Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
They've also looked like crap at Azteca. They've put in a balanced performance.
They've also looked like crap at Azteca. They've put in a balanced performance.
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unofan
Well-known member
Id have no problem with the US resting players or trying out new players, though. We might not throw it per se, but I don't see a reason to send a full A-team either.
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
No.
That being said, bring the B team not the A team and try your best to win with them. Make Panama earn it.
A tie in that game (US-Panama) would be fine (the qualifying mantra is "win at home and tie on the road").
Panama makes it into the playoff with New Zealand with two ties and a Costa Rica victory over Mexico on Oct 15. Panama probably makes it to the playoff with a win over Mexico on Oct 11, though goal differential becomes a factor in the final games.
Should the US throw the game in Panama City just to keep Mexico out?
No.
That being said, bring the B team not the A team and try your best to win with them. Make Panama earn it.
A tie in that game (US-Panama) would be fine (the qualifying mantra is "win at home and tie on the road").
Panama makes it into the playoff with New Zealand with two ties and a Costa Rica victory over Mexico on Oct 15. Panama probably makes it to the playoff with a win over Mexico on Oct 11, though goal differential becomes a factor in the final games.
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Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
It was a joke, people.
I do agree with resting the A team and nursing any injuries, but I would prefer to win the group and keep the new winning streak intact.
It was a joke, people.
I do agree with resting the A team and nursing any injuries, but I would prefer to win the group and keep the new winning streak intact.
P
Priceless
Guest
jmh
win or lose, we booze
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
When are the final rankings set to determine whether we're a "C" or "D" team for drawing the pools? Or is it not done that way any more? Not that I think one result against Panama is very likely to cause us to change bands, mind you, but still...
Fighting Sioux 23
New member
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
I'm not sure if it has ever been done this way? Generally, FIFA takes the top 7 teams (using various different methods) along with the hosts to create the first pod. After that, the pods have generally been broken up by region.
For example, say qualifications goes as follows...
UEFA - 5 in the Top 7 + 8 additional teams
CONMEBOL - 2 in the Top 7 + Brazil + 3 additional Teams
CONCACAF - 4 qualifying teams
OFC - 0 qualifying teams
CAF - 5 Qualifying Teams
AFC - 4 Qualifying Teams
Pod A: Top 7 Teams + Brazil
Pod B: CONMEBOL (3 teams) + CAF (5 teams)
Pod C: UEFA (8 teams)
Pod D: CONCACAF (4 teams) + AFC (4 teams)
Obviously, depending on the makeup of the qualifying teams, those pods could shift (and really, there is no real difference whether you are in Pod B, C, or D).
They won't rank the 32 teams by their FIFA rank* and then split them into pods accordingly. At least, they haven't in any of the past few World Cup draws.
* They will do this to determine the top 7, or at least it is presumed that they will do this to determine the top 7.
I'm not sure if it has ever been done this way? Generally, FIFA takes the top 7 teams (using various different methods) along with the hosts to create the first pod. After that, the pods have generally been broken up by region.
For example, say qualifications goes as follows...
UEFA - 5 in the Top 7 + 8 additional teams
CONMEBOL - 2 in the Top 7 + Brazil + 3 additional Teams
CONCACAF - 4 qualifying teams
OFC - 0 qualifying teams
CAF - 5 Qualifying Teams
AFC - 4 Qualifying Teams
Pod A: Top 7 Teams + Brazil
Pod B: CONMEBOL (3 teams) + CAF (5 teams)
Pod C: UEFA (8 teams)
Pod D: CONCACAF (4 teams) + AFC (4 teams)
Obviously, depending on the makeup of the qualifying teams, those pods could shift (and really, there is no real difference whether you are in Pod B, C, or D).
They won't rank the 32 teams by their FIFA rank* and then split them into pods accordingly. At least, they haven't in any of the past few World Cup draws.
