2018 World Cup Thread

[gawd on pitch]

Well okay. CR is running away with it. But there isnt much daylight between Panama and Jamaica. And Jamaica and Haiti.

Most of the games have been decided within a goal. With the exception of 2 games. So this group is still the group of death in my opinion.

I was expecting the places to be determined in the last game. Looks like it will be the second last game.

What do you think about Group A? That group is still up in the air for the second spot

[trini_stallion]

So obviously this is hypothetical bit as things stand NOW, the hex looking like:

Mexico
Honduras
Costa Rica
Panama
USA
Trinidad and Tobago.

In terms of Fifa ranking from highest to lowest in concacaf it's

Mexico,
USA,
Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago
Panama
Honduras.

I know is a longggggg journey ahead but guys, but Russia is in our grasp, we just really have to rise to the occasion!

[Sando prince]

Well okay. CR is running away with it. But there isnt much daylight between Panama and Jamaica. And Jamaica and Haiti.

Most of the games have been decided within a goal. With the exception of 2 games. So this group is still the group of death in my opinion.

I was expecting the places to be determined in the last game. Looks like it will be the second last game.

What do you think about Group A? That group is still up in the air for the second spot

Group A is more closer for second spot than Group B.  You should focus on praying for Jamaica in Group B 
.

[gawd on pitch]

Well okay. CR is running away with it. But there isnt much daylight between Panama and Jamaica. And Jamaica and Haiti.

Most of the games have been decided within a goal. With the exception of 2 games. So this group is still the group of death in my opinion.

I was expecting the places to be determined in the last game. Looks like it will be the second last game.

What do you think about Group A? That group is still up in the air for the second spot

Group A is more closer for second spot than Group B.  You should focus on praying for Jamaica in Group B 
.

Come on Sando.. I stop talking about Jamaica now.. Why would I pray for them? We would have a better chance against Panama in the Hex. Plus JA knock us out of Copa. The last thing I want to do is pray for them.

[gawd on pitch]

So obviously this is hypothetical bit as things stand NOW, the hex looking like:

Mexico
Honduras
Costa Rica
Panama
USA
Trinidad and Tobago.

In terms of Fifa ranking from highest to lowest in concacaf it's

Mexico,
USA,
Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago
Panama
Honduras.

I know is a longggggg journey ahead but guys, but Russia is in our grasp, we just really have to rise to the occasion!

Although I rooting for Canada, Honduras is in a good position to make it to the Hex. If Mexico takes their foot off the pedal in the final game (As they already qualified) then Honduras will go through. But if Mexico plays the final game like how a real qualifier should be played, then Canada has a chance. They need to beat or tie Honduras at home as well. Not out of reach as Canada got a result on the road to El Salvador. But in the end, I think it will be Honduras making the hex.

[asylumseeker]

An international soccer campaign is a lot like a political one. Though there are a huge number of events, very few of them have any significance. Since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. national team has played 29 matches, winning 14, losing nine, and drawing six. Just 11 of those have been competitive, nonfriendly games, and I’d classify only four of those 11—the Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, and road World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala—as important matches that the U.S. had a realistic chance to lose. The national team lost three of them, salvaging a solitary draw against Trinidad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/03/jurgen_klinsmann_is_to_blame_for_the_regression_of_the_u_s_men_s_soccer.html

The venting continues.

[gawd on pitch]

An international soccer campaign is a lot like a political one. Though there are a huge number of events, very few of them have any significance. Since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. national team has played 29 matches, winning 14, losing nine, and drawing six. Just 11 of those have been competitive, nonfriendly games, and I’d classify only four of those 11—the Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, and road World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala—as important matches that the U.S. had a realistic chance to lose. The national team lost three of them, salvaging a solitary draw against Trinidad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/03/jurgen_klinsmann_is_to_blame_for_the_regression_of_the_u_s_men_s_soccer.html

The venting continues.

