31 out of 32 teams are in through qualification and 'host'. Leaving 1 spot for the winner of 16 teams playoff 3 weeks before the start of the World Cup. For example, if the World Cup starts on June 21, this 16 teams playoff will start on June 1 and ends on June 14. It will be one game elimination. Loser out. Start on Friday/Sat/Sun for the round of 16. Following Tuesday, Wednesday, thursday for quarterfinal. Sat/Sun for semifinal and next sat/sun for the final. Thus it will be over in 2 weeks. There is no host for this tournament, it's home field advantage by picking a lottery. 6 teams from Europe 2 from CONCACAF 2 from Asia 2 from Oceania 2 from Africa 2 from South America will pick by their region federation (UEFA, CONCACAF....) to represent. However, if the team is picked for this WC, it CANNOT be pick again for the next WC. For example, New Zealand was picked for 2010, it can't be pick again for 2014. Why this 16 teams playoff tournament for the 1 spot left in the WC? Because it will create excitement leading up to the World Cup. We will have 15 extra exciting games (not at neutral location so the atmosphere would be awsome) to watch. FIFA and the 6 federations could use some extra revenue to promote the sport in their region. this same system has been done many time. Using EPL as an example, for Champions League, in order to qualify, you need to be the top 2 teams. 3rd place has to play in another tournament to qualify. NCAA Basketball Tournament #64 is determined by 2 teams playing for the spot. As fans, don't you want to see 16 teams battle it out for the last spot for the World Cup in their home stadiums (not a neutral site) The atmosphere will be awsome, imagine Korea homegame in 2002. Take 2002 for example, this tournament will comprised of teams like: (of course, they need to be picked by their region fed): From Europe: -Netherlands -Norway -Scotland -Greece -Scotland -Yugoslavia Asia: -Iran -Thailand Ocenia: -Australia -New Zealand (or some other teams) Africa: -Morroco -Egypt CONCACAF: -Honduras -Jamaica CONMEBOL: -Colombia -Bolivia Next WC around, these teams can't be choosen for this Wild Card spot, they can qualify only through regular qualifcations. These 16 teams will play for the last WC spot. Home field will determined through lottery in the first round. Second round, the team that didn't have home field will have home field unless both teams didn't have home field in the first round. for example. Norway (home field) vs. bolivia : Winner - Norway Thailand(home field) vs. Egypt : winner -Egypt since Egypt didn't have homefield in the first round and Norway did, the game will be played in Egypt for the quarterfinal. If both Boliva and Egypt won and both didn't have home field in the last round, there will be a lottery to determine who will have the home field advantage. If you are FIFA, what do you think? If you are a fan, what do you think? If you are one of the lesser football countries, what do you think?
If I'm Fifa, then I'm concerned how these games will fit into the international calender. It looks like, that today, the DFB (Germany) has agreed with Fifa on a 2006 schedule, where the Bundesliga will end on May 13, and the German Cup will end on April 29. This last date pushes the Cup schedule up a full month. (The 2005 German Cup final is on May 28.) So where do you find these extra three weeks, anyway? Also, you have to know the WC teams by the previous year's end. The final 2006 playoff games are slated for November 12 and 16, 2005. If you do this kind of multi-team play-in tournament, it has to be on one site. In your case, you are flying teams cross-globe on a day's notice. Now as a fan, would I watch. Sure, who wouldn't? But this is not the play-in setup that I would prefer. I don't get this "teams are picked by the confederations, but if they are picked once, they can't be picked again" angle.
No offense but you need to stop jacking off, its affecting your brain. I dont think this other teams should get an extra chance, they already played for the spots and they lost, this would be like the looser tournament. If they are allowed in the world cup, not only would they diminish the tournament but they will also make a fool of themselves. Not to mention that it will be unfair for the 4 teams that will battle for the 2 wild spots. How you think they will feel if those or one of those who finished below them in the qualifiers make it to the world cup and they didn't. There is alot of factors to consider in a tournament like this, that's why you are not the president of FIFA. I do however, am in favor of increasing the number of this competing for the world from 32 to 36, this will give South America an extra spot or grant a full spot to the four confederations who currently have to send 1 representative to batthe the 2 wild spots. and give an extra spot to confederations whos teams are among the best. Of course if this should happen and the confederations who currenlty have a 1/2 spot get a full spot the remaining two will go to South America and of course, Europe. Lets see what others think
What's wrong with whose post? davidpotter's post or pc4th's post? Why do I even have to ask this question? There are so many holes in pc4th's original post, it isn't even funny. Some of these questions have already been asked above. How would this scenario fit into the international calendar? How are the teams picked by their confederations? How can you say that once you're picked to this qualification mini-tourney, that you can't be eligible for it in four year's time? How would you feel if you lost in the semi-final, only to see the winning team be a team that finished below you in your confederation's qualification, and that you had already taken a minimum of four out of six points? Who pays for the global travel? Does this scenario make the World Cup Finals better? Wouldn't the extra four games for the winner pretty much spend the energy to continue in the Finals? There's been quite some discussion about the international calendar being too congested as it is. Wouldn't this put more strain and produce more injuries to the players involved? There's so much more to ask, I've only scratched the surface. On the whole, pc4th has a bad idea, IMHO. Gonzo
Wild Cards : Select teams by WC Qualifiers, don´t use wild cards because it´s unfair. FIFA Schedule : If Confederations Cup 2009 is eliminated, the confederations can finish their qualifications in September 2009 and the 16-team playoff tournament can be played in South Africa. - October 2009 (eightfinals and quarterfinals). - November 2009 (semifinals and final). World Cup Host (South Africa) keeps one international tournament in 2009 (Replacing Confederations Cup with the 16-team playoffs). No problem with the schedule. --------- Automatic System for WC 2010 places 32 teams of WC 2006. - 2 worst teams of WC 2006 (31º & 32º). --- 30 direct places to WC 2010. + 1 Host WC 2010 (South Africa). + 1 Playoff Tournament. --- 32 teams of WC 2010. === Playoff 16 teams. - 1 place for confederation who host the WC, 3 places for the others. Because the host confederation have an additional place (host country). -------------- The Automatic System for Direct and Playoff Places eliminates the ethernal discussion between confederations about more or less places.
why do this? it will not make the wc better, maybe make it worse through tiredness, and why should a team lose a wc place so these poor teams who may be fitter, due to easier seasons (take holland and iran for these examples) can take it unfairly. if these teams deserve a wc place they will win it through traditional qualification. this would just be another african cup of nations (a thorn in the side of clubs with african players) but it would affect most teams small and big because of all the countries that would hav to play. the wc is fine as it is and has there ever been a wc wen u though 'u kno wot i wish qatar were here wot a competition that wud be'?
unfair and unjust look at baseball teams who have 40 wins rarely make the playoffs and thats sad and stupid.