New Countries in World Cup??
Peter Phung
to he World Cup.
I pose a question to you all.
What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
Germany 2006?
Peter
Victoria Barrett
wrote:
Good question! Finland or Ukraine for me. And maybe an African country
none of us have predicted...?
Kwame
> Good question! Finland or Ukraine for me. And maybe an African country
> none of us have predicted...?
hehe
;)
Kwame
D M
"Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:B_eAb.572294$6C4.181716@pd7tw1no...
Lativa seems to have been drawn in a favorable group. I don't know who
else...has Trinidad & Tobago ever been to a WC?
dm
Peter Phung
"Kwame" <kwameintoronto...@rogers.com> wrote in message
news:2gjAb.79875$Y4R1....@news04.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
Hehehe, I was expecting this answer from Kwame as I was posting this. The
wink says it all.
I think you have a favourable group. Good luck.
Peter
Jason Maxwell
news:bqsfvr$221d6$1...@ID-162354.news.uni-berlin.de...
might is to win the playoff spot and beat Asia's #4.
Jason
Dave Gonzalez
"Jason Maxwell" <jaso...@cox.net> wrote:
> I'm not sure, but I don't see them qualifying this time. The only was they
> might is to win the playoff spot and beat Asia's #4.
I believe that CONCACAF #4 plays Asia #5 in the playoff.
Gonzo
Gabbage
news:B_eAb.572294$6C4.181716@pd7tw1no...
> What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance
in
> Germany 2006?
ARSENAL!!
Dave Gonzalez
Early in CONMEBOL qualifying, Venezuela is sitting in 5th place, the
spot that will play-off against the Oceania representative.
There is a long way to go before qualification ends. But, the Vino
Tintos have a chance of making the finals for the first time.
Gonzo
Jorge Vergara
If Venezuela keeps it up in South America, who know?? It's a long shot but
it could happen, they are sitting in 5th place right now.
Regards
Jorge
Lucky Devin
wrote:
Very good possibilities in Venezuela and Ukraine. Also, have Canada ever made a
World Cup?
--
Oh hey, ho...hello there!
Devin Tregre - Ice Cold.
"It all returns to nothing,
I just keep letting me down,
letting me down, letting me down."
*Live! From Castle Baron!
Renaud Dreyer
Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
Are the Ukranians irritated that the Russians seem to have been given
all the Soviet era sports trophy/medals (they are considered a former
European Championship winner by UEFA, for example)? Ciao,
Renaud
Victoria Barrett
Wow really? In a roundabout way, this reminds me of the way West
Germany had to shoulder most of the war guilt, post-WWII, and not the
East.
P.S.: If I had to choose my favourite ex-Soviet Union territory, I'd
choose Armenia. A World Cup must be a distant dream.
Mark V.
El Salvador and Honduras have already been to cups. Guatemala has bit
of a longshot chance, but either they or T&T might pull it off out of
CONCA-laugh.
I have been waiting for Ghana to qualify for some time. They had a
horrible draw for '02. I think they may just do it this time.
Only Ukraine in Europe has a decent chance. I hope noone is counting
S&M as a "new" team. Finland just got a lousy draw this year, and will
have to wait for one that is more favorable before they can dream of
qualifying.
Here are some possible first-timers, with odds:
Ghana .4
Ukraine .2
Venezuela .15
Guatemala .15
Trinidad and Tobago .15
Uzbekistan .15
Thailand .15
Kenya .15
Mali .1
Togo .1
Liberia .1
Zambia .1
Congo DR .1
Qatar .1
Oman .1
Vietnam .1
Indonesia .1
Renaud Dreyer
Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
> On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 20:40:46 GMT, Renaud Dreyer
> <rdr...@math.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> >In article <vea3tvctegdio7r06...@4ax.com>,
> > Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
> >
> >> On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 06:50:09 GMT, "Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca>
> >> wrote:
> >> >As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making
> >> >it
> >> >to he World Cup.
> >> >
> >> >I pose a question to you all.
> >> >
> >> >What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance
> >> >in
> >> >Germany 2006?
> >>
> >> Good question! Finland or Ukraine for me. And maybe an African country
> >> none of us have predicted...?
> >
> >Are the Ukranians irritated that the Russians seem to have been given
> >all the Soviet era sports trophy/medals (they are considered a former
> >European Championship winner by UEFA, for example)? Ciao,
>
> Wow really?
********
LISBON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The presence of all eight former champions
coupled with smooth progress on the organisational front should make for
an outstanding Euro 2004, UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner said on
Saturday.
"I'm very satisfied with the progress," Aigner said on the eve of
Sunday's draw for the finals in Lisbon next year.
"Looking ahead to the competition, with all the former winners in the
draw, we will have a marvellous tournament."
********
Now, unless they consider Lativia to be a "former champion"...
> In a roundabout way, this reminds me of the way West
> Germany had to shoulder most of the war guilt, post-WWII, and not the
> East.
>
> P.S.: If I had to choose my favourite ex-Soviet Union territory, I'd
> choose Armenia. A World Cup must be a distant dream.
All those countries can look at Denmark for inspiration, which rose from
minnow to European champion. Ciao,
Renaud
Dave Gonzalez
devincom...@aol.comwstegate (Lucky Devin) wrote:
[snip]
> Very good possibilities in Venezuela and Ukraine. Also, have Canada ever made
> a
> World Cup?
Yes. I remember seeing Canada in Mexico 1986.
Gonzo
Myk Cameron
wrote:
>As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making it
As others have said, Venezuela must be a good bet for this.
DR Congo or Kenya from Africa.
I'm also backing Iceland to surprise and at least make the playoffs,
given their group.
Myk
D M
"Myk Cameron" <a...@image.co.nz> wrote in message
> As others have said, Venezuela must be a good bet for this.
>
> DR Congo or Kenya from Africa.
I think Cote d'Ivoire has the best chance as newbie African team. They have
some good players that are bordering on world-class; Drogba, Dundane, and
Kolo Toure to name a few.
dm
Werner Pichler
"Mark V." <markva...@yahoo.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:7dd939e9.03120...@posting.google.com...
> "Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
news:<B_eAb.572294$6C4.181716@pd7tw1no>...
> > As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making it
> > to he World Cup.
> >
> > I pose a question to you all.
> >
> > What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
> > Germany 2006?
> >
>
> El Salvador and Honduras have already been to cups. Guatemala has bit
> of a longshot chance, but either they or T&T might pull it off out of
> CONCA-laugh.
>
> I have been waiting for Ghana to qualify for some time. They had a
> horrible draw for '02. I think they may just do it this time.
>
> Only Ukraine in Europe has a decent chance. I hope noone is counting
> S&M as a "new" team. Finland just got a lousy draw this year, and will
> have to wait for one that is more favorable before they can dream of
> qualifying.
Bosnia maybe?
Ciao,
Werner
Kwame
>
> Hehehe, I was expecting this answer from Kwame as I was posting this.
> The wink says it all.
> I think you have a favourable group. Good luck.
>
We'll need it.
Not in the Bafana and Congo games, but against Burkina Faso, Uganda and Cape
Verde.
You see, we have this marvellous ability (or talent) iMO, to draw games
which are very very winnable at home. That is where the luck should come
in.
Hopefully 24 points or thereabouts should see us through.
Then, in response to the post 'What will you be doing for WC2006?', my
answer would be, *i'll be there*
Kwame..hoping
Kwame
Ivorians have more than a few top-class players in Europe, but they are in a
very tough group. Would be nice to see them in '06. However, getting past
Cameroon and Egypt would be a challenge.
DR Congo are in with Ghana and Sth Africa as the contenders intheir group.
I really don't fancy the South Africans going, so I'll go with either DR
Congo or 'us'. As for Kenya, come on :). I don't think they'll get past
Guinea.
Kwame
Kwame
> Yes. I remember seeing Canada in Mexico 1986.
>
Not a good WC.
Lost all 3 matches, no goals scored.
K
Kwame
>
> I have been waiting for Ghana to qualify for some time. They had a
> horrible draw for '02. I think they may just do it this time.
>
.
K
Lucky Devin
wrote:
*deja vu*
^_^
--
Oh hey, ho...hello there!
Devin Tregre - Ice Cold.
"It all returns to nothing,
I just keep letting me down,
letting me down, letting me down."
*Live! From South Figaro!
Peter Phung
They were grouped with France, USSR, and Hungary. :(
Lost 1-0, 2-0, 3-0
Still a great experience, we'd give anything to go back :)
Peter
Renaud Dreyer
"Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca> wrote:
France had all sorts of trouble in their opening game against Canada (in
those days, France just couldn't handle the Anglo-Saxon style of play
very well), only scoring 10 minutes from the end, after Papin finally
scored on one of his many chances (it's ironic that JPP turned later
into such a efficient scorer). Ciao,
Renaud
Mark V.
> "Mark V." <markva...@yahoo.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:7dd939e9.03120...@posting.google.com...
> > "Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca> wrote in message
> news:<B_eAb.572294$6C4.181716@pd7tw1no>...
> > > As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making it
> > > to he World Cup.
> > >
> > > I pose a question to you all.
> > >
> > > What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
> > > Germany 2006?
> > >
> >
> > El Salvador and Honduras have already been to cups. Guatemala has bit
> > of a longshot chance, but either they or T&T might pull it off out of
> > CONCA-laugh.
> >
> > I have been waiting for Ghana to qualify for some time. They had a
> > horrible draw for '02. I think they may just do it this time.
> >
> > Only Ukraine in Europe has a decent chance. I hope noone is counting
> > S&M as a "new" team. Finland just got a lousy draw this year, and will
> > have to wait for one that is more favorable before they can dream of
> > qualifying.
>
>
> Bosnia maybe?
>
Bosnia .13333
Jim Riley
>DR Congo or Kenya from Africa.
1974 as Zaire.
--
Jim Riley
Jim Riley
>What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
>Germany 2006?
Based on recent qualifying (including continental championships) and draw.
Those above the line have a quite reasonable shot. Those below the line
perhaps sometimes in the future, or at least best chance within
confederation.
UEFA (28 of 52 have not appeared)
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Slovakia
------------------
Latvia
Finland
Lithuania
Kazakhstan
Conmebol (1 of 10 has not appeared)
------------------
Venezuela
Concacaf (26 of 35 have not appeared)
Trinidad&Tobago
Guatemala
------------------
Panama
CAF (43 of 52 have not appeared)
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Zambia
Togo
Liberia
Congo
------------------
Ivory Coast
Angola
Guinea
------------------
Sierra Leone (Below 2rd line due to elimination for 2006)
AFC (34 of 44 have not appeared)
Uzbekistan
Thailand
Bahrain
------------------
Qatar
Oman
Indonesia (unless 1938 counts)
OFC (9 of 11 have not appeared)
-----------------
Fiji
--
Jim Riley
Victoria Barrett
wrote:
>On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 06:50:09 GMT, "Peter Phung" <pvp...@shaw.ca> wrote:
>
>>What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
>>Germany 2006?
>
>Based on recent qualifying (including continental championships) and draw.
>Those above the line have a quite reasonable shot. Those below the line
>perhaps sometimes in the future, or at least best chance within
>confederation.
Oooh Jim Riley bliss!
>UEFA (28 of 52 have not appeared)
>
>Czech Republic
>Slovakia
Surely they count as Czechoslovakia though...
>Ukraine
And as part of the Soviet Union, albeit I didn't make that distinction
in my own prediction.
