Doesn't really help in this context - given it just means every team gets a bye in their published schedule and increases (marginally) their chances of making the quarters. Unless they restructure the whole thing the withdrawals don't do a thing to fix congestion. J
Their withdrawal might even make it harder to revert to a less bloated format. With 12 teams could have had 3 groups of four or 4 groups of three. Hopefully they'll at least eliminate the quarterfinal round as its just farcical to have 8 teams advance in a 10-team tournament. But money....
Yup, that’s probably the best choice and one that can be made relatively easily without changing plans too much. Granted it wouldn’t help too much in terms of reducing the length of the tournament (it would go from eight matchdays to seven), but it would at least make the group stage something more than a relegation battle. I do wonder in the long run if CONMEBOL will work something out with CONCACAF and move towards just having a combined tournament under the Copa America banner.
Apparently not ... https://www.conmebol.com/sites/default/files/schedule-bg-blue-ca2021-v7-esoooodsas.pdf J
Why would Conmebol do that? Copa America is the oldest tournament in the world and we South Americans like it the way it is. They should stop inviting teams from other confederations because they add nothing to the tournament. CONCACAF should worry about growing their own continental tournament the way we did, instead of trying to buy someone else’s prestige. If they want to play qualifiers together that’s a different thing. Put up your allotted World Cup spots in play and we’ll talk.
I hope so. Personally I enjoyed the 2016 Copa Centro America very much. 16 teams makes a proper tournament with only two sides of each group advancing. You couldn't shithouse your way to the quarters. We don't have very often meaningful clashes between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF sides..How often did I saw a discussion "where would the US or Mexico finish in the South American Eliminatorias". More games in CONMEBOL tournament environnement improves also the quality of the best CONCACAF sides.
Someone should tell the South Americans criticizing Conmebol ad nauseam on social media, then (namely, about why the hell there's a Copa América this year) You're right... but at least there are multiple incentives at play: 4 teams advance, but only the top two get to avoid traveling to the other end of the continent in the middle of the pandemic - I mean, the tournament
Don't get me started about teams travelling the length of the continent only to play in front of empty stadiums (one poor team will make that trip just to play in the worthless third-place match). But yeah... good point. Although that's only really a big incentive in the Colombia group. If you are in the Colombia group it'll be quite difficult to win the Copa if you finish 3rd or 4th. In the Argentina group, if you win your first match you can start rotating your squad and making plans for the quarterfinal 2 weeks in advance.
Here we go. COVID restrictions from Germany refrain everyone to travel to Great Britain as long as you can't go into quarantine for 2 weeks. Austria with all their Bundesliga players will send now a reserve team to Scotland for the 1st qualifier on 25 September at Hampden Park. I was about predicting an Austria road win. Obviously not anymore. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.da...p-qualifier-without-German-based-players.html
That's a nice opportunity for Scotland to start the campaign with 7 points. They got also Israel away and the Faroe Islands at home in March. Austria if they lose of course will have to make up somewhere for the lost point(s). This whole COVID thing makes predicting very hard. I will refrain from posting predictions who qualifies and so on. I will limit myself with predictions matchday by matchday.
Now things get interesting. It was one thing to have to punt a Nations League game over public health measures, but UEFA might end up facing significant pushback from its own members if their World Cup fortunes are impacted.
What makes it even worse is that the Austria national team is at the receiving end of the restrictions from another country. Would it come Austria you would say "so what?" Austria could have swapped the home and away fixtures with Scotland but this would have meant that they would have three away fixtures in one month. Too much travelling. It's exhausting as you have only like three days between the games. They count also on possible home support in September. Something that they wouldn't have now. All in all I think it's the right decision to keep the schedule unchanged and send a reserve squad to Glasgow. I mean if they play it right they can still squeeze out a draw of this.
In a way, I guess things balance out since Scotland also doesn't get the benefit of having fans for their home game.
