Jump to content

The Road to Qatar.


Binky

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

I don’t know.  It seems better than the previous route where the “low road” allowed almost no room for error.  And it is better than the straight-up hex format because we weren’t in it.  At the end of the day, we have to accept that our results to date haven’t justified us being given any sort of free pass into the later rounds of WCQ.   We need to consistently do better (much better) than we have if we want to get any sort of preferential treatment in the qualification process.  

Yeah I’m with you. It’s much better than the previous format IMO. The problem is, the previous format was so ridiculous that just about anything would be. It’s still annoying that 5 teams get a bye so far into the tournament but it is what it is. The way I see it, we should win our group fairly comfortably (hopefully we don’t face a Suriname team that suddenly is good). Then after that, at least it’s a home and away so there is a little more margin for error than in a 1 off game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

I don’t know.  It seems better than the previous route where the “low road” allowed almost no room for error.  And it is better than the straight-up hex format because we weren’t in it.  At the end of the day, we have to accept that our results to date haven’t justified us being given any sort of free pass into the later rounds of WCQ.   We need to consistently do better (much better) than we have if we want to get any sort of preferential treatment in the qualification process.  

Basically this.  If we had got something from the second American game and especially if we had not lost to Haiti, we could make the argument that we are a cut well above the teams we are going to play.   

As it stands, we are playing teams we know we should beat, in a format that allows for 1 or 2 freak bad results.  (Then the real work begins.)  We need to be able to do that to get to the World Cup on merit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The only nation that has shown consistency over the last cycle (qualifying for last World Cup and making it to last 4 of Gold Cup and Nations League) Is Mexico so one could make the argument for them to skip more than one round. In no other confederation does a nation get to skip right to the final round, and CONCACAF gives this to 5 teams!?!

This newest proposed format (better than the original of course) isn’t much more difficult than the other recently reported one, although now we can’t afford a one game slip up against one of those 12-35 ranked teams.  In the group format our goal difference should give us an advantage in case we tie the game against  the next beat team in our group.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ruffian, the other proposed format is to have 30 countries (those ranked 6-35) competing in the first round of qualifying. Since the 30 countries would need to be drawn into 6 groups of 5, archer21 was just outlining which 6 countries would be in each pot, if that format was chosen.

I think CONCACAF will find the 6 groups of 5 proposal appealing because the countries that get eliminated after the first round will have been able to play 4 matches. In the 9 groups of 3 format, they would only have 2 matches before being eliminated. Plus, in the 6 groups of 5 format, you have a few more countries participating in the earliest stage (30 vs. 27 as El Salvador, us, and Curacao wouldn't get a bye to the 2nd round).

Edited by jtpc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, archer21 said:

Great so 3 conflicting reports lol. Only thing that seems to be consistent is that there will be an Octagonal at some point

That, and the fact that the top 5 teams will get byes to the Octagonal, with the other 30 teams competing for the last three spots

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They could host FIFA World Cup qualifiers in a "Bubble" similar to what the NHL and NBA are doing. Set locations in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia in Oceania in countries where COVID numbers are down without fans in attendance in one stadium. Players during qualifiers maintain that social distancing and players have to be tested mandatory. If not, they don't play during the qualifiers. Players on the bench have to wear masks.
 
If you leave the bubble in your location during WCQ and you want to come back into the team, you have to quarantine for 14 days.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Why are quarentines necessary when every country has it already and the mortality rate is similar to the seasonal flu? 

Regardless, I don't see how travel for world cup qualifying happens in a world where governments insist people must isolate for 14-days when entering an exiting a country.

At this rate I am expecting to see a World Cup with cut out fans and fake crowd noise....if we have one at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think travel is pretty wide open and normal in Europe. The problem is coming back if you have a quarantine. For instance Chelsea have the FA Cup final and a few days later they play Bayern in Germany I believe. Then a few days later either of those teams play in Portugal 

Edited by SpursFlu
Link to comment
Share on other sites

American NHL teams did not arrive in Toronto or Edmonton 2 weeks prior to their first game. They are just required to prove each member of the team tested negative 3 times before and every test had to be 48 hours apart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Why are quarentines necessary when every country has it already and the mortality rate is similar to the seasonal flu? 

Regardless, I don't see how travel for world cup qualifying happens in a world where governments insist people must isolate for 14-days when entering an exiting a country.

