FIFA changes qualifying plans again

[Bird]

So, apparently, the bribes from CONMEBOL came in on time.

FIFA will limit the '06 WC field to 32 teams. And, more importantly, they took a half-place away from Oceania and awarded it to CONMEBOL. Details are here. (http://www.fifa.com/en/display/mrel,70479.html)

The final distribution of places for the 2006 Cup is as follows:

Europe (14)
Asia (4.5)
South America (4.5)
Africa (5)
North, Central America and Caribbean (3.5)
Oceania (0.5)

It's not clear to me whether this mean the CONMEBOL "half" will play the Oceania "half" automatically or whether there's still a chance that CONCACAF might have to battle CONMEBOL to get in.

Any way you slice it, however, it's good to see CONCACAF end up with an extra "half."

[CrazyDCFan]

Wow, this is really going to piss the oceania people off, an automatic berth slipped right through their fingers. Not that I don't somewhat agree with it.

[o_l_coach]

From Football365.co.uk

"As with previous years, the winner of the Oceania qualifying group will have to play off against a South American country for a place in the finals."

http://www.football365.co.uk/All_News/Breaking_News/story_72193.shtml

So the .5 matches are:

Oceania # 1 v. South America #5
North America #5 v. Asia #5.

[Bird]

Thanks for finding that. Minor correction:

North, Central America and Caribbean #4 v. Asia #5

[copaantl98]

FIFA can't make up their minds for crap.

[Red Card]

Expect a mini-WCQ round of 4 held in Oceania (ie Australia), involving #5 Conmebol, #4 Concacaf, #5 AFC, and #1 Oceania. Top 2 advance to WC. This is what Oceania will propose and may get. With home advantage Oceania should make it.

[St. Patrick]

Originally posted by Red Card
Expect a mini-WCQ round of 4 held in Oceania (ie Australia), involving #5 Conmebol, #4 Concacaf, #5 AFC, and #1 Oceania. Top 2 advance to WC. This is what Oceania will propose and may get. With home advantage Oceania should make it.

I support the group play idea for the last two spots, but if that won't work out, I'd propose home/homes for the four based on FIFA ranking (or some other objective criteria) with 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3.

[dabes2]

Does anyone else find Asia's half spot for a fifth team to be insane?

[MIGkiller]

Originally posted by dabes2
Does anyone else find Asia's half spot for a fifth team to be insane?

Yes. Me. ;)

[Rocket]

Originally posted by dabes2
Does anyone else find Asia's half spot for a fifth team to be insane?
No more so than letting Africa have 5 full spots. At both WC 1998 and WC 2002, only 1 of Africa's 5 teams made it past the 1st round.

[GIO17]

The reason Oceania lost their full spot and got stripped by a half, is because the South American Confederation are the biggest whinners in world football.

They couldn't get their extra 4 team group added so for FIFA to please them they got their 1/2 spot back.

There was respect from my end, but no more. CONMEBOL are a sad and immature confederation because they wanted to face a weak sided Oceania for 5 spots.

CONCACAF & Asia will fight for a spot, but South America I turn away and say here's your cleanex tissues. Go and cry as much as you want too ya big babies.

[profiled]

Originally posted by GIO17
The reason Oceania lost their full spot and got stripped by a half, is because the South American Confederation are the biggest whinners in world football.

They couldn't get their extra 4 team group added so for FIFA to please them they got their 1/2 spot back.

There was respect from my end, but no more. CONMEBOL are a sad and immature confederation because they wanted to face a weak sided Oceania for 5 spots.

CONCACAF & Asia will fight for a spot, but South America I turn away and say here's your cleanex tissues. Go and cry as much as you want too ya big babies.

They deserve an extra half spot more then Austraillia or New Zealand do, whiners or not.

They should take a half a spot away from Asia or Africa before South America.

[Red Card]

Originally posted by GIO17
but South America I turn away and say here's your cleanex tissues. Go and cry as much as you want too ya big babies.

If I had a choice of being the federation that WON the most World Cups (Uruguay 2, Argentina 2, Brazil 5) than ANY OTHER federation including Uefa (England 1, France 1, Italy 3, Germany 3) OR having YOUR respect and admiration, I definitely would give up all 9 World Cups to get your respect. But I don't think Conmebol feels that way.

