World Cup Back to normal

[Auxodium]

Well the World cup will saty at 32 and that means the OFC has lost its spot and now goes back to 0.5. What a shame FIFA i thought the slogan was "For the good of the game" but apparently the old men of football CSF have over powered FIFA. Shame on you FIFA and shame on you CSF for not attempting to develop football in the OFC.

Come on Farina! Come on Socceroos! Make sure we make it to Germany 2006 and teach FIFA and the CSF a lesson and do the OFC proud!

[SankaCofie]

i would HATE To see a non-32 team world cup.

but i'd like to see OFC get a spot. NZ and Australia deserve to see their countries get kicked around on the worlds biggest stage.

its every soccer fans dream.

[Auxodium]

HEY THAT IS NOT CORRECT.

Yes we haven't qualified for the world cup but only once but we will not be kicked around. This is the problem with other nations is that they are ignorant and believe that the Socceroos are no good at all which is total nonsense. the OFC deserves the spot which is sadly taken away.

Ignorant people, shame on you too.

[beachesl]

The Soccerroos are great, and most countries would have a hard time beating them if all their best are on the field in ideal conditions.

But, ALL countries should have to earn their way into the World Cup to make it a valid experience.

The only problem with the result of the latest FIFA decision (apart from the disgraceful way it was done, no public input or discussion, or even as to what was on the table) is that Oceania has to play against the 5th S Amn team. What would be fairer is for all 4 of the half spots to be put in a draw to see who plays each other in a home-and -away. Maybe FIFA is tired of tinkering, but this can be decided right up to and including August of 2005.

[lollies]

I only have one word to say about FIFA - TYPICAL!

Does this mean we have to qualify through South America again. Have they even bothered to come out with the new OFC qualifying path or have they just given the spot back and not thought through the new OFC path.

[Germanshepherd]

I don`t what to say anything about if OFC should get a full spot, but to take the decision back wasn´t good.

They should do what they say!

I thought Blatter has more intelligence.

[Auxodium]

Yes well i thought that too Germanshepherd but FIFA were bent over and reamed by the South American masters as they are.

The OFC should have a spot just the 1 no more no less. But wee need to look at asia like we always have but the AFC keep snubbing us out! AFC let us in!!!

[SankaCofie]

calm down aussie i didn't mean to insult you.
i meant what i said.
ever spent a WC summer in a small country that doesn't usu. make it?
you win you go out drinking.
you lose bad you go out drinking.

you didn't do so poorly against Uru. or Iran. but then.... they didn't do too well at their WCs either.
maybe a playoff vs. concacaf would be better for the aussies.

better luck next time.

[beachesl]

Sure, we all can rightly complain about the WAY the decision was reached and announced, but it was the only sane result.

It's all about football, not raising corporate funds or developing football in a region, as the Aussie soccer poohbahs are whining about. If it was about this, then the USA should be given an automatic spot. What about Bhutan in Asia, or some of the poorer African countries, who would love to have Austalia's opportunities for football success. Earn your way by beating a decent team, then we'll cheer for the Socceroos!

[Auxodium]

Actually Soccer Australia are complaining that the region do not reap the rewards of a world cup as money goes to them as well as the team that has qualified. It is something like 30 million dollars to the team that qualifies and 10 to the administration (million) AND more money to the confederation. As Australia is the strongest nation in the OFC naturally Soccer Australia would make a fuss about this decision as we need the money to prop up our domestic league which has been run into the ground by politics which WE are trying to remove in our admin body unlike other WORLD bodies.


So beating england 3-1, Scotland 2-0, Hungary 3-0, France 1-0, Brazil 1-0, Mexico 2-0, Uruguay 1-0 & Paraguay 2-1. that in 3 years so that shows that the Socceroos are better than 49th but need to be consistant in more game time.
Are these not decent teams? If not then what are?

[El_Maestro]

Originally posted by Glorious_Fan
So beating england 3-1, Scotland 2-0, Hungary 3-0, France 1-0, Brazil 1-0, Mexico 2-0, Uruguay 1-0 & Paraguay 2-1. that in 3 years so that shows that the Socceroos are better than 49th but need to be consistant in more game time.
Are these not decent teams? If not then what are?

Out of those which ones were actually relevant, like WC qualifyers, not friendlies or crappy competitions like the Confeds. Cup?

What, the 1-0 against Uruguay?, they still beat you 3-0 in Montevideo. You just cannot say that you deserve a direct spot by winning friendlies.

Yes, you are a... let's say medium sized fish in a very small pond. Those Southamerican countries that were benefitted by this decision are also medium sized fishes, but they are in a gigantic pond and have to fight against enormous fishes.

I don't know, but if you have to visit Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Montevideo and still manage to finish 4th or 5th, in my view you at least deserve a shot at qualifying. You guys have that shot as well, you just have to actually take advantage of that opportunity, and win.

[Auxodium]

This showed that we are capable to beat quality opposition and perform well in the world cup. On the confed cup i think that it is good to develop the game, a form of preparing for the world cup. The 1-0 win against Uruguay was the home leg in Melbourne but we lost in a dodgey stadium that is a health risk to it's fans. (built in 1930 and not redeveloped since)

Yes the south americans are quality opposition and well done to Brazil but i think the away leg is quite taxing to the players and officials for Australia as the time difference is extremely different and mucks up the body clock if you are not used to it.

We are a medium fish in a paddle pool and we need to get out of it because it is hampering us developing consistantly.

That shows that we are good enough but we fail at the away leg which we need to work on.

[El_Maestro]

Originally posted by Glorious_Fan
i think the away leg is quite taxing to the players and officials for Australia as the time difference is extremely different and mucks up the body clock if you are not used to it.

You just answered yourself. Of course the away leg is taxing to the Aussies, but so is for the Southamericans when they go to Oceania.

Aussies keep talking about the "terrible" conditions they had to face at Centenario stadium in Montevideo. Don't get me wrong, Uruguay at home is not easy, but is nowhere near as hard as other places. Be thankful you guys didn't have to go to La Paz, Bolivia (3600 metres of altitude).

You can also ask the dozens of Americans and Mexicans posters here in Bigsoccer about the conditions in Central American stadiums. Now that is an experience.

[Auxodium]

Yes good point mate but it is such a shame that FIFA has broken their promise that is what i am annoyed at the most and people who believed they never deserved it. It was to develop the region to one day be as competitive as the others. I remember CONCACAF was increbibly weak and people were saying Mexico were the only power and should join CSF. Well Concacaf is not the strongest but is quite fragile and still needs development like the OFC. This was in the right direction but now the region will stay the same, BACWARDS.