I can't believe the idiots who run CONCACRAP. Not only do we have a qualifying system only Rube Goldberg could love, but the powers that be have gone ahead and scheduled the Gold Cup 2005 in the middle of the hex!!!! That's right, the 2005 edition of the much unloved Gold Cup will be held from July 1-17. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=282452&cc=5901 (second from last line) Of course, if there is a 2005 edition of the Confederations Cup, it will be held in the same timeframe. Not to mention that the Gold Cup falls between matchdays 5 and 6 of the Hex. I guess Arena will call up the U-17s for this one. I can't imagine anyone else being available between club and WCQ commitments. Sachin
wow , and I tought I've seen everything... seems to me that Warner wants to f*** up with Mexico... because Mexico will have to play THREE tournaments at the same time... Man, doesn't this make you proud of our confederation?
This doesn't help anyone except for the Island nations that CONCACAF really caters to. Pathetic.............it's like our own little welfare system.
I believe that FIFA is contractually obligated to execute a Confed Cup through 2005, or maybe even 2007. Either that, or Blatter has spun it as that, for the continuance and/or enhancement of other, as yet unpublished / unleaked, agendas. I'll keep my ear to the Swiss-German ground, but I'm pretty sure that the quid pro quo, whether authentically based upon legitmate consideration, or malfeasant consideration, has been in play re: the Confed Cup for some time now. That's not going anywhere. Sad, because what the non-UEFA, non-CONMEBOL regions REALLY needed was a nice, tight, one-week Club World Championship to make winning their regional club championship authentically appealing to those who run clubs today, i.e., provide that jackpot at the end of the rainbow...
Easy, easy. If the Mexican / Guatemalan power structure hadn't marginalized the Caribbean sleeping giant from 1962-1989, you might...MIGHT...not have had this type of power dynamic manifest itself. There's noone to blame but those Mexicans and central Americans who took that route; its one of the oldest natural laws in the universe: what goes around comes around. Sad, but true.
Maybe that's true but that doesn't mean that it's right. It's too democratic for its own good. How can the vote of a country with only a few thousand people be worth the same of countries of 90 Million people and 280 Million people. How can they be worth the same when these larger countries are the only ones that are able to foot the bill and organize anything worth 2 shyts in this confederation. By the way.........."Caribbean Sleeping Giant" ???? Where do you come up with this shyt?
I think he is referring to the predecessors of Jack Warner & Co...but I only inferred that from actually reading his post.
I mean simply in numbers, in total votes, that's all. And you're right; having "one nation, one vote" turn into a tyranny of the majority is, in the end analysis, no better than having a few nations rule and whore the system. What is needed are real, statutory checks and balances, along with real transparency, and real participation (i.e., Players' and Fans' Union's seats on decision-making bodies that would be like, and yet very much UNLIKE, current Executive Committees), and meaningful inclusiveness, not this oscillation back and forth between majority tyranny and oligarchy, which never benefits the masses of people who support and grow a sport, but rather only a few, either way. We need...well, not a revolution; the very definition of that word means that sooner or later you end up where you started. We need a full-fledged evolutionary leap; a leap in such a different direction that those in power in this system, those so stuck in this mode of being, and thinking, and working would not be able to recognize the change, because it would be so OUTSIDE their perceptions... We need to evolve. Interestingly enough, we may be the only species with the power to enact our own evolution...not only in sport, but in "politics," "finance," and so-called religion. The questions remain: How much are willing to sacrifice to manifest the new kind of organization that would be needed to drive such a change? Again, the answer that usually issues forth from the people, the answer that most in power rely upon, is "very little."
We just stand on a different political spectrum to come to a solid conclusion we can both live with. Regardless.....I respect everyones opinion.
Concacaf needs to align the Gold Cup with the Euro Cup, the Copa America, and the Asian Cup. This is ridiculous...
In fact, after doing some more research, I've found out that Concalaugh is the only confederation that holds its nations cup in odd years: UEFA (even years, every 4 yrs) CONMEBOL (even years, every 4 yrs) AFC (even years, every 4 years) CAF (even years, every 2 yrs) OFC (even years, every 2 yrs) CONCACAF (odd years, every 2 yrs) It would be ideal if all the confederations would align their tournaments to a 4 year cycle... (The only problem I see with that is Mexico competing in Concacaf and Conmebol)
The only problem I have with the Gold Cup is that it should be in the MLS off season - January-February in a warm location. The 2001 was great timing and help get us off to a great 2002 qualifying start.
I see what you're saying, but you can't force all of Concacaf to adjust to the MLS schedule. It's MLS that needs to adjust (I know, I know - not currently possible, but maybe once all teams get their stadium we can switch to a more traditional schedule.) If all confederation tournaments would take place around the same time, the country vs. club issue would become non-existant.
We have the same traditional schedule as the Scandanavian leagues. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'd enjoy soccer in December - February in Chicago, Columbus, NY, or Boston. Unless we were playing Mexico or another CONCACAF rival in a WCQ match.
A winter break would solve that problem. Either way, MLS needs to take a break during the World Cup. Playing during the WC is just disrespectful IMHO. But that's a topic for a different thread.