Earlier this week I talked about how combining CONCACAF and CONMEBOL would make sense but it's all but a pipe dream.
A reader though picked up on the idea and formulated his own concept of a new football region and how it would look like. It gets my stamp of approval.
From reader Brian:
Combine North and South America into a single football federation
(Federacion Americana de Futbol or Confederacion Americana de Futbol)
and run the World Cup qualifying, the federation cup (Copa America),
and the champions league similar to UEFA.
CONCACAF = 40 National Teams
CONMEBOL = 10 National Teams
FAF or CAF or CONAMBOL = 50 National Teams
I. Americas Football Fedration Qualification for World Cup
A. Preliminary Qualifying Round
Minnows (Bottom 30 teams in Region) play home and away to get to next round
30 teams reduced to 15
15 teams from Preliminary Round join the Top 20 teams in region
B. Final Qualifying round
35 teams
8 Spots (4.5 from CONMEBOL; 3.5 from CONCACAF)
5 groups of 7
5 winners and #1 second place team automatically advance
other #2's (4) have playoffs for last two spots
II. Copa PanAmerica
(held every four years, the summer between the World Cup and European
Championship, i.e. either 2011 or 2013)
A. Preliminary Round
Minnows play home and away
15 Winners join top 20 in region
B. Final Round Qualifying
35 teams
5 groups of 7
top 3 in each group qualify for finals, plus host (16)
C. Finals (Proceeds like European Championship)
4 groups of 4
top 2 in each group advance to knockout round
D. Seeded Groups for each qualification (using FIFA rankings for
inaugural qualifications)
Pot 1: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Uruguay
Pot 2: USA, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela
Pot 3: Honduras, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Canada
Pot 4: Cuba, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, Guatemala
Pots 5-7: Winners of Play In Round
OR
E. Seeded Groups using FIFA rankins for CONMEBOL and CONCACAF
rankings for CONCACAF
Pot 1: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia, Uruguay
Pot 2: USA, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela
Pot 3: Honduras, Peru, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama
Pot 4: Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, Guatemala
Pots 5-7: Winners of Play In Round
I like the second seedings better.
III. League Champions Cup
Combine Copa Libertadores and CONCACAF Champions League into a single
championship and run similar to UEFA Champions' League
IV. Align MLS schedule with the Clausura tournaments south of the border.
I think this forces US soccer to either sink or swim. But the real
question is who objects more the CONCACAF associations (not sure if
the minnows of the big 3 would have the most to lose) or the CONMEBOL
associations.
Pass. I like watching the U.S. in the World Cup Finals. ;)
ReplyDeleteMLS would not survive in Fall-Spring schedule competing against all the major sports except baseball. Besides, we'd be bored out of our minds with lack of soccer in the summer.
ReplyDeleteuh, some people have way too much free time.
ReplyDeleteAlso, explain how this would benefit South America. Remember, they have 9 World cups down there, and have 4.5 slots for 10 teams each world cup cycle. That's ample respect, which combining with North America may yield a) less respect and b) less slots per team (undoubtedly).
ReplyDeleteThis is the same argument people espouse every so often for letting more countries into the Copa Libertadores, et. al. Joining another highly regarded tournament will bring honor, (to the northies), but doesn't do squat for those already enjoying said honors...
And it's not that I'm against sharing honors with others, ... but I still feel that it ought to be earned, and not just gained by virtue of it being convenient.
there is nothing in it for conmebol... that's why it would never fly. there'd be nothing in it for mexico either... we enjoy going to the world cup every four years.... why would we want real competition?
ReplyDeleteJumping Jack Warner never would tolerate a merger. It would mean far less influence and graft for him and his family.
ReplyDelete