The Road to Qatar.

[SpursFlu]

7 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

Passengers, you are talking about passengers, not flights.  I was seeing flights had increased from 20mil a year to 40+mil a year in the last 15 years.  Billions extra flights with 100 people per flight would be trillions of extra passengers.    

https://www.statista.com/statistics/564769/airline-industry-number-of-flights/

 

Sorry that's what I meant. Flights by individuals has increased by 3 billion. So yah 3 billion more people a year get on a flight per year then they did around the time of Sars.

So back to soccer. I hope decision makers start to consider these things when they organize football related events 

Edited April 16, 2020 by SpursFlu

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Potential bombshell alert!!!  Vic just said CONCACAF is facing Oceania in the intercontinental playoff.  If this was known all along then it would make the format appear slightly less insane.

 

  

“I think we will be looking at other models for qualifying,” he said. “The FIFA rankings in June were going to decide the qualifiers but we will have lost 104 games in that March to June period. A lot of nations were planning friendlies to try and pushes their FIFA rankings but we will have to look at reformatting qualification. There is a hint of sporting integrity in this.”

The deadline for the final 2022 World Cup qualification place for Concacaf is not until March 2022 when the final qualifying Concacaf team would face a challenger from Oceania in the intercontinental play-off.

“At the moment we would be unlikely to have to move that as there is enough flex (in the calendar) between now and end 2021 to get a qualification schedule played and keep everybody to that date,” said Montagliani. “If we start September and end October 2021 we have November for our play off to decide who goes forward to face the OFC challenger.”

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/04/16/concacafs-montagliani-says-nations-league-will-finish-2022-qualifiers-need-re-jig/

 

Edited April 16, 2020 by CanadianSoccerFan

[Shway]

Start September?.... Didn't he say it will be unlikely that international games will be played this year to focus on club competitions. 

[Daryn27]

50 minutes ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

Potential bombshell alert!!!  Vic just said CONCACAF is facing Oceania in the intercontinental playoff.  If this was known all along then it would make the format appear slightly less insane.

 

  

“I think we will be looking at other models for qualifying,” he said. “The FIFA rankings in June were going to decide the qualifiers but we will have lost 104 games in that March to June period. A lot of nations were planning friendlies to try and pushes their FIFA rankings but we will have to look at reformatting qualification. There is a hint of sporting integrity in this.”

The deadline for the final 2022 World Cup qualification place for Concacaf is not until March 2022 when the final qualifying Concacaf team would face a challenger from Oceania in the intercontinental play-off.

“At the moment we would be unlikely to have to move that as there is enough flex (in the calendar) between now and end 2021 to get a qualification schedule played and keep everybody to that date,” said Montagliani. “If we start September and end October 2021 we have November for our play off to decide who goes forward to face the OFC challenger.”

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/04/16/concacafs-montagliani-says-nations-league-will-finish-2022-qualifiers-need-re-jig/

 

If that’s true you are right that’s massive likely New Zealand I think now that Australia switched regions always wins Oceania, and of even we were the 4th place team I believe we would be considered the favourite.

[SpursFlu]

Beautiful news

[Bdog]

Yeah that's huuuuge if true.

“The FIFA rankings in June were going to decide the qualifiers but we will have lost 104 games in that March to June period. A lot of nations were planning friendlies to try and pushes their FIFA rankings but we will have to look at reformatting qualification. There is a hint of sporting integrity in this.”

This looks like good news for us, anything to change the format to give us a chance to avoid the playoff altogether would be massive. I definitely think we can finish 3rd in Concacaf.

The Oceania playoff news might be even bigger though, I'm definitely less worried now if it came down to the playoff. New Zealand isn't an easy win by any means but I'd rather have to play them instead of a South American team.

[Obinna]

Herdman qualifying Canada for the world cup in a play-off against New Zealand, the team we first played under his tenure. The association where he made a name for himself....

Will the stars align? 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Obinna

[BrennanFan]

Holy Shit, this is huge, massive news!  

I knew it. I knew there had to have been a good reason for Montagliani to agree to that insane qualification system in the first place. 