>------------------
>Latvia
>Finland
Yay!
>Lithuania
>Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan are no-hopers. Latvia and Lithuania, well, we'll see.
Latvia certainly now have some kind of pedigree.
>Conmebol (1 of 10 has not appeared)
>
>------------------
>Venezuela
A very telling stat.
>Concacaf (26 of 35 have not appeared)
>
>Trinidad&Tobago
>Guatemala
Why do I think T&T will go to the WC one day...
>Panama
>
>CAF (43 of 52 have not appeared)
>
>Ghana
>Burkina Faso
>Zambia
>Togo
>Liberia
>Congo
Ghana, come on. They're hands down favourite of this group.
>Ivory Coast
>Angola
>Guinea
Angola would be interesting personally to me. I like ex-Portuguese
countries.
>Sierra Leone (Below 2rd line due to elimination for 2006)
Did anyone else read this as second-third? Okay, it's just me under
Nyquil-influence.
>AFC (34 of 44 have not appeared)
>
>Uzbekistan
>Thailand
>Bahrain
Of the desert countries I would say Bahrain might have a shot.
>Qatar
>Oman
>Indonesia (unless 1938 counts)
I don't know about this one. Indonesia qualified for a World Cup in
1938??
>OFC (9 of 11 have not appeared)
>
>-----------------
>Fiji
Eek. Well they have Vijay Singh. :)
Victoria Barrett
<anthu_001@NoSPaM_hotmail.com> wrote:
>Quoting Jim Riley in rec.sport.soccer:
>
>>Czech Republic
>
>I don't think anyone really counts CR as newcomers.
True. I wonder how the Czech themselves think about this, though? Or
how about the Slovaks, knowing that qualifying for the WC will be a
little more difficult without their talented partners.
Richard Rundle
> >AFC (34 of 44 have not appeared)
> >
> >Uzbekistan
> >Thailand
> >Bahrain
>
> Of the desert countries I would say Bahrain might have a shot.
>
> >Qatar
> >Oman
> >Indonesia (unless 1938 counts)
>
> I don't know about this one. Indonesia qualified for a World Cup in
> 1938??
Well, sort of.
Qualifying group 9 (Dutch East Indies, Japan)
Japan withdrew. Dutch East Indies qualified.
Final tournament
1st Round (knock-out from the start)
4. 6.38, Reims (FRA)
Hungary 6 Dutch East Indies 0
DEI team- Mo Heng, Hu Kon, Samuels, Nawir, Meng, Anwar, Hang Djin,
Soedarmadji, Sommers, Pattiwael, Taihutti
--
Richard
Myk Cameron
wrote:
>On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 21:35:08 +1300, Myk Cameron <a...@image.co.nz> wrote:
>
>>DR Congo or Kenya from Africa.
>
>1974 as Zaire.
Of course. Oops!
Myk
Go Iceland!
Myk Cameron
<vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
>On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 10:23:00 GMT, Jim Riley <jim...@pipeline.com>
>wrote:
>>Indonesia (unless 1938 counts)
>
>I don't know about this one. Indonesia qualified for a World Cup in
>1938??
>
As Dutch East Indies. To be fair, the qualification path was not too
challenging since Japan withdrew and DEI qualified without playing a
game.
At the final tournament they lasted just one game, losing 6-0 to
Hungary in the first round.
Myk
Victoria Barrett
<Richard...@btinternet.com> wrote:
>Qualifying group 9 (Dutch East Indies, Japan)
>
>Japan withdrew. Dutch East Indies qualified.
Ah! Of course...
>Final tournament
>1st Round (knock-out from the start)
>4. 6.38, Reims (FRA)
A Reims reference! I love that town, with its spooky cathedral. I also
recall spending the night an hotel where the concierge spent 5 minutes
telling us how exactly to pronounce, "Reims":
"RrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrEHMS!"
Comme ça. :)
>Hungary 6 Dutch East Indies 0
>DEI team- Mo Heng, Hu Kon, Samuels, Nawir, Meng, Anwar, Hang Djin,
>Soedarmadji, Sommers, Pattiwael, Taihutti
So 8/9 of the 11 seem to be "native" Indonesians. I expected them to
be all-Dutch for some reason.
Renaud Dreyer
Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
Ah, here's another country who seems to have inherited the "former
champion" label from a previous entity. Ciao,
Renaud
Victoria Barrett
I thought of that when reading the post, actually!
I think it's the "dominant nation" syndrome, which exists in some
people's minds (sometimes in mine too, admittedly).
Interestingly, one thinks of Croatia separately when we think of
Yugoslavia, footballwise.
I think it has to do with the visibility of Croatians themselves about
this.
Renaud Dreyer
Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 19:53:15 GMT, Renaud Dreyer
> <rdr...@math.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> >In article <91d9tv4dvtfu7c8k9...@4ax.com>,
> > Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
> >
> >> On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 12:20:05 +0100, anders t
> >> <anthu_001@NoSPaM_hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Quoting Jim Riley in rec.sport.soccer:
> >> >
> >> >>Czech Republic
> >> >
> >> >I don't think anyone really counts CR as newcomers.
> >>
> >> True. I wonder how the Czech themselves think about this, though? Or
> >> how about the Slovaks, knowing that qualifying for the WC will be a
> >> little more difficult without their talented partners.
> >
> >Ah, here's another country who seems to have inherited the "former
> >champion" label from a previous entity. Ciao,
>
> I thought of that when reading the post, actually!
>
> I think it's the "dominant nation" syndrome, which exists in some
> people's minds (sometimes in mine too, admittedly).
It would be interesting to look at the 1960 and 1976 European Champions
and see who was obviously Ukrainian, Slovak etc.
> Interestingly, one thinks of Croatia separately when we think of
> Yugoslavia, footballwise.
There's also the fact that the name of the older entity was inherited by
one of the pieces... for a few years, at least.
> I think it has to do with the visibility of Croatians themselves about
> this.
Ciao,
Renaud
Jim Riley
wrote:
>Quoting Jim Riley in rec.sport.soccer:
>
>>Czech Republic
>
>I don't think anyone really counts CR as newcomers.
They count under the now that Russia and S&M have qualified, we don't need
the footnotes, especially since they will likely qualify in the near future
themselves rule.
--
Jim Riley
Victoria Barrett
<rdr...@math.berkeley.edu> wrote:
>It would be interesting to look at the 1960 and 1976 European Champions
>and see who was obviously Ukrainian, Slovak etc.
Hmm, yes.
What I meant, which I'm not saying you didn't get, was that the Czechs
are often the considered the more dominant of the two cultures. Ditto
with Russia vis-a-vis the other CIS territories. :)
>> Interestingly, one thinks of Croatia separately when we think of
>> Yugoslavia, footballwise.
>
>There's also the fact that the name of the older entity was inherited by
>one of the pieces... for a few years, at least.
True!
Renaud Dreyer
Victoria Barrett <vbar...@the-beach.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 21:08:23 GMT, Renaud Dreyer
> <rdr...@math.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> >It would be interesting to look at the 1960 and 1976 European Champions
> >and see who was obviously Ukrainian, Slovak etc.
>
> Hmm, yes.
>
> What I meant, which I'm not saying you didn't get, was that the Czechs
> are often the considered the more dominant of the two cultures. Ditto
> with Russia vis-a-vis the other CIS territories. :)
Yes, for example simply by looking at where the capital of the previous
State was located.
> >> Interestingly, one thinks of Croatia separately when we think of
> >> Yugoslavia, footballwise.
> >
> >There's also the fact that the name of the older entity was inherited by
> >one of the pieces... for a few years, at least.
>
> True!
Ciao,
Renaud
Gabbage
news:B_eAb.572294$6C4.181716@pd7tw1no...
> As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making
it
> to he World Cup.
>
> I pose a question to you all.
>
in
> Germany 2006?
>
>
>
Not only will Latvia qualify for the World Cup, they will knock out Italy,
Portugal, and Argentina en route to the final, which they will win by
drubbing Brazil 5-0.
Carsten Jancker will make an amazing comeback and finish the tournament's
top scorer with six goals. Unfortunately despite his best efforts, Germany
will be defeated in the quarterfinals by a resurgent Hungarian side.
Jim Riley
>As a follow up to a post I answered about countries dreaming about making it
>to he World Cup.
>
>I pose a question to you all.
>
>What countries (if any) will make their first World Cup Finals appearance in
>Germany 2006?
All former finalists with the exceptions of East Germany (DDR), USSR,
FYROY, and Czechoslovakia are still in the competition. In the following,
countries are ranked based on their performance in qualifying over the past
3 World Cups (1994-2002), plus any continental competitions during that
period. In general, for each qualification teams were broken into roughly
fifths, with the top fifth getting 5 points, the next fifth 4 points and so
on. If a team did not enter or withdrew during qualification, they
received zero points.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 21 of the 43 never
beens remain in the competition.
Ghana
Zambia
Côte_d'Ivoire
Gabon
Zimbabwe
Liberia
Angola
Congo
Burkina_Faso
Togo
Guinea
Mali
Kenya
Uganda
Malawi
Sudan
Benin
Botswana
Rwanda
Libya
Cape_Verde_Islands
Europe (AFC) - 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has qualified
(Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the competition.
Since Russia and Serbia&Montenegro have qualified since the break-up of the
USSR and Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic is treated as not having qualified.
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Finland
Slovakia
Iceland
Lithuania
Latvia
Macedonia FYR
Cyprus
Georgia
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Estonia
Moldova
Belarus
Luxembourg
Albania
Armenia
San Marino
Faroe Islands
Malta
Azerbaijan
Liechtenstein
Andorra
Kazakhstan
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35 countries. 9
have been finalists. 25 of the 26 never beens remain in the competition.
Trinidad & Tobago
Guatemala
Panama
Antigua & Barbuda
St Kitts & Nevis
Barbados
St Vincent & Grenadines
St Lucia
Nicaragua
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Netherlands Antilles
Suriname
Belize
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Guyana
Aruba
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
US Virgin Islands
Anguilla
Montserrat
Bahamas
Turks & Caicos
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 23 of the 35 never
beens remain in the competition. Indonesia is counted as being distinct
from Dutch East Indies which competed in 1938 after having a walk-over in
qualification.
Qatar
Thailand
Uzbekistan
Oman
Indonesia
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Yemen
Malaysia
Bahrain
Tajikistan
Singapore
Turkmenistan
Vietnam
Hong Kong
Sri Lanka
India
Kyrgyzstan
Chinese Taipei
Maldives Republic
Palestine
Laos
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The one
remaining never been remains in the competition.
Venezuela
Oceania (OFC) - 11 countries, plus provisional member New Caledonia. 2
have been finalists. All 10 of the never beens remain in the competition.
Tahiti
Solomon Islands
Fiji
Vanuatu
Tonga
Samoa
Papua New Guinea
Cook Islands
New Caledonia
American Samoa
--
Jim Riley
Jim Riley
through the end of June 2004.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously qualified for the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia). Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany as
host), 62 remain in qualification, and 3 have been eliminated (Cuba,
Haiti, and New Zealand). Of the 139 never beens, 75 remain in
contention.
Of the 71 finalists, 44 competed in their initial World Cup final
after the competition restarted in 1950. Since 1950, 44 of the 285
contestants (15%) were novices.
