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Offline Flex

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #150 on: June 19, 2015, 02:03:18 AM »
Five Caribbean teams reach 3rd round W/Cup qualifying
T&T Express Reports.


Grenada won 2-0 at home against Puerto Rico on Tuesday night, becoming the fifth Caribbean team to advance past the second round of the CONCACAF Zone in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

But there was no such good luck for St Kitts and Nevis, who were beaten 4-1 in El Salvador on Tuesday night, after securing a respectable 2-2 home draw in the first leg.

Canada and Nicaragua also won both home and away to reach the third round. Canada won its second-leg match 4-0 over Domi­nica, and Suriname went down 1-3 at home to ­Nicaragua.

Jamaica and Haiti enter in the third round of qualification, joined by the ten winners from the second round.

Contesting the third round are Jamaica (85), Haiti (117), Canada (122), El Salvador (127), Guatemala (134), St Vincent and the Grenadines (134), Grenada (142), Antigua and Barbuda (149), Belize (162), Barbados (169), Nicaragua (175) and Cura­cao (182).

The draw for the third round will be held on July 25 at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, St Petersburg, Russia. Matches are scheduled to be played from August 31 to September 8 this year.

Six of the third-round qualifiers will advance to the final round of World Cup qualifying, where they will be joined by the six top-ranked teams in CONCACAF.

Those teams are Costa Rica, Mexico, United States, ­Honduras, Panama and T&T. Teams will be drawn into three four-team, home-and-away round-robin groups, with games taking place between November 2015 and September 2016.

Apart from Grenada, four other Caribbean teams are safely into the next round of the “Road to Russia” 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers after playing their first- and second-leg games.

The teams are Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Curacao and St Vincent and the Grenadines. UNCAF team Belize also made it into the next round.

Barbados stopped Aruba 2-0 away and 1-0 at home, Curacao drew with Cuba 0-0 at home and 1-1 away, St Vincent and the Grenadines drew 2-2 at home and 4-4 away, while Antigua and Barbuda was defeated 3-1 by St Lucia at home and won 4-1 in the second leg.

Bermuda went out 1-0 on aggregate to Guatemala on Monday.

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Offline Tallman

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GFF sends protest to FIFA … SVG player had British passport
« Reply #151 on: June 19, 2015, 06:36:37 AM »
GFF sends protest to FIFA … SVG player had British passport
By Stephan Sookram (Guyana Chronicle)

 
THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) confirmed that they have launched a protest to FIFA after realising that St Vincent and Grenadines fielded a player who was not the holder of a passport from the Island.

The Golden Jaguars drew 4-4 with the ‘Vincy Heat’ at the Guyana National Stadium last Sunday but were knocked out of the 2018 World Cup Qualifier tournament since the visitors had the superior goal difference, thanks to the ‘away goals’ rule.

However, after the loss, Chronicle Sport was made to understand that the GFF had gotten a tip that Garvin James, the St Vincent and the Grenadines striker, was used though he was not a holder of a Vincentian passport which is a clear violation of FIFA’s laws that govern a player’s eligibility to represent his country.

James was born in England and plays for the Flackwell Heath Football Club.

“Yes, we did write to FIFA, telling them of our findings and protested the result. As far as I’m aware, we haven’t received a response as yet,” said the GFF’s Marketing and Communications director Rawle Toney when contacted yesterday, after this newspaper failed to reach Normalisation Committee Chairman Clinton Urling for a comment on the issue.

Toney, when asked what prompted the GFF to lodge a protest, noted, “Well the GFF believes that it has a case based on the rules of FIFA which clearly state that the only identification accepted as a proof of citizenship is a player’s passport. Four of our players had to miss the first leg of the qualifier because they were not citizens of Guyana and only were allowed to play when that happened and their passports were granted.”

FIFA regulations for the 2018 programme say that only passports are “valid proof of a player’s identity and nationality.” Each player’s passport must be shown to FIFA’s match delegate the day before kickoff.

The new rule states: “Identity cards or other supporting official documents shall not be accepted” and history has shown that seven different African teams fielded ineligible players in qualifying group matches for the 2014 World Cup, forcing FIFA to award 3-0 wins to their opponents.

If GFF is successful, the result will be reversed, a fine will be imposed on the St Vincent Football Association and the Golden Jaguars will be awarded the victory with a 3-0 scoreline and would advance to the next round of qualification.
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Offline gawd on pitch

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Offline asylumseeker

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #153 on: June 24, 2015, 09:18:39 AM »
Flackwell Heath striker Gavin James talks about the "surreal" experience of representing St Vincent in a World Cup qualifier against Guyana
By Greg Styles (Bucks Free Press).





As Gavin James walked into the scorching heat at Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent and the Grenadines he did so with the famous FIFA anthem ringing in his ears.

