CONCACAF Bid for a 4th WC Spot Fails, Qualification Process To Change Again *sigh*...

[Lurker 37]

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-fifa-meeting

Key Piece:

FIFA’s decision Thursday caused CONCACAF to say it will reconsider a proposed change to qualifying that would have prevented regional powerhouses United States and Mexico from meeting.

Chuck Blazer, the American on FIFA’s executive committee and CONCACAF’s No. 2 official, said there would not be enough available dates on the FIFA calendar for the formula CONCACAF had proposed, which would have had two groups of four in a final round of qualifying. For the past four World Cups, CONCACAF had a six-nation group in the finals.

With a short amount of time to decide I suspect they might revert back to the tried and true format that's been used for the past 3 World Cup Qualifying Campaigns...

[Lurker 37]

I love how nobody could figure out until this meeting that there wasn't available dates in the calendar to switch to the new format. Talk about poor planning... morons.

[Sébastien 255]

I think the dates were available if there were four spots.

With four spots, there was no need for extra games to see who would finish "3rd" and "4th".

Right?

Which obviously isn't the case with 3.5 spots still up for grabs.

[Lurker 37]

I think the dates were available if there were four spots.

With four spots, there was no need for extra games to see who would finish "3rd" and "4th".

Right?

Which obviously isn't the case with 3.5 spots still up for grabs.

Yes, that could be the case, without the extra spot 4 extra dates are needed (Concacaf head-to-head playoff for 3rd, then head-to-head confed playoff for 3.5 spot).

[jpg75 12]

The old format took up more FIFA dates then the new format will so i'm not buying that crap from CONCACAF. Blazer wants his Mexico-USA rivalry and has probably been in Warners ear about it...but i just don't see how Warner can go back on the new format, it's a political payback to his Caribbean constituents who have repeatedly backed him as head of the CFU and CONCACAF.

[canucklefan 93]

If CONCACAF got 1 more WC spot from CONMEBOL, it would have been a steal. With 3.5 spots to qualify to a WC, CONCACAF gets what it deserves.

[CanadianSoccerFan 1,485]

If CONCACAF got 1 more WC spot from CONMEBOL, it would have been a steal.

They weren't after CONMEBOL's half spot, they were after a half spot from Africa.

[canucklefan 93]

I'ver read some reports where CONMEBOL was threaten to lose a spot from CONCACAF. Even though, it would have been a steal from CAF in my eyes.

EDIT: Also, there were reports yesterday from South American newspapers stating CONMEBOL being happy to retain 4.5 WC spots. I think there's definitely a link with the news posted in this thread.

Edited March 3, 2011 by canucklefan

[Kusch to the Corner 38]

The REALLY key piece from that article is that there will be a draw to determine who our 4th place team will playoff against. It won't automatically be CONMEBOL like last time.

[Blue and White Army 5]

^ Bring on Bahrain!

[Sam 1]

I had thought this was a sure thing. Pretty disappointed...

But first we have to get closer to 4th, I mean last year we were no where near this. So maybe its a little early to get upset about something that may have no impact over as.

[Tuscan 0]

Well, not to be a bummer but I think we're going to have to rely pretty heavily on which confederation CONCACAF is drawn against for the .5 playoff. I don't see CONCACAF leaving the Hex system now that the US-Mexico rivalry is a talking point again (it had died down quite a bit recently it seemed). We'll have to prep for a lot of visits to inhospitable grounds in hot, humid climates. Might as well just start showering in piss to get used to it...

[Rivaldo 11]

The REALLY key piece from that article is that there will be a draw to determine who our 4th place team will playoff against. It won't automatically be CONMEBOL like last time.

Almost as good as getting a fourth spot. I like CONCACAF's chances against New Zealand or Asia’s fifth-placed qualifer. Even CONMEBOL’s fifth-placed team isn't likely to be as good as last time, with Brazil not involved in qualifying. Well done Jack Warner.

[jonovision 721]

The Hex format is ludicrous with 3 spots, even moreso if that had been upped to 4. Why should 75% of teams be eliminated after 8 or fewer games, and then 10 more games are played to eliminate only 2 more?

[Macksam 1,733]

Even CONMEBOL’s fifth-placed team isn't likely to be as good as last time, with Brazil not involved in qualifying. Well done Jack Warner.

I could see Columbia slowly getting back to prominence. Maybe not their 1994 quality when they were considered the best South American team going into that summer's World Cup, but they could still be really good.

[killgod 11]

We didn't lose any WC spots and made the 4th place route a lil easier as CONMEBOL is likely going to be the toughest matchup...and no longer guarenteed. Can't complain too much.

I was REALLY looking forward to the new format, the additional games would do wonder for fan interest in the CMNT.

[Edgar 0]

Yes, that could be the case, without the extra spot 4 extra dates are needed (Concacaf head-to-head playoff for 3rd, then head-to-head confed playoff for 3.5 spot).

4, but you actually need 6.

It seems the intercontinental play-offs will be played in October and November 2013, so that leaves the two September 2013 dates for the 3rd place playoff.

