TFC bids for another WC spot

[Elninho]

Originally posted by DoyleG
The only reason you Americans want another spot is for yourselves. You want to cover you @$$es the enxt time you screw up.

At least, by our standards, failing to qualify would be a major screw-up. Can't say the same for Canada...

[SJJ]

Originally posted by Qdog
Asia / CONCACAF top 8 teams:

Korea / Mexico
Japan / USA
Iran / Costa Rica
Saudi Arabia / Honduras
China / T & T
UAE / Jamaica
Iraq / Guatamala
Thailand / Canada

Some interesting matchups, just taking 1 through 8 of both confederations and matching them up.

To put the numbers with them, here are the matchups with overall ranking, and ranking points (I know, I know, if you beleive in the ranking point system in the first place)...

(22, Korea Republic, 663) - (6, Mexico, 733)
(23, Japan, 658) - (9, United States, 714)
(33, Iran, 633) - (25, Costa Rica, 655)
(36, Saudi Arabia, 620) - (38, Honduras, 615)
(51, China PR, 546) - (42, Trinidad and Tobago, 591)
(58, United Arab Emirates, 526) - (57, Jamaica, 527)
(60, Iraq, 525) - (68, Guatemala, 508)
(63, Thailand, 520) - (69, Canada, 505)

A set of matchups like these would be interesting to schedule, on an international-friendly day in the coordinated calendar.

(Below the top two matchups, Thailand-Canada and UAE-Jamaica may be the best of the last six.)

[photar74]

Originally posted by DoyleG

The only reason you Americans want another spot is for yourselves. You want to cover you @$$es the enxt time you screw up.

Frrankly, this is just crap. The reason Americans want another 0.5 space is becuase:

1. CONCACAF has earned it over the past two (five) WCs.

2. Becuase having more than just a tough Costa Rica team would show Europeans where CONCACAF really is at.

3, Because 3.5 spaces for CONCACAF means an octagonal rather than a hexagonal, which means a real North American championship. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND COULD IGNORE THE QUALITY OF A CONCACAF OCTAGONAL.

As an American who "predicted" that the USA would (the prediction was that the USA could reach the quarters, and it was a prediction from '00) reach the quarters, I am not in the slightest worried about the USA qualifying for '06, be it 3.0 or 3.5 spaces for CONCACAF. As a Canadian, why on earth on are you opposed to it?

[Captain Canuck]

Originally posted by photar74


Frrankly, this is just crap. The reason Americans want another 0.5 space is becuase:

1. CONCACAF has earned it over the past two (five) WCs.

2. Becuase having more than just a tough Costa Rica team would show Europeans where CONCACAF really is at.

3, Because 3.5 spaces for CONCACAF means an octagonal rather than a hexagonal, which means a real North American championship. NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND COULD IGNORE THE QUALITY OF A CONCACAF OCTAGONAL.

As an American who "predicted" that the USA would (the prediction was that the USA could reach the quarters, and it was a prediction from '00) reach the quarters, I am not in the slightest worried about the USA qualifying for '06, be it 3.0 or 3.5 spaces for CONCACAF. As a Canadian, why on earth on are you opposed to it?

Good question & good points. On behalf of all the Canadians on this board who do not wish to be associated with DoyleG's posts & arguments (which frankly is most, if not all of us outside of Doyle) let me say that most of us want & believe Concacaf deserves at least a half spot, if not a full one. And most of us would love an Octagonal as opposed to a hexagonal. Most of all I would like to get rid of those two-game home & home series to get into the semi's, as I think they are ridiculous.

[Qdog]

Originally posted by Captain Canuck


Good question & good points. On behalf of all the Canadians on this board who do not wish to be associated with DoyleG's posts & arguments (which frankly is most, if not all of us outside of Doyle) let me say that most of us want & believe Concacaf deserves at least a half spot, if not a full one. And most of us would love an Octagonal as opposed to a hexagonal. Most of all I would like to get rid of those two-game home & home series to get into the semi's, as I think they are ridiculous.

I guess that about says it all. Now let's hope Warner has what it takes to get it done.

[sidspaceman]

I would not put much faith in Warner.

[SJJ]

Originally posted by Captain Canuck
And most of us would love an Octagonal as opposed to a hexagonal. Most of all I would like to get rid of those two-game home & home series to get into the semi's, as I think they are ridiculous.

