Agreed - far more likely that FIFA would just make a special January 2022 window for Concacaf and Conmebol.
Colombian media is reporting that coach Queiroz and the Federation are trying to organize a special training camp with just European based players and also trying to play friendlies during the September FIFA break. I am sure other teams with a lot of players to choose from in Europe are considering the same thing. It does put at a disadvantage those teams that have a majority domestic base for their South America squads though.
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia would be able to swing it no problem. Outside of CONMEBOL there are probably some African sides that could too as well as the United States. Interesting to see if friendly matches will be played in September.
Uruguay can also put together a decent squad but not near complete for sure. I would love to see the USA do it. Would be cool to see the African teams do it too.
Uruguay could be about 90% complete by just using UEFA-based players. With the rise of Maxi Gomez, they don't even need Cavani (in case he chooses not to play since he is out-of-contract)
They could host FIFA World Cup qualifiers in a "Bubble" similar to what the NHL and NBA are doing. Set locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia in Oceania where COVID numbers are down without fans in attendance in one stadium. Players during qualifiers maintain that social distancing and players have to be tested. If not, they don't play during the qualifiers. Players on the bench have to wear masks. If you leave the bubble in your location during WCQ and you want to come back into the team, you have to quarantine for 14 days.
Weeks ago it was reported that Nigeria was finalizing 2 friendlies with a South American and African side to be played in Portugal. Now we just played Brazil, and I doubt we would play Argentina again (we've played them many times) So I think it's probably either Colombia or Uruguay. The other Conembol sides likely couldn't make up their squads entirely from Europe. As for African squads that could be entirely euro based you'd be looking at Morocco, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria (Though Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali would struggle to get a euro based goalkeeper, kind of important)
Not sure there is any point in doing the 'bubble' thing when the FIFA breaks are less than 10 days duration. I mean, players are playing for different clubs on Sunday, travel half-way across the world on Monday, then join their national team on Tuesday. Where does the quarantining fit-in to that schedule?
Good info. Uruguay and Colombia would have problems currently getting backup Keepers on their current squads as well. For Colombia I know there are some playing in lower Euro Divisions though so they may have to get a spontaneous shot just because of proximity. Our backup from Copa America is also being rumored to go to Turkey so I hope that happens soon.
A report out of Ecuador (citing another in Chile) claims that FIFA and Conmebol are considering abandoning the 10-team league format for 2 groups of 5 if they can't get Conmebol WCQ started in 2020.
It is sad but desperate times call for desperate measures. All options have to be on the table during corona.
Habemus forma Nuevo Formato para la Clasificatoria de Concacaf a la @FIFAWorldCup Catar 2022Detalles 👉 https://t.co/3X0tu9MFnF#LoveForOurGame pic.twitter.com/ixOYHkKm0w— Concacaf (@Concacaf) July 27, 2020 The main differences from the rumors: 1. The first round will not take place in a bubble - rather, everyone plays the other teams in their group once, with two games at home and two away (reminiscent of the initial Nations League qualifying). 2. Only the group winners from R1 move on. 3. No April 2021 window - the Octagonal begins in June 2021 and will use the January 2022 window.
here's the URL in English. I'm already thinking about the away matches in CDMX and Jamaica. Let's hope the COVID is cleared up by then so those trips are possible. https://www.concacaf.com/en/article...al-qualification-to-fifa-world-cup-qatar-2022
Yeah, not quite as dumb I suppose. Still has same 'protect the big 3' mentality though. That first group stage has a minuscule margin for error since you're only playing each team once. Maybe I should wait to see the groups before passing judgement, but doesn't seem that fair. Say a group of 5 has two really good teams and 3 total minnows. Whoever gets to play at home in that matchup of the top 2 has a huge advantage! I understand that most people won't care about the first qualifying round, but I would have had the top 2 advance just so that more of those matches are meaningful.