For each World Cup, the number of newcomers, the number of teams in
the final, and the best performing newcomer are listed:
1930: 13/13, Uruguay, champion
1934: 10/16, Italy, champion
1938: 4/15, Cuba, quarterfinal
1950: 1/13, England, 2nd in group
1954: 3/16, Turkey, 3rd in group
1958, 3/16, Wales, quarterfinal, lost to champion
1962, 1/16, Bulgaria, 4th in group
1966, 2/16, Portugal, 3rd place
1970, 3/16, Israel, 4th in group, 2 points
1974, 4/16, East Germany, 3rd in 2nd stage group
1978, 2/16, Tunisia, 3rd in group
1982, 5/24, Algeria, 3rd in group, 4 points
1986, 3/24, Denmark, 1st in group
1990, 4/24, Ireland, quarterfinal
1994, 3/24, Nigeria, 1st in group
1998, 5/32, Croatia, 3rd place
2002, 5/32, Senegal, quarterfinal
In the following, countries are ranked based on their performance in
qualifying over the past 3 World Cups (1994-2002), plus any
continental competitions during that period. In general, for each
qualification, teams were broken into roughly fifths, with the top
fifth getting 5 points, the next fifth 4 points and so on. If a team
did not enter or withdrew during qualification, they received zero
points.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 21 of the 43
never beens remain in the competition. 2 matches of the group stage
have been played. If qualification ended now, newcomers Ghana,
Zambia, Côte d'Ivoire, Angola, and Guinea would qualify. The next
matches are in July.
Ghana
Zambia
Côte d'Ivoire
Gabon
Zimbabwe
Liberia
Angola
Congo
Burkina Faso
Togo
Guinea
Mali
Kenya
Uganda
Malawi
Sudan
Benin
Botswana
Rwanda
Libya
Cape Verde Islands
Europe (AFC) - 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. No country is treated as the successor to past finalists
Czechoslovakia, USSR, and Yugoslavia. Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, and
Serbia&Montenegro have qualified in their own right. Group play
begins in August.
countries. 9 have been finalists. Past finalists Cuba and Haiti have
been eliminated. 5 of the 26 never beens remain in the competition.
The preliminary two rounds have been completed. Group play begins in
August.
Trinidad & Tobago
Guatemala
Panama
St Kitts & Nevis
St Vincent & Grenadines
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 23 of the 35 never
beens remain in the competition. Indonesia is counted as being
distinct from Dutch East Indies which competed in 1938 after having a
walk-over in qualification. 3 matches of the first group stage have
been played. If the round ended now, newcomers Bahrain, Jordan, and
Uzbekistan would advance to the second group stage. The next matches
are in September.
Qatar
Thailand
Uzbekistan
Oman
Indonesia
Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Yemen
Malaysia
Bahrain
Tajikistan
Singapore
Turkmenistan
Vietnam
Hong Kong
Sri Lanka
India
Kyrgyzstan
Chinese Taipei
Maldives Republic
Palestine
Laos
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 7 matches
in group play, Venezuela is in 6th place (the top 4 qualify directly,
and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC).
Venezuela
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team. The two will also play this
October for the OFC Nations Cup and the right to play in the 2005
Confederations Cup.
Solomon Islands
--
Jim Riley
James Allnutt
Jim Riley wrote:
> Trinidad & Tobago
> Guatemala
> Panama
> St Kitts & Nevis
> St Vincent & Grenadines
When did Dominica make the WC Finals?
James
Colin
If Dominica somehow comes back from behind to beat Mexico, I'll put
money on them to reach the finals. ;)
Jim Riley
<Ja...@webgopulltheotherone.com.au> wrote:
>When did Dominica make the WC Finals?
I put a new battery/real time clock in my computer and set the date a
day ahead.
--
Jim Riley
James Allnutt
or be definitely eliminated, during the 4th round of Asian Stage II
matches in early September. You can correct any errors which are, by
definition, deliberate.
James
ASIAN OUTLOOK – MATCHDAY 4
Teams that can secure Stage III advancement
Group 1 – Jordan (defeat Iran and Qatar fails to win)
Group 8 – Saudi Arabia (defeat Turkmenistan and Indonesia fails to win)
Teams that can be eliminated
Group 1 – Laos (fail to win or Iran does not win), Qatar (worse result
than Jordan), Iran (lose)
Group 2 – Palestine (lose), Chinese Taipei (fail to win or Uzbekistan wins)
Group 3 – Singapore (fail to win or India does not win), India (lose, or
draw and Oman win)
Group 4 – Malaysia (fail to win or Kuwait wins), Hong Kong (worse result
than China PR, or both matches drawn)
Group 5 – Yemen (lose, or draw and Thailand fail to win), Thailand (lose
and Yemen fail to win)
Group 6 – Kyrgyzstan (lose, or draw and other match not drawn), Syria
(lose and Bahrain win), Tajikistan (lose and Bahrain win)
Group 7 – Maldives Republic (fail to win), Vietnam SR (lose)
Group 8 – Sri Lanka (fail to win or Turkmenistan fail to win), Indonesia
(worse result than Saudi Arabia), Turkmenistan (lose)
Sid
> Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 23 of the 35 never
> beens remain in the competition. Indonesia is counted as being
> distinct from Dutch East Indies which competed in 1938 after having a
> walk-over in qualification. 3 matches of the first group stage have
> been played. If the round ended now, newcomers Bahrain, Jordan, and
> Uzbekistan would advance to the second group stage. The next matches
> are in September.
>
> India
A short note here. India did qualify [a] for the 1950 World Cup.
They didn't play any games in the tournament because shoes were
a pre-requisite for the games and the Indian team wanted to play
*barefoot*.
So, maybe India should be mentioned as never been in the World
Cup but with a *.
Not that the Indian team then was *that* weak necessarily. In the
Melbourne Olympics in 1956 India got a bye in the first round,
beat hosts Australia 4-2 in the second round and made it to the
semi-finals. There they were beaten 4-1 by Yugoslavia. India lost
the Bronze medal playoffs to the other losing semi-finalist Bulgaria
(3-0). Neville D'Souza (IND) was joint top-scorer of the games with
4 goals. India finished bottom of their group (Hun/Fra/Per) in the
1960 Olympics and never qualified for Olympics Football since.
Sid
[a] Qualify is too generous a term. A lot of teams didn't take part
and India made it by invitation.
--
s i d at n e r t e dot n e t
http://www.nerte.net
Jim Riley
<Ja...@webgopulltheotherone.au> wrote:
>Jim Riley wrote:
>> On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 12:46:18 +1000, James Allnutt
>> <Ja...@webgopulltheotherone.com.au> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>When did Dominica make the WC Finals?
>>
>>
>> I put a new battery/real time clock in my computer and set the date a
>> day ahead.
>>
>Just for you Jim, here is a list of teams that can secure advancement,
>or be definitely eliminated, during the 4th round of Asian Stage II
>matches in early September. You can correct any errors which are, by
>definition, deliberate.
Thank you, I was thinking that head to head was lower priority. I had
considered mentioning the teams that needed a reversal of every match
in the first round robin in order to secure a 4-way tie at 9 points
(Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka).
>ASIAN OUTLOOK – MATCHDAY 4
>
>Teams that can secure Stage III advancement
>Group 1 – Jordan (defeat Iran and Qatar fails to win)
>Group 8 – Saudi Arabia (defeat Turkmenistan and Indonesia fails to win)
>
>Teams that can be eliminated
>Group 1 – Laos (fail to win or Iran does not win), Qatar (worse result
>than Jordan), Iran (lose)
>Group 2 – Palestine (lose), Chinese Taipei (fail to win or Uzbekistan wins)
>Group 3 – Singapore (fail to win or India does not win), India (lose, or
>draw and Oman win)
Group 3 – Singapore (fail to win or India does not win), India (does
not win)
In case of a Japan-India draw, India's best possible result would be a
tie at 10 points with Japan. But they would lose a 2-way tie with
Japan, so they need a 3-way tie with Japan and Oman. For India to tie
Japan, India must beat Oman and Singapore, and Japan must lose to Oman
and Singapore. Then Oman and Singapore must draw to create the 3-way
tie. But Japan would win on head-to-head points (Japan 7; Oman 6,
India 4).
>Group 4 – Malaysia (fail to win or Kuwait wins), Hong Kong (worse result
>than China PR, or both matches drawn)
Group 4 – Malaysia (fail to win or Hong Kong fails to win), Hong Kong
(worse result than China PR, or both matches drawn)
Malaysia must have have reverse result in every match of the 2nd
round-robin.
>Group 5 – Yemen (lose, or draw and Thailand fail to win), Thailand (lose
>and Yemen fail to win)
Group 5 – Yemen (fail to win), Thailand (lose)
In case of a UAE-Yemen draw and a Thailand win, then UAE would have to
lose to Thailand in order for Yemen to catch UAE. But this would put
Thailand at 9 points.
If Thailand loses and Yemen wins, then the best Thailand could do
would be to get to 9 points. A winner of North Korea-UAE would ghave
more than 9 points, and if they drew, then North Korea would at worst
be tied with Thailand. North Korea would win the tie-breaker.
>Group 6 – Kyrgyzstan (lose, or draw and other match not drawn), Syria
>(lose and Bahrain win), Tajikistan (lose and Bahrain win)
>Group 7 – Maldives Republic (fail to win), Vietnam SR (lose)
>Group 8 – Sri Lanka (fail to win or Turkmenistan fail to win), Indonesia
>(worse result than Saudi Arabia), Turkmenistan (lose)
--
Jim Riley
Jim Riley
<sidESSS...@MMMMMMAPSSSSEnerte.net> wrote:
>In article <1CnDc.29467$Y3....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>, Jim Riley wrote:
>
>> Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 23 of the 35 never
>> beens remain in the competition. Indonesia is counted as being
>> distinct from Dutch East Indies which competed in 1938 after having a
>> walk-over in qualification. 3 matches of the first group stage have
>> been played. If the round ended now, newcomers Bahrain, Jordan, and
>> Uzbekistan would advance to the second group stage. The next matches
>> are in September.
>>
>> India
>
>A short note here. India did qualify [a] for the 1950 World Cup.
>They didn't play any games in the tournament because shoes were
>a pre-requisite for the games and the Indian team wanted to play
>*barefoot*.
Did they travel to Brazil?
>So, maybe India should be mentioned as never been in the World
>Cup but with a *.
I think I will reword it as having been a finalist, rather than having
qualified. The other teams that have qualified put not played in the
finals, have played in other finals. India will be noted as the
exception to that.
>Not that the Indian team then was *that* weak necessarily. In the
>Melbourne Olympics in 1956 India got a bye in the first round,
>beat hosts Australia 4-2 in the second round and made it to the
>semi-finals. There they were beaten 4-1 by Yugoslavia. India lost
>the Bronze medal playoffs to the other losing semi-finalist Bulgaria
>(3-0). Neville D'Souza (IND) was joint top-scorer of the games with
>4 goals. India finished bottom of their group (Hun/Fra/Per) in the
>1960 Olympics and never qualified for Olympics Football since.
>
>[a] Qualify is too generous a term. A lot of teams didn't take part
>and India made it by invitation.
It was a strange qualification. Scotland and Turkey also qualified,
but then declined. France and Portugal, apparently as best losers in
other groups were invited. France accepted then withdrew, while
Portugal declined. Instead of redrawing, the teams played in groups
of 4,4,3, and 2.
