in our best interest to pay for smaller countries to come here and get whacked, but CONCACAF should take a look at this.

[RalRhino]

Originally posted by BuffloSoldier
Potential first round opponents:

Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Dominican Republic
French Guyana
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guyana
Martinique
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Saint-Martin
Sint-Maarten
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Vincent and The Grenadines
Suriname
Turks and Caicos Islands
US Virgin Islands

That's 28...only 23 in that pot...wonder who's out.

Saint-Martin
Sint-Maarten
Guadeloupe
French Guyana
Martinique

Based on the FIFA rankings, these 5 teams don't appear.

[Canadian_Supporter]

Originally posted by BuffloSoldier
Potential first round opponents:

That's 28...only 23 in that pot...wonder who's out.

Martinique, Saint Martin, Sint-Maarten, Guadeloupe are not members of FIFA as of this year and French Guyana didn't compete in the last WCQ.

[BuffloSoldier]

Thanks for the heads-up. So the 23 are known...

Originally posted by michael greene
What are the odds that the smaller countries have the $$ to pay for all this travel? Didn't we have to pony up for Barbados last time?
Really good question here.

[Metrofan CP]

http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1202

Meanwhile, Pot C would consist of Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Panama, all of whom reached the semifinal round of qualifying to Korea/Japan 2002


Is it me, or is that not at all true?

I seem to remember Barbados and St. Vincent & Grenadines ... and not Cuba and Haiti

[Raider Red]

Your right--Pot C is from France 98 qualifying.