As much as I do agree with the article, I dont think that Klinsmann is totally to blame. Its not that their quality of football has gone down under Klinsmann. The Concacaf region has become more competitive (especially cfu.. mainly because the national teams in the cfu are getting access to their foreign born players).

The future of WC qualifying in Concacaf is about to get more competitive. These teams are priming up to give a good run for the 2022 campaign:

- Cuba (Currently there are a handful of MLS players with Cuban heritage who cannot play for Cuba. This will change once relations continue to improve with the US)

- Suriname (Once that law gets passed in Netherlands, Suriname will essentially have a Netherlands "B" team playing for them)

- Curacao (Kluivert has identified more players in the Eredivise with Curacao heritage.. possibly another Netherlands "B" team)

* I read that Martinique and Guadelope wanted to put in a proposal to FIFA so they can compete as a nation in qualifying. Dont know the status of it. I imagine that if it did , both teams will essentially have a French "B" team.

[frico]

The Reggaeboyz have the team to beat both Panama and Haiti and qualify for the Hex,they also have the Copa to use and rectify any problems,I backing the Yard to qualify for the Hex.My heart is Caribbean and I therefore want Jamaica in place of a non Caribbean team.I cannot say more.

[gawd on pitch]

The Reggaeboyz have the team to beat both Panama and Haiti and qualify for the Hex,they also have the Copa to use and rectify any problems,I backing the Yard to qualify for the Hex.My heart is Caribbean and I therefore want Jamaica in place of a non Caribbean team.I cannot say more.

The thing is that all them teams in that in Copa. So they all will benefit from being in it.

That group coming down to Panama and Jamaica for the final spot. I rooting for JA too. But they might have left it a little too late. Goal difference is going to get Panama through.

[Deeks]

* I read that Martinique and Guadelope wanted to put in a proposal to FIFA so they can compete as a nation in qualifying. Dont know the status of it. I imagine that if it did , both teams will essentially have a French "B" team.


That will be very interesting. I guess if exceptions to the rule applied to England, Scotland, Wales and NI, then it can work for them also. Then Cayenne can ask for that exception also.

[Sando prince]

Two of Allyuh above me better pray for JA.. dem only score two goals in their last four WC qualifying games which is horrible..and they need to beat Panama in Panama by a certain amount of goals which will not be easy for them when Panama just need a draw to advance..

As for them playing in Copa, well that do not mean much because all other teams in their group will be benefitting from Copa too.. so allyuh jus begin to pray for Jamaica eh
.

[Controversial]

An international soccer campaign is a lot like a political one. Though there are a huge number of events, very few of them have any significance. Since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. national team has played 29 matches, winning 14, losing nine, and drawing six. Just 11 of those have been competitive, nonfriendly games, and I’d classify only four of those 11—the Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, and road World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala—as important matches that the U.S. had a realistic chance to lose. The national team lost three of them, salvaging a solitary draw against Trinidad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/03/jurgen_klinsmann_is_to_blame_for_the_regression_of_the_u_s_men_s_soccer.html

The venting continues.

As much as I do agree with the article, I dont think that Klinsmann is totally to blame. Its not that their quality of football has gone down under Klinsmann. The Concacaf region has become more competitive (especially cfu.. mainly because the national teams in the cfu are getting access to their foreign born players).

The future of WC qualifying in Concacaf is about to get more competitive. These teams are priming up to give a good run for the 2022 campaign:

- Cuba (Currently there are a handful of MLS players with Cuban heritage who cannot play for Cuba. This will change once relations continue to improve with the US)

- Suriname (Once that law gets passed in Netherlands, Suriname will essentially have a Netherlands "B" team playing for them)

- Curacao (Kluivert has identified more players in the Eredivise with Curacao heritage.. possibly another Netherlands "B" team)

* I read that Martinique and Guadelope wanted to put in a proposal to FIFA so they can compete as a nation in qualifying. Dont know the status of it. I imagine that if it did , both teams will essentially have a French "B" team.

Spot on.... Concacaf will become even more competitive than South America..

