World Cup 2006 Qualification thread

[Drewcifer]

Costa Rica didn't. The big problem about the Concacaf zone is that there are only 2 real teams and 3 to 4 average teams. That's all. The other 30 members don't deserve to be mentioned. As such, giving the opportunity to 4 teams to qualify is giving free slots for Mexico and the USA.

I thought I remembered Costa Rica advancing but after doing some research you are right. The problem right now is that if there was only one slot after the US and Mexico it would be the only one up for grabs. Football is the national sport of every country in Central America. Generally one more slot is all that is needed but if there are two other good teams the play-in slot is a way to give the second one a chance. Realistically not all the teams that make it from Europe or Africa are top tier either. Remember Poland in 2002? The last team to qualify out of Europe is not necessarily better than the fourth team in Concancaf. Creating a pan-American federation would solve a lot of problems for the Central American teams.

 

[Drewcifer]

Actually, the Concacaf is in my opinion the main obstacles to Mexico and USA to perform better. If those teams could face Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile or Colombia more often, it's sure that it could only improve their quality and experience.

Oh ok then.
You agree with me actually.

You forgot Ecuador which is suddenly very good.

Brasil and Argentina are head and shoulders above us but the US and Mexico can easily hang with the other good teams in South America today. It would be cool to see us play meaningful matches against competitive teams besides each other. It would be worth not qualifying sometimes to see this happen. If the US could beat or draw against Argentina or Brasil from time to time in qualifying matches it would do wonders for the game in this country; those teams have an aura about them that we almost never get to try ourselves against. The only football/soccer that has mass appeal in the US right now is the international game, the key to buildling the sport in the US beyond what it is now is getting the national team in as many important matches as possible, the players are already pretty good or better as almost everyone under the age of 35 here has played the game at some level , what is needed are more high profile international matches that can draw in the causal fan, a merger of Concancaf and Conmebol would do that. US vs Trinidad and Tobago doesn't cut it. While playing against Brasil and Argentina is a steep test, if you want to play at the highest level that is the competition in the neighborhood, and so be it, it is what it is. We need to play them more, and at this point get beat by them. If we practice and play against our neighbors enough and learn what they know it will help us greatly.

Perhaps football fans in the rest of the world would prefer that it didn't happen but I would love to see the sport rise to a higher level here and would love to watch our team test themselves against the best, come what may.

 

[Dell19]

Brazil and Argentina do tend to field slightly weaker sides in their qualification games sometimes so it would be that surprising if the USA occasionally took points off them.

 

[Zamphyr]

Ugh, no. Do not merge CONCACAF with CONMEBOL! Travel for qualifiers would be a nightmare.

New York -> Rio de Janeiro 4800 miles
New York -> Rome, Italy 4300 miles

God help the Canadians if they had to play in Chile.....

 

[farting bob]

Ugh, no. Do not merge CONCACAF with CONMEBOL! Travel for qualifiers would be a nightmare.

New York -> Rio de Janeiro 4800 miles
New York -> Rome, Italy 4300 miles

God help the Canadians if they had to play in Chile.....

I dont think having to fly further is good enough reason to not mix the 2 pools of teams, its not like england plahying new zealand or anything.

 

[FredLC]

Perhaps football fans in the rest of the world would prefer that it didn't happen but I would love to see the sport rise to a higher level here and would love to watch our team test themselves against the best, come what may.

I can't imagine why the rest of the world would not want that... perhaps THAN you'd finnally admit which sport is RIGHTFULLY called football!

Regards .

 

[Dell19]

It kind of is. Its not just the teams that have to travel further, its the fans as well and it would be a lot more expensive to fly all the way to Chile.

 

[farting bob]

So they might not have as many fans in the chile game, but then they'd have a bigger advantage on the home leg. So neither team has an advantage so no big deal.

 

[antonio]

Jpan to saudi arabia must be pretty expebsive to. Or tunisia to south africa.

 

[SonicX]

Ugh, no. Do not merge CONCACAF with CONMEBOL! Travel for qualifiers would be a nightmare.

New York -> Rio de Janeiro 4800 miles
New York -> Rome, Italy 4300 miles

God help the Canadians if they had to play in Chile.....

