FIFA shuffles around Football World Cup berths

[GePap]

How many states in Europe? There are 13 states in South America, so the best that can happen is 5 of 13. That ration is probalby about the same as Europe.

Hey Bodds, whern an European team lead the list of most WC wins again, then you can talk. If the Argies. aren't beating you, that is.

Asia and Ocenia send the worst team overall, until last gaes were these was ahuge imporvement from the Japanese and Koreans.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Wernazuma III
Although the ratio for SA countries going to the WC is still pretty high, I can understand that they're kind of pissed when North and Central America now get 4 or even 5 spots!!!! I mean, come on. That means USA and Mexico will always classify.
I'd say, lump all America together and make them get 8 spots. That'd be great.

Why should europe have 14????

And if the Us is good enough to make it all the time from now on, fine.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I can understand that they're kind of pissed when North and Central America now get 4 or even 5 spots!!!!

The quality of play in CONACAF is getting much better these days.

Secondly, THERE IS NO WAY NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN CAN GET FIVE SPOTS! Thank you . They can only get 4 spots, if their #4 team beats Asia's #5. They can get five only if they win out against Asia. If not, it will be 3, as it has been.

I'd say, lump all America together and make them get 8 spots.

If you are going to lump America together why not lump Asia and Afica together? There is a reason they are seperate continents.

[Dauphin]

Re: FIFA shuffles around Football World Cup berths

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Though at least FIFA had the sense to keep the tournament at 32. If they expand in the future, it shouldn't be by 4 teams, but rather 8 (and then making 8 round robin divisions of 5 instead of adding new divisions).

What do y'all think of this?

Ever played Sensible Soccer?


Anyway,

The tournament is just over a month long and you can't really play more than about 7-8 games in that time period.

5 teams each in 8 groups with only the the top two going through to the half-quarters is pushing the tournament to the limits. The alternative (as I see it) is 6 teams each in 8 groups with the best team going through to the quarters. In the latter scenario every team entering the tournament has at least 5 games, giving the supporters and players a good experience, and the final 8 will truly deserve to be there, having bested 5 other teams in a league scenario.

[Case]

As an Australian, I'm happy to see Oceania (read: Australia) lose the guaranteed spot. The Australian team hasn't qualified for the cup since the 70s, and certainly doesn't deserve a guaranteed spot, especially given the overall low level of interest in professional soccer here in Australia and the near total incompetance of Soccer Australia.

The fact that Australia only got the spot in return for helping get the very dodgy sounding president of FIFA re-elected is another good reason why the spot should have been taken away.

[Imran Siddiqui]

BC: There is no rule that says the tourney can't be expanded in duration .

But my #1 choice is to keep it where it is. But there is a LOT of pressure to expand. So who knows.

[reds4ever]

Much as I hate to agree with a Man United fan, (Bods), the World Cup is a far weaker competition as a whole than the European Championships, and as he said the reason weaker teams sometimes progress is because there are so many of them, not because they ALL deserve to be there

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
BC: There is no rule that says the tourney can't be expanded in duration .

There may be no rules, but realistically how long can you extend the competition without tiring your players or causing serious domestic club concerns.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I think half-a-month wouldn't be that long of an expansion.

[notyoueither]

I'm of mixed feelings. I would love to see Canada get to more World Cups. OTOH, the fact that we haven't been able to qualify since Mexico in an extremely weak field, while a team like Holland missed the last WC leads me to think I wouldn't want to be there when teams that are heads and shoulders better miss it.

I'm not sure how CONACAF is supposed to get better though. The teams over here are isolated and rarely get to play the better sides in serious matches. You don't get better by playing cripples continuously. Of course, it's also hard for Canadians to get better when our minor system sucks donkey balls to an extreme extent.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I think half-a-month wouldn't be that long of an expansion.

Do you know how long the football season is in England? There are already calls to shorten it.

Crunch, in your league system what happens if the two top sides draw and beat all the other teams? One side gets knocked out on goal difference beause they only put 7 goals past Barbados not 8?

If you have big initial groups in a competition that occurs every 4 years, you've got to allow for things like that

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by reds4ever
Crunch, in your league system what happens if the two top sides draw and beat all the other teams? One side gets knocked out on goal difference beause they only put 7 goals past Barbados not 8?

If you have big initial groups in a competition that occurs every 4 years, you've got to allow for things like that

I would follow the European qualification system. If two teams are equal you first go on the performance between the two teams involved before looking at goal difference or goals scored.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Do you know how long the football season is in England? There are already calls to shorten it.

Bah, the World Cup is more important than a silly season .

I'm not sure how CONACAF is supposed to get better though. The teams over here are isolated and rarely get to play the better sides in serious matches. You don't get better by playing cripples continuously. Of course, it's also hard for Canadians to get better when our minor system sucks donkey balls to an extreme extent.

I didn't have Canada in mind when I said that . I was thinking of teams like Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, etc... sides that are getting a bit better every single WC qualifying. They should have a chance to face the 5th Asian squad, because I think at least half of the time, NA can win.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Big Crunch


I would follow the European qualification system. If two teams are equal you first go on the performance between the two teams involved before looking at goal difference or goals scored.

Youre looking at a draw, that was my point!

eg

Group A

Brazil
Italy
Canada
Honduas
Equador
Wales

if Brazil and Italy draw then the group is a joke?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

I'm not sure how CONACAF is supposed to get better though. The teams over here are isolated and rarely get to play the better sides in serious matches. You don't get better by playing cripples continuously. Of course, it's also hard for Canadians to get better when our minor system sucks donkey balls to an extreme extent.

I didn't have Canada in mind when I said that . I was thinking of teams like Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Honduras, etc... sides that are getting a bit better every single WC qualifying. They should have a chance to face the 5th Asian squad, because I think at least half of the time, NA can win.

We beat those teams handily on a regular basis (ususally). Our system doesn't suck massive donkey balls to an extreme extent

The US and Mexico have pulled away from the rest of the conference. Which isn't saying too much for the rest of us. I'm sorry, I can't see 3 or 4 teams from NA while teams like Scotland and Holland sit.