CONCACAF Nations League

[footballfreak]

27 minutes ago, mpg_29 said:

Right but at that point it will essentially just be the same as a Gold Cup really..so i don't see the big difference. And now a lot of our friendly windows will now be filled with matches against Caribbean nations...

So are we REALLY better off? I don't know.

They will be filled with matches during non-WCQ/Gold Cup years, which is more than we've been able to say for the last few decades. Those matches give us the opportunity to improve our FIFA ranking and not get stuck with a bad pot for WCQ. One of Canada's big disadvantages in qualifying has been because we don't qualify for the Gold Cup, we miss out on all those matches with the high rankings multiplier. The Nations League removes that impediment.

There will also be opportunities for friendlies provided we qualify for League A. Since each group only has 3 teams, each team will have 2 bye dates to schedule extra friendlies.

Edited March 7, 2018 by footballfreak

[mpg_29]

21 minutes ago, footballfreak said:

They will be filled with matches during non-WCQ/Gold Cup years, which is more than we've been able to say for the last few decades. Those matches give us the opportunity to improve our FIFA ranking and not get stuck with a bad pot for WCQ. One of Canada's big disadvantages in qualifying has been because we don't qualify for the Gold Cup, we miss out on all those matches with the high rankings multiplier. The Nations League removes that impediment.

There will also be opportunities for friendlies provided we qualify for League A. Since each group only has 3 teams, each team will have 2 bye dates to schedule extra friendlies.

I guess I am misunderstanding the format then. Is the qualifying phase only happening once? Or is there a qualifying phase every "season"? 

[Alex]

Qualifying is just a one off. 

[footballfreak]

Just now, mpg_29 said:

I guess I am misunderstanding the format then. Is the qualifying phase only happening once? Or is there a qualifying phase every "season"? 

Just this once to set up teams in their initial tiers - presumably because the rankings are inaccurate since many of the teams don't play very often. After that, every iteration of the Nations League will have promotion/relegation between tiers.

The qualifying takes place over 4 FIFA windows, with only 1 match per window. We can still schedule Friendlies during the spares.

When the NL proper starts (Fall 2019 presumably), League A (12 teams) will use 4 of the 6 match days per team over the 3 Fall windows. League B (16 teams) will use all of the Fall dates. 

[mpg_29]

1 minute ago, footballfreak said:

Just this once to set up teams in their initial tiers - presumably because the rankings are inaccurate since many of the teams don't play very often. After that, every iteration of the Nations League will have promotion/relegation between tiers.

The qualifying takes place over 4 FIFA windows, with only 1 match per window. We can still schedule Friendlies during the spares.

When the NL proper starts (Fall 2019 presumably), League A (12 teams) will use 4 of the 6 match days per team over the 3 Fall windows. League B (16 teams) will use all of the Fall dates. 

OK nevermind. I was confusing the qualifying phase and the league itself and thought that there was only 8 teams in League A for some reason.

Thought we might end up stuck in a perpetual cycle of playing against Caribbean teams...

[deschamp86]

Nevermind, saw it was brought up already

Edited March 7, 2018 by deschamp86

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

So the actual league looks like it will start in Sept and end in January. I wonder if it will continue to be a yearly thing. And i sure hope the Second and Third place teams in each group get to have their own playoff or those teams will only play 4 games...

[Gopherbashi]

Oh, it's a yearly thing.  I thought it was every two years.  That's not as bad then.

[Keegan]

It can’t continue as yearly because of wcq it’s gonna be like the UEFA league I believe

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Kent said:

I missed the beginning of the draw. So am I right to think that they take the results of qualifying for the 34 teams, make one giant table, and the top 6 make it to League A (along with the Hex teams), then the next 16 are in League B, and the last 13 in League C? With the one caveat being Guatemala not participating yet.

Conflicting news on this. See below.

The remaining 34 nations eligible for the tournament, including the Canada national team, will play four qualifying matches during international windows between September of 2018 and March 2019.

The results of those matches will be used to inform and change the current Ranking Index, which in turn will be used to seed the actual Nations League tournament proper.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/05/qualifying-details-announced-upcoming-concacaf-league-nations

 

And then we have this, which is a day later so presumably correct (?)