The distance is not the nightmare, the timezones are. And there aren't that much time zones in the Americas.
I think a match South Korea - Syria or Japan - Saudi Arabia is worse...
Or Lebanon - New Zealand

 

[Stapel]

The last team to qualify out of Europe is not necessarily better than the fourth team in Concancaf.

I do not mean to patronise you or to be insulting towards Concacaf football, but this statement is probably the most ridiculous one I have ever seen on CFC.

In football, occasionally, poor teams can (and will) beat a top team.
However, every WC lacks some European nations (failed to qualify) that would beat the number 3&4 concacaf nations 9 out of 10 times.

In contradiction to your statement, Costa Rica did not advance to the next round at last worldcup.

Last WC lacked Holland and Czech Republic. Only in my wildest dreams would CR beat either one of them.
Each WC has its positive (Senegal in 2002) and negative (France, Portugal, Argentina) surprises. but that doesn't mean the FIFA should make so much space for totally crap countries.
If Costa Rica and the like want to be at an WC, they only have to beat Mexico or USA. That seems a lot easier than beating countries like Ireland Sweden, Poland or Portugal!

 

[Marla_Singer]

If Costa Rica and the like want to be at an WC, they only have to beat Mexico or USA. That seems a lot easier than beating countries like Ireland Sweden, Poland or Portugal!

They don't even have to.

There are 3 and a half slots for the Concacaf zone. That means you can lose all your games against the US and Mexico and still get into the World Cup since you've beaten Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.

 

[Stapel]

They don't even have to.

There are 3 and a half slots for the Concacaf zone. That means you can lose all your games against the US and Mexico and still get into the World Cup since you've beaten Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica.

I was merely trying to point out how it should be in my opinion. Rereading my post, I see that was far from clear......

 

[SonicX]

I was merely trying to point out how it should be in my opinion. Rereading my post, I see that was far from clear......

Stapel, check the post in the World Cup slot distrubution topic I made

Now we have to beat either Spain or Yougoslavia (Serbia), and if we manage beat one, we still have a though qualifier match ahead against another good team, possibly France

 

[Marla_Singer]

Stapel, check the post in the World Cup slot distrubution topic I made

Now we have to beat either Spain or Yougoslavia (Serbia), and if we manage beat one, we still have a though qualifier match ahead against another good team, possibly France

France won't finish 2nd of its group, Switzerland and Ireland are too strong. They will easily get through.




I do remember a not-so-distant time where I was considering France could make it against Brazil, Spain, Italy or England... Now Switzerland and Ireland appears as tough teams to play for France.

 

[SonicX]

Oh well, we'll be there, the Belgians are always at the World Cup
Last time we eliminated the Czech Republic in the play-offs to get there ...

But if France is eliminated, it's gonna be a humiliation. Any way, try to fight off Israel while you're at it

 

[Volum]

I remember a time when Norway was 6 in the Fifa Ranking, beat Brazil 2-1 in a Worldcup and advanced to the seckond round, i kinda doubt will make it to the 2006, we have the players but theres just no magic.

 

[Stapel]

Oh well, we'll be there, the Belgians are always at the World Cup
Last time we eliminated the Czech Republic in the play-offs to get there ...

But if France is eliminated, it's gonna be a humiliation. Any way, try to fight off Israel while you're at it

The last time France qualified for a WC was for the WC 1986 ......

I can't say it too often: Deschamps was France and France was Deschamps. Since he left, the team lost its top quality. We can drool about Zizou all we want, but he is an artist, not a leader.

 

[Stapel]

I remember a time when Norway was 6 in the Fifa Ranking, beat Brazil 2-1 in a Worldcup and advanced to the second round, i kinda doubt will make it to the 2006, we have the players but theres just no magic.

FIFA rankings are as valuable as fried poop.
And Brasil was stage winner anyway, even if they lost 1000-0.

 

[willemvanoranje]

I remember a time when Norway was 6 in the Fifa Ranking, beat Brazil 2-1 in a Worldcup and advanced to the seckond round, i kinda doubt will make it to the 2006, we have the players but theres just no magic.

magic it has never been.. just a really good defence and a superiority in stamina which lead to a looot of movement.