At this rate I am expecting to see a World Cup with cut out fans and fake crowd noise....if we have one at all.

Its not just about mortality rate. Some people are left with health problems for months.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, narduch said:

Its not just about mortality rate. Some people are left with health problems for months.

Also, I have never heard of someone being on a ventilator for weeks on end from the seasonal flu. We need these measures in place because: there’s no treatment or vaccine, it’s more contagious than the seasonal flu, and more severe.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, Alex said:

Also, I have never heard of someone being on a ventilator for weeks on end from the seasonal flu. We need these measures in place because: there’s no treatment or vaccine, it’s more contagious than the seasonal flu, and more severe.  

Maybe because it is a rare occurrence, so probably you don't know anyone who that's happened to. It wouldn't particularly be news worthy either, so that could explain why you have never heard about it that way.

26 minutes ago, narduch said:

Its not just about mortality rate. Some people are left with health problems for months.

Which is unfortunate. At least this only occurs in a small minority of cases. 

Edited by Obinna
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Alex said:

American NHL teams did not arrive in Toronto or Edmonton 2 weeks prior to their first game. They are just required to prove each member of the team tested negative 3 times before and every test had to be 48 hours apart.

Perhaps they will do this for world cup qualifying, bubble or no bubble.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

46 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

I think travel is pretty wide open and normal in Europe. The problem is coming back if you have a quarantine. For instance Chelsea have the FA Cup final and a few days later they play Bayern in Germany I believe. Then a few days later either of those teams play in Portugal 

Thanks, I didn't know about travel being wide open in Europe. So if a player tests positive would the team be quarantined or just the player? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Thanks, I didn't know about travel being wide open in Europe. So if a player tests positive would the team be quarantined or just the player? 

I could be wrong but I dont think there has been much talk about that sort of thing in Europe. To me it feels a little bit like a dont ask dont tell policy over there. I'm not hearing anything about testing, bubbles etc etc. Not like in North America. Am I wrong? Genuinely asking . I think they're just checking for symptoms 

Edited by SpursFlu
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Stating COVID-19 has the same mortality rate as the seasonal flu is flat out false. Spreading false information does not help anyone anywhere.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/07/coronavirus-deadlier-than-many-believed-infection-fatality-rate-cvd/

 

That being said, I think that this qualifying opportunity is better than the one that we would have been facing since El Salvador was gaming the system.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also think this is a relatively fair format considering the circumstances.  People are talking about how Honduras/Jamaica etc are getting special treatment and I think its time for a friendly reminder that we haven't made the hex in five cycles and haven't won a knockout stage Gold Cup match since 2007.   This team is talented, but its been over 10 years since we've done anything of relevance in the region.  We are a lot closer to Guatemala than those teams.

Re: quarantine, I am pretty sure Canada has some of the strictest self-quarantine laws in the world.  The majority of countries in CONCACAF do not require a mandatory self-quarantine, just that you do not exhibit symptoms of COVID when arriving.  Whether we want to send players into those places is a different story altogether.

A bubble will not work since the international windows are too short anyways.  If there's matches being played later this year it is going to be a hope and pray situation, and as much as I know its mandatory for teams to release players I would be very surprised if Bayern etc don't throw up some roadblocks to keep players like Davies from flying across the ocean twice.

 

Edited by theaub
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

Maybe because it is a rare occurrence, so probably you don't know anyone who that's happened to. It wouldn't particularly be news worthy either, so that could explain why you have never heard about it that way.

Which is unfortunate. At least this only occurs in a small minority of cases. 

Sorry this is a pretty callous attitude on your part.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/red-sox-pitcher-eduardo-rodriguez-confirms-hes-dealing-with-heart-issue-stemming-from-covid-19-infection/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

I think travel is pretty wide open and normal in Europe. The problem is coming back if you have a quarantine. For instance Chelsea have the FA Cup final and a few days later they play Bayern in Germany I believe. Then a few days later either of those teams play in Portugal 

Just yesterday the UK announced that anyone returning from the Spanish Islands must quarantine for 2 weeks.

For all we know Canada could draw a country with a major outbreak.

We have players scattered all over the world. They could face quarantine either going to or coming back from WCQ.

In my opinion this announcement may turn out to be a temporary solution. I think in the end qualifying will have to be a bubble tournament.

Edited by narduch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin locked this topic
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...