Kyle_The_Hill

Ignore the person above making up statistics because they don't understand how math works. We're 14 points back with 2 official windows (March and June), plus an out of window (May), plus another potential out of window (July). If El Salvador does nothing in March, Herdman said Canada are looking to gain 10 points in March. A couple examples would be 2 wins over (Jamaica, Trinidad) or (Panama, Curacao). If we win those games we can beat some minnows in May and ride into June almost level with El Salvador. However, El Salvador have said they're looking to play some mid level European nations in March and if those matches are for FIFA points, we can pass them in the March window quite comfortably.

Neil pulled out all the decimals haha "Canada’s total after the Barbados wins is 1,333.456370"

Just calling it a "training match" doesn't mean anything though. That's why we've been trying to figure out what are the actual stipulations of a "training match". Also if possible, finding a news source citing a confirmation from FIFA that the game will be excluded. Where is that guy that knew about the Barbados friendlies a couple days before they were announced? Can he ask his source at Canada Soccer?

Nothing too insightful other than they're looking at strategic March friendlies

2.24 Someone posted about this though saying we would have never been able to make that an official friendly because you can't hold official friendlies before the Gold Cup.

I'm not sure. I was trying to look that stuff up before myself. Being a CMNT supporter is weird. Normal people look at me like I'm ******* crazy when I try to explain this stuff. "Canada plays Iceland in a friendly tomorrow and it's really important we win because we'll gain 3 FIFA points, which we need to catch El Salvador who are also playing Iceland but their game is only a training match so it won't count towards FIFA points but because they're selling tickets it may not be considered training so they would lose FIFA points if they lose" "Ok"

From a different message board "Just naming a friendly a 'training match' is not enough for being excluded from the ranking. That has to be officially arranged with FIFA. AFAIK any team can ask FIFA to exclude a friendly match from the ranking, probably giving certain valid arguments to support that question. Arguments like "we are playing with a complete B or C team" or "we are going to substitute our complete team at half time". I don't think selling tickets or promoting the match are valid arguments AGAINST such a request to exclude." We still haven't actually seen an article that includes a confirmation from FIFA that the match won't be for points but who knows.

Also FYI since maybe the El Sal v Iceland game counts for FIFA points.

I don't understand this, since there has been a June FIFA publish every year since 2010. However, if it is true, I feel bad for our players. They'll have to play into July this year as well as both June and July next year, if we don't make the Hex.

It's a good idea in theory but I would much rather play Haiti and Curacao and gain the same amount of FIFA points with two wins.

Just realized Hungary aren't even available to play in March. How does the president of the president of the Salvadoran Football Federation not know that lol? Here are the four possibilities anyways.

I guess we'll have to see but it seems unlikely these nations will agree to "training matches". Iceland kind of got duped because it was initially supposed to be a official friendly but then changed to "training" at the last minute. If these are official friendlies though, all those people that have been saying its mathematically impossible for Canada to catch El Salvador are going to be feeling pretty stupid.

"Now we are talking with the professor to define possible rivals for March, which would be Greece, Hungary, Switzerland and I spoke with another promoter to see options with Costa Rica" Would love to see Hungary and Switzerland play them off the park in March

There's been a June FIFA ranking published every year since 2010, so I don't know how much I believe this schedule. But, if Concacaf base the seeding on July rankings instead of June it makes this process even more complicated.

It can be in Saskatoon. I don't care as long as its cold and outdoors. In response to Juicy, if we draw or lose to Iceland, I agree we should get two of Jamaica, Curacao, Panama and Haiti to come.