First of all, I would prefer the Hexa to the Octo. It's playable in a single calendar year. Fourteen games (the Octo) is too long. I would take two four-team groups. I consider the Hexa to be the compromise between two groups and one 8-team group.

Second, the thing I consider ridiculous about qualifying are the byes into rounds 2 and 3. I prefer that all teams play knock-out rounds to get to the final 6 or 8.

[deejay]

Originally posted by SJJ


First of all, I would prefer the Hexa to the Octo. It's playable in a single calendar year. Fourteen games (the Octo) is too long. I would take two four-team groups. I consider the Hexa to be the compromise between two groups and one 8-team group.

Second, the thing I consider ridiculous about qualifying are the byes into rounds 2 and 3. I prefer that all teams play knock-out rounds to get to the final 6 or 8.

Two four team groups would be best. But the most important thing is that eight teams have a chance to compete. Last year was pretty competitive and it would have been more competitive if Guatemala had made it. Considering how much the Canadians are improving I think it's very important that eight teams have a chance to the final.

[Captain Canuck]

My main concern with the Hex is that its out-of-date. Concacaf no longer has 6 or less quality teams that would justify having 6 teams battling it out for an entire year while the rest of the region sits and watch. Especially when you could easily have a semi-final group featuring 3 teams capable of making it to the World Cup, with only 2 advancing to the final round of qualifying.

If playing too many games is a concern go with 2 groups of 4 instead of 1 group of 8. Expand the semi-final round if need be to include a larger margin of error, but please get rid of the home & home series to get into the semi's so that teams are not eliminated two years before the World Cup is even played due to a flukey goal in the rain. Those home & home's only serve to provide the minnows a greater chance of knocking off the giants in a fluke - flukes are more likely to happen in a 2 game series than if a team has to play 4 or 6 games to qualify. I'm all for reducing the fluke factor & increasing the corresponding margin of error.

[photar74]

Originally posted by Tick


I see AFC's bottom end at 3.5 spots, not 4.5. Honestly, I don't think they deserve any more than 3, but I know they won't go that far down.

AFC's lowest possible allocation amount is something of a mystery. It will be interesting to see what other confederations view their current amount as--3.5, 4.0, or 4.5.

My basic point is that the AFC has no chance of getting 5.0--and I'm not going to you the same old, worn out "performance on the field" tripe we usually see on this board. They simply don't have many friends left in FIFA, starting with the boycott threat, the ticket fiasco, the double hosting gift, the refereeing problems, etc. Who on Earth can they rely on for support of another allocation increase? Even the African challenger to Blatter didn't want to give AFC 5.0.

UEFA and Blatter's CAF friends are the only possible rays of hope the for AFC when it comes to achieving 5.0, and its not clear at all if even these factions would support them. Further, CONCACAF, OFC, CONMEBOL and most of CAF are completely opposed to any such increase for AFC.

I stand by my earlier prediction:

UEFA: 13.5 + Germany
CAF: 5.0
AFC: 4.5
CONMEBOL: 4.0
CONCACAF: 3.0
OFC: 1.0

[deejay]

I predict:


UEFA: 13.5 + Germany
CAF: 5.0
AFC: 4
CONMEBOL: 4.5
CONCACAF: 3.0
OFC: 1.0

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by DoyleG




The only reason you Americans want another spot is for yourselves. You want to cover you @$$es the enxt time you screw up.



Seriously Doyle, don't post. You just end up looking like an idiot. Even your own countrymen don't want to be associated with you. I don't blame them either. I've never encountered a Canadian with as big of an inferiority complex as you. When running footie smack about another country generally the said country should be better than the country you're running smack about.

[prk166]

Originally posted by sidspaceman
I would not put much faith in Warner.

I would for certain things. Like being a good lil' minion to Sepp Blatter & making sure to reward his psychophants in all sorts of creative ways. Just look at the ways he's pissed away confed money in T&T for the recent tournie they hosted. Classic. Too bad it also means all that money could be going toward improving the game in the region, helping poor countries like Haiti or Belize have their youth teams to more tournaments, et al.

[DoyleG]

Originally posted by Crazy_Yank

Seriously Doyle, don't post. You just end up looking like an idiot. Even your own countrymen don't want to be associated with you. I don't blame them either. I've never encountered a Canadian with as big of an inferiority complex as you. When running footie smack about another country generally the said country should be better than the country you're running smack about.

Give it up Yank!

The only reason you guys are having this thread is beacuse your dear little American team got to the Quaterfinals. If the Americans didn't make it as far, you wouldn't be having this discussion.