The results of those qualifying games will be compiled into an aggregate table, ranking the participating teams 1-34 based on points earned, goal difference and a series of additional tiebreakers. The table will be used to divide teams into Leagues A, B and C for the first full edition of the Nations League.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/07/concacaf-announces-schedule-format-and-other-details-new-nations-league

Edited March 7, 2018 by dsqpr

[Guest]

Official name: CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE (CNL)

Official sport: FOOTBALL

 

[Kent]

35 minutes ago, dsqpr said:

Conflicting news on this. See below.

The remaining 34 nations eligible for the tournament, including the Canada national team, will play four qualifying matches during international windows between September of 2018 and March 2019.

The results of those matches will be used to inform and change the current Ranking Index, which in turn will be used to seed the actual Nations League tournament proper.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/05/qualifying-details-announced-upcoming-concacaf-league-nations

 

And then we have this, which is a day later so presumably correct (?)

The results of those qualifying games will be compiled into an aggregate table, ranking the participating teams 1-34 based on points earned, goal difference and a series of additional tiebreakers. The table will be used to divide teams into Leagues A, B and C for the first full edition of the Nations League.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/07/concacaf-announces-schedule-format-and-other-details-new-nations-league

Yeah, I am going with the one from after the news dump. I believe it was also in that CONCACAF document that was put on twitter and linked in this thread a few pages back. I imagine the ranking index could still be used to seed teams in the draw for the CNL proper, even if it doesn't determine which teams are in which league.

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, mpg_29 said:

Yeah our draw is going to be pretty easy...

Already getting the impression this will benefit the bottom 25-30 teams...not the other way around

Agree @mpg_29... Pretty favourable draw, indeed... Now time to go out and wreck these teams and cap-tie some of our most promising youngsters, particularly those in the fringe... We should bring 2 or 3 imo for these early stages

[Rheo]

The official CSA press release on the games

https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-soccer-s-men-s-national-team-to-play-at-home-in-october-2018-and-march-2019-p161434-preview-1

and the MLS website article on Canada's draw

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/07/canada-face-caribbean-trio-concacaf-nations-league-qualifying

 

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, Vince193 said:

I do wish there were more matches. Two matches in the window instead of one. I guess Canada could schedule friendlies but the CSA is allergic to playing more than one match, if that, in an international window.

Agree, we should aim for playing an extra game and schedule a friendly preferably with a stronger opponent than the one we are going to play during this qualifying stage... When we play away, we should schedule one at home and vice versa... But stupid CSA has something about playing 2 games a window... I don't know if they are just frugal or what... Pretty BS imo 

[Gopherbashi]

Based on what I saw during the official announcement today, the four-game table is determining initial league seeding.  Ranking formulas weren't mentioned.

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, Kent said:

Remember that this is just the qualifying round. If we are able to advance to League A we will be playing against significantly tougher opponents, and I think we (and other top teams in the region) can benefit a lot from that.

That's when will need to bring in all those players that are on the fringe and CAP-TIE them... CSA gotta really wake up there and not rest in their laurels... It's the only way we will have a chance at winning this competition and participating in future GC and being invited to Copa América... And bring relevance to the NT and increase our rep across the region and to an extent the rest of the footballing world.. As I said in an earlier post, we should start bringing a couple of the promising dual national youngsters for this qualifying stage and have them all if we make it to the top tier

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, Zem said:

French Guiana is the only non-FIFA nation we're playing and yes, all official matches cap-tie players regardless of the opponent. And no, FIFA rankings only apply to matches between FIFA nations.

Thank god, hahahah!!!... lmfao

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, Kent said:

Our friendly windows will be competitive games played at home or away, so less neutral site friendlies. As for games against Caribbean nations, it's probably reasonable to expect that League A will include (at least in the first year) Mexico, USA, Canada (hope I haven't jinxed it), the 7 Central American teams (give or take Belize and Guatemala), and a couple of Caribbean nations like Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba. That's pretty good competition for us.