[soccerman]

An international soccer campaign is a lot like a political one. Though there are a huge number of events, very few of them have any significance. Since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. national team has played 29 matches, winning 14, losing nine, and drawing six. Just 11 of those have been competitive, nonfriendly games, and I’d classify only four of those 11—the Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, and road World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala—as important matches that the U.S. had a realistic chance to lose. The national team lost three of them, salvaging a solitary draw against Trinidad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/03/jurgen_klinsmann_is_to_blame_for_the_regression_of_the_u_s_men_s_soccer.html

The venting continues.

As much as I do agree with the article, I dont think that Klinsmann is totally to blame. Its not that their quality of football has gone down under Klinsmann. The Concacaf region has become more competitive (especially cfu.. mainly because the national teams in the cfu are getting access to their foreign born players).

The future of WC qualifying in Concacaf is about to get more competitive. These teams are priming up to give a good run for the 2022 campaign:

- Cuba (Currently there are a handful of MLS players with Cuban heritage who cannot play for Cuba. This will change once relations continue to improve with the US)

- Suriname (Once that law gets passed in Netherlands, Suriname will essentially have a Netherlands "B" team playing for them)

- Curacao (Kluivert has identified more players in the Eredivise with Curacao heritage.. possibly another Netherlands "B" team)

* I read that Martinique and Guadelope wanted to put in a proposal to FIFA so they can compete as a nation in qualifying. Dont know the status of it. I imagine that if it did , both teams will essentially have a French "B" team.

Spot on.... Concacaf will become even more competitive than South America..

Wait what? I can't see that happening in our lifetime.

[gawd on pitch]

An international soccer campaign is a lot like a political one. Though there are a huge number of events, very few of them have any significance. Since the 2014 World Cup, the U.S. national team has played 29 matches, winning 14, losing nine, and drawing six. Just 11 of those have been competitive, nonfriendly games, and I’d classify only four of those 11—the Gold Cup semifinal against Jamaica, the Confederations Cup playoff against Mexico, and road World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala—as important matches that the U.S. had a realistic chance to lose. The national team lost three of them, salvaging a solitary draw against Trinidad.

http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/03/jurgen_klinsmann_is_to_blame_for_the_regression_of_the_u_s_men_s_soccer.html

The venting continues.

As much as I do agree with the article, I dont think that Klinsmann is totally to blame. Its not that their quality of football has gone down under Klinsmann. The Concacaf region has become more competitive (especially cfu.. mainly because the national teams in the cfu are getting access to their foreign born players).

The future of WC qualifying in Concacaf is about to get more competitive. These teams are priming up to give a good run for the 2022 campaign:

- Cuba (Currently there are a handful of MLS players with Cuban heritage who cannot play for Cuba. This will change once relations continue to improve with the US)

- Suriname (Once that law gets passed in Netherlands, Suriname will essentially have a Netherlands "B" team playing for them)

- Curacao (Kluivert has identified more players in the Eredivise with Curacao heritage.. possibly another Netherlands "B" team)

* I read that Martinique and Guadelope wanted to put in a proposal to FIFA so they can compete as a nation in qualifying. Dont know the status of it. I imagine that if it did , both teams will essentially have a French "B" team.

Spot on.... Concacaf will become even more competitive than South America..

Wait what? I can't see that happening in our lifetime.

I agree. But I think he means the competition to get into the world cup.. not that the teams in Concacaf will be better than the teams in Conmebol.

[soccerman]

Yea I figured that's what he meant and Concacaf will be even more competitive given the number of teams of improved teams competing for 3.5 spots. However in Conmebol it's fewer teams competing for 4.5.
Right now they're 10 teams fighting for qualification and after 6 games Brazil is in 6th place, other countries have stepped up significantly.

[asylumseeker]

El Salvador's senior squad versus their U-20s in progress now. They are playing 3 x 30'. The U-20s are up 1-0. The second 30' block just started. Will update.

