CONCACAF to change WC qualifying format?

[OBartleby]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
One thing that needs to be considered is that when this team (the USA) has to get results, they generally do the job that is required no matter the situation..

If the situation arises that we do indeed draw either Haiti or Cuba in the first round, Bruce Arena will have our team ready to play.. But in all likelyhood, we will draw someone like Puerto Rico or Antigua and wax them with our "D" team should it be necessary...
Great point. Also, when you consider that the second round 2-game home and away series will take place in June, we will have our best European-based players at our disposal. Sure, there'll be some MLS call-ups (as well as some obligatory moaning from certain MLS coaches), but the US Nats that take the field in June will be a seasoned and talented team who, at worst, will have to face Cuba or Haiti. Sure, there's always the possibilty of an upset, but it is rather remote.

I would like to see the teams that made it to the hex last time run up the scores against these Carribean nations, as an emphatic gesture, "See, this is what your attempts at 'fairness' have accomplished. Next time, give the hex teams a bye to the semi-final round and let the minnows slog it out in the first two rounds." Imagine if the USA drew a Montserrat in the second round. It might get ugly, a la Australia v. American Samoa in the last qualifying campaign.....

[Lanky134]

Originally posted by OBartleby
Great point. Also, when you consider that the second round 2-game home and away series will take place in June, we will have our best European-based players at our disposal. Sure, there'll be some MLS call-ups (as well as some obligatory moaning from certain MLS coaches), but the US Nats that take the field in June will be a seasoned and talented team who, at worst, will have to face Cuba or Haiti.

The release said that all the dates for qualifying will be on scheduled FIFA international dates, so that shouldn't be a problem anyway, though I can understand if Bruce maybe not wanting to call in some of the big names because of either:

a). They're coming off a long season in Europe (the June dates)
b). They're not needed against minnows and he could use the opportunity to try out some untested players
c). He wants to maintain a good relationship with a club manager (taking, say, Beasley instead of Lewis)
d). Julie Foudy is now telling Bruce who to select for the men's team, and she's acting out her oft-stated goal to destroy men's soccer in this country. :)

[OBartleby]

IIRC, Antigua and Barbuda had been disqualified from participating this time around, but I see their name is back in the pot, at the expense of Puerto Rico. I'm curious: Did PR get dropped because they are a USA Protectorate (a la, Saint-Martin and Sint Maarteen are protectorates of other countries and don't participate in WC Qualifying)? If they did get dropped for this reason, I'm curious if anyone knows what reason was given why Antigua & Barbuda's sins were absolved....

[voros]

Originally posted by StymieG
Group B
Mexico/Anguilla/USVI
Please, please, please give this draw that you gave to Mexico to us.

This draw above would be a score of 15 or more to nothing for Mexico regardless of which team won the first. They are probably the two worst teams in the draw.

[ThreeApples]

Originally posted by OBartleby
IIRC, Antigua and Barbuda had been disqualified from participating this time around, but I see their name is back in the pot, at the expense of Puerto Rico. I'm curious: Did PR get dropped because they are a USA Protectorate (a la, Saint-Martin and Sint Maarteen are protectorates of other countries and don't participate in WC Qualifying)? If they did get dropped for this reason, I'm curious if anyone knows what reason was given why Antigua & Barbuda's sins were absolved....

It was posted on CONCACAF's site a few weeks ago that Antigua & Barbuda were reinstated. I don't know about Puerto Rico--they also dropped out of Olympic qualifying. They probably just have a federation that can't get it together and field a team. It's not because PR is not a sovereign nation--many of the Caribbean CONCACAF members are colonies--Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Aruba, USVI, etc. The French departments such as Martinique and Saint-Martin are not FIFA members because France counts them part of the nation of France, not colonies, analagous to how Hawaii is part of the USA. I believe Sint Maarten is considered part of the Netherlands Antilles for FIFA purposes.

[Brownswan]

No matter what, things could be worse.

A few Cups ago, after CONCACAF's quota was raised to 3, there was a rumor that the Carib countries would push for a drastic change in selection: a playoff for the Carib representative to the World Cup, another for the Central American rep, and a third among Canada, Mexico and the USA for the N.American rep.

I don't think this ever came to a vote (do CONCACAF feds ever really vote on anything?),
but I'm surprised the numerous votes from the Carib countries couldn't pull off this stunt.

Evidently it looked like a poor procedure to a majority of the confederation, from islands to the continent.

[OBartleby]

Originally posted by Noah Elliott
It was posted on CONCACAF's site a few weeks ago that Antigua & Barbuda were reinstated. I don't know about Puerto Rico--they also dropped out of Olympic qualifying. They probably just have a federation that can't get it together and field a team. It's not because PR is not a sovereign nation--many of the Caribbean CONCACAF members are colonies--Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Aruba, USVI, etc. The French departments such as Martinique and Saint-Martin are not FIFA members because France counts them part of the nation of France, not colonies, analagous to how Hawaii is part of the USA. I believe Sint Maarten is considered part of the Netherlands Antilles for FIFA purposes.
Thanks for the info, Noah. I hadn't seen that story on the Concacaf site.

[OBartleby]

Originally posted by Brownswan
No matter what, things could be worse.

A few Cups ago, after CONCACAF's quota was raised to 3, there was a rumor that the Carib countries would push for a drastic change in selection: a playoff for the Carib representative to the World Cup, another for the Central American rep, and a third among Canada, Mexico and the USA for the N.American rep.

I don't think this ever came to a vote (do CONCACAF feds ever really vote on anything?),
but I'm surprised the numerous votes from the Carib countries couldn't pull off this stunt.

Evidently it looked like a poor procedure to a majority of the confederation, from islands to the continent.
That has to be one of the most patently ridiculous plans I've ever heard for deciding who from the confederation would advance to the WC. Even Sepp Blatter, in all of his crapitude, would never allow such a silly plan to transpire. FIFA, afterall, does have to give the stamp of approval for any changes in qualifying formats.

[superdave]

Originally posted by Brownswan
A few Cups ago, after CONCACAF's quota was raised to 3, there was a rumor that the Carib countries would push for a drastic change in selection: a playoff for the Carib representative to the World Cup, another for the Central American rep, and a third among Canada, Mexico and the USA for the N.American rep.
Just thought I'd highlight the only meaningful word in the thread.