Absolutely!!!... We should be in League A, the path has been paved for us, thank goodness, just about time to have things turn in our favour, particularly in this damn CONCACAF region like we all know how it goes sometimes and certainly we not be immune to it by any means... Exciting matches to look forward to, indeed (in terms of seeing CANMNT play in the remaining Fifa Windows of the year and tigers crossed for an extra game in at least half of those windows)... Great opportunity to build some much needed chemistry among our players and to build rapport with Mr. Sizzle and staff... It'd get very interesting once we make it to League A (pending we make it of course, no jinx intended, hahaha)... But I do expect we will be there post March 2019 

[CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE]

3 hours ago, Keegan said:

(maybe that was their thinking).

Who knows.... I sure hope so just like you.. What was the score in 11 when we went St. Kitts & Nevis?... The forward options we got now are more technically skilled than DeRo and Jackson (with all due respect to them as they are nice guys and gave it their all when playing for the CANMNT, at least DERO did, he try to carry them behind their back each time he was called and still is actively involved in the growth and improvement of the game for CANMNT & TFC, not sure what is his role exactly)... More than skill, it is the conditions in those areas that hamper us (pitch and weather namely) 

[Keegan]

11 minutes ago, CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE said:

Who knows.... I sure hope so just like you.. What was the score in 11 when we went St. Kitts & Nevis?... The forward options we got now are more technically skilled than DeRo and Jackson (with all due respect to them as they are nice guys and gave it their all when playing for the CANMNT, at least DERO did, he try to carry them behind their back each time he was called and still is actively involved in the growth and improvement of the game for CANMNT & TFC, not sure what is his role exactly)... More than skill, it is the conditions in those areas that hamper us (pitch and weather namely) 

It was 0-0 away to st Kitts. 

[Kent]

25 minutes ago, CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE said:

Who knows.... I sure hope so just like you.. What was the score in 11 when we went St. Kitts & Nevis?... The forward options we got now are more technically skilled than DeRo and Jackson (with all due respect to them as they are nice guys and gave it their all when playing for the CANMNT, at least DERO did, he try to carry them behind their back each time he was called and still is actively involved in the growth and improvement of the game for CANMNT & TFC, not sure what is his role exactly)... More than skill, it is the conditions in those areas that hamper us (pitch and weather namely) 

Who do we have now at forward that you think is better technically than DeRo?

Jackson isn’t the greatest but he did play and score in the EPL. Who do we have now that compares?

[BradMack]

We should smash all of these teams... should... 

Who should we cap tie? Outside of the obvious ones that probably won't come (Ballou, Akinola, Ferreira, Tomori, etc). I think maybe Noah Verhoeven could be stolen backfrom the US, Christian Guitierez is sort of in a career slump and might be open to te move from Chile,  anyone else realistic?

[Bison44]

30 minutes ago, CNMNTPERUELIGIBLE said:

Who knows.... I sure hope so just like you.. What was the score in 11 when we went St. Kitts & Nevis?... The forward options we got now are more technically skilled than DeRo and Jackson (with all due respect to them as they are nice guys and gave it their all when playing for the CANMNT, at least DERO did, he try to carry them behind their back each time he was called and still is actively involved in the growth and improvement of the game for CANMNT & TFC, not sure what is his role exactly)... More than skill, it is the conditions in those areas that hamper us (pitch and weather namely) 

I dont know, DERO had alot of skill, definately had better shooting boots then anyone we have now.  Back in 11 we had Ocean/Simpson in their primes as well.  Its a perfect example though.  Who cares what the pitch is like, go down and thump these guys.  Maybe Herdman is on to something with the mind set, and mental toughness etc etc.  

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

Yeah, I am going with the one from after the news dump. I believe it was also in that CONCACAF document that was put on twitter and linked in this thread a few pages back. I imagine the ranking index could still be used to seed teams in the draw for the CNL proper, even if it doesn't determine which teams are in which league.

Confirmed. One big table it is.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DknrrXihCIkU&ved=0ahUKEwjEk_SSiNvZAhUjiVQKHdo8CqcQwqsBCEkwCw&usg=AOvVaw3RbugLc_M7JgnMF6LR8X5e