Uh, we qualified through very hard work. I would say well done Canada if they qualified through the same route. For now I don't think they deserve any automatic spots. Have they ever even made the hex.
Canada made it to the world cup in Mexico in 1986....that was their first and only WC appearance to date.
It was an honest to god genuine question. Can't remember ever seeing them. I'm not old enough to remember 86. I was 1.
Just looked back on wiki and I see they made in 1998. And I guess it was a square in 1994. Too bad they aren't good now. But I do think a team should have some merit to play in the world cup or else they will just get run over.
And you don't think the hosting nations should get the chance to play in front of their home crowds?
They should but I don't see any reason for Canada to get a free ticket to the world cup. It's not even like South Africa where the team is alright and can hold their own. If there were even in the top 90 I'd feel better about it. If they go there and end up with a GD of -12 that won't look good for CONCACAF.
I'm pretty sure America with all their huge stadiums can manage on their own. And they have the logistics.
I think maybe we differ too much on this point - I don't think hosting should be contingent on the quality of their national team, it should try to encourage football development and give the spectacle to populations who'd love the opportunity and have the infrastructure to support it. Your point is roughly along the lines of wishing maybe for quality to be the major concern and all others minor? Whilst I'm more along the lines of having a representative World Cup being just as important, as I see it as important socially and culturally as it is sportingly.
But your point about SA I don't agree with - SA have a record not much better than Canada - often the worst or one of the worst teams there. They've qualified for two and automatically played in one, so played 9 games, all group stages, and only won 2 games. Canada are worse, but lets not pretend South Africa benefited from hosting -they finished behind Ethiopia in their qualification group for 2014.
