Here is a link to the FIFA page showing who has made WWC2003 and what slots there are left to fill. http://www.fifa.com/en/comp/event/index,2003,1070,1.html I still say that China shouldn't get the host automatic slot now, especially since they have been given the 2007 host slot. The new host should get that, and China should have to play it out with the rest of the Asian countries. *** From the Union-Tribune wire services section: BLATTER: U.S. 'FRONT-RUNNER' FOR WORLD CUP May 16, 2003 Sweden formally submitted a bid yesterday to host this year's Women's World Cup, but FIFA president Sepp Blatter called the United States the "front-runner." FIFA, soccer's worldwide governing body, extended the deadline for bids through the weekend. The United States gave its proposal last week, and U.S. soccer officials are confident they will host the 16-nation tournament this fall. Meanwhile, Canada offered to co-host one first-round group of the tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, if the remainder is played in the United States. "We believe we'll be able to give a decision by the end of the month," said FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot.
How about moving the WWC '03 thread from the Women's News and Analysis forum into this one, with a redirect? It would be good to keep all of the WWC discussion in one place.
Good idea.. I also have a "How to market the 2003 WWC?" thread over in FCM that I think should be moved over here too. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=47676
I was wondering if they would make China qualify now. I guess that could be part of the decision of the Fifa Emergency Committee, who would decide the location. Since the two bidders (USA, SWE) have already qualified, you can remove the host-auto bid, and split it between Asia and Concacaf. So the two confederations would each have three full bids, instead of 2.5 with a playoff. (So the tradeoff for China is that they would have to qualify, but the confederation wouldn't need to have a play-in round.) Here is the Asia Women's Championship schedule page. China is already in group C. http://www.footballasia.com/scripts/runisa.dll?s7:gp:180811:39913+awc/03/results+1077+2003+E Or maybe they'll decide that China would host 2007, but that they have to qualify even as host.