What do you think of the CONCACAF WCQ for 2022?

[apbsmith]

6 minutes ago, Lofty said:

The five stages of grief:

1. Denial.

2. Anger.

3. Bargaining.

4. Depression.

5. Acceptance.

We started with people saying this could not possibly be the format.

Then this thread was born so that people could cast their vote to say how terrible it is.

Now that the discussion seems to be mostly centred on other possible formats, I believe we have reached stage 3.

Hang in there folks, "acceptance" is coming!

Is stage 4 depression when we find out CONCACAF play a south american team in the .5 spot?

[Treppy2]

14 hours ago, apbsmith said:

If you are in the #7-35...

You are one bad match away against a decent side in a home and away from being eliminated, just look at UEFA CL upsets. You need to play 4 of those for for the .5 spot. Could be out 1st round to Panama.

The #4 team in the hex cross over could easily be a top 3 team. As of today's rankings, #2-#5 in my opinion is very tight this cycle in the hex.

4 region playoff, we are almost drawing dead vs a South American side(Chile, Peru, Columbia), Asian side would be a favorite over us, and only NZ we'd be a slight favorite to win. 

It's innovative but flawed for so many reasons especially teams #4 - #10. El Salvador & Jamaica are top 6 in Fifa because of their Friendlies in the past 12-18 months. Look at the ELO rankings, that's a better top 6.

 

Who remembers the 1990 World Cup home and away matches against Guatemala?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5dtAwViE9o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df_h37QyilY

 

Mexico had been banned from participating for qualifying for Italia '90 for fielding overage players in a U-20 (or U-23?) tourney and the US wasn't yet a CONCACAF power. Canada's path to the World Cup looked really easy until...

 

This is so painful to relive...

 

[SthMelbRed]

11 hours ago, Ansem said:

Why can't we have nice things in CONCACAF???? 

 

Iran vs Iraq; Saudi vs Yemen; Korean derby...has AFC not been told about the hot/cold balls trick?

[CanadianSoccerFan]

28 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

Iran vs Iraq; Saudi vs Yemen; Korean derby...has AFC not been told about the hot/cold balls trick?

The weirdest part is that Qatar is included even though they're already qualified.  That totally skews Group E if their results don't count. India actually has a chance of making the final round

[SthMelbRed]

19 minutes ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

The weirdest part is that Qatar is included even though they're already qualified.  That totally skews Group E if their results don't count. India actually has a chance of making the final round

I think that's because it's combined World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying. I think they did the same in Africa before 2010.

[Kent]

54 minutes ago, SthMelbRed said:

I think that's because it's combined World Cup and Asian Cup qualifying. I think they did the same in Africa before 2010.

Yeah. I read a while ago that they have to join qualifying and if they get to a certain point where they have qualified for Asia, they can maybe choose if they go on beyond that in World Cup qualifying.

[RJB]

I know lots can change, but the current rankings have the top 6 (in order):

Mexico - USA - Costa Rica - Jamaica - Honduras - El Salvador

The next tier has (in order):

Panama - Canada - Curacao - T&T - Haiti - Antigua & Barbuda....

If everything works as the ratings indicate, then the real winner is the teams ranked 7-12, because in reality they could only need to beat each other and then Jamaica.  (Yes, I know, anything can happen.  But for sake of argument let's stick to the rankings order)

This system is so inequitable.  The Nations League provided meaningful games, you could do Gold Cup qualifying too.  But this is is embarassing. 

[RJB]

And I really wonder: how much complaining most people would be doing if Canada was comfortably ranked in the top 6?