--
Jim Riley
James Allnutt
Jim Riley wrote:
<snip>
Ahh, still the easiest way to get things checked.
:-)
James
James Allnutt
Jim Riley wrote:
> On Mon, 28 Jun 2004 16:10:42 +1000, James Allnutt
> <Ja...@webgopulltheotherone.au> wrote:
>
>
>>Jim Riley wrote:
>>
>
<snip all>
I put this stuff up on my website
http://members.iinet.net.au/~jafa1/F/WC2006_Analysis.htm
I hope the credit is enough for you.
Ta
James
Sid
> On 28 Jun 2004 14:17:23 GMT, Sid
><sidESSS...@MMMMMMAPSSSSEnerte.net> wrote:
>>A short note here. India did qualify [a] for the 1950 World Cup.
> Did they travel to Brazil?
I am not sure about this. I'll have to check. My source is the
absolutely essential database on Indian Football:
http://www.indianfootball.com/data/data.html (it may be linked from
rsssf as well. I am not sure).
This page seems to indicate that they didn't even go:
http://www.indianfootball.com/data/worldcupq.html
> I think I will reword it as having been a finalist, rather than having
> qualified. The other teams that have qualified put not played in the
> finals, have played in other finals. India will be noted as the
> exception to that.
Yeah, that seems reasonable.
> Portugal declined. Instead of redrawing, the teams played in groups
> of 4,4,3, and 2.
Is this the only time that uneven group sizes have been used in the
WC Finals?
Sid
James Allnutt
Sid wrote:
I think 1930 was uneven as well. 4-3-3-3.
James
> Sid
Jim Riley
<sidESSS...@MMMMMMAPSSSSEnerte.net> wrote:
>In article <ituEc.20457$bs4....@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net>, Jim Riley wrote:
>> On 28 Jun 2004 14:17:23 GMT, Sid
>><sidESSS...@MMMMMMAPSSSSEnerte.net> wrote:
>
>>>A short note here. India did qualify [a] for the 1950 World Cup.
>> Did they travel to Brazil?
>
>I am not sure about this. I'll have to check. My source is the
>absolutely essential database on Indian Football:
>
>http://www.indianfootball.com/data/data.html (it may be linked from
>rsssf as well. I am not sure).
>
>This page seems to indicate that they didn't even go:
>http://www.indianfootball.com/data/worldcupq.html
Could be. It would have been a long trip by air (if that was even
feasible), even longer by ship.
>> I think I will reword it as having been a finalist, rather than having
>> qualified. The other teams that have qualified put not played in the
>> finals, have played in other finals. India will be noted as the
>> exception to that.
>
>Yeah, that seems reasonable.
>
>> Portugal declined. Instead of redrawing, the teams played in groups
>> of 4,4,3, and 2.
>
>Is this the only time that uneven group sizes have been used in the
>WC Finals?
There weren't qualifications for the 1930 cup, and the groups were
4,3,3, and 3. It would not be surprising if there were more teams
invited, since only 4 were from Europe, 7 from South America, and 2
from North America.
The 1934 and 1938 tournaments were knockouts with 16 teams. In 1938
Austria withdrew after the country was annexed to Germany, so Sweden
advanced to the quarterfinals on a walkover.
--
Jim Riley
Jim Riley
group play in Asia results in elimination of another 14 teams from a
chance to qualify for the finals.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 62 remain in qualification, and 3 have been eliminated
(Cuba, Haiti, and New Zealand). Of the 139 never beens, 61 remain in
contention.
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
3 played in the 1930s, and 44 first competed in the 1950 or later.
These 44 novices represent 15% of the 285 total finalists since 1950.
If this form holds, we should expect 5 newcomers in 2006, the same as
in 1998 and 2002.
For each World Cup, the number of newcomers, the number of teams in
the final, and the best performing newcomer are listed:
1930: 13/13, Uruguay, champion
1934: 10/16, Italy, champion
1938: 4/15, Cuba, quarterfinal
1950: 1/13, England, 2nd in group
1954: 3/16, Turkey, 3rd in group
1958, 3/16, Wales, quarterfinal, lost to champion
1962, 1/16, Bulgaria, 4th in group
1966, 2/16, Portugal, 3rd place
1970, 3/16, Israel, 4th in group, 2 points
1974, 4/16, East Germany, 3rd in 2nd stage group
1978, 2/16, Tunisia, 3rd in group
1982, 5/24, Algeria, 3rd in group, 4 points
1986, 3/24, Denmark, 1st in group
1990, 4/24, Ireland, quarterfinal
1994, 3/24, Nigeria, 1st in group
1998, 5/32, Croatia, 3rd place
2002, 5/32, Senegal, quarterfinal
In the following, countries are ranked within their confederation
based on their performance in qualifying over the past 3 World Cups
(1994-2002), plus any continental competitions during that period.
That is, the higher ranked teams have more consistently come close to
performing at a level that would let them qualify for the finals. The
rankings do not take into account current performance, nor the
qualifying groups that the teams have been drawn into. That is, they
are not predictions. In general, for each qualification, teams were
broken into roughly fifths, with the top fifth getting 5 points, the
next fifth 4 points and so on. If a team did not enter or withdrew
during qualification, they received zero points.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 21 of the 43
never beens remain in the competition. 4 matches of the group stage
have been played. If qualification ended now, newcomers Ghana,
Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, and Guinea would qualify. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Ghana (1)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (3)
Zimbabwe (4)
Liberia (5)
Angola (2)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (4)
Togo (1)
Guinea (1)
Mali (6)
Kenya (2)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Sudan (6)
Benin (5)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (5)
Libya (3)
Cape Verde Islands (5)
Europe (AFC) - 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at leat 2 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomers Slovakia and Georgia would
qualify, while Ukraine, Finland, and Lithuania would be playoff teams.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (5)
Ukraine (2)
Finland (2)
Slovakia (2)
Iceland (6)
Lithuania (2)
Latvia (4)
Macedonia FYR (4)
Cyprus (5)
Georgia (1)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (3)
Moldova (5)
Belarus (3)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (3)
Armenia (6)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (6)
Malta (5)
Azerbaijan (5)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (7)
Kazakhstan (6)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists. Past finalists Cuba and Haiti have
been eliminated. 5 of the 26 never beens remain in the competition.
Most teams have played three matches in the secound group stage. If
the stage ended now, newcomers Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, and
Panama would advance to the final group stage. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (1)
Guatemala (1)
Panama (2)
St Kitts & Nevis (3)
St Vincent & Grenadines (4)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 9 of the 35 never
beens remain in the competition. 4 matches of the first group stage
have been played. If the round ended now, newcomers Uzbekistan and
Bahrain would advance to the final group stage. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Qatar (3)
Uzbekistan (1)
Oman (2)
Lebanon (2)
Syria (2)
Jordan (2)
Yemen (3)
Bahrain (1)
Turkmenistan (2)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 8 matches
in group play, Venezuela is in 5th place (the top 4 qualify directly,
and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC). The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (5)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team. The two will also play this
October for the OFC Nations Cup and the right to play in the 2005
Confederations Cup.
Solomon Islands
[1] The results are based on having actually played in the World Cup
finals, rather than simply qualifying. This excludes the 1950 team
from India which qualified (without playing any qualifying matches)
but did not play in the finals in Brazil. Other countries that have
qualified, but not played in the finals, have qualified for and
participated in subsequent World Cup finals.
No country is treated as the successor to past finalists
Czechoslovakia, USSR, and Yugoslavia. This avoids having to try to
assign their performance to just one or more of their successor
countries. Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, and Serbia&Montenegro have
participated in the finals in their own right. Indonesia is not
treated as the successor to the Dutch East Indies which participated
in the 1938 finals.
[2] In determining the current standing, teams that have played fewer
matches are assigned 1.375 points per match. This is based on an
assumption of 1/4 chance of a draw, 3/8 chance of a win, and 3/8
chance of a loss in each match to be made up. In addition, an attempt
has been made to take into account head-to-head performance in
breaking ties on points.
--
Jim Riley
Victoria Barrett
James Allnutt
> This is an Update that takes into account qualification matches
> through the middle of September 2004. Completion of the 4th round of
> group play in Asia results in elimination of another 14 teams from a
> chance to qualify for the finals.
>
I missed this before - I think that should read 15 teams eliminated.
James
Jim Riley
through the weekend of 10 Octoberber 2004. This completes the first
half of the round robins in Africa and South America, and the 4th
match of the second group stage in Concacaf. In Asia, Turkmenistan's
draw with Sri Lanka eliminates them. Several more AFC teams should
follow at midweek.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 62 remain in qualification, and 3 have been eliminated
(Cuba, Haiti, and New Zealand). Of the 139 never beens, 60 remain in
contention.
never beens remain in the competition. 5 matches of the group stage
have been played. If qualification ended now, newcomers Côte
d'Ivoire, Angola, Togo, and Guinea would qualify. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Ghana (2)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (3)
Zimbabwe (4)
Liberia (5)
Angola (1)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (5)
Togo (1)
Guinea (1)
Mali (6)
Kenya (3)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Sudan (6)
Benin (5)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (5)
Libya (2)
Cape Verde Islands (4)
Europe (AFC) - 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 3 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomers Slovakia and Lithuania would
qualify, while Ukraine, Finland, and Belarus would be playoff teams.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (4)
Ukraine (2)
Finland (2)
Slovakia (1)
Iceland (6)
Lithuania (1)
Latvia (5)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (5)
Georgia (3)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (4)
Estonia (4)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (2)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (5)
Armenia (6)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (6)
Malta (4)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (7)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists. Past finalists Cuba and Haiti have
been eliminated. 5 of the 26 never beens remain in the competition.
Most teams have played four matches in the secound group stage. If
the stage ended now, newcomers Trinidad & Tobago, Guatemala, and
Panama would advance to the final group stage. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (2)
Guatemala (1)
Panama (2)
St Kitts & Nevis (4)
St Vincent & Grenadines (3)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 8 of the 35 never
beens remain in the competition. 4 matches of the first group stage
have been played. If the round ended now, newcomers Uzbekistan and
Bahrain would advance to the final group stage. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Qatar (3)
Uzbekistan (1)
Oman (2)
Lebanon (2)
Syria (2)
Jordan (2)
Yemen (3)
Bahrain (1)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 9 matches
in group play, Venezuela is in 6th place (the top 4 qualify directly,
and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC). The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (5)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team. Australia took a 5-1 lead in the
first leg of their series to determine the champion of the OFC Nations
Cup and the right to play in the 2005 Confederations Cup.
Solomon Islands
[1] The results are based on having actually played in the World Cup
finals, rather than simply qualifying. This excludes the 1950 team
from India which qualified (without playing any qualifying matches)
but did not play in the finals in Brazil. Other countries that have
qualified, but not played in the finals, have qualified for and
participated in subsequent World Cup finals.
No country is treated as the successor to past finalists
Czechoslovakia, USSR, and Yugoslavia. This avoids having to try to
assign their performance to just one or more of their successor
countries. Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, and Serbia&Montenegro have
participated in the finals in their own right. Indonesia is not
treated as the successor to the Dutch East Indies which participated
in the 1938 finals.
[2] In determining the current standing, teams are ranked based on
points, goals scored, and goals allowed per match. In addition, an
Philip Lennox Beineke
>[2] In determining the current standing, teams are ranked based on
>points, goals scored, and goals allowed per match. In addition, an
>attempt has been made to take into account head-to-head performance in
>breaking ties on points.