The 26-year-old is more accustomed to plundering goals past helpless opposition at Wilks Park for his club side Flackwell Heath rather than preparing himself to make his international debut in a World Cup qualifier against Guyana.

James, who qualified to represent the Caribbean island through his grandparents, admits he could scarcely believe he was about to win his first international cap as he lined up for the national anthems alongside ten players who were mere strangers when he got the call up on May 29.

A plucky email sent to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) set the ball rolling on the forward’s journey into international football, culminating in his debut against Guyana in the first leg of a second round qualifier.

“They play the FIFA anthem as you walk out and it was one of those things that gives you goose bumps as you’re walking out as there is this iconic music playing,” said James.

“You all line-up, they play both national anthems, then you have a team photo and I kind of had to pinch myself and wonder if it was really happening.”

When the original call from Dominique Stowe, a committee member of the SVGFF, came his way, James arranged time off from his job as a trainee teacher at Chesham Grammar School, packed his bags and jetted off on June 2.

On arrival in the Caribbean, James was welcomed into the training camp, which was based in a town named Brighton, and introduced to his teammates – a mix of players who came from afar afield as Finland and America to be part of the squad.

After playing 45 minutes in a practice match on his first day, head coach Cornelius Huggins informed the striker that he had done enough, with James himself feeling “comfortable” in his new surroundings.

The Bucks New University graduate felt he was in with a good chance of playing against Guyana – suspicions which were confirmed when he was asked to head to the Nichols Building in Kingstown, home of the SVGFF, to meet the media.

“On the Friday (June 5) morning the manager said to me that there was going to be a press conference at the FIFA office so I need to be there. When I turned up it was me, the captain, the vice-captain, the coach, the president of FIFA over there and an ambassador.

“I kept thinking to myself ‘considering who I’m here with I’ve got a good chance [of playing] here’. The day before the game we had a training session and he said the team I was in was maybe the one he would be starting with, but nothing was set in stone.

“I prepared myself as if I was going to start and then when I turned up in the changing room for the game he read the team out. I was the last name called and he said ‘and a first international cap for...’ and then he called my name and that was it, it was going to happen.”

The Arnos Vale Stadium, which is more commonly used as a venue for Test match cricket, was a far cry from what James is used to and the searing heat made life hard for the lone striker.

Having trailed at half-time St Vincent equalised through Cornelius Stewart after 51 minutes. James was substituted soon after and watched his replacement, Tevin Slater, snatch an equaliser seven minutes from time after Guyana had retaken the lead.

“I was happy with my performance although I would have liked to get longer,” explained James.

“I was playing as a lone striker and when you do that over here (England) it’s ok but when you do it in that heat – he expects you to run, chase down and you just feel exhausted.

“There’s been a few highlights put on Youtube and I’m in quite a few of them, so I was quite pleased with how I played. A few people said I played well but it was just unfortunate with the heat.”

With two away goals and Bolton midfielder Neil Danns poised to make his international debut in the second leg, Guyana were the hot favourites to progress when they hosted St Vincent at Providence Stadium on June 15.

But the mood within the St Vincent camp – which included fellow High Wycombe players Brad Miguel and JJ Lofthouse-Smith – was a confident one.

The two aforementioned players didn’t make the final 21-man squad for either match but they, like James, were able to find common ground with coach Huggins, who had played at Adams Park in 2003.

James said: “He was a really good manager and he actually played in the St Vincent team that played against Wycombe Wanderers a few years back.

“He played centre back in that game as did the other coach (Wesley Charles), so they were familiar with Wycombe and I think that helped.”

Huggins helped his country beat Wanderers 2-1 on that cold December night – conditions which were polar opposite to those which greeted his current side in Guyana.

A place in the third round of CONCACAF qualifying, and a possible meeting with Jamaica, was the prize on offer for St Vincent and they duly secured their place, albeit after 90 hectic minutes.

Watching on from the bench, James said his side were “cruising” at 4-2 up before Guyana pulled one back and Danns equalised with four minutes left.

The Flackwell front man came on for the final few “nervy” minutes and did his best to run down the clock before participating in the joyous scenes which greeted full-time.

“When the final whistle went it was like an eruption,” he said. “All the players were going crazy, they ran over to the crowd and they were celebrating before they got pulled away because there was 5,000 fans there, all Guyanans and they were enticing them.

“They were playing music and they must have been on the pitch for 20-30 minutes after the final whistle just celebrating.

“They were dancing, music was playing and it’s something which I’ve never experienced before. It was so good to see.”

James says he is yet to come to terms with winning his first two caps for St Vincent with his brother Ashleigh, who also plays for Heath, keeping him well informed of developments in England while he was away.

