despite the great showing, I want USA to gualify so bad in 2006, unfortunatly, i have this feeling that USA wont qualify. I think an unexpected star in Mexico and Trinidad or somewhere else, these countries i think will pull of an upset or two for an over cocky clint mathis.
Interesting topic but since this seems to be about qualification, I'm moving this to the CONCACAF forum where people are more on top of these things and can give better replies.
i agree that mexico easily qualify over us but i dont really believe a caribbean nation will be able to put a team together to be us. simply due to their population its so hard to get the stars they need. good team work and cockiness from the US could do it though.
I really don't think these guys will take qualifying for granted--and since I think that that is the only thing that would keep them from doing so, I'm not too worried. But, we came close to not making it last time, and that was a pretty damn good team we had. You never know. I'm more worried about Central America. I think Honduras and Costa Rica (damn Simpson! ) will be in the mix yet again. You can't count Jamaica out, of course, and so forth. I really don't think our region is as weak as some believe. A long road starts today...
Very good point. Scary too!!!! Let us all be thankfull that we qualify here and not in Europe. Why do the Dutch fail ? They are a great team with fabulous players.
Well we don't hafta play Ireland and Portugal twice. Well, not so much Portugal, but you get the general idea.
I thik we'll qualify, with Bruce back at the helm, I think we'll be ok. Although Coasta Rica may have an added advantage with Sampson as Manager, knowing us so well. With all of this said, is there any truth to the rumor about Concacaf getting a .5 more spots, as in playing Ocenia for a fourth spot??
Oceania will have a guranteed spot for 06. There is some rumblings of CONCACAF reciving a .5 spot, but nothing is official. FEAR THE 3-6-1!!!!!!!!!
Given how the majority of the TFC FA's are poorly organised there are very few teams to worry about. Mexico without a doubt continues to be one of the regions top teams and Costa Rica has been progressing quite nicely. Then there is Honduras. Just like Jamaica they can have a good squad one moment and be Crap the next. You should wait untill before the HEX before doing the Chicken Little routine. It is still too early to predict any foreseeable outcomes.
Yeah, those road games in Moldova and San Marino are a bitch. Because they were unlucky to get drawn into the only group with more than two decent teams.
Any feelings of overconfidence will be quickly reigned in upon arrival at stadiums like Azteca, Saprissa, or that hell hole in Guatemala. Throw in The Office, where anything resembling skill is negated by a field which has more pock marks than the face of a 15 year old. That being said, our team has more depth than ever, which really was the main problem during the last hex. The home games, as always, are a must win. No repeats of the match against Honduras at RFK.
Costa Rica should have a lot of this years team still around in 4 years which means they will be strong. Mexico is always strong. Guatemala has some young talent and is tough to beat at their place. If Honduras could get a bit more discipline and keep the variety of speed and offense they had they will have a legitimate shot. But barring injuries we'll have the most talented US team ever playing. Most likely one of the 4 teams above will be eliminated before the hex, but I don't see anybody other than those 4 being able to make it to the Cup. Jamaica, Canada, and Trinidad all have a shot at making the Hex though. Let's hope we avoid all 4 of those teams in 2004 and perhaps draw Panama, Trinidad, and El Salvador. The hex should be exciting though.
Wow, this have to be some kind of record even for bigsoccer.com. Two years before any games have even been played.
It is quite possible that CONCACAF will get 3.5 spots for the World Cup. Warner thinks its a formality that CONCACAF will get another full spot based on this year's World Cup performance by the FC's teams. OFC wants that full spot, but their are a lot of people that think that this will just mean direct qualification for Australia. I think its dumb for their to even be an OFC, and my opinion is that they should just join back up with the AFC again. With all that being said, I think that the US will qualify. Donovan and Beasley will be seasoned veterans of the World Cup already. Players like O'Brien, Mathis, Mastroeni, and probably Reyna will lead the new guard into qualifying as it sheds a few more players from the Old player pool (Stewart, Jones, Agoos, Llamosa, Regis, and Moore) I'm excited for qualifying!
How quickly we all forget how close the US was from not making it into the hex in the 2002 WCQR. If results stood with about 30 minutes left in Barbados on Nov. 15th, 2000, there would have been no magical run into the quarterfinals in the Far East. Now even though it is true that we were in easily the most difficult group of the 3 in the semifinal round with costa rica and guatemala, it definitely could happen again. I still honestly believe that the US will still qualify for the 2006 WC Finals, but there still is that slight chance that we could "pull a Holland." Basically everyone including myself could not imagine Holland missing out of a WC finals, but look, they got a bad draw and that was the end of them. If things don't go the US's way in those 6 matches in the semifinal round, there is a chance that they could barely miss out. Now I still believe that the US will qualify and I hope they do, but you have to leave that possibility out there. Overall, I give US about a 97-98% chance of qualifying.
From http://www.soccerway.com/news/index.php?page=details&area=1040137211 : "...In effect, South America gave their half place to Concacaf, the Central American and Caribbean region, who gained half a place on the back of strong performances at the 2002 World Cup by USA and Mexico. As well as their existing three places, a fourth Concacaf country will play-off against the fifth-placed Asian nation for entry to the 2006 World Cup finals..."
As mentioned above so many are forgetting how close we were to being eliminated pre hex. With injuries it is never easy. I think this team will have more depth, but I think it will be alot less experienced. I know that sounds like a lot to take in, but when you factor in Reyna, Sanneh, Pope, Agoos, McBride, etc., you are going to lose some experience in 2006. Granted, the younger guys replacing them are probably more talented, it never hurts to have experience when you play in Azteca and Saprissa and the Office. I think the US will qualify. But nothing is for sure right now.
Right, but Costa Rica came even closer to not making it to the Hex. Hell, they LOST to Barbados. Sachin
The US is a lock to qualify in 2006, case closed. Especially since we have 3.5 spots instead of 3 this year.