So, I can't understand why my hyperbole is misleading. Actually, you wrote that FIFA accepts the procedure and even the instances of AFC and CONCACAF were accepted with no reserve. Till present, can you state when FIFA rejected a qualification format of a whichever confederation? Just out of curiosity. I mean, I am not a know-it-all, so there are heaps of thing I totally ignore. Obviously, no confederation has ever submitted a crazy, unfair, quirky procedure as it would be against its own interest. OK, somebody could reply that the second round of CONCACAF during the qualification to WC2014 was rather stupid and practically time-wasting featuring scores of meaningless matches between already eliminated teams. It is easier to create a lobby so to expel "undesired" members or to push to obtain priviledged internal qualification zone. While at least one confederation managed to achieve the former, none managed to implement the latter. Anyway, I am curious to see the reaction of FIFA in case of an absurd and/or ridiculous format. Last, having the poorest entrants to play just a pair of matches is not unfair. Imagine the team of a country like Nepal having to play matches all around Asia or Anguilla around CONCACAF: this will lead to immediate withdrawal. It is better to let them taste at least a little of the magic than no magic at all. But this is my personal position.
It should be noted that this is could be first time that all Asian Nations have competed in World Cup qualification (unless a team already in the main draw withdraws) for precisely the reason you allude to. The coast of getting around to play the qualifiers was too much for some small nations.
I certainly can't say they were accepted with no reserve, I don't know. However, your suggestion (one group for San Marino, one group for everybody else) clearly suggests that you think "unfair" suggestions are possible, which I think is misleading. It's always going to be hard with an opaque organisation like FIFA and the confeds to know whether a suggestion has been "rejected", or if confeds just changed their minds. CONCACAF changed their early proposals in 2014, OFC announced an early 2010 idea which got adjusted, and even the AFC had a proposal for 12 teams in the last group stage last time around (rejected by Japan IIRC). Sometimes this might be because of economics, but its certainly possible FIFA "suggests" they change the plan before it gets to the rejection phase. I am pretty sure FIFA would get involved before it got to that stage - but, as you note, it would be against the interests of the confederations anyway so I don't think you'll get the chance. I agree totally with the sentiment. I have no trouble with the qualifications of CONCACAF and AFC this time around. Some of the small guys are going to be eliminated really early (some already have) but they can't afford to finance a fully blown 10-match campaign. But, where this isn't an issue (ie UEFA) I see no reason to try and force little guys out early. It can be a risk though, as the 2006 quals for CAF showed (these were for both WC2006 and ACN2006). A large number of teams were eliminated in the first knock-out round (to leave 30 teams) including number of smaller, but not minnow countries. At least one (IIRC Lesotho) then basically shut down its entire national football operations because they had no competitive games for 4 years. The guy who came up with the format was later quoted as saying it was the dumbest thing he had ever done. J
Back to the action - Leverock is a BIG name in Bermudan sporting history. Some relation to the first goal scorer today maybe. J
Yes, FIFA is sometimes so "opaque" and its longa manus may reach whichever place so it is very difficult to say if something occurred naturally or had been somehow driven. As an Italian (so I can -- unfortunately -- write with some degree of knowledge), I wonder how it happened that Blatter is Swiss: he could be a perfect mafioso ...
Moreover ... 1) I can't say whether AFC rejected the final round formed of 12 teams but I totally approve of it. It was a rather insane idea. The idea of having 2 groups formed of 6 teams is better. However, I would have stuck to the old format (2 groups of 5 teams) as I doubt that adding two more matches to the qualification process of Asian teams will improve their performances. 2) CAF qualification format has always been liable to a certain dose to criticism. However, if a federation chooses to stop its national football operations then there must have been some other troubles around. There are other international continental or local tournaments to which they could have attempted to qualify, I think.
202. U.S. Virgin Islands, who lost 0-4 at home to Barbados. The aggregate was 4-1 with all the goals scored away.
The intent was to get 3 home matches that were reasonably competitive for the cupcakes that had virtually no chance at advancing any further. There were just a number of scenarios that perhaps were expected to play out that didn't (Haiti drawing to Curacao, T&T losing to Berbuda) to give some drama to the final day. Hindsight is 20/20, but they scrapped it this time around, kudos to CONCACAF for trying.
200. Bahamas Bahamas 0-5 Bermuda and Bermuda 3-0 Bahamas were the scores. There will be three more eliminations tonight.
199. and 198. Anguilla and British Virgin Islands The second legs were played at the same time and I don't know which one ended first.
197. Cayman Islands After Belize 0-0 Cayman Islands and Cayman Islands 1-1 Belize, Belize advanced on away goals.
195. Indonesia Indonesia FA suspended by FIFA, The ban means Indonesia will be ineligible to compete in the next round of qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asian Cup, starting on June 11. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/football-fifa-suspends/1882540.html
Well if you believe the musings of UEFA and the States, you would be eliminating about 50 or 60 more federations soon.
195. Indonesia Official now - its no longer a suspension, its disqualification !! http://www.the-afc.com/media-releases/impact-of-football-association-of-indonesia-suspension
That AFC article references a "how to determine the best-second-place team" description. In the five-team group B (in the second example), there are six games won and a net of two games drawn. That's only eight matches. (They do show ten total losses.) I originally noticed that if "Team I" had four losses, then "Team H" had to have at least one win.): http://www.the-afc.com/uploads/afc/files/determination_of_team_rankings.pdf
USA Eastern Time start times for second legs today: Cuba-Curacao at 4:00 P.M. (first leg was 0:0) Belize-Dominican Republic at 6:00 P.M. (Belize won first leg 2:1) Guyana-St. Vincent and the Grenadines at 7:00 P.M. (first leg was 2:2) St. Lucia-Antigua and Barbuda at 7:00 P.M. (Antigua and Barbuda hosts both legs but today counts as St. Lucia's home leg for the purpose of away goals) (St. Lucia won first leg 3:1) Barbados-Aruba at 7:30 P.M. (Barbados won first leg 2:0)
194. Dominican Republic Belize won 3-0 to take it 5-1 on aggregate. My man Deon McCauley with the third goal
192. St. Lucia They blew it by allowing a goal in the 85th minute and 2 goals in stoppage time while down 2 men. The aggregate was Antigua and Barbuda 5:4 St. Lucia. 191. Guyana They played a 4:4 draw hosting St. Vincent and the Grenadines and were eliminated on away goals after the first leg was 2:2. I don't know whether Guyana or St. Lucia was eliminated first.
Wow, just as I was looking at the Regulations (yes, now published) concerning extra time: Section 20: Preliminary draw, format of play and group formation 10. In the knockout format, both teams shall play one home and one away match each, the sequence of which shall be determined by lots drawn by the FIFA Organising Committee. The team having scored most goals over the two games shall qualify for the next round. If both teams score the same number of goals over the two matches, the goals scored away shall be counted as double. If the same number of goals is scored away or both matches end without any goals being scored, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes each shall be played at the end of the second leg. The extra time is an integral part of the second-leg match. Thus, if no goals are scored in extra time, kicks from the penalty mark shall be taken to determine the winner, in accordance with the procedure described in the Laws of the Game. If both teams score the same number of goals in extra time, the visiting team is declared the winner on the basis of away goals counting double.
Antigua and Barbuda-St. Lucia didn't go extra time. 190. Aruba (Barbados won 2:0 at Aruba and 1:0 at home to win the aggregate 3:0) That's all for today. Four of the five CONCACAF teams that advanced had the worse FIFA Ranking used for the draw (which may not be the same as the current FIFA Rankings).