Official World Cup 2014 Qualifying Thread (Blame It On RIO)

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by KTown

Not sure how they plan on doing the knockout stage though, 24 teams down to 12 with the first 4 having a bye? or do you stick with 8 out of 4 making it.

I think they'll do the standard 16 out of 24 make the knockout stages.
Top 2 in each of the 6 groups plus 4 best 3rd place.

E2 vs D1
C1 vs A/B/F3
B2 vs F2
A1 vs C/D/E 3
-------------------
A2 vs C2
D1 vs B/E/F 3
B1 vs A/C/D 3
F1 vs E2

They did this exact format in World Cups 1986-1994 and current World U17, U20 tournaments. I expect the 24 teams Women's World Cup in 2015 in Canada will be this format as well.

[corporatejay]

Does Canada have a legitimate chance of qualifying for this?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Does Canada have a legitimate chance of qualifying for this?

I would say no, it doesn't look good.

It all depends on the draw on July 31. Canada main goal is to get to the 4th and final round of qualifying (THE HEX). Canada enters the competition in the 2nd round where there are 24 teams (6 groups of 4). Canada will be seeded in this draw and would like to avoid Guatemala and/or Nicaragua. Everyone else that is unseeded is crap. If Canada doesn't win this 2nd round group and advance to the 3rd round, the CSA needs to be blown up.

Win the Group and go to the 3rd round and be in a group with TWO of the following teams (USA, Mexico, Honduras) and (Costa Rica, Jamaica, Cuba).
Obviously Cuba is the weakest team here that everyone wants to draw them since two teams advance to The HEX.

If Canada gets a group like Honduras, Cuba, Canada, Haiti, they'll advance to the final round. If they get a group like Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, T&T, they're dead.

I think the extra round of games will help Canada as they beat up on the crap teams and get some playing time together to get some compatibility.
Again I think drawing Cuba in the 3rd round is the key. Canada playing 6 games and then facing a Cuban team that's been sitting around for a year will be a huge advantage. The FIFA Rankings screwed up, as usual, and Cuba got a bye to the 3rd round.

But you never know, "That's why they play the games!".

[Locke]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Does Canada have a legitimate chance of qualifying for this?

No, not really. They need a hell of a draw to even have a snowball's chance in hell.

[GirlySports]

Or they should play their home games in Whitehorse.

Round 2 will be played from 2 September to 15 November 2011

November in Whitehorse! DO IT!

[Magnum PEI]

Originally Posted by KTown

Having no Euro 2008 without England, wasn't in exactly UEFA's back of tricks. A lot of lost revenue there in my opinion. It will also be nice to see other countries who are as good as the other 16 involved. I disagree that it will make it a water downed tournament.

It my opinion it makes it better.

Lets look at teams that made the world cup and didn't make Euro last time. Teams in Bold made Both

Euro2008
Portugal
Turkey
Czech Rep
Swiss (Host)
Holland
Italy
Romania
France
Croatia
Germany
Austria (Host)
Poland
Spain
Russia
Sweden
Greece

World Cup
Spain
France
Greece
England
Slovenia
Serbia
Germany
Holland
Denmark
Slovakia
Italy
Portugal
Swiss

How can you say a tournament needing to add 8 more teams will be watered down

When to that 16 above you add Denmark, Slovakia, Serbia, England, Slovenia. Making it now 21 teams. Now you only need 3 teams to choose from lets say Ukraine, Norway, Ireland, Montenagro, and Scotland

I think it opens it up nicely, because you have your elite 8 countries or so. Followed by the next 16 countries who are almost equally as strong as each other but fail to miss out because of a knockout home and home.

Revenue goes up, popularity in all the fringe countries will go up. Everything is a positive.

Not sure how they plan on doing the knockout stage though, 24 teams down to 12 with the first 4 having a bye? or do you stick with 8 out of 24 making it.

So adding 8 weaker teams doesn't water down the tournament?

The first round of the World Cup has a lot of less than steller matchups, not that it's not interesting, but I don't think I'd watch an Algeria-Slovenia game under any other circumstances. But look at Group C from Euro 08: France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania. You will never see a group like that in the Euro anymore because almost certainly the other two teams will be seated. I do agree that more teams equals more soccer which equals more entertainment, but you can't argue that it isn't watered down.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Or they should play their home games in Whitehorse.

November in Whitehorse! DO IT!

That's kinda how we did it last time. Mexico's bye plus playing in St. John's

[valo403]

Originally Posted by Magnum PEI

So adding 8 weaker teams doesn't water down the tournament?

The first round of the World Cup has a lot of less than steller matchups, not that it's not interesting, but I don't think I'd watch an Algeria-Slovenia game under any other circumstances. But look at Group C from Euro 08: France, Italy, Netherlands, Romania. You will never see a group like that in the Euro anymore because almost certainly the other two teams will be seated. I do agree that more teams equals more soccer which equals more entertainment, but you can't argue that it isn't watered down.

Except the 8 teams being added are almost guaranteed to be of elite calibre, at least on par with the likes of Romania. We might not see 3 teams like Italy, France and the Netherlands in the same group, but we will see more games involving top notch teams. It's not like Luxembourg is going to find their way in due to this, we're talking about adding teams like England, Sweden, Czech Rep, Croatia etc. Maybe not teams in the top 10 (although teams ranked that high have missed out on the Euro) but still world class teams. I'd rather see more elite games than less.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Or they should play their home games in Whitehorse.