[asylumseeker]

El Salvador's senior squad versus their U-20s in progress now. They are playing 3 x 30'. The U-20s are up 1-0. The second 30' block just started. Will update.

1-1 final. Marco Rodríguez @ 27' for the U20s. Raul Rénderos for the seniors (appears to have notched that in the final 30' block).

[asylumseeker]

Mexico to open Hex on the road
FIFA.com
 
The Official Draw for the final round of qualifying in North, Central America and the Caribbean took place on Friday 8 July in Miami. The event, from CONCACAF headquarters in Miami and hosted by General Secretary Philippe Moggio, sets the ball rolling on the highly competitive, six-team round-robin known throughout the region as the Hexagonal (or simply 'the Hex'). It will send three sides from the region directly to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. 

Draw results

1. C1
2. B2
3. A2
4. B1
5. A1 (Mexico)
6. C2

Only giants Mexico have officially qualified for the Hexagonal so far, but the remaining five teams will be known after the last two matches of the semi-final round are played on 4 and 8 September. The reigning CONCACAF champions will kick-off the Hexagonal round in November away from their hallowed ground of the Estadio Azteca against a team yet to be determined but one that could be, if results go accordingly in semi-final Group C, their arch-rivals USA.
 
Mexico are the only team in CONCACAF qualifying with a perfect record, having won all four of their games so far. Despite a demoralising 7-0 loss to Chile in the recent Copa America Centenario, Juan Carlos Osorio's team are still the cream of the region. They've scored ten goals so far in the semi-final round and have yet to concede.
 
Also in good shape are Costa Rica, who set the world stage alight two years ago by reaching the quarter-finals of the global showpiece in Brazil. The Ticos are three points clear atop their tricky semi-final group and looking likely bets to reach through to the final Hexagonal round. Also alive and aiming for places in the final round are the USA, Canada, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago.
 
For the first time ever, the Hexagonal will take place outside of one calendar year. It will, instead, run from November 2016 and conclude in October 2017, sending the top three sides directly to Russia. The fourth-placed team faces an intercontinental play-off against an AFC opponent for a potential fourth ticket to Russia from the CONCACAF region, while the fifth and sixth-placed teams will be eliminated.

[trini_stallion]

http://ttfootball.org/2016/07/08/draw-confirms-positions-and-match-ups-for-concacaf-hex/


I'm gonna say the Hex is gonna be looking like Mexico, United States, Costa Rica, Socawarriors, Panama and Honduras!

[asylumseeker]

Should we win the group, our first rival will be Mexico at the HCS.

[soccerman]

Should we win the group, our first rival will be Mexico at the HCS.

When I read it I thought the same thing. Should be more incentive to come way with at least 4 points in the last 2 games.

[Tallman]

Hart: We still have business to handle before the ‘Hex’
TTFA Media

Trinidad and Tobago Head Coach Stephen Hart hasn’t put much thought to the schedule of the CONCACAF Final Round of 2018 World Cup qualification which was determined at the official draw on Friday in Miami.

For Hart, his feelings shortly after T&T’s 6-0 victory over St Vincent and the Grenadines in the team’s last World Cup qualifier in March, remains the same today. And that is T&T still has a final hurdle to get over before reaching the Hexagonal phase.

“We haven’t achieved anything yet. We are still in the same position as we were in March. We are not yet in the Hex. We have two difficult games left and that is our main objective at this time, getting the result that will take us there (Final round),” Hart told TTFA Media following the draw.

“Once you’re into the Hex, you have the best teams in the region and you have to face everyone at some point. There is where the real toss up begins because you are looking at playing home and away with everything at stake over a rigorous schedule. Thinking about what our possible games could look like when it starts in November and ends next year is not a focus at the moment. We have to take care of business in our next two games first and foremost,” he added.

The T&T senior team is expected to regroup in late August for a training camp ahead of the all-important World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on September 2nd, before meeting the United States on September 6th in Jacksonville, Florida.

