Associated Press/espn.com has the schedule for CONCACAF qualifying: For details see: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=279066&cc=5901 "In the proposal submitted to the international ruling body, the first round would have 10 groups of three teams and two groups of two, with the 12 winners advancing. The pairings will be determined during the World Cup draw on Dec. 5... Under the schedule announced Tuesday, there would be six dates for first-round games: Jan. 17-18, Jan. 21, Feb. 18, March 31, June 12-13 and June 19-20. Semifinal games would be played Aug. 18, Sept. 4-5, Sept. 8, Oct. 9-10, Oct. 13 and Nov. 17. The final round would be played in 2005, with games on Feb. 9, March 26-27, March 30, June 4-5, June 8, Aug. 17, Sept. 3-4, Sept. 7, Oct. 8-9 and Oct. 12. The fourth-place team in the final round would meet a nation from another region in a playoff Nov. 12 and 16."
It looks like 4/48/04 is a FIFA friendly date as I'm surprised that date wasn't picked (maybe it's too close to the end of the EuroLeague's seasons.) Also, CONMEBOL has qualifying matches 6/1/ & 6/4/04, which is the week before the ones mentioned here. It only leaves two months between the end of the first round and the beginning of the second.
For the first round, the January dates aren't, and neither are the June ones, but that's also during Euro '04, so there's no real Euro-club conflicts going on there. The semi-final round and the Hex are all FIFA dates.
I think Antigua got booted from Men's Olympic Qualifying, so they might have been aced out of this, too.
What do you want to bet that whichever two Caribbean nations Canada gets grouped with complain very loudly until the only games you guys host are on the two dates in June? Although January or Febrary in Vancouver wouldn't be THAT bad.
Are you kidding? The USVI Olympic team players were wearing gloves in Saint John, New Brunswick at the beginning of September.
The diff between Vancouver and New Brunswick in winter is similar to that between Seattle and Boston, only more so. Vancouver is a West Coast Maritime climatic region, just like Seattle, a bit to the south. Moderate summers; damp, cool winters. The Continental East Coast region is subject to hot, humid summers and cold winters, with snow being the common form of precipitation. Treating the Caribs to a winter match in Vancouver might be uncomfortable, but in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia it would be hell on ice. I know what I'd do.
Does anyone know the dates for Copa America? Do the June fixtures conflict? It would be nice if USA got to compete in that tournament, nonetheless, Mexico is already a given for that.
january is already a problem, since 8 teams were organizing a tournament to pick one the reps for copa libertadores.... coach Lavolpe has questions for the team presidents: national team duty or that money making tourney? Plus the sub23 will be in training camp that month also, right after the holidays (no vacation or rest for the top guns of tropical central america) real test for sampson and Bora.....Keep every one away from the Rum & coke the first week of january! I will ck dates for copa america (peru): https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=15872&perpage=15&pagenumber=4 no conflict, but little time for mexico to travel or gain back injured players, from June (conca quals) to July (copa america)
Um, thanks for the weather lesson, but if you re-read my post you'll see that I was talking about a match that happened in early September, which is still summer time. BTW, it was around 19C (roughly 68F) for that match, hardly bone-chilling temperatues.
Ah, so your comment was more about USVI's thin-bloodedness. That wouldn't necessarily hold true with other nation's players, since those VI's had probably never been out of the Caribbean, while Canada might face teams with players from the lower levels of the English pyramid or at least experience playing college ball in the US Northeast.
Yeah, most of them Yesterday - Ricardo lavolpe, claims that mexico will start in mid february (the change is not official yet, but was requested to chuck balzer last week) the change for them is due to, partially the selection of reps to copa Libertadolares, 8teams will play in january for 2 tickets. And clubs will have a hard time lending players for the national team.
CONCACAF’s 2006 World Cup qualifying decisions to be made by FIFA in December FIFA will make the final decisions regarding CONCACAF's 2006 World Cup qualifying format and dates at their next series of meetings in Frankfurt, Germany at the beginning of December 2003. The announcement was made by FIFA at the conclusion of a meeting of the Executive Committee in Doha, Qatar today. http://concacaf.com/view_article.asp?id=2197
It looks like they'll finalize how the last two spots will be divied up amongst the Asia 5th, TFC 4th, CONMEBOL 5th, and the Oceania Winner. I'm not sure what else about CONCACAF's qualifying system still needs to be hammered out, unless FIFA needs to give it's blessing to having the non-seeded teams play each other the frist two dates in February.
I think much like CONMEBOL before FIFA has to give the ok to CONCACAF plan. If for some reason they think it's to long or whatnot then CONCACAF has to come up with a new plan.