For those criticizing the attendance and interest thus far, just remember, 25,560 tickets were still sold for the mostly empty Jamaica/Venezuela game at around 100 dollars each. This tournament is still making mad money for those organizing it.
Like what the Euros offer Euro sides, we need another high quality and higher pressure tournament for our NT to participate in. Going 4 years between WC's isn't enough.
That sounds like mafia tactics to me... I'd like to believe that not everything is for sale but hey, what goes around, comes around.
I wonder about the confed cup. Is it actually popular? One poss is Euro year 2, Copa America year 3 which would make it a dress rehearsal of sorts. We could move Gold Cup to year 2 and use it to qualify for CA.
I'm not sure that "popularity" is a key driver of that one. It is a global event that FIFA apparently wants to continue to hold. And the Confederations all would need to comply with that schedule. And it actually gives FIFA and the upcoming WC host a good "dress rehearsal" of sorts, and it allows for many non-participants there to "get a summer off" or just perhaps really focus on WCQing.
This, would do a world of good (for the USA and others) to compete regularly with these teams in something more than a friendly.
Great idea for all involved, especially if they add it to the FIFA calendar, which I am fairly sure they would. But it would muddy up the CC and most likely lead to a merger.
The link on MLSSoccer.com is no longer active. But the idea actually makes a lot of sense. It would hurt CONCACAF more than it would CONMEBOL, as we wouldn't reap the benefits of a 12-team tournament where smaller FAs can't use it as a way to have their teams play in a big tournament. That said, it would kick the quality of the tournament up a lot. My concern is how they determine which teams qualify from each confed. If US hosts every time (which I don't see happening), we won't have to worry, but when we don't, we will. Currently, in a 12-team Gold Cup, all three North Am. teams qualify, while four Caribbean and four Central American teams qualify, plus a playoff qualifier. In this Copa Centenario, we only have 6 CONCACAF teams, plus 10 CONMEBOL teams. Do we expand to 20 teams? 18? Keep it at 16? How are the berths split? Would we have to qualify through a North American qualifying process? Lots of questions that need to be answered from the US perspective.
Yeah, can't hold it here every 4 years and simply give us a berth for hosting it. That ain't fair. In general though I'd like to see it alternate between North and South America every four years. Consider including some Mexican sites for venues for the North American years too. Azteca at the least should be a part of it. Playing in such a tournament in South America would be of real value for our players. It's also only fair to the South American fans. Can't just take such a big tournament out of their country altogether.
It did seem like some initially aggressive reporting by the MLSsoccer.com writer this afternoon, based on some other source's "report" or take on the possible or developing upcoming news or story.
From ESPN: Need to clarify something. @rafaramosESPN report only talks of repeat of combined Copa America. Nothing re: Gold Cup/Copa merger. Apologies.
A thread title update and modification would be appreciated. "Report/Update: talks of repeat of combined Copa America" may be suitable.
The gold cup should be the way to get in for Concacaf. Take the top 6 from the gold cup and do that by having a meaningful quarters losers match to qualify. teams that don't make the semis have another match to qualify. in last years case it would have been Cuba, haiti, Trinidad, Costa Rico. So maybe Costa vs Cuba and Haiti vs Trinidad for qualification. That would make the group stage and qualifying process a little more intense and maybe even increase the purpose and meaningfulness of the gold cup. Still have the winner of the gold cup go to the confeds cup and lose the year before the world cup gold cup.
Hosting it every time would be unfair but I'd take it. If we're PLAYING in it every four years, no matter where it is, it's a total game-changer for our program.
I said "truly," as it could be worse, if/when the international travel component was added to the challenge (and benefits?) for the USMNT.
For a 16 team tournament: * 6 qualify from North Zone (N/C America) * 4 from Caribbean * 6 from South America It may not result in the best 16 teams, but it means everyone has to at least try in qualifying.