However, there are plenty match dates available, I don't see the need to change the qualifying system.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Edgar

[beachesl 132]

We knew CONCACAF was not going to get a full 4th spot.

The real news is that the half-spot format will be open to a "draw" and we have an "equal" chance of playing Oceania, Asia 5th or SA6th, which is a positive, and that our WCQ schedule will be set then. What is unclear is whether this draw for the half-spots will be held on July 30 when the majority of the WCQ schedule is to be drawn, or whether is will be drawn later. Earlier would be better, as less likely to change if , for example, China is the 5th Asian team and Blatter wants to better allow for their entry into Brazil.

Well, looks like July 30 will be the date to circle. It will be interesting when CONCACAF announces its final WCQ format proposal before that.

Hopefully, we handle the obvious and more sneaky challenges with dealing with CONCACAF bs better and smarter than in the past. I still want us to qualify again before I leave this earthly orb.

[Tuscan 0]

Wait, so when will CONCACAF be announcing how qualifying is going to be formatted? Too many dates getting thrown around lately in regards to CONCACAF, can't keep all this stuff straight.

On another note, I noticed that Cuba has fallen to 7th, that Panama has fallen to 6th, and that Honduras has quite the gap between them and Costa Rica for 3rd. We need a friendly against one of those two nations ASAP

[Lurker 37]

4, but you actually need 6.

It seems the intercontinental play-offs will be played in October and November 2013, so that leaves the two September 2013 dates for the 3rd place playoff.

However, there are plenty match dates available, I don't see the need to change the qualifying system.

Maybe the comments about re-thinking the format were a quick reaction to not securing the 4th WC Spot. Hopefully they'll work something out. (I just hope we don't revert to the old format).

[amacpher 0]

The REALLY key piece from that article is that there will be a draw to determine who our 4th place team will playoff against. It won't automatically be CONMEBOL like last time.

True. CONCACAF has 3.5 spots NOW. Before it was more like 3 and a bit (although Costa Rica almost succeeded).

CONMEBOL are the big winners. Most likely to have 6 teams in Brazil 2014. But they deserve it IMO.

[youllneverwalkalone 1,065]

So is the hex back again or not? I need to adjust my outrage meter accordingly...

[Lurker 37]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/888900/chuck-blazer-blasts-south-america%27s-six-world-cup-slots?cc=5901

Doesn't add much, but a few different quotes from Blazer who seems pretty upset. He used the term 're-do' for the WCQ process so at this point I'd think anything is possible (hopefully not a revert back to the Hex...).

Edit: One more thing to add, for 2010 qualifying the longest road would have been 22 games (2 First Round, 2 Second Round, 6 Third Round, 10 Final Round, 2 Playoff). This process started in FEBRUARY 2008... The idea that there aren't enough dates for the new format (approx. 22 - 26? games) leads me to believe there is no way this process was going to start in SEPTEMBER 2011 (~6 months earlier than the last cycle), which should leave amply time to work in 4 more games at the worst... In my opinion there's a lot of misinformation about everything (the draw date, the rankings that will be used, when it will start and what format they will use).

Edited March 4, 2011 by Lurker

[CanadianSoccerFan 1,485]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/888900/chuck-blazer-blasts-south-america%27s-six-world-cup-slots?cc=5901

Doesn't add much, but a few different quotes from Blazer who seems pretty upset. He used the term 're-do' for the WCQ process so at this point I'd think anything is possible (hopefully not a revert back to the Hex...).

Edit: One more thing to add, for 2010 qualifying the longest road would have been 22 games (2 First Round, 2 Second Round, 6 Third Round, 10 Final Round, 2 Playoff). This process started in FEBRUARY 2008... The idea that there aren't enough dates for the new format (approx. 22 - 26? games) leads me to believe there is no way this process was going to start in SEPTEMBER 2011 (~6 months earlier than the last cycle), which should leave amply time to work in 4 more games at the worst... In my opinion there's a lot of misinformation about everything (the draw date, the rankings that will be used, when it will start and what format they will use).

The September 2011 start date came from Blazer himself.

What's more, the U.S.' World Cup qualifying would start nine months earlier this time around, Blazer told me, with the Yanks' first six-game tournament taking place in September, October and November of 2011 -- the last two games coming during the final two weeks of the MLS Cup playoffs. The second stage of qualifying would take place in 2012, and the final six-game tournament would be in 2013

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/grant_wahl/09/29/concacaf.kills.rivalry/1.html#ixzz1Ffdusj5a

[Lurker 37]

The September 2011 start date came from Blazer himself.

What's more, the U.S.' World Cup qualifying would start nine months earlier this time around, Blazer told me, with the Yanks' first six-game tournament taking place in September, October and November of 2011 -- the last two games coming during the final two weeks of the MLS Cup playoffs. The second stage of qualifying would take place in 2012, and the final six-game tournament would be in 2013

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/grant_wahl/09/29/concacaf.kills.rivalry/1.html#ixzz1Ffdusj5a

Last time they played all the Hex games in 2009. So they should be able to do 6 + 2 extra playoff games which would be 2 less... Blazer must be battling amnesia or FIFA told him they can't start this September.