This is something that a lot of my friends and I have argued for a while now. It's probably been talked about before on this forum, but I want to reopen this topic. We'd likely have a system similar to UEFA where you'd have a number of groups with about 6 teams in each. The Top 2 or 3 teams in each group would qualify for the World Cup. However, my other question to you guys is: Will this improve the quality of the teams in CONCACAF or will they be put on the backburner as the South American sides take over the limelight, if any, we had?
if you are going to change something: get the 1/2 spot to a game vs conmebol 5th and concacaf 4th the .5 spot should not have to go as far as oceania or asia!
I could conceive the draw looking something like this 4 groups of 6 (approximately) after weeding out of minnows? 1) Big 4 (Mex, USA, BRA, ARG) 2) WCQ (ECU, PAR, TNT, CRC) 3) close (GUA, PAN, URU COL) 4) SA (CHI, PER, VEN, BOL) 5) semis (JAM, HON, CAN, SLV) 6) rest (SKN, SVG, CUB, HAI) Best 2 in each group qualify or winner qualifies, 2nd place goes in an intercontinental playoff. I think the teams in CONCACAF mentioned above definitely will improve (especially if it is done on a home and away basis). I slightly suspect that we are more likely to see groups hosted on one site (probably the hos's) for logistical reason. One can only wonder what the possibilty of hosting Brazil could do for Kittitian football, even though it might make for an ugly score. On the other hand, the other 30 odd CONCACAF teams that are weeded out beforehand are going to be even further behind the back than before...
Merge CONCACAF and CONMEBOL without Warner/Blazer and Leoz, sans the current FIFA leadership, and it would have an impact. To do it now would have little if any impact on things like distribution of wealth/resources, development, and competitve balance, imv, because the vast majority of efforts and energies would not go into or toward these things, but, rather, toward the consolidation and acquisition of power. The number one question current leadership in both confeds would ask is "Who rules?" They would ask this precisely and exactly b/c they have permanently forgotten the only true answer to that question, and crafted what must be described as a mythology of their own that for some reason we've all bought into - at least bought into it enough that we have the milktoast-to-mendacious/Manichean leadership we have.
My opinion: Like Morado's. I vote no, but won't bother if it happens. Emotional/Personal opinion: HELL NO! lol My country of birth, mi corazon is having enough trouble as it is qualifying, if this happens, hell, I doubt we'll ever make it to the second phase of qualifying.
I would love a move to CONMEBOL for both the US and Mexico to see some world class soccer more often. I have nothing against the Central American countries or the Carribean countries, but the Americans and the Mexicans dont gain anything in playing them anymore. I would much rather see mexico go down to Buenos Aires to see Mexico try to pull down a good result, than play the same minnows and knowing the outcome.
u guys honestly think if Mexico goes to south america they would qualify each time? the reason there is a concacaf is so that Mexico qualifies every world cup... if they were in conmebol which they should be they would be like uruguay or colombia and have to fight for the play off spot.... but Uruguay or Colombia would destroy the play off spot of concacaf... that is why u guys play asia and we play oceania... Colombia or uruguay would do alot better in a world cup than Fiji or New zealand... Costa Rica or Honduras would do 1000x better than Iraq in a WC... what i rather that itd be an AMerican qualifier but it would be awful to fly from colombia to US to qualify... it really would be all about jet lag... to fly from mexico to brazil would suck... thats kind of why the qualifiers should stay the way it is...
All I know is the only teams that have a chance against CONMEBOL teams are USA, Mexico and Costa Rica. I'm not sure about the smaller teams like Guatemala and Panama. But if FIFA decides to do this I wouldn't really care. Mexico, Best Team Ever!
there are really two great teams and 8 ok ones in conmebol but those 8 are better than all ecxept two from concacaf. Im not saying that the US and Mexico are better than those 8 but that they are at least on par. I like mexicos chances against the remaining 8 conmebol teams and when u think about how the seeding would probably go up by at least 3 giving the region at least 7 seeds. Mexico would only have to beat out 3 out of the 8 remaining conmebol teams. Which is very duable. The US on the other hand im not to sure, not because I doubt their quality, but because I havent seen them play Conmebol opposition recently in tournament play (and the recent world cup gives me doubts) . The Americans are a difficult side to beat whent they actually care to play and give some effort I dont see why they arent able to go through. Im also not saying that Mex and the US will make it to every world cup easy, but I would rather play argentina, colombia, brazil, etc... and get great soccer and not qualify than continue to play T&T and Costa Rica, make it to the cup and do nothing.
I dont outright oppose it but i find the logistics of such a move to be difficult to manage. I have always thought that a better organized CONCACAF is the ideal solution. For example, at the club level creating a legitmate Club Championship backed by TV money and real investment. Internationaly i think the best solution for CONCACAF is to restructure the small island nations into one association. Combine: St. Lucia British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Surinam Aruba Dominica Antigua & Barbuda Netherlands Antilles Montserrat Bermuda Grenada Turks & Caicos Islands US Virgin Islands St. Kitts & Nevis Anguilla into one team called the West Indies or Caribean Islands. This would go far in developing those nations football program by pooling their recources so they can actually compete. It also eliminates the dozens of matches for inital qualifing. Go with a Federation of: USA Mexico Costa Rica Honduras Guatemala El Salvador Panama Canada Jamacia Trinidad and Tobego Caribean Islands Haiti Nicaragua Dominican Rebublic Cuba Belize 16 teams instead of 30. 4 groups of 4 for first phase qualifing top 2 from each compete for WC final round. (give more teams a shot at the WC and to get more games at top levels in the federation)
Belize and Nicaragua are not better than some of those islands you put a part, they need to play early qualification rounds with them
i wouldnt mind if it happened. We should have all the Caribbean islands play a tournament against each other and whoever wins gets a spot on the group stages with the 'weak' teams (Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, etc.) ((OJO, i quoted the word 'weak'. Just so people wont think im trolling)). Then teams that are considered 'weak' should have playoffs to see which one gets to go with Mexico, USA, and Costa Rica to play CONMEBOL teams.
I wouldn't mind unifying with CONMEBOL too much. I don't mind having CONCACAF as it is now, but uniting with CONMEBOL wouldn't drive me crazy.