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Author Topic: CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format  (Read 1181 times)

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Offline socachynee

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CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format
« on: October 09, 2016, 09:54:36 AM »
http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/soccer/2016/10/concacaf_to_overhaul_archaic_world_cup_qualifying_format

I guess Mr President want to remove the HEX.

"So we seriously need to look at our World Cup qualifying system that is a bit archaic. We need to be a bit more all-encompassing. We're looking at how we balance competitions with our commercial (priorities) without putting too much stress on already too busy calendars as well."

But Montagliani is certain qualifying must change, although there could be a proliferation of games that draw smaller crowds and little broadcast revenue.

Discussing a new configuration, Montagliani said: "Maybe it's like the Europeans or maybe it's like the South Americans with a league — or it's a hybrid of the two."

In Europe, countries are split into nine groups, balanced according to their rankings, and play games from September 2016 to October 2017. The group winners qualify automatically and the eight best runners-up will contest playoffs for the remaining four UEFA spots in Russia.

In South America, the ten CONMEBOL members are in a two-year league that started in October 2015. The top four have guaranteed World Cup places and the fifth-place team has to go through a playoff against a country from Oceania.

Offline g

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Re: CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2016, 01:17:47 PM »
Nice food for thought and an interesting debate can come out of this. I hear the need to keep more teams alive further into qualifying but it goes in a bit of conflict to having our teams do well in the major tournaments

The hex actually presents a quality round of fixtures with no easy games either home or away that increases the level of the 6 teams competing. That gives the top 3 or 4 teams a decent platform to actually go out there and compete against the world. I think its just as important for our teams to get out of the group phase of major tournaments. 

I think its a matter of how you balance the need to keep teams alive like Jamaica, Guatemala, Canada, Haiti etc. which have decent pedigree without diluting a qualifying schedule with much lower ranked teams in the region who really cannot realistically qualify. I dont like the Euro type system with multiple groups for our region. The top teams dont play each other and they probably will only have 1 or 2 tough games before a World Cup which is no good preparation.

My own preference is to have a South American type of qualifying system with 10 teams over 2 years. The top 4 get a bye into the final round based on rank and there is a short form qualifying round for the remaining 6.

Its arguable whether that format helps the T&T cause, i won't mind 9 home qualifiers instead of 5. I think the high stakes of a larger and longer qualifying format enhances the quality of football as well.
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Offline Deeks

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Re: CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format
« Reply #2 on: October 09, 2016, 03:24:17 PM »
Like g said the current format for concacaf is real tight.
Even perennial like Mex. had to duke it out with NZ
from Oceania. Whatever format they put, TT
SHOULD NOT COMPLAIN and be READY. we doing
Thing since 1966.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2016, 03:28:17 PM by Deeks »

Offline Flex

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Re: CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2016, 07:14:05 AM »
Eve supports change in CONCACAF qualifying
By STEPHON NICHOLAS (Newsday).


Former national captain Angus Eve is in favour of a revamp in the CONCACAF structure of qualifying for the World Cup currently being proposed by CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani. The CONCACAF boss believes the current system is “archaic” with close to 20 months still to go for the start of the 2018 showpiece in Russia but with only six teams competing and 85 percent of members already eliminated.

“Something needs to change because you can’t have 85 percent of your members who are on the outside looking in two years before the World Cup,” Montagliani told The Associated Press. “It doesn’t make sense.” Since qualifying for the 1998 World Cup, CONCACAF has used a system where teams play home and away in early rounds. Once 12 nations are remaining there are three groups of four, which produces six teams for a final round.

The United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago are the last teams standing, chasing three of CONCACAF’s automatic qualification places. Starting next month, they play each other twice in a league.

“It’s great for those six teams over the next year and a bit but how about the other ones?” Montagliani said. “It’s hard.” Hard for players to raise their standard and hard for teams to generate revenue to fund development.

Eve, speaking to Newsday yesterday, agreed but cautioned whether other teams may be ready to compete at that elite level.

“It’s two ways you can look at it - one is the development for the lesser teams only having to play one (home and away) game, there isn’t much development there. Then (if you win) you probably go into a group with just three teams and play two matches and only the first place team goes through and then everyone else is basically done till the next Caribbean Cup. I do think there is room for improvement on the format so the earlier stages could go on probably a little longer to give the teams a bit more match experience and stuff like that because there are some countries who only play in that first round and never have a chance to move on and play more matches to develop their programme.

“You have to look at these socalled weaker teams because even if they’re coming into the later stages, using St Vincent as an example, getting four and five and seven (goals conceded) so there’s a balancing act that has to be done.

I do understand where he’s coming from that with two years going there’s only six teams to look at but then we still have to look at the quality of the other teams that is coming through and whether it will be farce just to say we have more teams coming through.” TTFA president David John-Williams, although not hearing the CONCACAF’s president remarks for himself, acknowledged though that the current system “needs to improve.” Expounding on the disadvantages of the current structure, Montagliani, who replaced the disgraced Jeffrey Webb as head of CONCACAF, noted that territorial bodies will benefit in the long run if something different is implemented.

“Can you imagine you are a country trying to find a sponsor and they say, ‘I’m all for it, when’s your next big game?’ And it’s three years from now,” Montagliani said during an interview in London.

“So we seriously need to look at our World Cup qualifying system that is a bit archaic. We need to be a bit more all-encompassing. We’re looking at how we balance competitions with our commercial (priorities) without putting too much stress on already too busy calendars as well.” But Montagliani is certain qualifying must change, although there could be a proliferation of games that draw smaller crowds and little broadcast revenue.

Discussing a new configuration, Montagliani said: “Maybe it’s like the Europeans or maybe it’s like the South Americans with a league — or it’s a hybrid of the two.”

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Offline Deeks

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Re: CONCACAF to overhaul 'archaic' World Cup qualifying format
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2016, 03:30:52 PM »
Well do like Soth America and have 10 teams
play a two yr. home and away tourney. Or
Have two groups of five play over the 2 yr.
period.

 

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