Now, if the system is going to change, I do hope they go with a double hex.  There are only 12 competitive teams in Concacaf anyway, it just makes sense and keeps US-Mex golden goose money matches fresh for the Gold Cup/Nations League. 

[archer21]

I’d still prefer to have a shot at direct qualification but this certainly makes me more comfortable if we do have to go through the consolation bracket.

[maplebanana]

20 hours ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

The deadline for the final 2022 World Cup qualification place for Concacaf is not until March 2022 when the final qualifying Concacaf team would face a challenger from Oceania in the intercontinental play-off.

“At the moment we would be unlikely to have to move that as there is enough flex (in the calendar) between now and end 2021 to get a qualification schedule played and keep everybody to that date,” said Montagliani. “If we start September and end October 2021 we have November for our play off to decide who goes forward to face the OFC challenger.”

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/04/16/concacafs-montagliani-says-nations-league-will-finish-2022-qualifiers-need-re-jig/

 

Has the inter-confederation playoff opponents been confirmed anywhere else? It sounds to me that this might be a misquote / misinterpretation, because I don't think the draw has been held yet. Would absolutely love it if true, but as a CanMNT fan I'm conditioned to expect the worst.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

1 hour ago, maplebanana said:

Has the inter-confederation playoff opponents been confirmed anywhere else? It sounds to me that this might be a misquote / misinterpretation, because I don't think the draw has been held yet. Would absolutely love it if true, but as a CanMNT fan I'm conditioned to expect the worst.

That is assuming there is going to be a draw.

It was supposed to happen in July of last year in Qatar at the official FIFA World Cup Qualifying Draw that quietly disappeared from the calendar without a trace or announcement.  

Things that seemed routine before at FIFA are being turned on their head under Infantino without much formal communication.  The Confederations Cup similarly just disappeared without an announcement.

It's important to remember that we have only had draws for the Intercontinental playoff for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.  In all prior World Cups, the match-ups were predetermined and/or negotiated.  This could just be a return to that.

Looking at this through the lens of FIFA politics, Asia is getting an extra berth by virtue of Qatar hosting so making their half spot face the CONMEBOL gauntlet seems like the fairest compromise.  

[CanadianSoccerFan]

14 hours ago, neuker said:

Have any changes or adjustments been made to the FIFA calendar/format below?

https://web.archive.org/web/20190105145356/https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/international-match-calendar-2018-2024.pdf?cloudid=p3ywicffz0zxeaomaajh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(inter-confederation_play-offs)

Yes, look at page 2 of the calendar.  The draw scheduled for July never happened. 

The wikipedia entry claims "the draw will be held at a later date" but the linked source is the same FIFA calendar which does not say that.  The "later date" entry is just an assumption.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

11 hours ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

The wikipedia entry claims "the draw will be held at a later date" ...

The idea that it would be a draw in the first place was an assumption by the wikipedia author. The two previous qualifying cycles had draws but nothing was ever officially announced by FIFA for 2022.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

12 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

The idea that it would be a draw in the first place was an assumption by the wikipedia author. The two previous qualifying cycles had draws but nothing was ever officially announced by FIFA for 2022.

Precisely what I wrote at the end of the paragraph you edited.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

16 hours ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

Precisely what I wrote at the end of the paragraph you edited.

I was just reaffirming (adding weight) to your theory at the end of the paragraph.

...by stating that the Wikipedia author did not have an authoritative source for that info and was simply making an assumption based on the previous qualifying cycles.

Apologies for the lack of clarity.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

Possibility of three-match international windows

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-8242905/England-face-international-break-triple-headers-season.html

 

Edit: Important to note that even UEFA is insisting the Nations League will take place even if they have to squeeze it in.  I think it's easy for most observers to say "just cancel it".  For both CONCACAF and UEFA, the TV rights and sponsorship have already been sold so they desperately want to avoid giving money back.

Edited April 22, 2020 by CanadianSoccerFan

[Alex]

A 3 match international window makes the most sense to me 

[lamptern]

On 4/16/2020 at 4:58 PM, CanadianSoccerFan said:

Potential bombshell alert!!!  Vic just said CONCACAF is facing Oceania in the intercontinental playoff.  If this was known all along then it would make the format appear slightly less insane.