And since CAF, AFC, TFC and Oceania combined have a total of ZERO World Cups, that means that Conmebol has won more than 50% of ALL PREVIOUS WORLD CUPS (9 of 17). If you don't respect that, than what do you respect?

[Alex_1]

Originally posted by GIO17
The reason Oceania lost their full spot and got stripped by a half, is because the South American Confederation are the biggest whinners in world football.

They couldn't get their extra 4 team group added so for FIFA to please them they got their 1/2 spot back.

There was respect from my end, but no more. CONMEBOL are a sad and immature confederation because they wanted to face a weak sided Oceania for 5 spots.

CONCACAF & Asia will fight for a spot, but South America I turn away and say here's your cleanex tissues. Go and cry as much as you want too ya big babies.

Okay, but I don't think South Americans really care if you "turn away from them". They've proven to be amongst the best while Oceana has not.

Why were South Americans so angry. Hmm. Could it be that South America has proven over the decades to be a far better continent of football than Oceana? Could it be that when the last South America/Oceana home-and home ended, it wasn't very close between Uruguay and Australia? Could it be that the 2002 World Cup champion was South American, one of the 1998 teams in the final was South American, the 1994 cup champion was South American etc.

Let's get a little perspective. This was a compromise which basically means that Australia... I mean Oceana has to earn their spot just like the World Champions. Big deal. If they couldn't qualify against the final of Asia or South America, maybe they shouldn't be there.

If you were from South America, how would you see this? Your federation wins the world cup - not only does the defending champion have to qualify this time around, but your federation was also stripped of half a spot! That was absurd.

[nadpolice9]

i dont see the big deal with complaining about asia's 4.5 spots. we (concacaf) now have 3.5, and when we play in the world cup, we will destroy those ****************** teams they put in the world cup, like saudi arabia or china. korea and japan are solid teams though.

[RoverMax]

Originally posted by dabes2
Does anyone else find Asia's half spot for a fifth team to be insane?

I agree. Saudi Arabia and China are both pretty bad and still got in the WC. Pathetic.

[Alex_1]

Originally posted by Alex_1

Let's get a little perspective

I should have followed my own advice. I didn't think about Asia's spots and performances. But at the same time I am honestly not convinced CONMEBOL should have the full 5 spots. CONCACAF is fine at 3.5 now, CAF? I don't know.

[Soccerholic]

I think that Australia and NZ should be put in Asia's group, and Asia be given 5 full spots.

[BenC1357]

There are many flaws in how many teams go to the WC from each confederation....

1) Why in the HELL does OCEANIA exists?!?! What, New Zealand and Austrailia, then who else. I say, screw all this talk about "giving" them a spot in the WC and make them qualify with Asia. You've got two decent teams added to one of the two weakest confederations. Give them 5 spots and see if the OCEANIA teams can hold their own. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this idea, maybe I'm overlooking something. Soccerholic, I was typing as you posted the same idea. :)

2) CONMEBOL should have 5 spots. I'm sorry for those that think they're whinners, and they are, but them and UEFA deserve all the spots they can get.

3) Africa should not get 5, they should get 4.5 at most.

Here's the "Ben World Cup" spot set up:
Host: 1
CONMEBOL: 5
Asia + OCEANIA: 5
CONCACAF: 3.5
Africa: 4.5
UEFA: 15

[imasyko]

Originally posted by BenC1357
There are many flaws in how many teams go to the WC from each confederation....

1) Why in the HELL does OCEANIA exists?!?! What, New Zealand and Austrailia, then who else. I say, screw all this talk about "giving" them a spot in the WC and make them qualify with Asia. You've got two decent teams added to one of the two weakest confederations. Give them 5 spots and see if the OCEANIA teams can hold their own. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this idea, maybe I'm overlooking something. Soccerholic, I was typing as you posted the same idea. :)

2) CONMEBOL should have 5 spots. I'm sorry for those that think they're whinners, and they are, but them and UEFA deserve all the spots they can get.

3) Africa should not get 5, they should get 4.5 at most.

Here's the "Ben World Cup" spot set up:
Host: 1
CONMEBOL: 5
Asia + OCEANIA: 5
CONCACAF: 3.5
Africa: 4.5
UEFA: 15

Of course, this makes too much sense for Blatter/FIFA to understand. It's all politics, but giving Oceania a full slot would mean that Aus. would have a one game playoff for qualification. Ludicrous.