“It was amazing; I still can’t believe it now. Everyone’s been asking questions and it just seems so surreal that I’ve been there and done it and now I’m back here again.

“My brother’s been at home the whole time and he’s just told me how people have been talking about it, coming up to him in the street and saying how amazing it is and saying when he gets back let him know we’ve been tracking and streaming the games on the internet.

“I spoke to my manager from football and he was saying how proud he was, and that’s the same for my mum, dad and family.”

With St Vincent now in the hat for the third round draw, James will hope to feature once again on the road to the 2018 World Cup when Vincy Heat continue their campaign in August.

James said: “I spoke to the technical director (Keith Ollivierre) at an airport in Guyana and he was saying how it was nice to meet me, how he was impressed and that he wants to see me again.

“The coach said he’d want to work with me again and that he wants me to have a bit more time to get acclimatised to the heat and the players.

He added: “Everyone keeps coming up to me and saying ‘you’re an international footballer’ and it doesn’t even sound real.”
« Last Edit: June 24, 2015, 09:22:35 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline Flex

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #154 on: June 29, 2015, 10:40:59 AM »
Barbados sanctioned for fielding ineligible player
FIFA.COM


Barbados Football Association (BFA) has been sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player in the preliminary competition match for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ played between Barbados and Aruba on 14 June 2015.

The match is declared to be forfeited and awarded 0-3 in favour of Aruba, with the BFA also receiving a fine of CHF 6,000 after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee considered the BFA liable for having breached art. 55 par. 1 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC) and art. 8 of the Regulations for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. Upon delivering its decision, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee referred to the wording of art. 55 of the FDC which sets a clear sanction for any breach of eligibility rules.

The sanction relates to the Barbadian player Hadan Holligan failing to serve the automatic one‑match suspension imposed on him following two cautions received in two different matches (art. 17 par. 3 of the FDC).

The sanction will have immediate effect and as a consequence Aruba will now qualify for the next round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ qualifiers.

The real measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.

Offline dreamer

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #155 on: June 29, 2015, 11:04:36 AM »
Bacchanal for so. Teams real desperate. Wow.
Supportin' de Warriors right tru.

Offline asylumseeker

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #156 on: June 30, 2015, 06:59:20 AM »
The general secretary of the Barbados Football Ass'n has resigned. Likely in the aftermath of disqualification by FIFA. Imagine we have a ton of screw-ups and no one ever steps down!
« Last Edit: June 30, 2015, 07:01:22 AM by asylumseeker »

Offline vb

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #157 on: June 30, 2015, 02:59:42 PM »
The general secretary of the Barbados Football Ass'n has resigned. Likely in the aftermath of disqualification by FIFA. Imagine we have a ton of screw-ups and no one ever steps down!

You beat me to it.

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Offline Big Magician

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Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers 2018 Draw.
« Reply #158 on: July 25, 2015, 10:11:34 AM »
FIFA World Cup 2018 Draw..TnT..Guatemala/Antigua..USA..and SVG/Aruba..Starts in Nov 2015...4 FIFA friendly dates available before we start...lets get prepared.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2015, 11:38:42 AM by FF »
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Offline Dynamite Warrior

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #159 on: July 25, 2015, 10:13:16 AM »
Group C: USA,T&T,Antigua/Guatemala,Aruba/St.Vincent

Offline truehaitian

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #160 on: July 25, 2015, 10:13:40 AM »
Watch third round DRAWING FOR THE 2018 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS LIVE drawing:
http://stream.nbcdeportes.com/index_nbcdeportes-world-cup-qualifiers.html?pid=18322

USA
T&T
St vincent/Aruba winner
Antigua/Guatemala winner

T&T will get  an easy ride with the US in the final round

Offline Dynamite Warrior

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #161 on: July 25, 2015, 10:15:38 AM »
Watch third round DRAWING FOR THE 2018 CONCACAF WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS LIVE drawing:
http://stream.nbcdeportes.com/index_nbcdeportes-world-cup-qualifiers.html?pid=18322

USA
T&T
St vincent/Aruba winner
Antigua/Guatemala winner

T&T will get  easy ride with the US in the final round
Good draw for us. Haiti is in the group of death

Offline Big Magician

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #162 on: July 25, 2015, 10:17:36 AM »
real work to do...but we could not have asked for a better draw...lets get ready please please please...4 friendlies available...dont f#ck around
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Offline futbolfan

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Re: TnT...USA..Guatemala..SVG/Aruba..WCQ
« Reply #163 on: July 25, 2015, 10:18:57 AM »
Group A: Mexico, Honduras, Curacao/El Salvador, Canada, Belize

Group B: Costa Rica, Panama, Grenada/Haiti, Jamaica/Nicaragua

Group C: USA, Trinidad & Tobago, St Vincent & the Grenadines/Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda/Guatemala

The top two in each group then go to Round 5...