Very impressive work, though I'm a bit confused by this part.
What are the tie-breakers this time around?
In particular, who's ahead between Jamaica and Panama?
(Jamaica have a 6-4 goal difference to Panama's 5-5, but
Panama won the head-to-head series.)
Thx,
P
--
Victoria Barrett
wrote:
>This is an update that takes into account qualification matches
>through the weekend of 10 Octoberber 2004. <snip>
Wow! What a wonderful informative post. The time this must've taken to
research and compose...well it beggars the mind.
>Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 21 of the 43
>never beens remain in the competition.
21 of 43...almost half. Not THAT bad, I must say. I thought the total
was much much lower (a dozen or so).
>Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 8 of the 35 never
>beens remain in the competition. <snip>
Weakest conference, second to Oceania? Seems so.
>South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
>one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 9 matches
>in group play, Venezuela is in 6th place (the top 4 qualify directly,
>and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC). The number in
>parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
>
>Venezuela (5)
That really says it all about the quality of CONMEBOL. 9 out of 10,
and the 10th is improving steadily (even if they can't compete as well
against the juggernaut of South America, they are unrecognisable from
their past form in recent years).
Lucky Devin
wrote:
>On Mon, 11 Oct 2004 00:35:41 GMT, Jim Riley <jim...@pipeline.com>
>wrote:
>
>>This is an update that takes into account qualification matches
>>through the weekend of 10 Octoberber 2004. <snip>
>
>Wow! What a wonderful informative post. The time this must've taken to
>research and compose...well it beggars the mind.
I second that, and if it's not already up on a website, it should be.
>>Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 21 of the 43
>>never beens remain in the competition.
>
>21 of 43...almost half. Not THAT bad, I must say. I thought the total
>was much much lower (a dozen or so).
Found that a bit surprising as well, it says something about how far football
in Africa has come in such a relatively small amount of time.
>>Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 8 of the 35 never
>>beens remain in the competition. <snip>
>
>Weakest conference, second to Oceania? Seems so.
On paper, yes. I don't exactly consider Oceania a conference on the same level
as even Concacaf though. It's a bit unfair, so I'll go with Asia as the
weakest.
>>South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
>>one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 9 matches
>>in group play, Venezuela is in 6th place (the top 4 qualify directly,
>>and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC). The number in
>>parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
>>
>>Venezuela (5)
>
>That really says it all about the quality of CONMEBOL. 9 out of 10,
>and the 10th is improving steadily (even if they can't compete as well
>against the juggernaut of South America, they are unrecognisable from
>their past form in recent years).
Very much true. Here's hoping that Venezuela does make it into Germany. It is
not like it is unfeasable, I mean, they are sitting strong at 5th. You are
correct on Venezuela's improvement, only a few years ago, they seemed like the
everpresent basement dwellers in Conmebol. And they are now a threat to
qualify, and are definitely not a team to take lightly if you are Argentina or
even Brazil. I'd say they are just as good if not better than Peru and Bolivia.
--
Shine like a light bulb,
Devin Tregre - Neighborhood Superstar
"All this medicine has done is made me crazy, I'm startin to face it, I should
have stopped a long time ago, but I was lazy." DJ Paul
Lucky Devin
Correcting my mistakes here;
>Venezuela does make it into Germany. It is
>not like it is unfeasable, I mean, they are sitting strong at 5th.
Of course I meant they sit at 6th, tied with Uruguay.
>I'd say they are just as good if not better than Peru and Bolivia.
I also meant to throw Ecuador in there too.
QBert
"Jim Riley" <jim...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:xzkad.16677$Vm1....@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
Nice break down, but is any country ever going to get the entry that China
had in the last cup?!?
I'd like to see Australia there next time.
Jim Riley
Rank is determined by overall points. Ties are broken by (a) matches
among the tied teams (1) points, (2) goal differential, and (3) goals
scored; (b) all matches in group play (1) goal differential, and (2)
goals scored; and (c) a one match playoff.
So at present Panama has the advantage. In their final two matchups,
both teams host El Salvador, and both travel to the United States.
This means that Panama only has to match the results. Under the old
system, you might have come down to the final matches where Jamaica
was totally satisfied with a 0:1 loss against the US, or Panama was
trying to pile on the goals against El Salvador.
In my analysis, it is the points/match that are most significant. In
Europe, while most teams have played 3 matches, others have played 2
or 4 matches. Once the teams are ranked on basis of points/match, I
then considered whether there were any head-to-head matchups (For
exanmple, in Group 4, Switzerland, Israel, Ireland, and France are all
tied at 5 points, each with 2 draws against 2 other teams in the
quartet. I rank them in the order given above based on Switzerland
playing the highest scoring draws, and France playing 2 scoreless
draws). In many cases, there have been no matches played between
teams that are tied, so that I then consider goal differential/match
and goals scored/match.
In most other cases, the teams have played the same number of matches;
the exception being the groups with Mexico which had one match
rescheduled due to the Olympics; and Kenya which missed 3 matches
while their FA was suspended.
The tie breakers have been taken into consideration in analyzing AFC
and Concacaf, the two confederations that are nearly to the end of an
intermediate stage. For example, Palestine has been eliminated even
though they could tie Uzbekistan on points, because they lost both
matches against the Uzbekistanis.
Had the new system been used in qualification for WC2002 the following
would have happened:
UEFA Group 2: Portugal and Ireland played two 1:1 draws, so Portugal
would still have qualifed on the basis of a better goal differential
in group play.
UEFA Group 9: England would still have qualified ahead of Germany, but
it would have been on the basis of their 5:2 advantage in head-to-head
play. Of course, that result was a major contribution to England's
+10 versus Germany's +4 overall goal differential.
Conmebol: Colombia would have finished 5th ahead of Uruguay, on the
basis of their 1:0, 1:1 head-to-head result. This would have placed
Colombia rather than Uruguay in the playoff against Australia.
Concacaf Group B: Honduras would have finished ahead of Panama on the
basis of a 3:1, 0:1 head-to-head result. Panama's advantage in the
overall goal differential was based on their piling up more goals
against Nicaragua, the 3rd team in the group. Honduras beat Haiti in
the repechage to advance to the next stage. Had the result been
reversed, it would have been Panama playing Haiti.
Concacaf Group E: Costa Rica and Guatemala would still have tied on
all tie breakers (for 2nd place), and had their one off playoff.
AFC Group 6: Iraq would still have advanced based on overall goal
differential, based on a pair of 1:1 draws. This particular group is
a prime example of the problem of using the overall group results, as
Iraq advanced on the basis of a +23 vs. +18 goal differential in the
matches against Nepal and Macao.
CAF Group 3: Senegal would still have qualifed ahead of Morocco, but
it would have been on the basis of a 0:0, 1:0 head-to-head result.
This would have avoided the need for teams to boost their goal
differential against Namibia.
Of course, teams might have played a different style of match under a
different set of rules. For example, if a team merely needs to win,
they may play quite differently than if they need to win by 4 goals.
Playing extremely aggressively may open them up to counter-attack and
even result in a loss.
--
Jim Riley
Philip Lennox Beineke
>(4) Kuwait and China are tied at 12 points, and split their series
>1:0, 1:0, so that it reverts to the old rule, where China has a 2 goal
>advantage in goal differential (goals scored). China hosts Hong Kong,
>while Kuwait hosts Malaysia.
Actually, it's Kuwait that has the two-goal advantage, and barring
anything fishy, Malaysia is a weaker opponent than Hong Kong ...
China looks likely to be the first 2002 finalist to bow out (though
possibly by only a few hours).
P
--
James Allnutt
Philip Lennox Beineke wrote:
>
> Actually, it's Kuwait that has the two-goal advantage, and barring
> anything fishy,
Hmm, Hong Kong - Special Administration Region of ... oh, what's that
country again?
James
Jim Riley
the round robin in South America, and the 4th match for most European
teams. The first first half of the round robin in Africa has been
completed. In Concacaf, the 5th match of the second group stage
eliminated one team that has never been (and one that has been). In
Asia, completion of the 5th round eliminates 5 teams that have never
been to the finals, as well as two that have been. The next matches
will be in mid-November.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 59 remain in qualification, and 6 have been eliminated
(Canada, Cuba, Haiti, Iraq, New Zealand, and UAE). Of the 139 never
beens, 63 remain in contention (CAF 29, UEFA 24, Concacaf 4, AFC 4,
Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
3 played in the 1930s, and 44 first competed in 1950 or later. These
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 4 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomers Slovakia and Ukraine would
qualify, while Lithuania would be a playoff team. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (3)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (1T)
Iceland (6)
Lithuania (2)
Latvia (5T)
Macedonia FYR (6)
Cyprus (5)
Georgia (5)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (4)
Estonia (3)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (4)
Armenia (7)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (6)
Malta (4)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (5T)
Andorra (5)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, and
Haiti have been eliminated. 4 of the 26 never beens remain in the
competition. For most teams, one match remains in the second group
stage. In Group 1, newcomer Panama (against El Salvador) needs a
better result than Jamaica (against USA) to advance to the final group
stage (El Salvador retains an opportunity to advance as well). In
Group 2, Guatemala has qualified for the final group stage. In Group
3, the match between newcomers Trinidad & Tobago and St Vincent &
Grenadines will decide which advances to the final group stage. SVG
needs a win by at least 3 goals to advance. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (2)
Guatemala (1)
Panama (3)
St Vincent & Grenadines (3)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 2 of which, Iraq
and UAE, have been eliminated. 4 of the 35 never beens remain in the
competition. One match remains in the second group stage. Newcomers
Uzbekistan and Bahrain have advanced to the final group stage, while
Lebanon and Jordan hold on by a thread. In Group 1, Jordan (against
Qatar) needs a better result than Iran (against Laos) to advance to
the next stage. In Group 7, Lebanon needs a win over Vietnam coupled
with a South Korea loss to Maldives to advance.
Uzbekistan (1)
Lebanon (2)
Jordan (2)
Bahrain (1)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been remains in the competition. After 10 matches
in group play, Venezuela is in 3-way tie for 4th, but would be ranked
6th based on their results against Ecuador and Chile. The top 4
qualify directly, and 5th place plays a qualifier against OFC). The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Venezuela (6)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team. The two teams also played for the
OFC Nations Cup to determine which team will represent Oceania in the
2005 Confederations Cup. Australia swept the challenger 5-1, 6-0.
Jim Riley
Lennox Beineke) wrote:
>Jim Riley <jim...@pipeline.com> wrote:
>>(4) Kuwait and China are tied at 12 points, and split their series
>>1:0, 1:0, so that it reverts to the old rule, where China has a 2 goal
>>advantage in goal differential (goals scored). China hosts Hong Kong,
>>while Kuwait hosts Malaysia.
>
>Actually, it's Kuwait that has the two-goal advantage, and barring
>anything fishy, Malaysia is a weaker opponent than Hong Kong ...
The AFC web site already has an article about the Kuwait FA requesting
that the AFC and FIFA be on the lookout for any sort of arrangement
between HK and China.
Since Kuwait rang up 6 on Hong Kong, shouldn't China be able to do the
same? That would require a 5-0 China win. It would then be up to
Kuwait to get 4 against Malaysia.
>China looks likely to be the first 2002 finalist to bow out (though
>possibly by only a few hours).
