Let's join Asian confederation, says Aussie boss Farina

[babytiger2001]

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,6675312-23209,00.html

Excerpt (with solid opinion held by Australia coach Frank Farina):


FIFA decided in December last year to grant Oceania a direct passage to the World Cup finals, with FIFA president Sepp Blatter promising the deal during his election campaign last year.

But a FIFA executive meeting in Paris on Saturday (AEST) decided to reverse the decision.

Blatter, who was re-elected last year with Oceania's support, has still to table a plan as to how Oceania will be able to qualify for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Farina said the decision was a huge setback for Australian soccer and said the Oceania confederation, of which Australia is a part, may as well be scrapped.

He said it would be better for Australia to be part of the Asian confederation because Oceania got no respect from FIFA.

"What's the point of having an Oceania confederation?

"They've got no respect for the region. So why do we bother wasting money investing in upgrading facilities throughout the region when we have next to no chance of ever earning the right to play on the game's biggest stage," Farina said.

"Clearly this latest FIFA backflip gives countries in our region no incentive to take the game forward."

Clearly, it would seem like the next logical step-- and quite a pro-active one, at that.

FIFA, due to the fact that their influences in other regions of the world are greater than where their interests lie in Australia and New Zealand and throughout the Oceania region as a whole, cannot possibly allow the game to grow in Oceania by natural means, so why not have a merger between the Asian confederation and the OFC?

Thoughts, opinions?

[Crazy_Yank]

This would be a very good thing, but I'm sure the AFC would be against it. Australia would benefit the most because they'd have some half way decent sides to play against. It would make the AFC stronger by adding two decent sides in both the Aussies and New Zealand.

[Auxodium]

Fiji is a good side! :P Yes Lez Murray (Uncle Lez to the football loyals) and our Johnny Warren have suggested that if we merge the OFC with the AFC and the half spot should make a half spot in the AFC a full 5th spot. That would make the new combine region a strong one.

I believe it should be called the AOUFC or AOFC
Asia-Oceania-UNITED-Football-Confederation.

The UNITED would symbolise the unity between the federations and the way they united.

[gt76]

I think it would be best to keep AFC and OFC two different confederations, like they are now, and only merge the WC Qualifying... for example let's say 4 teams from OFC (Australia,New Zealand and the 2 best teams from the rest of the Oceania, decided on a preliminary round) could be included in the 2nd stage of OFC qualifying and compete with the Asian teams for 5 full places in the WC. I really hope some format like this will be introduced already for the Qual. to WC06.

[Chicago76]

CONCACAF land, I would tend to agree that qualifying between Asia and Oceania should be merged. Instead of 2 groups of 5, grant NZ and OZ passage into a 4 team Oceania final round. There would be two groups of 4 in the prelims, hypothetically, Fiji and Tahiti or the Solomon Islands would advance to the final group of 4 with the other two. Make Oz play in NZ and vice versa so there would be no "home field" advantage. The top two would feed into Asia. One team in each of Asia Final Groups, A and B. The drawback would be getting the talent in Europe east 12 times to play a proper hex. Asia/Oceania get 4 places in the WC finals, with Oceania getting the possibility of as many as 2 teams through to the finals.

The two final groups could be something like:

Japan
Iran
China
Thailand
Qatar
NZ/Australia

Korea
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
UAE
Jordan
NZ/ Australia

There is a much better chance of placing one team through to the finals this way than as the system currently stands.

Once Asia tanks in Europe in '06, I think this has a better chance of ocurring.

[beachesl]

Turn OFC into Outlaw Football Conference, and move Israel, Kazhakstan, Cuba, Liberia and any other unwanted countries into it.

[Auxodium]

Originally posted by Chicago76
CONCACAF land, I would tend to agree that qualifying between Asia and Oceania should be merged. Instead of 2 groups of 5, grant NZ and OZ passage into a 4 team Oceania final round. There would be two groups of 4 in the prelims, hypothetically, Fiji and Tahiti or the Solomon Islands would advance to the final group of 4 with the other two. Make Oz play in NZ and vice versa so there would be no "home field" advantage. The top two would feed into Asia. One team in each of Asia Final Groups, A and B. The drawback would be getting the talent in Europe east 12 times to play a proper hex. Asia/Oceania get 4 places in the WC finals, with Oceania getting the possibility of as many as 2 teams through to the finals.

The two final groups could be something like:

Japan
Iran
China
Thailand
Qatar
NZ/Australia

Korea
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
UAE
Jordan
NZ/ Australia

There is a much better chance of placing one team through to the finals this way than as the system currently stands.

Once Asia tanks in Europe in '06, I think this has a better chance of ocurring.

Yes i like your idea.
Have normal OFC qualifiers, they play the Socceroos or the All Whites and then have the winner of Oceania play in group a in asia and runners up in group b. Yes that would work out if we want to tap into asia and asia into Australia & New Zealand.
We will not have any problem getting our full strength squad to play for us as Harry Kewell's new contract has a clause in it saying he will be available at any game, any team. So do the other players.