matthew Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 CONCACAF formally approved the change in format today. The FIFA executive committee still has to approve on Dec. 3, two days before the draw. cheers, hobbes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I really dislike the first home and away, it is too risky and no chance for errors. You get an away game in the Caribbean in heat and a hot crowd pushing the refs, and maybe it does not come out that well. Also we have not played in Canada for a long time and the pressure will be high. Apart from this any team playing has already got past a round and has some momentum in official play. And this risk factor goes for any of the "better" teams in the region. Totally different from Eurocup playoffs, which come after teams have played a full round, it is really a repechage. As for Antigua, FIFA has announced that they are back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted November 4, 2003 Share Posted November 4, 2003 I really dislike the first home and away, it is too risky and no chance for errors. You get an away game in the Caribbean in heat and a hot crowd pushing the refs, and maybe it does not come out that well. Also we have not played in Canada for a long time and the pressure will be high. Apart from this any team playing has already got past a round and has some momentum in official play. And this risk factor goes for any of the "better" teams in the region. Totally different from Eurocup playoffs, which come after teams have played a full round, it is really a repechage. As for Antigua, FIFA has announced that they are back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Good thread. I'm okay with this revised formula and welcome a home and away series. Mostly because the timing will seem to work for us in gaining availability to our European based players. They shouldn't be so out of season as to matter and with plenty of time to prepare, Ed will not have to see the Canadian sides which have rightfully earned their 70something plus ranking. Yes, there is still of course the chance a side could "snatch" a home victory and bunker down for an away draw. But if our 1st team given a week or two prep. time dosen't destroy ANY of the sides they'd meet in this first round, well, what can I say? Winnipeg has beautiful summers. WSC is still standing! Wouldn't mind another go at Cuba at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettermirror Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 i could really care less about the format. if we can't get in on merit, than we don't deserve. if we lose a home-and-home against 175th ranked caribbean nation than we don't deserve anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Antigua's back in? I'm not saying they don't deserve to be, but as long as my math isn't wonky, that leaves us with 21 Carribean teams playing for 10 home-and-away ties.I just sort of assumed they were out for good. Maybe someone else dropped out? I don't think the crowd will be a big factor too many places we might play. I remember seeing the US play Barbados last cycle and it was dead. No crowd, not much atmospere. Cuba was dead when we were there too. Haiti would be bad and maybe one of the other island nations would get excited, but if a bigger country like Barbados is disinterested, I'm not sure anyone else will generate an atmosphere worth fearing. I agree with Cheeta, the fact that we have a week or two of prep time makes this far more comfortable with me. I agree with bettermirror as well, if we can't win this, we don't deserve to go on. Not that I won't be a miserable crotchety bastard for three years if we go out after two games. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew W Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 Good posts in this thread. Regardless of format, you have to play whoever is on the other side of the pitch. Personally, I think many of the players wouldn't mind having another go at Cuba [}]. Whoever it is, bring it on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 A little bit of sanity is always a welcome thing, even if it means less of Cheeta's enjoyable Burroughsesque/Kafkaesque ravings. I'm waiting for the next installment of the "fly-on-the-wall"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted November 5, 2003 Share Posted November 5, 2003 A CLEAR ROADMAP FOR CANADA NOW! I don't think that it was the CONCACAF nations' complaints that forced the reorganization of our WCQ's, it was FIFA rejecting Warner's proposal and sending it back, saying to be a bit more reasonable about fixture congestion and give some rope to the higher seeded nations. I expect FIFA said "read my lips" and suggested the new format themselves. I think that the solution was a good last-minute compromise. It certainly helps Canada's preparations. 1.... as most of our Euro players should be able to attend a training camp and maybe a home prep game in Canada in early June, given the break for Euro 2004 for the Euro clubs. The North American players will not be helped, but they probably would be faced with having to play two games in Canada in June under the old format anyway. 2....as Canada's competing for the Olympic qualifying in El Salvador this month and in Mexico City in January, and in combo with the U20 World Championships, will now not be in conflict with the WCO's. The friendlies this month against Ireland and the Czechs no longer have the urgency of a WCQ final preparation. The only conflict may be if we qualify for the Olympics in Athens, and the players there may not be able to make the first WCQ of the semifinal round on August 18. It's very unlikely we will qualify for one of the two Athens spots, though, given the format. 3....as it'll allow us time to have some friendlies in the late winter or spring (maybe even one in Canada!) with whomever our new coach will be. The only downside is that it may take a little of the helpful edge that seemed to be motivating some of CSA's plans as of late. We have to keep that edge up. In my opinion, Dave's (and Matthew's) analysis of the better stiuation for Canada of the single home-and-away preliminary match in June is SPOT-ON. It's always better to be master of your own destiny, and not have to rely on a better goals-against formula if we tie the best competitor on points in a three round series. And the whole idea of a six-matchdate series lasting from January to June was ridiculous. Although the critics of the new compromise say we only save 2 total matches, we in fact eliminate 4 problematic match-dates (some of them non-International dates) early in the year. Edmonton in June, anyone? I think that Jeffrey, G-L and some of the other guys were kinda hopin' for an excuse for a Carribean holiday. You guys don't need an excuse, just go, even if it means you have to take your girlfriends/ spouses , or whatever! Learn some Spanish, and get ready to go down for the hex next winter instead. Only the most devoted fans may want to brave some of the hostile envirnonments, though I think it'll be fairly cool. I don't expect the format will be changed again by FIFA in early December, as they probaly instigated the latest version. WE NOW HAVE A CLEAR ROADMAP AND NO REASON NOT TO BE PREPARED! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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