--
Jim Riley
Philip Lennox Beineke
>Since Kuwait rang up 6 on Hong Kong, shouldn't China be able to do the
>same? That would require a 5-0 China win. It would then be up to
>Kuwait to get 4 against Malaysia.
Here's a slightly different route to the same conclusion:
Because Kuwait and China will be level on head-to-head and presumably,
points, we'll need to compare them side-by-side (see below). Kuwait has
already outdone China in two of the four side-by-side comparisons.
If they also beat Malaysia by four goals, they will have matched China's
performance in that game, too. This would give them a plurality of
side-by-side "wins" and a strong claim to first place.
@ Hong Kong
Kuwait won 2-0
China won 1-0
@ Malaysia
Kuwait won 2-0
China won 1-0
v. Hong Kong
Kuwait won 4-0
China tbd
v. Malaysia
China won 4-0
Kuwait tbd
--
Jim Riley
Concacaf and Asia. In South America, two matches in the second half
of the round robin have been played; in Africa the first half of the
round robin has been completed, except for Kenya's makeup matches.
Action continues in the first half of UEFA's round robin. The next
matches will be in February.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 55 remain in qualification, and 10 have been eliminated
(Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, New
Zealand, and UAE). Of the 139 never beens, 52 remain in contention
(CAF 21, UEFA 24, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
have been played. The only November action was Kenya's makeup match
against Guinea. The Kenyan's 2-1 win propelled them to first place in
their group (if based on points per game). If qualification ended
now, newcomers Côte d'Ivoire, Angola, Togo, and Kenya would qualify.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Ghana (2)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (3)
Zimbabwe (4)
Liberia (5)
Angola (1)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (5)
Togo (1)
Guinea (2)
Mali (6)
Kenya (1)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Sudan (6)
Benin (5)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (5)
Libya (2)
Cape Verde Islands (4)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 4 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomers Ukraine and Slovakia would
qualify, while the Czech Republic and Lithuania would be playoff
teams. The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying
group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Iceland (5)
Lithuania (2)
Latvia (4)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (6)
Georgia (5)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (4)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (3)
Armenia (7)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (5)
Malta (6)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (6)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. St Vincent &
Grenadines loss to Trinidad & Tobago eliminated them from the
competition.
The final group stage will be comprised of 2002 finalists Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States, and the newcomers Guatemala, Panama,
and Trinidad & Tobago. 3 teams will advance to the finals, with a 4th
gaining a playoff matchup against an AFC (Asian) representative.
Trinidad & Tobago
Guatemala
Panama
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 3 of which, China,
Iraq, and UAE, have been eliminated. 2 of the 35 never beens, Bahrain
and Uzbekistan remain in the competition, having advanced to the final
group stage. Jordan's 2-0 loss at Qatar eliminated them from the
competition, as did Lebanon's scoreless draw against Vietnam.
The final group stage will be comprised of past finalists Iran, Japan,
North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, and newcomers
Bahrain and Uzbekistan. 4 teams will advance to the finals, with a
5th gaining a playoff matchup against a Concacaf representative. The
draw for the final group stage will be held on December 9th.
Uzbekistan
Bahrain
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. After
11 matches in group play, Venezuela is in 4-way tie for 6th, but would
be ranked 8th based on their results against Chile, Colombia, and
Peru. The top 4 qualify directly, and 5th place plays a qualifier
against OFC). The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (8)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team. The two teams also played for the
OFC Nations Cup to determine which team will represent Oceania in the
2005 Confederations Cup. Australia swept the challenger 5-1, 6-0.
Solomon Islands
[1] The results are based on having actually played in the World Cup
finals, rather than simply qualifying. This excludes the 1950 team
from India which qualified (without playing any qualifying matches)
but did not play in the finals in Brazil. Other countries that have
qualified, but not played in the finals, have qualified for and
participated in subsequent World Cup finals.
No country is treated as the successor to past finalists
Czechoslovakia, USSR, and Yugoslavia. This avoids having to try to
assign their performance to just one or more of their successor
countries. Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, and Serbia & Montenegro have
Victoria Barrett
for me, I'm nodding to sleep.
I'll save it for tomorrow. :)
Jim Riley
Concacaf and Asia. In South America, two matches in the second half
of the round robin have been played; in Africa the first half of the
match. Most confederations will play two matches at the end of March.
have been played. The only February action was Kenya's makeup match
against Morocco. Morocco's win propels them into first place (based
on points per game) If qualification ended now, newcomers Côte
d'Ivoire, Angola, and Togo would qualify, joining veterans South
Africa and Morocco. The second half of the round robin begins in
March. The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying
group standing [2].
Ghana (2)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (3)
Zimbabwe (4)
Liberia (5)
Angola (1)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (5)
Togo (1)
Guinea (2)
Mali (6)
Kenya (3)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Sudan (6)
Benin (5)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (5)
Libya (2)
Cape Verde Islands (4)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 4 matches of group play.
4 matches in February saw newcomer Ukraine extend its group lead,
while Spain edged Lithuania out of a playoff opportunity. If
qualification ended now, newcomers Ukraine and Slovakia would qualify,
while the Czech Republic would be a playoff teams. March will see two
more rounds of action. The number in parentheses represents their
current qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Iceland (5)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (4)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (6)
Georgia (3)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (4)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (6)
Armenia (7)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (5)
Malta (6)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (6)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. February saw
the start of the final hex, from which 3 teams will advance to the
finals, with a 4th gaining a playoff matchup against an AFC (Asian)
representative. Based on the single match, newcomers Guatemala and
Panama would share the 3rd direct qualifier spot and the playoff
berth. The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying
group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5T)
Guatemala (3T)
Panama (3T)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 3 of which, China,
Iraq, and UAE, have been eliminated. 2 of the 35 never beens, Bahrain
and Uzbekistan remain in the competition, having advanced to the final
group stage. Based on the initial match of the final group stage,
the draws by newcomers Bahrain and Uzbekistan would give them at least
a chance for the playoff to determine which AFC team gains a playoff
against a Concacaf representative. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (2T)
Bahrain (2T)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. After
11 matches in group play, Venezuela is in 4-way tie for 6th, but would
be ranked 8th based on their results against Chile, Colombia, and
Peru. The top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team plays a
qualifier against an OFC representative. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (8)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team.
Solomon Islands
Sid
> [1] The results are based on having actually played in the World Cup
> finals, rather than simply qualifying. This excludes the 1950 team
> from India which qualified (without playing any qualifying matches)
> but did not play in the finals in Brazil. Other countries that have
:-)
Jim Riley
by which Benin, Mali, and Sudan were eliminated. Four confederations
will play another round of matches midweek.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 55 remain in qualification, and 10 have been eliminated
(Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, New
Zealand, and UAE). Of the 139 never beens, 49 remain in contention
(CAF 18, UEFA 24, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
3 played during the 1930s, and 44 first competed in 1950 or later.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists. 18 of the 43
never beens remain in the competition. 6 matches of the group stage
have been played, eliminating any possiblity of Benin, Mali, or Sudan
qualifying for the finals (assuming that the Mali-Togo result stands).
If qualification ended now, newcomers Côte d'Ivoire and Togo would
qualify, joining veterans Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa. The 7th
and 8th matches of the round robin will be played in June. The number
in parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Ghana (3)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (5)
Zimbabwe (3)
Liberia (5)
Angola (2)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (5)
Togo (1)
Guinea (4)
Kenya (2)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (4)
Libya (4)
Cape Verde Islands (2)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 5 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomers Ukraine and Slovakia would
qualify, while the Czech Republic would be a playoff team. There will
be another round of matches midweek which will generally complete the
first half of group play. The number in parentheses represents their
current qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Iceland (6)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (4)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (6)
Georgia (5)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (6)
Armenia (6)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (5)
Malta (5)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (7)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. This weekend
saw the 2nd round of the final hex, from which 3 teams will advance to
the finals, with a 4th gaining a playoff matchup against an AFC
(Asian) representative. Another round will be played midweek. Based
on two matches, newcomer Guatemala would qualify for the final. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (6)
Guatemala (2)
Panama (5)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 3 of which, China,
Iraq, and UAE, have been eliminated. 2 of the 35 never beens, Bahrain
and Uzbekistan remain in the competition, having advanced to the final
group stage. Based on the first two matches of the final group stage,
newcomer Bahrain would qualify for the World Cup final based on their
leading of their group. The number in parentheses represents their
current qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (4)
Bahrain (1T)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. After
12 matches in group play, Venezuela is in 3-way tie for 6th, but would
be ranked 7th based on their results against Chile and Colombia. The
top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team plays a qualifier
against an OFC representative. The number in parentheses represents
their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (7)
Mango
>>
> No country is treated as the successor to past finalists
> Czechoslovakia, USSR, and Yugoslavia. This avoids having to try to
> assign their performance to just one or more of their successor
> countries. Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, and Serbia & Montenegro have
> participated in the finals in their own right. Indonesia is not
> treated as the successor to the Dutch East Indies which participated
> in the 1938 finals.
>
Whislt I can understand the logic of regarding those countries in Europe
which broke up as not having successor states in terms of World Cup glory I
don't think it is right to not regard Indonesia as a successor state to the
Dutch East Indies. The two entities occupy almost the same territory and
Indonesia was born as an independent state from the former Dutch East
Indies. It would be the same regarding Australian sporting teams from the
19th century as not being in the history of modern Australian sport.
Jim Riley
confederations. All confederations except OFC will play their next
two rounds in June.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 55 remain in qualification, and 10 have been eliminated
(Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, New
Zealand, and UAE). Of the 139 never beens, 49 remain in contention
(CAF 18, UEFA 24, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Côte d'Ivoire, Guatemala,
Togo, and Ukraine would qualify for their first final. The Czech
Republic and Slovakia would be in a playoff against another UEFA team
for a final berth, and Bahrain would be in a playoff against the 3rd
place team in the other AFC group for the opportunity to play the 4th
place team from Concacaf. The Solomon Islands have a playoff with
Australia to determine the OFC challenger against the 5th place
Conmebol team.
qualifying for the finals. If qualification ended now, newcomers Côte
d'Ivoire and Togo would qualify, joining veterans Morocco, Nigeria,
and South Africa. The 7th and 8th matches of the round robin will be
played in June. The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Ghana (3)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Gabon (5)
Zimbabwe (3)
Liberia (5)
Angola (2)
Congo (4)
Burkina Faso (5)
Togo (1)
Guinea (4)
Kenya (2)
Uganda (6)
Malawi (6)
Botswana (5)
Rwanda (4)
Libya (4)
Cape Verde Islands (2)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have played at least 6 matches of group play.
If qualification ended now, newcomer Ukraine would qualify, while the
Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Never beens
Luxembourg and San Marino can only qualify via a playoff match. The
next matches will be played in June. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Iceland (5)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (4)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (6)
Georgia (6)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Luxembourg (7)
Albania (5)
Armenia (6)
San Marino (6)
Faroe Islands (5)
Malta (6)
Azerbaijan (6)
Liechtenstein (6)
Andorra (7)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. After 3
matches of the hex, Guatemala is in 3rd place which would qualify them
for the final. The next matches are in June. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (6)
Guatemala (3)
Panama (5)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 3 of which, China,
Iraq, and UAE, have been eliminated. 2 of the 35 never beens, Bahrain
and Uzbekistan remain in the competition, which is now at the midpoint
of the final group stage. If play ended now, Bahrain would be in a
playoff to earn the right to play the 4th place team from Concacaf.