Not a bad group...This will be a marathon until the end, but with alot of hard work, dedication and a bit of luck, We can qualify for Russia 2018.
The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Offline royal

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #164 on: July 25, 2015, 10:21:34 AM »
real work to do...but we could not have asked for a better draw...lets get ready please please please...4 friendlies available...dont f#ck around

yea not a bad group for us if we prepare properly. The group with Jamaica and Haiti is de toughest   

Offline Trini _2026

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Re: TnT...USA..Guatemala/Antigua..SVG/Aruba..WCQ
« Reply #165 on: July 25, 2015, 10:24:26 AM »
Group B: Costa Rica, Panama, Grenada/Haiti, Jamaica/Nicaragua this is a hard group .....
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/sh8SeGmzai4</a>

Offline che

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World Cup 2018 Draw.
« Reply #166 on: July 25, 2015, 10:26:27 AM »

Group A                        Group B                       Group C

Mexico                          Costa Rica                   USA
Honduras                       Panama                       T&T
Canada/Belize                 Jamaica/Nicaragua         SVG/Aruba
Curacao/El Salvador         Grenada/Haiti               Antigua/Guatemala

Not a bad group for us. Group A is the group of death.

Offline Big Magician

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #167 on: July 25, 2015, 10:37:07 AM »
frig dem..
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Offline vb

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Re: TnT...USA..Guatemala/Antigua..SVG/Aruba..WCQ
« Reply #168 on: July 25, 2015, 11:04:18 AM »
The J'cans go btch, they get a tough group.  ;D
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Offline Controversial

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Re: TnT...USA..Guatemala/Antigua..SVG/Aruba..WCQ
« Reply #169 on: July 25, 2015, 11:15:42 AM »
Group B: Costa Rica, Panama, Grenada/Haiti, Jamaica/Nicaragua this is a hard group .....

that's a group of death right there... good prep for JA though...

Offline panterry1

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Re: World Cup 2018 Draw.
« Reply #170 on: July 25, 2015, 11:16:49 AM »
I disagree! Group B is the group of death.  Providing that Jamaica and Haiti win their game.  All of them will be teams who got to the quarter finals of the gold cup. Anyway T&T can't afford to take any game for granted.

Offline FF

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Re: World Cup 2018 Draw.
« Reply #171 on: July 25, 2015, 11:38:09 AM »
Also relevant... The playoff draw has pitted Concacaf vs Asia and Conmebol vs Oceania for the half spots
THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES

Offline Controversial

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Re: TnT...USA..Guatemala/Antigua..SVG/Aruba..WCQ
« Reply #172 on: July 25, 2015, 11:39:21 AM »
FIFA World Cup 2018 Draw..TnT..Guatemala/Antigua..USA..and SVG/Aruba..Starts in Nov 2015...4 FIFA friendly dates available before we start...lets get prepared.

what are the four fifa dates available???

Offline Controversial

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #173 on: July 25, 2015, 11:41:35 AM »
Also relevant... The playoff draw has pitted Concacaf vs Asia and Conmebol vs Oceania for the half spots

okay just checked.. 4.5 spots...

so the half spot could be playing qatar, UAE, China, Bahrain

i could see japan, s.korea, australia and iran qualifying automatically...
« Last Edit: July 25, 2015, 11:47:46 AM by Controversial »

Offline Controversial

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #174 on: July 25, 2015, 11:42:06 AM »
I disagree! Group B is the group of death.  Providing that Jamaica and Haiti win their game.  All of them will be teams who got to the quarter finals of the gold cup. Anyway T&T can't afford to take any game for granted.

check my post again... i said group b was the group of death... ::)

Offline FF

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #175 on: July 25, 2015, 11:45:36 AM »
He was replying to Che
THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #176 on: July 25, 2015, 11:48:11 AM »
Interesting to see who will occupy Concacaf half spot. I wonder how the ASIANS are feeling about this?
« Last Edit: July 25, 2015, 11:52:38 AM by davyjenny1 »
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Offline FF

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #177 on: July 25, 2015, 11:48:29 AM »
Also relevant... The playoff draw has pitted Concacaf vs Asia and Conmebol vs Oceania for the half spots

japan and s.korea i assume... but how many guaranteed spots do they get?

Most likely not. They have 4.5 spots. Korea and Japan usually qualify in the automatic spots
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Offline Peong

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Re: 2018 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers Thread
« Reply #179 on: July 25, 2015, 11:53:44 AM »
We get the easiest group.  Thanks uncle Jack!
Ey is time we beat a full strength US.  We getting two bites of the cherry early on, let's do it.

 

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