Why don't FIFA just make a bit or some sense after this calamity they started and finished by making: Oceania play Asia & CONCACAF play South America for those 2 extra spots? It might make a little too much sense for FIFA. What they did to OFC was horrendous, but so was what they did to CONMEBOL beforehand. They should have just went ahead and gone to 40 teams already and made everyone happy.
Agreed. The World Cup is already lowering its quality with the current format. Specially in the group stage. Costa Rica x China, Jamaica x Japan are not worthy of a WC.
OFC won't stand for a playoff against Asia since they've missed out on the World Cup twice on playoff losses to the AFC (Iran). Why don't they give the Aussies a shot at CONCACAF instead since the two confeds have never met? Then put AFC and CONMEBOL together instead. Maybe that would be a better solution. Of course we could always merge OFC into AFC but some federations won't stand for it - though it makes perfect sense.
gimme an effin break. You know what I mean. OK FINE, Australia and Iran tied but the Iranians won on an away goals rule. Doesn't mean that the Australians didn't LOSE, because it sure wasn't their asses going to France in 1998.
Actually, Australia advanced over Canada in the '94 qualifiers, then lost to Argentina. (Oceania had a really tough road to the finals in that WC.)
But didnt mean Iran won either. Two teams undefeated after the completion of the World Cup. The winners France and Australia (yet we werent at the world cup) how can a team not make the world cup without losing a game while other teams lose 4 or 5 and still make it????
Quality oppostion as opposed to no quality opposition, that's why. I'm sure many european nations could romp American Samoa and Tonga say and go undefeated as well but if Australia was playing their competition I don't think they would go undefeated.