The next matches are in June. The number in parentheses represents
their current qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (4)
Bahrain (3)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. After
13 matches in group play, Venezuela is in 4-way tie for 6th, but would
be ranked 8th based on their results against Chile, Colombia and Peru.
The top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team plays a qualifier
against an OFC representative. The next 2 rounds are in June. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Venezuela (8)
James Allnutt
> This is an update that takes into account qualification matches
> through 30 March 2005, following matches played in four
> confederations. All confederations except OFC will play their next
> two rounds in June.
>
> Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
> qualified (Germany as host). All 24 of the never beens remain in the
> competition. Most teams have played at least 6 matches of group play.
> If qualification ended now, newcomer Ukraine would qualify, while the
> Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Never beens
> Luxembourg and San Marino can only qualify via a playoff match. The
> next matches will be played in June. The number in parentheses
> represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
I couldn't get Luxembourg into a play-off situation (I kept getting 4
teams tied in second and Luxembourg always lost out on the combination
results).
James
Jim Riley
All confederations except CAF and OFC will play another round of
matches this week. CAF will play matches mid-month.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, one has qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host), 52 remain in qualification, and 13 have been eliminated
(Algeria, Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Iraq,
Jamaica, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, UAE, and Wales). Of the 139
never beens, 34 remain in contention (CAF 10, UEFA 17, Concacaf 3, AFC
2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Angola, Côte d'Ivoire,
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists, one of which,
Algeria, has been eliminated. 10 of the 43 never beens remain in the
competition. The 7th round of the group stage eliminated 9 teams,
Algeria, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Malawi,
Rwanda, and Uganda. If qualification ended now, newcomers Angola,
Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo would qualify, joining veterans Morocco and
South Africa. The 8th matches of the round robin will be played in
mid-June. The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Ghana (3)
Zambia (3)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Zimbabwe (3)
Angola (1)
Togo (1)
Guinea (3)
Kenya (4)
Libya (4)
Cape Verde Islands (4)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host), while 2, Northern Ireland and Wales have
been eliminated. 17 of the 24 the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have 4 matches of group play remaining. If
qualification ended now, newcomer Ukraine would qualify, while the
Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Never beens
Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, and San
Marino were eliminated this weekend, while 2 others, Cyprus and
Kazakhstan can only qualify via a playoff match. Half the countries
will play another match on Wednesday (June 8). The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (5)
Macedonia FYR (5)
Cyprus (6)
Georgia (6)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (4)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Albania (5)
Faroe Islands (5)
Liechtenstein (6)
Kazakhstan (7)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. After 4
matches of the hex, Guatemala is in a 3-way tie for 3rd. If the
tie-breaker were applied to the results so far, they would qualify
for the final. The first round robin will be completed with matches
on Wednesday (June 8). The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5)
Guatemala (3)
Panama (6)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists, 3 of which, China,
Iraq, and UAE, have been eliminated. 2 of the 35 never beens, Bahrain
and Uzbekistan remain in the competition, where the 4th round of the
final group stage was played this weekend. Iran, Japan, and Saudi
Arabia, have clinched at least 3rd place, guaranteeing them a spot in
the 3rd place playoff to determine the team that will face the 4th
place team from Concacaf. At least one of Iran or Japan will qualify
directly. North Korea can at best gain the 3rd place playoff. If
play ended now, Bahrain would be in a playoff to earn the right to
play the 4th place team from Concacaf. The 5th round matches on
Wednesday (June 8) may see the first qualifiers for WC 2008 other than
host Germany. The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (4)
Bahrain (3)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. After
14 of 18 matches in group play, Venezuela is in 8th place, 2 points
out of 5th place which would earn them the qualifier against an OFC
representative. The top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team
plays a qualifier against an OFC representative. A win in the
Argentina-Brazil match on Wednesday (June 8) will clinch a trip to
Germany. A draw would clinch at least the qualifier for Argentina.
Jim Riley
CAF will play a round of matches in Mid-June. The next action for
Concacaf, AFC, and a dozen UEFA teams will be in mid-August. Conmebol
and the rest of UEFA will next play in September, which is also when
the playoff for OFC will be held.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 6 have qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host, Argentina from Conmebol, and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and
South Korea from AFC), 46 remain in qualification, and 14 have been
eliminated (Algeria, Canada, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, North Korea,
UAE, and Wales). Of the 139 never beens, 29 remain in contention (CAF
10, UEFA 12, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
been eliminated. 12 of the 24 the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have 4 matches of group play remaining. If
qualification ended now, newcomer Ukraine would qualify, while the
Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Ukraine needs
only a win or a two draws in its final 3 matches to qualify directly.
Never beens Cyprus, Faroe Islands, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, and
Macedonia were eliminated by Wednesday's action, joining Andorra,
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, and San Marino who
were eliminated this past weekend. Albania, Estonia, and Georgia can
only qualify via a playoff. Play resumes with a half dozen matches on
August 17. The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (4)
Georgia (6)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Albania (5)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. After 5
matches of the hex, Guatemala is in a 2-way tie for 4th. If the
tie-breaker were applied to the results so far, they would qualify for
a playoff against a team from AFC. The 6th round of group play will
be on August 17th. The number in parentheses represents their current
qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5)
Guatemala (4)
Panama (6)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 4 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, North Korea, and UAE), while the remaining
past finalist Kuwait can still qualify through a playoff. 2 of the 35
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan, remain in the competition, with
one match remaining in the group stage. Bahrain has clinched 3rd
place in their group, and will face the 3rd place team from the other
group, either Kuwait or Uzbekistan, with the winner going on to face
the 4th place team from Concacaf. Uzbekistan needs a win its final
group match against Kuwait to finish 3rd in its group. Group play
will conclude on the 17th of August. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (4)
Bahrain (3)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. With
3 matches remaining in group play, Venezuela is in a tie for 8th place
with Peru, but would lose the tie-breaker if qualification ended
today. The top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team plays a
qualifier against an OFC representative. With it 3-1 victory over
Brazil, Argentina has clinched a spot in the finals in 2006. Bolivia
can at best secure the playoff spot. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (9)
Jim Riley
action for Concacaf, AFC, a dozen UEFA teams, and a pair of CAF teams
will be in mid-August. Conmebol and the rest of UEFA and CAF will
next play in September, which is also when the playoff for OFC will be
held.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 6 have qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host, Argentina from Conmebol, and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and
South Korea from AFC), 45 remain in qualification, and 15 have been
eliminated (Algeria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, North Korea,
UAE, and Wales). Of the 139 never beens, 27 remain in contention (CAF
8, UEFA 12, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana,
Togo, and Ukraine would qualify for their first final. The Czech
Republic and Slovakia would be in a playoff against another UEFA
team for a final berth, and Bahrain would be in a playoff against the
3rd place team in the other AFC group for the opportunity to play the
4th place team from Concacaf, which at this point would be Guatemala.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists, two of which,
Algeria and Egypt, have been eliminated. 8 of the 43 never beens
remain in the competition. The 8th round of the group stage
eliminated 2 teams, Guinea and Libya. If qualification ended now,
newcomers Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo would qualify,
joining veteran Morocco. Togo's 2-2 road draw with Senegal maintains
the Togolese lead and gives them the tie-break advantage over both
Senegal and Zambia. Ghana's road win in South Africa draws them even
in the standings, but with the tie-breaker advantage. Côte d'Ivoire
2-0 win over Egypt, eliminated the visitor. The Ivorians have
Cameroon at home in what should be the decisive match in the group.
Angola's draw against Nigeria keeps them even in the standings, but
also gives them the tie-breaker advantage. Tunisia and Kenya play a
makeup match in August, with the 9th group match played in September.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Ghana (1)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Zimbabwe (3)
Angola (1)
Togo (1)
Kenya (3)
Victoria Barrett
Great update, cheers.
Jim Riley
action for Concacaf, AFC, a dozen UEFA teams, and a pair of CAF teams
will be in mid-August. Conmebol and the rest of UEFA and CAF will
next play in September, which is also when the playoff for OFC will be
held.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 6 have qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host, Argentina from Conmebol, and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and
South Korea from AFC), 44 remain in qualification, and 15 have been
eliminated (Algeria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, North
Korea, UAE, and Wales). Of the 139 never beens, 26 remain in
contention (CAF 7, UEFA 12, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana,
Togo, and Ukraine would qualify for their first final. The Czech
Republic and Slovakia would be in a playoff against another UEFA
team for a final berth, and the winner of the playoff between Bahrain
and Uzbekistan would play the 4th place team from Concacaf, which at
Algeria and Egypt, have been eliminated. 7 of the 43 never beens
remain in the competition. If qualification ended now, newcomers
Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo would qualify, joining veteran
Tunisia. A pair of makeup matches completed the 8th round of play and
eliminated Kenya. The 9th round of matches will be played the first
weekend in September.
Ghana (1)
Zambia (2)
Côte d'Ivoire (1)
Zimbabwe (3)
Angola (1)
Togo (1)
Cape Verde Islands (4)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host), while 2, Northern Ireland and Wales have
been eliminated. 12 of the 24 the never beens remain in the
competition. Most teams have 4 matches of group play remaining. If
qualification ended now, newcomer Ukraine would qualify, while the
Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Ukraine needs
only a win or a two draws in its final 3 matches to qualify directly.
Albania, Estonia, and Georgia can only qualify via a playoff. Another
two rounds of matches will be played the 3rd and 7th of September. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Lithuania (3)
Latvia (4)
Georgia (5)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (5)
Estonia (5)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Albania (6)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, of which only 3 remain, Costa Rica,
Mexico, and the United States. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 3 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition, having advanced to the final group stage. After 6
matches of the hex, Guatemala is in a 3-way tie for 4th. If the
tie-breaker were applied to the results so far, Guatemals would
qualify for a playoff against a team from AFC. Mexico and the United
States have clinched at least a playoff berth. The 7th and 8th round
of matches will be played in the first week of September. The number
in parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5)
Guatemala (4)
Panama (6)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 5 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, Kuwait, North Korea, and UAE). 2 of the 35
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan, remain in the competition, with
one match remaining in the group stage. The final matches of the the
group stage resulted in Bahrain and Uzbekistan finishing 3rd in their
respective groups, setting up a two-legged playoff between the two on
the 3rd and 7th of September, with the winner going on to face the 4th
place team from Concacaf. The number in parentheses represents their
current qualifying group standing [2].
Uzbekistan (playoff)
Bahrain (playoff)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists. The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. With
3 matches remaining in group play, Venezuela is in a tie for 8th place
with Peru, but would lose the tie-breaker if qualification ended
today. The top 4 qualify directly, and the 5th place team plays a
qualifier against an OFC representative. With it 3-1 victory over
Brazil, Argentina has clinched a spot in the finals in 2006. Bolivia
can at best secure the playoff spot. The first of the final 3 rounds
of matches is in the 1st week of September. The number in parentheses
represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (9)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. Australia and Solomon Islands will play a two-legged
series in September 2005 to determine which enters the playoff against
the 5th place South American team.
Solomon Islands (playoff)
Jim Riley
confederation.