Actually, now that you mention that idea I think that would have made more sense (ie to switch home games). I don't see how 3 away matches is any more traveling than 2 away and 1 home. Their 3rd trip would just be to Scotland instead of Austria. I guess such a switch would be something that both teams would have to agree to but it would be pretty unsporting if Scotland refused. Anyway, I hate to come out with an "I told ya so" but this is why 10 months ago I said that Nations League should be cancelled for this cycle and WC qualifying moved-up to begin in October 2020. That would have allowed UEFA to be flexible in case there was another COVID surge. They could have postponed all qualifying matches scheduled this month and still be on track to wrap-up qualifying on time (while only playing two matches per int'l break).
People living in glasshouses should not throw stones... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copa_América#Disorganization_and_intermittency And let us not forget how Conmebol pimped CA's centenary by renting it out to Concacaf. Concacaf did not pay full rent playah!
Also for years Brazil hardly took the tournament seriously. Their win in 1989 was their first in 40 years. Many legendary Brazilian players of the era barely ever played in it, and Brazil even withdrew from one edition in 1967.
Germany changed their restrictions just in time so all Bundesliga players can join their national teams. This was also important for Poland and namely Lewandowski as they will travel to London to play England later this month. Austria will have their complete team with Alaba and Sabizter for the game in Scotland. Happy for that. Obviously we don't want COVID restrictions to effect World Cup qualfying.
Considering that Copa America's biggest downfall is that it's still doesn't have a global following despite the relative strength of the NTs involved, imagine if they could do something to broaden its appeal outside of just S. America. This is from the 2016 Copa Centenario: Sunday’s Chile/Argentina Copa America final earned a combined audience of 9.8 million viewers on Univision, Univision Deportes Network and FS1, according to Nielsen fast-nationals — up more than 550% from last year’s final between the same teams on beIN Sport and beIN Sport en Espanol. Coverage on Univision and UDN earned 6.8 million viewers (+580%), the largest audience ever for Copa America on any network. It was also the largest audience for men’s soccer on a single network since the 2014 World Cup final. Merging it with the Gold Cup should be a no-brainer for Conmebol and Concacaf. The Gold Cup needs legitimacy, which S. American teams certainly bring, and the Copa America needs a greater following and better organization, which could be provided by Concacaf.
If CONCACAF is going to get rid of the Gold Cup altogether, the combined Copa America would probably have to be 24 teams. Otherwise CONCACAF minnows would shoot it down. But yeah, I generally agree with the premise that a combined Copa is mutually beneficial.
I think he meant 25 March. Austria is playing away to Scotland on 25 March. Anyhoo with the latest update (Which 32 teams do you think will qualify for Qatar 2022?) the issue is moot.
Yeah, but that data is a little (alot?) tilted by the fact that the tournament was held in the U.S. (and you are listing ratings for US tv channels). Were the ratings any higher in Europe and Asia? Also makes me wonder what the ratings would be like in the US had it not been played in the U.S. Sure, they'll still be higher since the US and Mexico NT was involved in it (their full NT, not under-23) but I suspect nowhere near the numbers you quoted above. Unlike the Gold Cup you can't have every Copa America in the US. It'll be a once every 25-30 year thing only. So 2016 is not a typical example we can learn much from IMO.
Once back to normal whatever and whenever that will be I think both regions would benefit greatly by a joint Copa America if it were done right. Have it every 4 years 2024, 2028, 2032, etc. You can't have it in the United States everytime. I'd still keep the Gold Cup in 2023, 2027, 2031, etc. as that would be used for qualification. Top 4 in Gold Cup qualify. Other 4 quarterfinalist play in playoffs for last 2 spots. Realistically only 3 CONCACAF teams could host at this point. Rotate the tournament amongst those 3 and the 10 CONMEBOL members. Possible yearly outlook 2022 World Cup 2023 Gold Cup 2024 Copa America 2025 World Cup Qualifiers and Olympics 2026 World Cup
Looking at some predictions for the games of the 1st Matchday in UEFA I can't understand why some people go with huge scorelines for all the big favourites. I think the schedule is so dense this time with only two days between each game. All the teams have to play three games in only seven days!!! I think this will result in less lopsided scorelines. That's at least my logic.