Btw, the announcement also reveals that the top seeds in the R1 groups and the R2 matchups have been predetermined - meaning that if the top seeds win their respective groups, these would be the R2 playoffs: El Salvador vs. Trinidad and Tobago Canada vs. Haiti Curaçao vs. Panama
Some delicious match-ups here. El Salvador is so mediocre and can lose to T&T in the Caribbean but at home I see them feeding off the crowd. Canada is set up to get their revenge against Haiti for the last Gold Cup. (But anything can happen.) Curaçao has the talent and even the tactics to beat Panama but once again the Central American team will feed of their home crowd much better.
El Salvador are in a rut right now...but T&T are worse. The big question is if Haiti's federation can finally kick its addition to shooting itself in the foot at the worst possible time. If they can show some restraint and let Marc Collat do his work, we have an even series on our hands (give-or-take Herdman learning from his mistakes last year). And Canada would have to think long and hard on where they would want to host their leg I agree that Panama's home field advantage is better than Curaçao's (they've now blown several crucial games at home, against El Salvador in 2018 WCQ and Costa Rica in the last Nations League)...but Bermuda might have a word to say about that
yeah this is WAY better than the last proposal which was ridiculously slanted for the old guard teams. I hope some similar system gets instituted permanently, although with the bigger 48-team field, who knows what CONCACAF will come up with. I also agree the margin for error is tight in Round 1. Also the fact it's played over just a 2 month period, so if you have a few key injuries or your team is out of form, you could be in big trouble. But there's a pretty big drop off after the top seeds, here's the next 6: Antigua and Barbuda Guatemala St. Kitts and Nevis Suriname Nicaragua Dominican Republic then the next 6 after that Grenada Barbados Guyana St. Vincent and the Grenadines Bermuda Belize I wouldn't be surprised if all 6 seeded teams advance, but then with the 2 month format and other uncertainties, they probably won't. The draw and who you get to play at home and away will be a factor too, that's not entirely fair. The 2-leg home and home seems less fair, but I understand they need to compress this too. It reminds me of the final WCQ format in CAF which I never understood. Those should be exciting and fairly evenly matched games with a lot at stake. Then the Octogon or whatever clever name they come up with it should be better/fairer than the Hex of years past. I hated the idea that the US was going to avoid playing Mexico in that last scheme. I already have CDMX and Jamaica penciled in for my football travel calendar. Overall I'm ok with this, unlike the last proposal. There are a lot of meaningful games to look forward to. Can't wait for it all to get started...and for that vaccine to get made.
OFC got their updated WCQ format. In first one there will be two groups, one with six and the other with five teams. Teams are seeded based on FIFA ranking. Single round robin in two FIFA windows, in March and June. They say it will be played in centralized locations - I don't know is it one location for one group for both windows or one location for one window. That might depend on borders openings. Top two teams qualify to semifinal. Semifinal in home-away format, winners progress to home-away final where winner qualifies to IC playoff. https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofc-tournaments-update/
Potential CONMEBOL schedule October 2020 Matchdays 1-2 November 2020 Matchdays 3-4 March 2021 Matchdays 5-6 June/July 2021 Copa America September 2021 Matchdays 7-8 October 2021 Matchdays 9-10 November 2021 Matchdays 11-12 January 2022 Matchdays 13-14 March 2022 Matchdays 15-16 Out of time. June 2022 is intercontinental playoffs so CONMEBOL qualification has to be done by then. CONMEBOL uses 18 Matchdays under their current format. So what are the solutions. Possibly squeeze in 1 Matchday before Copa America in June 2021 and a 3rd match during the international break in January 2022. Or change formats. This is if they can play matches in October. This is where they are at. Under my solution this is their schedule. October 2020 Matchdays 1-2 November 2020 Matchdays 3-4 March 2021 Matchdays 5-6 June 2021 Matchdays 7 June/July 2021 Copa America September 2021 Matchdays 8-9 October 2021 Matchdays 10-11 November 2021 Matchdays 12-13 January 2022 Matchdays 14-16 March 2022 Matchdays 17-18 June 2022 Intercontinental Playoffs