Jump to content

Sportsnet reveals 2018 WCQ format and seeding for CONCACAF


shermanator

Recommended Posts

Looks like the last two rounds are the same, but the first three are different. Also, seeding is from August 2014:

 

There will be five rounds of CONCACAF qualifying, with the first three rounds consisting of home-and-away playoff series.

 

The last two rounds will remain as before. The fourth round, or semifinal round, will be made up of three groups of four, with the top two from each group moving on. CONCACAF qualifying will conclude with a final round of six teams, commonly known as the Hex.

 

 

We can tell you with certainty that Canada’s campaign will begin at the second stage of qualifying, which will take place during the FIFA international window in early June. Yes, there will be overlap with the early stages of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

 

Here are some more details you should know. First, COCNACAF will use the August 2014 FIFA world rankings throughout all five rounds of qualifying to determine seeding. This is good news for Canada as the Reds were ranked ninth in CONCACAF in August, as opposed to where they are now, 16th, and free falling into the nether regions of the confederation.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/canada-concacaf-gold-cup-2018-fifa-world-cup-russia/ '> http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/canada-concacaf-gold-cup-2018-fifa-world-cup-russia/ 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Teams ranked 22nd to 35th will kick off the first round with in a series of home-and-away playoffs next March. The seven survivors advance to the second round where they will be drawn against teams ranked No ninth to 21st. That’s where Canada enters the fray—against the likes of Bahamas, the Cayman Islands and other such nations.

 

Sounds like March would be a good time for another friendly in Central America.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the gold cup is the same time as the pan am games. If the womens world cup which was the month prior coudn't use BMO i can't see how the gold cup would would there.

 

So BUSY 2015. I think we definately need a march frinedly against either costa rica or honduras IN Central America.

 

Schedule may look like this:

 

Jan: Camp Bacon

 

March: Central American Freindly

 

June: 2nd round WCQ home and away

 

July: Gold cup

 

Fall: 3rd Round WCQ Home and Away

 

Doesn't look like our nat'l team players will get much time off this summer.

 

Throw in the pan am soccer turni in July as well as the womens world cup in June, busy summer.

 

Will we have players playing on the WCQ, Gold Cup AND Pan am team?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the gold cup is the same time as the pan am games. If the womens world cup which was the month prior coudn't use BMO i can't see how the gold cup would would there.

 

So BUSY 2015. I think we definately need a march frinedly against either costa rica or honduras IN Central America.

 

Schedule may look like this:

 

Jan: Camp Bacon

 

March: Central American Freindly

 

June: 2nd round WCQ home and away

 

July: Gold cup

 

Fall: 3rd Round WCQ Home and Away

 

Doesn't look like our nat'l team players will get much time off this summer.

 

Throw in the pan am soccer turni in July as well as the womens world cup in June, busy summer.

 

Will we have players playing on the WCQ, Gold Cup AND Pan am team?

Pan Am? Nobody really cares. It'll prob be U23 ish and fringe players. Players need a rest and not burn out

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pan Am? Nobody really cares. It'll prob be U23 ish and fringe players. Players need a rest and not burn out

 

uhh Floro is using the Pan ams as prep for u23 world cup qualifying. He has said there are players on the U20 team that are ready to make the jump to MNT. If u20 players can make the jump surely U23 players will be being called to both teams. Thats players born 93' or later. We have lots of those players being called into the MNT.

 

Floro is the head coach of the MNT and U23 team. Not sure how he plans to coach both if Pan Am's and Gold cup are in July. Seeing that Gold cup is qualification for copa americas I assume he'll be there.

 

The U20 world cup would be in June as well. So if they qualify we won't see any of those players in the 2nd round of WCQ. Maybe the gold cup or Pan Am's though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So there is a possibility that in the 3rd round, Canada (Ranked 9th in Aug. 2014 rankings) can be drawn against either Guatemala (13th in Aug. 2014 rankings) or El Salvador (15th in Aug. 2014 rankings). In 3rd round, with 12 teams total playing (6 matches), I am assuming Canada would be in Pot 1; and due to their low rankings in the month of August - El Salvador or Guatemala in Pot 2.