November in Whitehorse! DO IT!

The problem of course is that our players aren't exactly accustomed to those conditions either, and probably aren't going to be too pleased to be playing in them.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by valo403

The problem of course is that our players aren't exactly accustomed to those conditions either, and probably aren't going to be too pleased to be playing in them.

They would be! Every Canadian can handle some cold. They can put on some layers, play outside. We're not talking -40 windchill here, just around -10. And training camps and practice would be up there too so they can acclimatize. Just takes preparation.

Even if Canadian aren't quite used to it, they're more used to it than the other guys! Take someone from T&T or El Salvador and put them at -10, they won't want to play and freeze their arses off

[d_phaneuf]

There are 28 UEFA teams ranked in the ELO top 50

1 Spain 2111 UEFA 1 0
2 Netherlands 2087 UEFA 2 0

4 Germany 2029 UEFA 3 +1

7 England 1893 UEFA 4 +3

9 Portugal 1873 UEFA 7 +2
10 Croatia 1860 UEFA 8 +2

12 Italy 1835 UEFA 6 +6
13 Sweden 1822 UEFA 19 -6
14 France 1817 UEFA 15 -1



20 Russia 1768 UEFA 17 +3

23 Turkey 1757 UEFA 23 0
24 Norway 1751 UEFA 11 +13

27 Ukraine 1744 UEFA 42 -15
28 Switzerland 1734 UEFA 29 -1
29 Denmark 1729 UEFA 20 +9
Serbia 1729 UEFA 25 +4
31 Greece 1728 UEFA 12 +20

35 Czech Republic 1712 UEFA 36 -1

37 Bulgaria 1679 UEFA 46 -9
38 Romania 1678 UEFA 53 -15
39 Israel 1677 UEFA 30 +9
40 Montenegro 1668 UEFA 16 +24

43 Slovenia 1659 UEFA 21 +22
44 Poland 1657 UEFA 67 -23
45 Scotland 1652 UEFA 61 -16


49 Belgium 1637 UEFA 35 +14

[d_phaneuf]

add in other teams like Slovakia, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and there are 32 teams

take 24 of those and I don't think it's a watered down tournament at all

[valo403]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

They would be! Every Canadian can handle some cold. They can put on some layers, play outside. We're not talking -40 windchill here, just around -10. And training camps and practice would be up there too so they can acclimatize. Just takes preparation.

Even if Canadian aren't quite used to it, they're more used to it than the other guys! Take someone from T&T or El Salvador and put them at -10, they won't want to play and freeze their arses off

No, they really wouldn't be. Canada already struggles to have elite players make a commitment to the national program, staging games in the arctic on some half brained scheme to freeze out the opposition will just make that worse. It's not going to hand Canada any dramatic advantage, all it will do is make the program look like a laughing stock.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by valo403

No, they really wouldn't be. Canada already struggles to have elite players make a commitment to the national program, staging games in the arctic on some half brained scheme to freeze out the opposition will just make that worse. It's not going to hand Canada any dramatic advantage, all it will do is make the program look like a laughing stock.

Then pick committed players instead of those wimps! It wouldn't be a half brained scheme. I was kidding when I said play this November in Whitehorse.

But it would be well planned out years in advanced to make it the norm. Prepare players from a youth, U17 or U20 level. Make cold weather elite players!

[valo403]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Then pick committed players instead of those wimps! It wouldn't be a half brained scheme. I was kidding when I said play this November in Whitehorse.

But it would be well planned out years in advanced to make it the norm. Prepare players from a youth, U17 or U20 level. Make cold weather elite players!

Yeah, let's just forget about adding those elite talents to the national program, instead go for guys who are okay with playing in the middle of nowhere, in front of nobody, with massive travel hurdles and third rate conditions. I'm sure we'll see a long list of guys who play professionally in Europe sign up for that plan. But hey, they like the cold. Nevermind the double digit ass kickings we'd get away from home with a side made up of afterthoughts.

It's a silly idea that would make Canadian soccer look like more of a joke than it already is.

[GirlySports]

I just want to see Mexicans freeze, is that so bad?

I just want home advantage, someway, somehow.

[valo403]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

I just want to see Mexicans freeze, is that so bad?

I just want home advantage, someway, somehow.

Then focus on continuing to build the game so it gets to the point where 50,000 people show up for a game. Relegating matches to the arctic does the complete opposite.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by valo403

Then focus on continuing to build the game so it gets to the point where 50,000 people show up for a game. Relegating matches to the arctic does the complete opposite.

That's not as fun as shivering Mexicans.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

add in other teams like Slovakia, Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus and there are 32 teams

take 24 of those and I don't think it's a watered down tournament at all

I disagree, there'd be so much water you'd think you were at a diving competition (or a Canucks game)

[GirlySports]

CONCACAF Results!

First Round Over 2 legs
Belize 5-2 Montserrat
Domincan Republic 6-0 Anguilla
US Virgin Islands 4-1 British Virgin Islands
Saint Lucia 6-6 Aruba (St. Lucia wins 5-4 in penalties)
Bahamas 10-0 Turks and Caicos Islands

These 5 winners will join 19 other teams (including Canada) in the 2nd round.