Continental Tourney Winners should recieve automatic WC bids

[DutchFootballRulez]

I think that since the WC winner no longer has an automatic birth that the EURO winner, Asian Nations, African Nations, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, and Oceania Cup winners should get automatic births.

In cases like the Concacaf an other Confederations were the tournament is played 2 within 4 years the winners from the 2 years should play each other in a home-away 2 leg or neutral stadium for the 1 Auto Bid per Confederation. And as such WC Qualifying is shortened also allowing for either

A ) Less WC Qualifying matches
B. ) More Teams added to the WC Final 32 to 36 or 40?

Anyway its just a random thought from a not so random person.

[themodelcitizen]

The continental tournaments remain a completely separate entity from the World Cup. The two don't belong together, both are given more prestige when they both have full qualifying rounds.

Also makes it that much more difficult to "do the double" of the World Cup and continental championship in succession (a la France).

[Beakmon FC]

Originally posted by DutchFootballRulez
I think that since the WC winner no longer has an automatic birth that the EURO winner, Asian Nations, African Nations, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, and Oceania Cup winners should get automatic births.

In cases like the Concacaf an other Confederations were the tournament is played 2 within 4 years the winners from the 2 years should play each other in a home-away 2 leg or neutral stadium for the 1 Auto Bid per Confederation. And as such WC Qualifying is shortened also allowing for either

A ) Less WC Qualifying matches
B. ) More Teams added to the WC Final 32 to 36 or 40?

Anyway its just a random thought from a not so random person.

Doesn't the defendeing WC champion have to qualify? I know France was exempt, but I recall hearing that might be changed............

[AvidSinger]

Originally posted by Beakmon FC
Doesn't the defendeing WC champion have to qualify? I know France was exempt, but I recall hearing that might be changed............ Brazil will now be the first WC champ to have to go through qualifiers.

[DutchFootballRulez]

Originally posted by Scott Ferguson
The continental tournaments remain a completely separate entity from the World Cup. The two don't belong together, both are given more prestige when they both have full qualifying rounds.

Also makes it that much more difficult to "do the double" of the World Cup and continental championship in succession (a la France).

I think they do belong together. I'll use the current examples. Say the USA wins the 2005 Gold Cup, then Mexico and the USA play for the automatic bid. Whomever loses the play off recieves advanced placement in WC Qualifying. If you want Continental Tournaments to maintain prestige don't Invite so many teams. Is the US invited to the next Copa America?

Or say Holland and Italy clash in the EURO and Holland pulls it out. Then HOLLAND is in the WC. No more WCQ for them. And as such, the clubs with Dutch players won'tlose them for WCQ matches. Italy would probably recieve Advanced Qualifying Placement. Because the EURO is every 4 years.

Also this keeps more Club Managers from B*tching about extra FIFA tourneys (Confed Cup, Club Word Champs)

[jd2084]

This is an interesting thought, but whose to say that at the time of the world cup the team that won a conferderation championship is still worthy of going?

Imagine the upcoming Asian cup this year. It's 2003, how does the quality of a team in 2003 compare with it's quality in 2006? Sometimes not very well.

Just a thought.

[DutchFootballRulez]

But what Nation can go from Best in the Continent to not worth a Spot in 3 years? No country good enough to win the Continental Tourney can get that BAD in 2-3 years.

In Asia. what Nation will unseat Japan or South Korea? I'm not saying It can't happen But what it means is that. You call up your best players like for WC Qualifying, and they win the Asian Nations Cup and as such you don't have to qualify till the Next ANC or the WC.

This plan is Perfect for the Euro. France deserved to go to the WC 2002, they just played like Crap when they got there.

For the Gold Cup, the US Won't be playing Mexico in WCQ unless the US wins the 05 Gold Cup. It keeps Club Football intact. So a team Like HOLLAND or Ireland have a better chance of getting in. Because France or whomever wins the Euro is removed from the WCQ equation. I can't see how this is a bad idea? Of course I'm the one who brought it up (again?)

[DominicFromCanada]

Originally posted by DutchFootballRulez
But what Nation can go from Best in the Continent to not worth a Spot in 3 years?

Hmmmm, Canada??

Ok, now you'll tell me that other teams didn't have their best teams, I agree, BUT they still did it!

[DutchFootballRulez]

I'd also say Trinidad & Tobago, but they never won a Gold Cup. But the problems w/ Canada and T & T is not scheduling its internal management/coaching and call ups. I think Canada would be helped by this. Best players are called up for Gold Cup 2005 and they make a run and finally unseat Mexico. Also. if Mexico , Costa Rica and/or US is removed from early WCQ stages, Canada stands a better chance as does T & T.

[nicodemus]

It seems like a pretty horrible idea to me. In the case of the smaller confeds, the whole tournament lasts about 2 weeks (if that.) You can't award a team a world cup berth for having a short streak of playing well. World Cup qualifying spreads it out over time, which reasonably assumes that the flukes are going to get weeded out and that the cream will rise to the top.

[oakydoaks]

Originally posted by nicodemus
It seems like a pretty horrible idea to me. In the case of the smaller confeds, the whole tournament lasts about 2 weeks (if that.) You can't award a team a world cup berth for having a short streak of playing well. World Cup qualifying spreads it out over time, which reasonably assumes that the flukes are going to get weeded out and that the cream will rise to the top.

On the other hand, the continental tournament just got very interesting...

[DutchFootballRulez]

What Smaller Confeds? Concacaf? Oceania? Asia?

Theoretically with my idea, Oceania gets an automatic bid. But WC Qualifying stays mostly the same. I've said nothing about restructuring. There's really only one SMALL Confed, Oceania. Africa is huge, Asia is about the same size as Concacaf. Confed size has nothing to do w/ it. If you are good enough to win your Confed title, why qualify amongst the same teams again? It dilutes the World Cup. Having to qualify. Smaller Confeds play the Continental title more than once in 4 years (Gold Cup 03 and 05) Which means the Winner must still prove themselves against the Former winner.

The Euro is every 4 years because UEFA is a huge Confederation, but the Euro Winner should not have to go through WCQ because it just Elongates the process (2 extra matches per team per group per stage, until knockout)

You can't win the EURO on a Fluke. You can't win Concacaf on a Fluke. You can't win a tourney larger than 3-4 teams on a Fluke. Especially when Managers get to call up players.

[comme]

Well Denmark were not good enough to qualify for Euro 92 or WC 90 or 94, but were able to win the european championships in 92. Holland the 88 champions had not been at WC 86 and Czechoslovakia the 76 champions had not been present at 74 or 78.