This right here would be the ultimate test if we draw any of these two teams.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So here are the pots:

Top 3: Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, (SF round, seeded)

Next 3: Honduras, Panama Trinidad (SF round)

Next 2: Jamaica and Haiti. (third round)

Next 4 (Round 2 and 3 seeded): Canada, Cuba, Aruba, Dominican Republic,
Next 6 (Round 2 seeded, 3 unseeded)El Salvador, Suriname, Guatemala, St-Vincent, St. Lucia, Grenada

Next 3 (Round 2 but unseeded): Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Puerto Rico

Next 7 (Round 1 seeded): St Kitts, Belize, Montserrat, Dominica, Barbados, Bermuda, Nicaragua

Last 7 (Round 1 unseeded): Turks and Caicos, Curacao, US Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Cayman, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla

 

Although I wonder when/how round 3 draw will go, will it be before or after round 2? I've seen both happening for FIFA World Cup qualifying draws. I'm assuming that it will be done as one big draw.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So we're the highest seeded team in our round?  Hopefully that leads to an easier opponent, and the pressure of a home-and-away series will mean our boys don't brainfart their way into a 0-0 at home to Puerto Rico or whatever we had last time out.

 

I thought the most interesting part of that article was the suggestion of Gold Cup games in Canada next year - assuming it's in our group, that could be a big help on the way to a Copa America spot...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A Vees trip/mockumentary to the great Phillips Bakery is in order.  Maybe a stop at the library if we have time.

 

Would be amazing if we drew St. Vag again in the 3rd round!

 

Also we dodged a bullet at Concacaf using the August rankings. Me thinks they want us to do well this time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So here are the pots:

Top 3: Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, (SF round, seeded)

Next 3: Honduras, Panama Trinidad (SF round)

Next 2: Jamaica and Haiti. (third round)

Next 4 (Round 2 and 3 seeded): Canada, Cuba, Aruba, Dominican Republic,

Next 6 (Round 2 seeded, 3 unseeded)El Salvador, Suriname, Guatemala, St-Vincent, St. Lucia, Grenada

Next 3 (Round 2 but unseeded): Antigua and Barbuda, Guyana, Puerto Rico

Next 7 (Round 1 seeded): St Kitts, Belize, Montserrat, Dominica, Barbados, Bermuda, Nicaragua

Last 7 (Round 1 unseeded): Turks and Caicos, Curacao, US Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Cayman, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla

 

Although I wonder when/how round 3 draw will go, will it be before or after round 2? I've seen both happening for FIFA World Cup qualifying draws. I'm assuming that it will be done as one big draw.

Thanks for this!

 

So being seeded in round 3, does that mean that Canada will NOT play Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Aruba or Dominican?

 

If so they really should cruise to the semis... worst draw to me would be Guatemala in round 3 - they almost won the last Copa Centroamerica, beat Honduras and then barely fell to Costa Rica in the final.  El Salvador might make them work too, would prefer for them to avoid a central american pissbag away match until the semis at least... but maybe it would toughen them up.

 

As for the semis if they are there... obviously we're hoping for the Ticos from that top 3, the next 3 are a wash to me, and I'd think we'd also like to avoid Jamaica as the 4th team... while they are a team with a 10 cent head collectively, they have talent and every now and again get their shit together.

 

Worst draw looks like:

round 2 : Puerto Rico

round 3 : Guatemala

semi : USA, Honduras, Jamaica, Canada (almost no hope for me if we end up in a group with both Honduras and one of the big 2)

 

Best draw assuming no upsets might look like:

round 2 : Montserrat

round 3 : Grenada

semi : Costa Rica, Trinis, Aruba, Canada

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...