Rating the Minnow Federations

Not even close. CONCACAF is well ahead of UEFA this year.

I cannot say who is worse, though - AFC or CAF. Leaning strongly towards CAF. Utter garbage. Since Oceania isn't even represented, they do not count.

 

I'll wait until after the group stage. Wouldn't be surprised if none of the CONCACAF teams get through still.

 

Well, that didn't take very long:

 

Apparently not so tough.

They looked superior to both teams they have played thus far.

...and yet Eurosnobs will still probably count them as heavy underdogs against the English.

 

Back in the day, a friend of mine laughed because the USA lost to Costa Rica 3-1 in qualification. He isn't laughing now that England are now out, partially thanks to the Ticos.

Truth is, the bigger CONCACAF teams, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and yes, even Honduras, would have no problems qualifying out of UEFA. Mainly, because European fans have absolutely no idea how difficult away games for CONCACAF are.

 

Klinsmann didn't either...until he had to experience them for himself.

For all the complaints about the conditions in Brazil, try playing in the Azteca, Honduras, Panama, or Saprissa in Costa Rica. Think it's humid in Manaus? Try Kingston, Jamaica.

 

I never thought i would say this, but: CONCACAF

 

thanks to costa rica i'd rank concacaf as the 3rd best federation in the world. didn't think they'd catch up to africa, but it seems like they have. mexico has always represented well.

 

By pretty much any statistical measure you use (% of teams advancing, PPG, etc.), CONCACAF has always been ahead of Africa.

 

Concacaf have the top three teams from the "minnows" at this world cup from performances so far, although I think CIV could have something to say there. They also have the 2nd bottom team though in Honduras, they performed better v Ecuador, but would still only be ahead of Cameroon (although by a long way).

An interesting thing is that Costa Rica is the only team that is better than last cup. Honduras and Algeria I'm not as sure about, but probably about the same. US is maybe close again, but I think both 06 and 10 teams were better. Iran is on the rise again but still rebuilding, and despite missing the WC their 2010 team was better. Cameroon has lost it completely, Japan and Korea need to rebuild (Korea has started moreso than Japan), and Cote D'Ivoire and Ghana are in decline.

Mexico and Australia are the two teams that really looked to have lost it through the playoffs and scraped through to get here, but performances at the cup have shown they are very much on the way back. Mexico should be have 2 extra goals from the Cameroon game and possibly deserved the win v Brazil. Australia deserved at least a point if not 2 or more out of it's games, and in any other group would be a good chance of qualifying, including in Costa Rica's group - although maybe not as convincingly.

Overall, apart from Cameroon, all "minnow" teams have performed at a WC level at least, as for who is best it depends on how you look at it. C-Caf obviously at this cup is performing best overall, but doesn't have the depth of other confeds. Saying that anyone would have "no trouble" qualifying out of Europe is ridiculous, but all these teams would be at the same level as the majority of Euro teams, and have at least an equal if not better chance as the likes of Russia, Switzerland, Bosnia, Greece, Croatia etc, and even give it a good go in South America.

 

Given that CONMEBOL and CONCACAF are clearly the strongest federations, I think your poll is wrong.

The best of the minnow federations is Europe.

 

And more importantly the top CAF leagues are not as strong as the top CONCACAF leagues.

 

Mexican clubs have dominated the CONCACAF Champions League but not done great in the Club World Cup (which may not make a great comparison between leagues, but what else is there?). If you paired the top CONCACAF and CAF leagues into best vs. best, second vs. second, etc. I think Mexico would win but I wouldn't be surprised if CAF would win at least two of the next four, and this is coming from a fan of MLS.

 

Well, there are a handful of very strong clubs in Africa, but not any league I would say is superior to MLS. Maybe if you take the best clubs from across the continent you could make a formidable league.

 

could usa/mexico/honduras even qualify out of caf? somehow i doubt it, or it would be a struggle. you have ghana,civ, nigeria...

then you have the likes of egypt and senegal which are legit teams that don't even make it to the world cup. has anyone even seen egypt play? they are a beast of a team and could give any non top tier fits. i've seen enough of egypt in the african cup of nations to know they aren't a joke team. they can play. if you haven't even seen egypt play, then you really don't know much about caf. they're probably the best team in all of africa, the fact that they haven't even seen a world cup since...what, the 80s?...just speaks to how deep caf is. concacaf are literally two teams deep, costa rica a worthy third, maybe? an all conference caf team would destroy a concacaf team, no problem. and in a concocaf/caf team, how many players from concocaf would even make the first 11? two? dempsey and chicharicho? who else, in all serious? people need to shut up about how concacaf is better than caf...it's just not true and any football purist knows this as fact.

people love to underestimate caf. ah well. the best of concacaf isn't better than the best of caf. and the caf are 15 teams deep. people don't follow it, so they don't know...

mali, senegal, zambia, tunisia, morrocco, egypt...

caf is the third best conference in football and there really isn't any use in discussing it.

it is what it is. we'll see on the field, as usual.

 

See that's just hyperbole. USA, Mexico and maybe even Costa Rica (def this time round) would have the same chance of qualifying in CAF as Ghana, Nigeria and CIV.Same with Japan, Korea and Australia, and the same if you swapped confederations.

 

i wish you knew. see, when was the last time you watched even one qualifying match from caf? people love to talk, but they have no idea what they're talking about.

i remember last time tanzania won against cameroon whilst trying to qualify. tanzania!? there are no easy games in africa. we don't get the privilege of small teams that can't do much which means automatic qualification. africa's world cup starts 2 years before concacaf's. you come to africa and every team can beat you on their day. in all seriousness, the caf is 15 teams deep and even mexico and usa would have trouble qualifying if they were in africa. costa rica? i'd rate them at mali's or togo's level. never mind egypt which is just as class as most non uefa non south american teams.

there really isn't any sense in discussing this. you need to have watched a game or two from caf's qualifying before you can talk to me.

 

Well then I guess you'll have to spend a lot of time talking to yourself, since CAF World Cup qualifiers are not televised outside Africa....

 

One could also ask how may CAF teams would qualify out of CONCACAF. Good luck playing @USA in a snowstorm, @Mexico in the altitude and pollution; in Central America or at the Office.

 

this is the internet age. i'm sitting here in the good old us of a and i've watched many of those games. ignorance isn't an excuse. i mean, if you're going to talk...at least know what you're talking about. find an internet stream or something. you have no excuse.

not that usa/mexico aren't good. they are very good teams. it's just that, as a conference, it really isn't even close if you've actually watched the relevant teams.

 

You said USA and Mexico couldn't even qualify out of CAF. I said they would have the same chance as the likes of Ghana, Nigeria and CIV. Are you saying that Mexico and USA aren't as good as African teams? Keep in mind the results we have seen so far.

Traditionally Costa Rica may not be at the same level, but this cycle they are.