Now that Australia is gone, what kind of tournament is OFC going to do for the 0.5 spot? Are they going to have the same set up but have a group of 5 instead of 6 for the final round, with only New Zealand receiving a BYE and still having the top 2 teams move on to an inter-confederation play-off before moving on to play CONMEBOL? Or are they going to change it up? If so, how?
Have a read of this thread on the exact same subject: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=274538 FWIW, I think FIFA will match OCEANIA with the AFC in some way for 2010, as a first step before merging the two confederations by 2014 (also giving another undeserving confederation the OFC 0.5 allocation). My guess is that CONCACAF are going to have to playoff (if there's one at all) against CONMEBOL for 2010. 2006 results should give FIFA ammunition to make a decision any way they want to. The AFC/OFC merger couldn't come sooner for all concerned, especially for FIFA as it will let them fix their biggest mistake ever (ie creating the OFC).
Ah I see, so basically instead of just giving New Zealand the BYE (which I don't know why I assumed that, it should be Solomon Islands with the BYE I suppose), they are giving every team a BYE and holding a qualifying tournament between 6 teams for one spot to join a group of 6... not very smart. I liked the old format better. It looks like they came up with this one because they wanted New Zealand in the last round and couldn't give them a BYE without giving everyone else one. If New Zealand had gone to the play-offs instead of Solomon Islands, it'd probably be the system I asked about above. :/
I must say that I have no issue with the OFC existing for funding but the current World Cup qualification system puts the OFC nations at a significant disadvantage. Having premilinary World Cup qualification tournaments in the AFC and OFC and then having the top x AFC nations playing against the top y OFC nations for automatic qualification into the World Cup, as happened in the '82 qualification, would seem a good option.
And that wouldn't be generous to the OFC in any way, would it Crowdie? The top OFC nations haven't the depth of quality (other than perhaps NZ) in order to be ranked (and thus scheduled) to playoff (ie compete) with the top AFC nations. Nah, let only the top OFC (single) country playoff against the 5th placed AFC team H&A, until such time as a proper merger of the two confederations actually takes place.
I never specified how many OFC teams would compete in the matches against the AFC nations as the format could be two pools of x teams with one team from each pool from the OFC, for example. If the tournament was six teams then the OFC would only supply one team, obviously. Wouldn't that create the same problem as the OFC vs South America H&A qualification matches that you used to complain so much about?
I'd expect only 1 team from the OFC, not y OFC nations, which in my English language usage implies plural (ie more than 1). Yep, why shouldn't the proponents of the OFC have to put up with the unfairness of that form of qualification for themselves?
You aussies just don't get it. OFC is never going to join AFC. AFC will never accept us cause we are ranked lower, have less international games and have no money to spend, we are too far away for most of their lesser nations and even if it is for a mini cup tournament. We wouldn't necessory be able to go cause we can't even attend our own mini tournaments in our confedration regularly enough. It was only recent with funding from our full status as a FIFA Confederation in 1996, that there are better appearances among the island nations. The closest that AFC will accept is New Zealand and that would effectively strangle the other OFC nations and leave them with organisational problems and kill their developement. None of the OFC are in the financial ability to cope with changing/merger with AFC, even New Zealand, we are simply to small and very little money to work with, we couldn't entered an U17 team and only had a "B/C" U20 team entered. The NZ government money is very little, compare to what Aussie govt has given to their same number of top teams. We have such a small budget across our whole sport spectum. That is why you Aussies don't understand, that other than Rugby and a few other olympic sports there is nothing. In fact Soccer actually gets nothing from our government despite that we are the largest junior sport in the country. If we had the same amount, we could definitely be world beaters more, even greater per sport person, if you consider what we achieved over you with little funds. The coaching structure and quality would have more professonial and capable to create better results. In the WC quailifers, there may be a OFC/AFC playoff group, but no merger. It is simply too silly to arrange outside WC qualifers for other tournaments for us as we have not much logistic and finance to handle. We don't mind some invites but keep it to open invites for a couple of places as not all countries will be available to prepare for it and so we could rotate the OFC countries that could attend the long distance. Hang loose guys
I've always thought that Asia's Asean group joining the OFC's WCQ group would make for a highly competitve 24 team tournament with direct qualifiction for the winner. It would definately be benifical to the whole Asia Pacific region. As for a for a full blowen merger with AFC no farking way! However a merger with ASEANFF then the answer is YES!!!
I can't find a link, but I saw on the OFC site that American Samoa, Cook Islands, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa & Tonga were going to be in a hex in round one. Round two will be a hex with Winner Round One, Fiji, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Tahiti & Vanuatu. I'll keep looking for the link.
Essentially that wouldn't make things much stronger, you'd have teams like Thailand and Singapore who'd be as good as the current Kiwis and Solomons, but no one strong enough to really justify a spot in the WC
Your forgetting that although Australia isn't a member of the ASEAN Football Federation it is in the ASEAN group for qualification purposes to most Asian tournaments. It would also increase the depth a bit behind Australia. In any case, it isn't going to happen.
Err... according to the Elo ratings today, New Zealand is 73rd and solomons are 103rd but Thailand is 118 and Singapore is 121. NZ and Solomons does not get much games to play as these teams but still do better than them. So not a good comparsion. Seriously it depend on who anyone gets the chance to play and who they play to win greater ratings, So Solomons and NZ could grab even more higher ratings if presented a chance. Hang loose guys
Think we understand a little more than you think.We were a member of OFC. I think most of us have a grasp of what the problem is.It isn't actually rocket science when you look at it from a geographical and population perspective.We wouldn't have an idea of the inner INNER workings, but then we wouldn't because we're not New Zealand.
hey afc doesnt have to accept you guys.. fifa can always force them to allow you in, i think it could work quite easily