T&T currently leads its semi-final group with ten points, three more than second placed USA, followed by Guatemala (six points) and St Vincent/Grenadines in the bottom spot without a point. A draw against Guatemala will do it for T&T but Guatemala needs to win to stay alive before their final game at home to St Vincent, and if they do, T&T will find themselves in a position of needing to defeat the US in order to advance to the “Hex”.

T&T also have Caribbean Cup and Gold Cup qualifying matches on October 3rd and 9th against Martinique and Dominican Republic before the start of the CONCACAF Final phase November 7th-15th.

So far, Mexico is assured of first place in Group A from the fourth round, but no other hex position has been solidified with two games left to play in September. The upcoming Hexagonal will run, for the first time in its history, outside of one calendar year. The competition, which boasts CONCACAF’s top teams and stars, kicks off in November 2016 and concludes in October 2017, sending three sides directly to Russia 2018 with the fourth entering a playoff with an Asian team.

[Sando prince]

T&T better not count their chickens before they hatch. The game still has to be played to win. 
.

[weary1969]

T&T better not count their chickens before they hatch. The game still has to be played to win. 
.

CO-SIGN

[Deeks]

T&T better not count their chickens before they hatch. The game still has to be played to win. 
.

CO-SIGN

“We haven’t achieved anything yet. We are still in the same position as we were in March. We are not yet in the Hex. We have two difficult games left and that is our main objective at this time, getting the result that .......

Well at least the coach knows that.

[asylumseeker]

Rohr’s $47,000 salary, waste of funds – Gombe
By Jude Iroha-Udoka, Today.

A former member of the Nigeria Football Association, Shuaibu Gara-Gombe, has lambasted the Amaju Pinnick-led board for contracting German tactician Gernot Rohr on $47,000 salary, saying it is a waste of scarce resources.

The fiery sports administrator and commentator said that paying such a huge salary at a time the country’s economy was facing tough times showed that the Nigeria Football Federation lacks the foresight and displayed insensitivity to reality on [the] ground.

He said the country should have used such money to engage [a] quality local coach and clear the backlog of salary arrears of all the tacticians in its employ including those they had disengaged.

He said that the process of engaging the German coach was not transparent enough and the mechanism for the payment of his salary was still shrouded in secrecy.

“Who is going to pay for the salary of the coach? They have not come out even though we heard it was an oil company, which of the oil firms? When they employed Sunday Oliseh, they told us Zenith Bank was going to be responsible for his pay but we don’t know what is happening now, they should be transparent and desist from telling Nigerians lies,” he stressed.

Gara-Gombe added that Rohr was not good enough to qualify Nigeria for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“They have given Rohr the mandate to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup but I can tell you that he will not do that. He cannot get us to Russia because he is not good enough. Mark my word, he will fail,” he said.

“I think this is a colossal waste of public funds, number two, that money should have been used to pay all the coaches in the employ of the NFF including those that are dead instead of splashing it on somebody who is not good enough to take our national team to the next level,” he said.

[andremartinsc]

Can't wait to watch T&T and especially Bostock and Levi Garcia on the qualifiers.
I'm cheering for Panamá and T&T to reach the World Cup.

Regards from Brazil

[Deeks]

Can't wait to watch T&T and especially Bostock and Levi Garcia on the qualifiers.
I'm cheering for Panamá and T&T to reach the World Cup.

Regards from Brazil

Andre, you did not post anything during the Olympics!

[andremartinsc]

This past month has been hard. Too much work. But it was beautiful, wasn't it? 

I'm happy for all the athletes and especially our soccer team. We did well for a country that doesn't invest on sports.

Did you like it?

[Deeks]

With web streaming this was the best. I got to see other sports for the first week, instead of only gymnastics and swimming. Not that I don't like those sports. I enjoyed it. I saw lots of football. Not only the Brazil games. Saw field hockey, rowing,basketball, etc. But the Olympics was very good. I thought that Brazil should have invested more in Track and field. But other than that it was great.