With CONCACAF releasing their qualification plans for WC2006 I noticed that the FIFA match calendar does not go past 2004. Does anyone know when an update can be expected? Also of note the CONCACAF teams are looking at 20 games to qualify (10 game Final, 6 game semi, 4 game round 1) yet there are 9 dates in 2003 and 3 in 2004. Even if there are 9 dates in 2005 we need to get started very soon!
It's actually 22 matchdates, as the first round will still take 6 matchdates to complete. Make that 24 matchdates including the playoff with Asia. Qualifying format: http://www.concacaf.com/news/article.page/1202 I too have been wondering about the dates slotted in the International Coordinated Match Calendar for future years. Concacaf will probably end up taking all freindly and qualifying dates as qualifiers. With the extra round of playoffs, I had been advocating a straight home-and-home knockout format until the final six. Let's not forget qualifying for the Gold Cup qualifying is not even done. They might have to start WCQ right after the GC.
The Fifa International Match Calendar has been posted: http://www.fifa.com/fifa/int_cal.pdf There are six dates (4 official dates, 2 friendly dates) in late 2004, and twelve (10, 2) in 2005. Add that to the twelve dates that JTPenney stated, and you have 30 matchdates to play your 24 needed matches. This qualifying format will be quite a haul.