Football World Cup Qualifying Draw

[Neil Pickup]

Did anybody see Portugal's 7-1 trashing of Russia a few weeks ago?

I truely felt for the Russian goalkeeper on that day as he had no chance of stoping the ball on each goal being scored.

I question I have is, should the South American qualifying group be split into two groups of five, and play twice which makes it fairer on big clubs who have heaps of South American players (like Inter aand AC Milan) who have to pay their wages and yet have to travel to the other side of the world and travel some more to another country to play in a WC qualifyer and then go back to Italy or Spain exhausted?

It must get a bit monotomous (sp) after a while.

The clubs know full well what they let themselves in for when they sign Internationals.

 

[Slats4ever]

come on australia

that my friends is my view

 

[Craig]

The clubs know full well what they let themselves in for when they sign Internationals.

Some of then weren't internationals though when they were first signed (ie Edu IIRC).

 

[marc71178]

They were that Nationality though, so the managers have absolutely nothing to moan about.

Peter Reid summed it up when talking about Stern John - "it's a pain when he goes off and plays for T&T, but we knew that when we signed him"

 

[BoyBrumby]

They were that Nationality though, so the managers have absolutely nothing to moan about.

Not always. Freddie Kanoute wasn't Malian when Tottenham signed him. Think he actually played for France U-21s.

 

[Neil Pickup]

In that case they have a legit complaint - you know the point we're trying to make

 

[BoyBrumby]

In that case they have a legit complaint - you know the point we're trying to make

Yeah. I just have this pedantic streak that I sometimes have to give free reign to!

&, anything that's bad news for Spurs is ok by me!!

 

[Craig]

Not always. Freddie Kanoute wasn't Malian when Tottenham signed him. Think he actually played for France U-21s.

He only did it because he knew he wasn't good enough to play for France.

 

[chris.hinton]

I beleive that the aussie should qualify Direct to the world cup instead of play offs with Asian or South America teams, that is not fair

mind you New Zealand, Soloman Islands and Papua new Guinea are not likely to challange them for a fair few years yet

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I beleive that the aussie should qualify Direct to the world cup instead of play offs with Asian or South America teams, that is not fair

mind you New Zealand, Soloman Islands and Papua new Guinea are not likely to challange them for a fair few years yet

Solomon Islands 1-1 Australia...nuff said.

And anyway, if they can't beat teams like Iran and Uruguay, why should they be given a free place in the world cup?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Solomon Islands 1-1 Australia...nuff said.

And anyway, if they can't beat teams like Iran and Uruguay, why should they be given a free place in the world cup?

Very fair point.

In this day & age of air travel why can't the qualifying be arranged on a global basis anyway? 95% of the best teams are in South America & Europe (& 100% of the former winners), but they get just over 50% of the available places.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Very fair point.

In this day & age of air travel why can't the qualifying be arranged on a global basis anyway? 95% of the best teams are in South America & Europe (& 100% of the former winners), but they get just over 50% of the available places.

An interesting idea, but I'm opposed to it on jetlag grounds. Possibly Europe and Africa, Asia and Oceania, and the Americas, but other than that people would need three or four days each side of the to recover.

And given that three of the fourteen European sides who actually did qualify finished last in their groups at the last World Cup, and one South American, I think the system is OK (though North and South America should be joined together and get seven and a half spots)

 

[BoyBrumby]

An interesting idea, but I'm opposed to it on jetlag grounds. Possibly Europe and Africa, Asia and Oceania, and the Americas, but other than that people would need three or four days each side of the to recover.

Home & away games then? With 32 places (31 I suppose excluding hosts) available & (I would guess) about 200 FIFA affiliated nations you'd be looking at a maximum of 3 rounds (probably 2 for the top nations that would be seeded).

It'd do away with a fair few qualifying games, which would no doubt please the clubs.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Home & away games then? With 32 places (31 I suppose excluding hosts) available & (I would guess) about 200 FIFA affiliated nations you'd be looking at a maximum of 3 rounds (probably 2 for the top nations that would be seeded).

It'd do away with a fair few qualifying games, which would no doubt please the clubs.

Knock-out? Please no...that would be such a ...absolutely anyone could get through then (as shown by Turkey and South Korea in 2002)

I'll try to knock up something better later, though.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Knock-out? Please no...that would be such a ...absolutely anyone could get through then (as shown by Turkey and South Korea in 2002)

I'll try to knock up something better later, though.

Hate to disappoint you Sam, but from the second round onwards in the WC it's pretty much a knockout tournament!

As for S Korea, I think anyone with any Spanish or Italian affiliations would say they may've had the (how can I put it?) "rub of the green" in the last WC!!!!

Seriously tho, I await your plan with interest.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Knock-out? Please no...that would be such a ...absolutely anyone could get through then (as shown by Turkey and South Korea in 2002)

I'll try to knock up something better later, though.

I do expect your plan to be in sufficient depth to include every national association.

 

[marc71178]

I beleive that the aussie should qualify Direct to the world cup instead of play offs with Asian or South America teams, that is not fair

How is it not fair that they have to qualify?

If they get this automatic spot, it's hardly fair on every other nation (that has to qualify) is it?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Anyway, my best suggestion. Three confederations:

Europe/Africa = 17 places from 102 nations

Seed 30 nations by FIFA ranking
18 groups of four - winners and second-placed go through
10 groups of six - winners qualify, four best second-placed qualify, remaining six play off for three places.

Total: 10 matches for best 30 teams, 16/6 matches for rest

Asia/Oceania = 5 places from 51 nations

10 groups of five or six - winners go through

Total: 8/10 matches

Americas = 8 places from 48 nations

8 groups of six - winners qualify.

Total: 10 matches.

+ Host
+ World Cup champion

No more than 10 matches for any top nation.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Europe/Africa = 17 places from 102 nations

Seed 30 nations by FIFA ranking
18 groups of four - winners and second-placed go through
10 groups of six - winners qualify, four best second-placed qualify, remaining six play off for three places.

Total: 10 matches for best 30 teams, 16/6 matches for rest

I'm utterly lost. Explain.

 

[marc71178]

It doesn't make sense to have 2 automatics from 4 team groups.