* They will do this to determine the top 7, or at least it is presumed that they will do this to determine the top 7.
unofan
Well-known member
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
At the last 2 World Cups anyway (maybe longer than that, wasn't paying as much attn back then), they've only seeded Pool A. The remaining pools have been by geography.
At the last 2 World Cups anyway (maybe longer than that, wasn't paying as much attn back then), they've only seeded Pool A. The remaining pools have been by geography.
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
That's what games after qualification are for, after all.
I feel like even our B-team should kick the living bejeezus out of Jamaica at home, then send them on the road to gain experience in a hostile environment. But try to win. Never lay down just to get the Mexicans out of the World Cup. I hope they make the World Cup, they'd make a wonderful opponent in the Round of 16 should we advance that far.
That's what games after qualification are for, after all.
I feel like even our B-team should kick the living bejeezus out of Jamaica at home, then send them on the road to gain experience in a hostile environment. But try to win. Never lay down just to get the Mexicans out of the World Cup. I hope they make the World Cup, they'd make a wonderful opponent in the Round of 16 should we advance that far.
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
Not in and of itself. What you really want is to enter the World Cup in the FIFA rankings top 8, which looks out of reach for the US this cycle no matter how well we do.
Not in and of itself. What you really want is to enter the World Cup in the FIFA rankings top 8, which looks out of reach for the US this cycle no matter how well we do.
BoomGoestheDynamite
Registered User
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
We get sort of screwed (or pay our dues for getting a relatively easy confederation to qualify out of) by being grouped with Asia recently. Other than the obvious joke of a confederation that is Oceania, AFC is the weakest link in soccer.
We get sort of screwed (or pay our dues for getting a relatively easy confederation to qualify out of) by being grouped with Asia recently. Other than the obvious joke of a confederation that is Oceania, AFC is the weakest link in soccer.
Shirtless Guy
Old Dirty Basterd
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
Wow, I decided to check in on WC qualifying in Africa and couldn't believe it when I saw that Group A was won by Ethiopia (currently ranked 93 in the world and 25 in CAF) which were the lowest ranked team in the 4 member group along with South Africa, Botswana and Central African Republic...pretty impressive. In the other 9 groups the winner was the favorite and in 8 of the groups the runner up was from the 2nd pot (Congo was the other oddball, finishing 1 point behind Burkina Faso). The draw to determine the third round playoff pairings is Monday.
Wow, I decided to check in on WC qualifying in Africa and couldn't believe it when I saw that Group A was won by Ethiopia (currently ranked 93 in the world and 25 in CAF) which were the lowest ranked team in the 4 member group along with South Africa, Botswana and Central African Republic...pretty impressive. In the other 9 groups the winner was the favorite and in 8 of the groups the runner up was from the 2nd pot (Congo was the other oddball, finishing 1 point behind Burkina Faso). The draw to determine the third round playoff pairings is Monday.
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
They actually are trying to "balance" the groups, albeit in a different way: Except for UEFA, they don't want to have two teams from the same conference in the same group.
They actually are trying to "balance" the groups, albeit in a different way: Except for UEFA, they don't want to have two teams from the same conference in the same group.
Shirtless Guy
Old Dirty Basterd
Re: World Soccer XXIV: The Road to Rio
We certainly want things to play out so we get paired with CAF or CONMEBOL for our pot. New FIFA Rankings are up today. USA is up to 13 and without taking into account any other results, if they beat Jamaica and Panama, they get to 9th...so close. Im not sure its possible for things to shift and CONCACAF end up in a pot with CONMEBOL or CAF...who knows.
Jimjamesak
Already insane, UAA making it worse
Only way for things to shift is if New Zealand beat Mexico (
) in the playoff. Even then we'd still would have the same pots but New Zealand with CONCACAF.Even then, being paired with Asia isn't bad, you avoid Japan, S. Korea, and Australia. With the rankings now, imagine a group of Germany, England, USA, and Japan, a very real possibility if we got paired with Africa in the pots. What's significant about that grouping? All 4 of those teams made the knockout round in 2010.
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