[VioletCrown]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showt...?threadid=7521

While I'd like to see CONCACAF get a full fourth spot, I think this is a very good solution for both Oceania and CONCACAF. If Australia/NZ can't beat CONCACAF's #4, they they *really* don't deserve to be there!

[GersMan]

The half spots are a copout. FIFA should just put Oceania in there:

host - 1
Oceania 1
CONCACAF 3
CONMEBOL 4
CAF 5
AFC 4
UEFA 14

possible modification, have the extra 2nd place team from UEFA (team 14) playoff with the 5th placed CONMEBOL team. No more playoffs for the less successful feds.

[eldiablito]

Actually, I think it's premature to suggest a play-off between Oceania and Concacaf. It might be more fair, but it's still premature.

What really irks me is Asia demanding 5 slots, based on Korea's "performance" and Japan making the final 16. Excuse me, isn't somebody forgetting about China and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest embarassments at a world cup in quite some time?

I understand the rationale: if you ask for one additional spot, you might get a 1/2 berth. Therefore Asia's fifth place team could play Oceania's winner, which would be much nicer for Oceania (IMO) than playing CONCACAF's 4th place team.

So I could foresee FIFA dismissing TFC's suggestion for a play-off as not serious.

[Postmaster]

http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/0814/1417788.html

'FIFA president Sepp Blatter spoke Wednesday in favor of giving an additional World Cup soccer berth to Asia and an automatic bid for a country from the Oceania region.'

I don't like the additional Asian slot or the automatic for Oceania, but it's hard to imagine Blatter will lose on this.


I'm moving to Antarctica, starting a federation, and a team. The hard part is deciding what position I'd like to play at the World Cup!

[thurd]

Originally posted by Postmaster
http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/0814/1417788.html

'FIFA president Sepp Blatter spoke Wednesday in favor of giving an additional World Cup soccer berth to Asia and an automatic bid for a country from the Oceania region.'

I don't like the adddional Asian slot or the automatic for Oceania, but it's hard to imagine Blatter will lose on this.


I'm moving to Antactica, starting a federation, and a team. The hard part is deciding what position I'd like to play at the World Cup!

wow, imgaine your homefield advantage there? lol

[kasai]

More than likely Oceania will get its full spot. The other half spot left will likely go to the AFC to give them 5 full spots. I don't see the CONCACF getting 3 1/2 spots because the AFC is a much larger confederation population vise and FIFA has more potential for making money in China than they do in Honduras.

[Newman]

Funny how Concacaf gets fewer spots than Africa and Asia when more concacaf teams have made the second round over the last 5 cups.

Asia deserves three spots, tops.

[Stogey23]

And we have two teams in the top ten.

[M]

Originally posted by Stogey23
And we have two teams in the top ten.

True, but not particularly interesting in deciding whether CONCACAF warrants another spot. The judgement that needs to be made is whether, for example, a fourth CONCACAF team would be stronger than an Oceania team or fifth Asian team etc.

[Jasonma]

Originally posted by M


True, but not particularly interesting in deciding whether CONCACAF warrants another spot. The judgement that needs to be made is whether, for example, a fourth CONCACAF team would be stronger than an Oceania team or fifth Asian team etc.

I'm pretty sure that Honduras could have beaten China or Saudia Arabia, much less the 5th place team from AFC. Not to mention Australia...