Concacaf to change World Cup qualifying format?

[ReggaeMike]

Was a little surprised I didn't see a thread on this today since it was in The Observer....

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...format_7584716

CONCACAF to revisit W'Cup qualifying format
BY Sean Williams
Thursday, May 06, 2010


THE Executive Committee of CONCACAF will meet today and tomorrow where it is expected to explore the idea of reforming its World Cup qualifying format.

Though he could not give details, committee member, Jamaican Captain Horace Burrell, conceded the confederation will be looking seriously at a proposal to fashion its qualification tournament off that of CONMEBOL, the grouping of South America's football-playing countries.......click the link to read the rest

[ReggaeMike]

I found this part interesting, but at the same time a bit troubling in terms of its implications for qualification:

.....If adopted, it means that the existing three-group semi-final stage of 12 nations will be scrapped for a one-group set-up -- similarly to what obtains in South America -- where the 12 CONCACAF finalists would play each other twice in a home-and-away format with 22 matches for each team....

[ReggaeMike]

If that format was adopted for the last qualification format it would mean the group would look like this (in alphabetical order):


Canada
Costa Rica
Cuba
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
USA


That doesn't look like a nice group from which CFU teams can qualify. Coming in the top 4 in a group like that with USA, Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras would be tough going.

[Hortical]

The format needs to be scrapped, and if you start off the qualifying slowly in a bad spell, you can find yourself eliminated early in qualifying if you are seeded in a difficult group.

[ReggaeMike]

The format needs to be scrapped, and if you start off the qualifying slowly in a bad spell, you can find yourself eliminated early in qualifying if you are seeded in a difficult group.

True, but the CONMEBOL style format could magnify some of the advantages and the disadvantages of the current system in addition to removing the possibility of early elimination.

For instance if Jamaica had a schedule like this:

Mexico - home
T&T - away
Guatemala -home
USA - away
Cuba - home
El Salvador - away
Honduras - home
Suriname - away
Haiti - home
Costa Rica - away
Canada - home

Then even if they had a bad run for the first 6 matches they wouldn't face the real possibility of elimination. The CONMEBOL format would also ensure even more exposure for players than the current format and more experience in different playing conditions and environments.

However if Jamaica got a schedule to face USA, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Canada, El Salvador and Guatemala or T&T including home-and-away matches against 2 out USA, Mexico and Honduras all at the beginning and did badly in say 7 or 8 of those matches then the prospects for qualification will look dim and the crowd support might diminish...which in turn would be disastrous for the JFF since they might face the prospect of having to stage 4-6 home matches in which they would turn a loss.

Would it be fair on the teams to have such a format taking place over a short time period as well? Last times around the third round was from August 20 to November 19, 2008 (each team played 6 matches) and the fourth round was from February 11 to October 14, 2009 (each team played 10 matches). With CONMEBOL their mega-group qualifiers takes place over 2 years from October 17, 2007 to October 14, 2009 leaving a lot of times for teams to rest and regroup. With CONCACAF they will still need a first and second round, so any 12-group third round will still have to come after those and so probably take place over a year and a half. Teams that can draw on a deep well of strength should be fine, but for teams that can't a few injuries could be qualification-jeopardizing.

[Gamma]

so it should be, ef yuh mek it yuh, yuh mek it on merit and deserve to be there!

[1of1]

if we had this format we would have had a chance, last qualifiers

[JaMekAn]

Aren't we all tired of seeing Jamaica playing in the "Group of Death" each and every time we enter qualifiers? and the likes of TnT in some soft group?
At least this way we have a much better chance of qualifying! I honestly beleive if we had this format last qualifiers we would be going to S. Africa!
We would have most likely have won all our home games and taken games from Guatamala, El Salvador and TnT away!

[wbvs]

so it should be, ef yuh mek it yuh, yuh mek it on merit and deserve to be there!

Agree Gamma . In 2006 era Trinidad was in a Group with St kitts , St vincent and Mexico it appears weird but it happen . In 2010 era Kasey Keller did the draw and had 2 mickey mouse group and a Group of death with Mexico ,honduras , Jamaica and Canada . The Mega Group seems more fair , they would drop 1 round example , the current system have 5 Rounds , R1 eliminations ,R2 Eliminations , R3 Groups ,R4 Hexagon and R5 A intercontinental playoff the New Format R1 Eliminations ,R2 Eliminations ,R3 Mega Group of 10 teams with 18 games ,R4 intercontinental playoff * . Gamma and all , the good thing about the new format it drops a Round , and nobody wont complain about group of death.


Imagine the make up of our 1st Mega Group i.e ;

UNCAF =4 or 5Teams i.e Honduras ,Costa Rica , Panama and El Salvador etc
CFU = 3 Teams,Jamaica , Haiti and Trinidad/Tobago
North America = 2 or 3 USA,Mexico and Canada .


Tournament Set Up :
7 Teams Received byes to R2 , 3 top seed teams received bye to final Round.
R1, 14 teams play eliminations
R2, 7 byes plus 7 R1 winners
R3, 3 top seeds plus 7 R2 winners .


it's a fair way to decide the top 4 .

[wbvs]

Aren't we all tired of seeing Jamaica playing in the "Group of Death" each and every time we enter qualifiers? and the likes of TnT in some soft group?
At least this way we have a much better chance of qualifying! I honestly beleive if we had this format last qualifiers we would be going to S. Africa!
We would have most likely have won all our home games and taken games from Guatamala, El Salvador and TnT away!

agree .

[wbvs]

With CONCACAF they will still need a first and second round, so any 12-group third round will still have to come after those and so probably take place over a year and a half. Teams that can draw on a deep well of strength should be fine, but for teams that can't a few injuries could be qualification-jeopardizing.

The new Format would eliminate a Round i.e Round 3 Groups .
Top seed teams like Mexico and USA will play 18 games in R3
the same 18 games the current format allows . It's a fair way .

[Raggs]

there should be a play-off with the caribbean countries for a final place.....

[JaMekAn]

there should be a play-off with the caribbean countries for a final place.....

I like!!