As for my fellow countrymen, I can say whatever I want. A bunch of posters from TO don't reperesent Canada.

As for egos. I've seen American ones. They just make me sick.

[Fulham9]

Originally posted by DoyleG

As for egos. I've seen American ones. They just make me sick.


Ha ha ha. You're always good for a laugh.

[Pirrip]

Originally posted by Crazy_Yank

When running footie smack about another country generally the said country should be better than the country you're running smack about.

Most of the smack on this site is Americans talking footie smack to their superiors Crazy-Yank. Don't be setting the bar too high now, or the site will die since the only think even remotely intresting on the site is the footie smack. Lord knows it isn't the endless "some second rate Yank to a real soccer club" threads that spring up every day.

[Qdog]

Originally posted by DoyleG


Give it up Yank!

The only reason you guys are having this thread is beacuse your dear little American team got to the Quaterfinals. If the Americans didn't make it as far, you wouldn't be having this discussion.

As for my fellow countrymen, I can say whatever I want. A bunch of posters from TO don't reperesent Canada.

As for egos. I've seen American ones. They just make me sick.

You might want to look up some posts of the starter of the thread. If you can become just a little more open minded you will discover he is a Mexico fan. And please, say what you want. Your postings reminds me of a good Three Stooges movie.

[desertfox2]

Originally posted by fuzzyBunny
Or a mini preWorld Cup of the half-slots. Final 2 of 4 (or 3 of 6) goto the worldCup.

2002 would have seen something like this:

Ireland
Iran
Hondurus
Australia
Paraguay
New Zealand(???)

Actually, right after the 2002 World Cup was over, I had posted something very similiar to this idea in many boards, but nobody responded with any thoughts. I agree this is the way to go. Each confederation should have a certain amount of spots and then a half of a spot. It would look something like this:

CONMEBOL: 4 1/2
OFC: 1/2
AFC: 3 1/2
UEFA: 14 1/2
CONCACAF: 3 1/2
CAF: 4 1/2
(Wishful thinking as this probably won't happen)

All of the half of a spot teams would form a group of 6, with the top 3 qualifying for the World Cup Finals. And as someone posted earlier, it should be staged at a neutral site like Germany, since they are hosting the event. It would take about 2 weeks to complete and it would be at the end of qualification.

I think that this inter-regional action would be very exciting and would make things very fair amoung the teams involved. There would be no more playoff home-and-home series which I think is so wrong, as a group stage gives all the teams in the group a much fairer chance to qualify. This would also solve the current OFC situation. Australia has been complaining about the playoffs, yet giving them an auto berth is just wrong as they really have not proven themselves and their zone is weak. With this format, Australia would get to play 5 matches (as it would be a single round robin schedule) which would give them a much fairer chance to qualify, and the rest of the world be happy as well cause they would get to play quality teams before qualifying if they do.

Now, I realize this will never happen for the 2006 World Cup as FIFA has their own plans (I had even thought about e-mailing FIFA about my idea, but I knew it would be immediately shut down). However, I believe this would be a great idea for the 2010 World Cup. If any of you have any thoughts about this please respond in this thread.

[photar74]

Originally posted by desertfox2
If any of you have any thoughts about this please respond in this thread.

If you are interested, please check my thoughts on page three of this thread. In addition to those, here ae some more:

FIFA wants to keep growing the game. Since there really is no realistic way to expand the WC beyond 32 teams, I really wouldn't be surprised to see a playoff of the sort you describe, only bigger. Turning more of the qualifiers into interconfederational matches might be the only way to expand.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if, one day, the WC is expanded to the following format:

-32 team finals,
-23 auto qualifiers + 1 host
-16 teams, drawn into four groups, play for the final eight spots. Groups are round robin, they are played the November (or maybe the March) before the finals, and they are played in the host country. Top two from each group advance to the finals.

This would bring FIFA 10 times the money than all the confed cups ever held, combined. It would also allow 40 teams into the WC. Hell, one day it could even expand to 24 teams, perhaps.

[Crazy_Yank]

Originally posted by Pirrip


Most of the smack on this site is Americans talking footie smack to their superiors Crazy-Yank. Don't be setting the bar too high now, or the site will die since the only think even remotely intresting on the site is the footie smack. Lord knows it isn't the endless "some second rate Yank to a real soccer club" threads that spring up every day.


Which "superiors" do we run smack on?