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Next WCQ qualifer, better scheduling


Coolboarder

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Every time we start on WCQ qualifier, we always start at home. Why not start the schedule on semi-finals on the road and we get some team-bonding right away on the road and maybe play better than start the qualifier at home where we tend to screw it up with a loss and we're out. I would like to see something different for the WCQ schedule and start first two games on the road then we might have a chance to win some games at home when the system is settled down and players getting familiarize with each other in latter stage of the round.

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Well, I remember it is not the luck of the draw, it happened in 2000, 2004 WCQ campaign we started the qualifier two games at home. How they determine the schedule, I don't know but they should be balanced, not imbalanced on each campaign. I am not sure about 1996 and the past.

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Obviously the scheduling wasn't the difference-maker this particular time as Canada wasn't even close, but it potentially could've been. So I agree that the scheduling should be improved. NO TEAM should have to play their first two group matches both at home or both on the road. Same goes for the last two matches.

Even a 3-year-old can make a schedule for a group of 4 that satisfy these two basic needs.

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Its impossible to create a schedule like that unless you have a team at home for two straight games that are close together. As a result, one team would have to be on the road for two straight games which is inherently unfair.

Just to show it quickly:

August 20th: Canada (1) vs Jamaica (4), Mexico (2) vs Honduras (3)

September 6th: Jamaica (4) vs Mexico (2), Honduras (3) vs Canada (1)

So now every team has one road/home game (there is no other way to schedule this).

September 10th: Mexico (2) vs Canada (1), Honduras (3) vs Jamaica (4)

So lets say this schedule actually happened. Canada has to travel into Mexico/Honduras while the Hondurans don't move at all. That's a lot more unfair than the current system where each team has one home/away in Games 2/3 and 4/5. There always has to be one team that starts off on the road for two, and one that starts off at home for two. That's just how it is.

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They would have to change the FIFA calendar to three double match dates instead of the current two double match dates and 2 single match dates (the single ones actually being friendly dates that CONCACAF uses for WCQ). The better solution would be for CONCACAF to develop a better qualifying system than the one currently in place that would fit better with the international calendar and avoid using friendly dates.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

They would have to change the FIFA calendar to three double match dates instead of the current two double match dates and 2 single match dates (the single ones actually being friendly dates that CONCACAF uses for WCQ). The better solution would be for CONCACAF to develop a better qualifying system than the one currently in place that would fit better with the international calendar and avoid using friendly dates.

Yes, the single match in August is is the one that I have issues with. Nobody else in the world plays qualifiers on that date and the release period for players is short. Consequently it favors sides who can gather player on short notice. In other words, sides with a lot of domestic based players and few playing overseeas. It was not a factor this time because Jamaica had a lot of overseas players. But it may have been a factor i the past such as in 2004 versus Guatemala and in 2000 versus T&T.

But still, as you alluded to earlier, its no excuse for our failure to qualify.

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quote:Originally posted by theaub

Its impossible to create a schedule like that unless you have a team at home for two straight games that are close together.

So lets say this schedule actually happened. Canada has to travel into Mexico/Honduras while the Hondurans don't move at all. That's a lot more unfair than the current system where each team has one home/away in Games 2/3 and 4/5. There always has to be one team that starts off on the road for two, and one that starts off at home for two. That's just how it is.

Fair point. Anyway, I've always said that CONCACAF should have two HEX's and just get rid of the semifinal group-stage. I don't think the amount of damage that's done to the NT when they don't play a meaningful game for 3 years (apart from a two-week period for the Gold Cup) can be overstated. With the two HEX system, everybody in CONCACAF (well, except for tiny island countries like Aruba) would be playing meaningful matches regularily for two solid years, all the way up to the World Cup finals draw.

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Guest Jeffery S.

Way better to start at home and end at home if possible. In principle. We had it gifted to us, we had the lead in Toronto and Montreal, into the 2nd half. We have not led away from home. So the first option, playing at home, benefitted us more it seems. So how can we really complain about scheduling, what let us down was something else entirely?

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quote:Originally posted by theaub

Its impossible to create a schedule like that unless you have a team at home for two straight games that are close together. As a result, one team would have to be on the road for two straight games which is inherently unfair.

Just to show it quickly:

August 20th: Canada (1) vs Jamaica (4), Mexico (2) vs Honduras (3)

September 6th: Jamaica (4) vs Mexico (2), Honduras (3) vs Canada (1)

So now every team has one road/home game (there is no other way to schedule this).

September 10th: Mexico (2) vs Canada (1), Honduras (3) vs Jamaica (4)

So lets say this schedule actually happened. Canada has to travel into Mexico/Honduras while the Hondurans don't move at all. That's a lot more unfair than the current system where each team has one home/away in Games 2/3 and 4/5. There always has to be one team that starts off on the road for two, and one that starts off at home for two. That's just how it is.

Except that Jamaica started with all 3 games on the road, and Mexico started their first 3 games at home. In the end, everyone gets a home-and-away, but I see a huge scheduling disparity in that example.

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quote:Originally posted by amacpher

Fair point. Anyway, I've always said that CONCACAF should have two HEX's and just get rid of the semifinal group-stage. I don't think the amount of damage that's done to the NT when they don't play a meaningful game for 3 years (apart from a two-week period for the Gold Cup) can be overstated. With the two HEX system, everybody in CONCACAF (well, except for tiny island countries like Aruba) would be playing meaningful matches regularily for two solid years, all the way up to the World Cup finals draw.

This has already been discussed by others, but I think a better solution would be to switch to a 10 team setup like CONMEBOL. This has several benefits:

a) Let the top 10 teams sort out amongst each other (you can home-home's to sort out the best 10). Rather than hoping you get drawn into a easy group. Just imagine where we'd be right now if we we're in El Salvador's position.

B) Eliminate the lack of meaningful games (you mentioned) for teams CONCACAF should want to be playing.

c) Better team development for the region, the top 10 teams always get to play each other, this should in theory help make for more rounded and competitive World Cup teams (from the region). This would essentially weed out the pretenders and the top 4 would emerge.

d) Save the costs of having the Gold Cup every two years. Not sure if this is a real benefit but I threw it in there anyways.

Maybe if Trinidad gets eliminated this round we could pitch this idea to Jack Warner and he'd go for it. I don't know if mentioning it to the CSA would help, but maybe it would as well.

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