 

  

“I think we will be looking at other models for qualifying,” he said. “The FIFA rankings in June were going to decide the qualifiers but we will have lost 104 games in that March to June period. A lot of nations were planning friendlies to try and pushes their FIFA rankings but we will have to look at reformatting qualification. There is a hint of sporting integrity in this.”

The deadline for the final 2022 World Cup qualification place for Concacaf is not until March 2022 when the final qualifying Concacaf team would face a challenger from Oceania in the intercontinental play-off.

“At the moment we would be unlikely to have to move that as there is enough flex (in the calendar) between now and end 2021 to get a qualification schedule played and keep everybody to that date,” said Montagliani. “If we start September and end October 2021 we have November for our play off to decide who goes forward to face the OFC challenger.”

http://www.insideworldfootball.com/2020/04/16/concacafs-montagliani-says-nations-league-will-finish-2022-qualifiers-need-re-jig/

 

One of the rare good news in these days.  Ignited my weak hope again.....

[SpursFlu]

Imagine if someone said you can make the world cup by beating, Guatemala, Panama, Jamaica & New Zealand. Who wouldn't take that?

Its actually almost too easy. If your looking at it from a respect standpoint 

Edited April 22, 2020 by SpursFlu

[canadafan101]

^ yeah, but we have to beat all of them. Even if you think we have a 70% chance of winning each round, which we don't, that gives us 25% chance of making the world cup

[SpursFlu]

16 minutes ago, canadafan101 said:

^ yeah, but we have to beat all of them. Even if you think we have a 70% chance of winning each round, which we don't, that gives us 25% chance of making the world cup

You know we're playing sports not doing some kinda weird simulation right? So if Spain played the same format and you gave them 90% chance of winning reach round, then carry the 1, move the decimal point divide by 4 and then subtract common sense it would leave a 60% chance the next world cup champions will be Czechoslovakia 

Edited April 22, 2020 by SpursFlu

[Kent]

9 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

Imagine if someone said you can make the world cup by beating, Guatemala, Panama, Jamaica & New Zealand. Who wouldn't take that?

Its actually almost too easy. If your looking at it from a respect standpoint 

I remember the last time we had to fight with Panama for advancement. We lost in Panama and ultimately finished a point behind them. We can’t take them lightly or any of the teams in your list.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

On 4/20/2020 at 4:55 AM, neuker said:

1) FIFA document updated October 2018 (In effect during July 2019):

https://web.archive.org/web/20190105145356/https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/international-match-calendar-2018-2024.pdf?cloudid=p3ywicffz0zxeaomaajh

2) FIFA document updated October 2019: (In effect after July 2019):

https://resources.fifa.com/image/upload/international-match-calendar-2018-2024-x4858.pdf?cloudid=ntmrkopxx2iutr05pxbc

In other words the Wikipedia author was correct. He or she did not make an assumption. At the time, July 2019, it was based on an authoritative source, FIFA!

Now I'll make the assumption that FIFA updated the October 2018 document because it was necessary to cover up Victor Montagliani negligence in not reading the fine print of the FIFA rules before coming up with the new CONCACAF format that wasn't based on the FIFA-Coca-Cola rankings.

Well done.

I stand corrected.

[Weng]

12 minutes ago, Kent said:

I remember the last time we had to fight with Panama for advancement. We lost in Panama and ultimately finished a point behind them. We can’t take them lightly or any of the teams in your list.

Agreed.  I think we have the talent to win, but are still learning to win those hard and much needed points at vital times.  I think Herdman has toughened us mentally, but we have a long way to go compared to some of those teams 

[Bison44]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

I remember the last time we had to fight with Panama for advancement. We lost in Panama and ultimately finished a point behind them. We can’t take them lightly or any of the teams in your list.

Or the time we only needed to beat Jamaica to get to gold cup semi-final, or just finish off haiti to advance in gold cup, or just get a tie in Honduras.....we've all seen it happen too many times to take anything for granted.  And the collapse against haiti was with our supposed "mentally tougher" Herdman coached squad.  I sure hope that the rapid progression of Davies and David will put us out of reach,  so some fluke or brainfart wont will sink us.