A report in today's Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper says that FIFA will announce this week that it will postpone the WYC. The report quotes Julio Grondona. This is all I've seen so far, so make of it what you will. Here's my translation: "FIFA will announce tomorrow, or by Friday at the latest, that the U-20 world championships, currently scheduled for March 15 - April 16, will be postponed. According to Argentine Julio Grondona, one of the FIFA vice-presidents, the postponement is a result of the ever increasing possibility of war in the Middle East. 'The intent is to postpone the tournament, but we're not thinking about changing the venue,' he said." http://www.estadao.com.br/esportes/noticias/2003/mar/05/74.htm
Here's an English language link. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2003/03/05/fifa_youth_ap/ Sepp Blather says he won't move the tourney. Will only postpone. Mr. Politic doesn't want to alienate the Arab voting bloc methinks.
i concur on the safety and security, i just wonder when they are going to play if they postpone it and won't move it if it goes to war, it will be a long damn while before this tourney is played
It certainly is politics. They don't think twice about moving games out of Israel. An arab country though, will get the games whenever they're ready for them.
While Neil's post has some validity, I would like to ask all fellow posters to not let this thread become a political one. I'm sure your opinions on the Arabs and Israelis are intriguing, passionate and well-grounded, but this ain't the place for them. Back on topic, this is an intriguing development for the US. A) It gives the young pros more time in a pro environment before the competition starts. That can only help the performance, particularly if they get playing time. B) It can certainly screw some MLS teams. With the tournament coming just as the MLS season starts, it wouldn't have hit the clubs too hard. Now, if it's say, in the summer, it could really hurt a team like DC United or the MetroStars, especially if the new date for the WYC coincides with any other national team callups like Gold Cup, Confederations Cup, Pan-Am Games, etc... C) If it's postponed to the fall, it could definitely impact the college kids plans. Now, they all seem like they are waiting to see if they get offers from abroad before either signing with MLS or going back to school. If they're going to miss a chunk of the school year - and don't think Rongen wouldn't have them miss the semester; they're already missing this one - then some may say "what's the point" and just look to sign with MLS now. D) Preparation. Right now, the US, nor any other team, has any games scheduled after the WYC, for obvious reasons. All the U20 teams are gonna have to scramble to find tournaments and friendlies to get their teams ready for the WYC. E) Zak Whitbred may get a reprieve! (What, you thought I was just gonna let this one go?) If the tournament is now this summer, then Liverpool would have no grounds to object to his playing.
The worst part of all this. . . I just ordered new cable service, to get Telefutura and see most of the games. With this postponement, I may actually have a job by the time the tourney rolls around. Now I will have to spend my days in March watching college basketball like a normal sports fan.
From my perspective, the smart move is to find an alternative place to play the WC. Politics aside (as Sandon suggested), that part of the world might not be safe for quite a while. Why not just move the tournament? I also heard that November was a good possibility for re-scheduling.
That would totally SUCK from a US perspective. Right in the middle of the MLS playoffs and college season. And, it doesn't make Zak Whitbred's situation any easier! Of course, the longer this thing is postponed, the more it increases the odds of a certain soon-to-be-14-year-old making the U20 side.
I would think that if they rescheduled the tournament, they'd want to play it in October or November at the earliest. UAE is on the Persian Gulf, and from late spring thru thru early autumn the conditions are sauna-like, with highs over 100 degrees and up to 90% humidity.
I JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT A FEW THINGS HERE. fOR ONE THE us MILITARY BUILD UP HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS NOW, POSIBLY CLOSING IN TO A YEAR, OR AT LEAST IT FEELS LIKE IT. ops sorry for the caps, this makes me wonder, does FIFA know something we don't, ?
Gotta love the bravado... Brazil's U-20 squad left this morning for what was supposed to be a warm-up tourney in Malaysia. Here's what one of their players - Wendel, a mid from Corinthians - had to say when asked about the possibility of a war in the Mid East affecting the WYC: "The war over there will be for the world championship. I'm certain that nothing will happen. If we were in any danger, the CBF wouldn't send us there. Anyway, it's a good thing that my mother forgot about the chance of war!" http://www.estadao.com.br/esportes/noticias/2003/mar/05/203.htm ... vw makes an interesting point about a potential climate issue. It's not like anyone really loves playing in very hot and humid conditions, but some teams will be much more affected than others. In parts of Brazil, those conditions are common during the tourneys at the beginning of the year. Many of this year's Carioca league games, for example, have been played in 100+ degree heat and very high humidity. At least some of the US players probably grew up playing in hot climates.
Nah, it's "common knowledge" that the Bushies are looking to start the attack at the end of next week. Or at least, they were, before the vote in the Turkish parliament. That may upset the timetable.
Eff Blatter. The tournament should just be moved and the UAE given another tourney when things settle down in that part of the world.
I TOTALLY agree! Maybe I'll have to run up to Zurich to FIFA HQ and give Mr. Blatter a piece of my (our) mind!
When it is rescheduled will they adjust the dates for age eligibility? Is it possible that a player who would've been eligible for the original competition could be excluded in the newly scheduled tourney?
No, it's not possible. A player has to have been born in the year 1983 or later to be eligible for this tournament. That means a guy born as late as December 31,1982 would be ineligible even though technically he wouldn't be 21 until later in the year after the tourney.