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 8 have qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host, Argentina and Brazil from Conmebol, United States from
Concacaf, and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea from AFC), 39
remain in qualification, and 19 have been eliminated (Algeria,
Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, North
Korea, South Africa, UAE, and Wales). Of the 139 never beens, 1 has
qualified, (Ukraine from UEFA), and 22 remain in contention (CAF 4,
UEFA 11, Concacaf 3, AFC 2, Conmebol 1, and OFC 1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Angola, Ghana, and Togo would
join Ukraine for their first final. The Czech Republic and Slovakia
would be in a playoff against another UEFA team for a final berth, and
the winner of the playoff between Bahrain and Uzbekistan will play the
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. 9 have been finalists, three of which,
Algeria, Egypt, and South Africa have been eliminated. 4 of the 43
never beens remain in the competition. If qualification ended now,
newcomers Angola, Ghana, and Togo would qualify, joining veterans
Cameroon and Tunisia. The 10th and final round of matches will be
played in early October.
Togo, Ghana, and Angola have a favorable advantage in the group tie
breakers, which first takes into head-to-head performance between
(among) the tied teams.
Togo will qualify with a win or draw at Congo OR a Senegal loss or
draw against Mali.
Ghana will qualify with a win or draw at the Cape Verde Islands OR a
South Africa win or draw against visiting Congo DR. If Ghana loses,
and Congo DR wins, Ghana will still advance if the total margin in the
two matches is 4 or less. If the total margin is 5, Ghana could still
advance, but the scores would be somewhat improbable.
Angola will qualify by matching (or bettering) Nigeria's result.
Angola travels to Rwanda, while Nigeria hosts Zimbabwe.
Côte d'Ivoire can qualify with a win at Sudan AND a Cameroon loss or
draw against Egypt.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Ghana (1)
Côte d'Ivoire (2)
Angola (1)
Togo (1)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and one has
qualified (Germany as host), while 3, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland and
Wales have been eliminated. 24 teams have never been to the finals.
One, Ukraine has qualified, while 11 of the 23 other never beens
remain in the competition. Most teams have 3 matches of group play
remaining. If qualification ended now, the Czech Republic and
Slovakia would be playoff teams. Albania, Estonia, Finland, Georgia,
and Lativa can only qualify via a playoff. The next round will be
played the 7th of September, with the final 2 rounds in October. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1, qualifed)
Finland (4)
Slovakia (2)
Lithuania (4)
Latvia (5)
Georgia (6)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (3)
Estonia (4)
Moldova (6)
Belarus (4)
Albania (5)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, one, the United States has
qualified, while 2 others, Costa Rica and Mexico remain in contention.
Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica
have been eliminated. 3 of the 26 never beens, Guatemala, Panama, and
Trinidad & Tobago remain in the competition, having advanced to the
final group stage. After 7 matches of the hex, Guatemala and Trinidad
& Tobago are in a 2-way tie for 4th. If the tie-breaker were applied
to the results so far, Guatemala would qualify for a playoff against a
team from AFC. Mexico has clinched at least a playoff berth. The 8th
round is the 7th of September and the final two rounds are in October.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5)
Guatemala (4)
Panama (6)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 5 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, Kuwait, North Korea, and UAE). 2 of the 35
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan remain in the competition.
Uzbekistan to a 1-0 lead in their 2-legged playoff with Bahrain for
the right to play the 4th place team from Concacaf. The 2nd match in
the series will be played in Bahrain on the 7th of September. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Uzbekistan (playoff)
Bahrain (playoff)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists, The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. With
2 matches remaining in group play, Venezuela is in 8th place, and can
at best gain the playoff spot. The top 4 qualify directly, and the
5th place team plays a qualifier against an OFC representative.
Argentina and Brazil have qualified, while Bolivia has been
eliminated. Venezuela and Peru can at best gain the qualifier. The
final 2 rounds of matches will be played in October. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (8)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated. Only Solomon Islands of the 10 never beens remains in the
competition. The other past finalist, Australia, took a 7-0 lead in
the first match of its playoff with the Solomon Islands to determine
Jim Riley
through 4 September 2005, following matches played in all 6
the Uzbekistan-Bahrain playoff and has rescheduled both matches of the
series for October.
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan remain in the competition. FIFA
has cancelled the result of the first match of the 2-legged playoff
between Bahrain and Uzbekistan, as well as the upcoming 2nd match on
the 7th of September. The entire series has been rescheduled for the
8th and 12th of October. The winner of the playoff will play the 4th
Jim Riley
FIFA has 205 members. 66 have previously played in the World Cup
finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany, USSR,
and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 9 have qualified for 2006 (Germany
as host, Argentina and Brazil from Conmebol, Mexico and United States
from Concacaf, and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea from
AFC), 36 remain in qualification, and 21 have been eliminated
(Algeria, Austria, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Jamaica, Kuwait, New
Zealand, Northern Ireland, North Korea, South Africa, UAE, and Wales).
Of the 139 never beens, 1 has qualified, (Ukraine from UEFA), and 14
remain in contention (CAF 4, UEFA 5, Concacaf 2, AFC 2, and Conmebol
1)
If qualification ended today, newcomers Angola, Ghana, and Togo would
join Ukraine for their first final. The Czech Republic and Slovakia
would be in a playoff against another UEFA team for a final berth, and
the winner of the playoff between Bahrain and Uzbekistan will play the
4th place team from Concacaf, which at this point would be Guatemala.
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
qualified (Germany as host), while 5, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Northern Ireland and Wales have been eliminated. 24 teams have never
been to the finals. One, Ukraine has qualified, while 5 of the 23
other never beens remain in the competition. Most teams have 2
matches of group play remaining. If qualification ended now, the
Czech Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams. Belarus and
Lithuania can only qualify via a playoff. The final 2 rounds will be
played in October.
The Czech Republic can secure at least 2nd place with a win or two
draws in its final 2 matches OR a Romanian draw or loss in its final
match.
Slovakia can secure at least 2nd place by winning its final match
against Russia. If the Slovakia-Russia match is a draw, then Slovakia
will likely take 2nd place if they can match Russia's result in their
other match (Slovakia has a 8 goal advantage in the goal differential
category). Slovakia will be eliminated by a loss against Russia.
Bosnia-Herzegovina can gain at least 2nd by winning its final two
matches, and would finish first if Spain were to lose or draw one of
its matches. B-H could gain 2nd with as little as a single point, if
Spain aabd Belgium faltered.
Belarus needs to win its final two matches and hope that Norway and
Slovenia gain no more than a draw in their final two matches to secure
a tie for 2nd place. Belarus would have the head-to-head advantage in
all tie-breakers, with the sole exception of a Slovenia-Belarus tie.
Slovenia could edge ahead of Belarus if Belarus has two 1-goal
victories, Slovenia has a 1-goal loss to Italy and a draw against
Scotland, Norway loses to Moldova, and Slovenia outscores Belarus by 2
goals.
Lithuania can gain 2nd place if it wins its final 2 matches AND Spain
loses both of its matches AND Bosnia-Herzegovina gains no better than
a draw in its final two. This scenario would require San Marino
defeating Spain and drawing Bosnia-Herzegovina, so Lithuania's chances
are slim.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1, qualifed)
Slovakia (2)
Lithuania (5)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (3)
Belarus (5)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, two, Mexico and United States have
qualified, while 1 other, Costa Rica has gained at least an
inter-confederation playoff. Past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 2 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the
competition. The final two rounds are in October.
Guatemala would gain direct qualification by winning both of its final
matches AND Costa Rica draw or lose to the United States. If Costa
Rica were to win against the United States, Guatemala would be the
playoff team.
Guatemala has the advantage in a tie-breaker with Trinidad&Tobago for
the playoff spot, so that Trinidad&Tobago would have to gain at least
2 more points than Guatemala in the final matches to secure the
playoff against the 5th AFC team.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (5)
Guatemala (4)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 5 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, Kuwait, North Korea, and UAE). 2 of the 35
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan remain in the competition.
Uzbekistan to a 1-0 lead in their 2-legged playoff with Bahrain for
the right to play the 4th place team from Concacaf. The 2nd match in
the series will be played in Bahrain on the 7th of September. The
number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Uzbekistan (playoff)
Bahrain (playoff)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. 9 have been finalists, The
one remaining never been, Venezuela remains in the competition. With
2 matches remaining in group play, Venezuela is in 8th place, and can
at best gain the playoff spot. The top 4 qualify directly, and the
5th place team plays a qualifier against an OFC representative.
Argentina and Brazil have qualified, while Bolivia has been
eliminated. Venezuela and Peru can at best gain the qualifier. The
final 2 rounds of matches will be played in October. The number in
parentheses represents their current qualifying group standing [2].
Venezuela (8)
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries, including newest FIFA member New
Caledonia. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New Zealand has been
eliminated, and Australia has secured a playoff against the 5th place
team from South America. All 10 never beens have been eliminated.
Jim Riley
FIFA has 207 members, with Comoros and East Timor joining after
qualification for 2006 began. 66 have previously played in the World
Cup finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany,
USSR, and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 19 have qualified for 2006
(Germany as host; Croatia, England, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, and
Portugal from UEFA; Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Paraguay from
Conmebol; Costa Rica, Mexico, and United States from Concacaf; Tunisia
from CAF; and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea from AFC), 17
remain in qualification, and 30 have been eliminated (Algeria,
Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, China, Congo
DR, Cuba, Egypt, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Jamaica,
Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, North Korea,
Peru, Scotland, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, UAE, and Wales). Of
the 139 never beens, 5 have qualified, (Ukraine from UEFA, and Angola,
Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo from CAF), and 7 remain in contention
(UEFA 3, Concacaf 2, and AFC 2)
Newcomers Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Ukraine have
qualified for Germany 2006. If qualification ended today, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia would be in a playoff against another UEFA team
for a finals berth, while the winner of the playoff between Bahrain
and Uzbekistan would play the 4th place team from Concacaf, which at
this point would be Trinidad & Tobago.
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
3 played during the 1930s, and 44 first competed in 1950 or later.
These 44 novices represent 15% of the 285 total finalists since 1950.
If this form holds, we should expect 5 newcomers in 2006, the same as
in 1998 and 2002. At this point, 5 have qualified, one more is
assured from the AFC-Concacaf playoff, and 3 UEFA teams remanin in
contention.
Africa (CAF) - 52 countries. Qualification has finished. Of the 9
former finalists, only one, Tunisia, qualified for Germany 2006. 4 of
the 43 never beens also qualified, Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and
Togo.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Ghana (1, qualified)
Côte d'Ivoire (1, qualified)
Angola (1, qualified)
Togo (1, qualified)
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and 7 have
qualified (Germany as host, plus Croatia, England, Italy, Netherlands,
Poland, and Portugal), while 8, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Northern Ireland, Scotland, Slovenia, and Wales have been eliminated.
Of the remaining 13 past finalists, Sweden has clinched at least a
playoff berth, while Norway will be a playoff team). 24 teams have
never been to the finals. One, Ukraine has qualified, while 3 of the
23 other never beens remain in the competition. The final matches
will be played on Wednesday. If qualification ended now, the Czech
Republic and Slovakia would be playoff teams.
The Czech Republic needs a win at Finland to finish second. The
Czechs will most likely will face a playoff, but would qualify
directly if they can make up a 10 goal difference relative to Sweden.
Slovakia needs a win or a draw in their final match against Russia to
finish second and secure a playoff berth.
Bosnia-Herzegovina can gain at least a playoff spot by beating Serbia
& Montenegro in Belgrade. BiH would finish first if San Marino were
to draw or beat Spain. And if San Marino beats Spain by 6 or more,
BiH could reach the playoff with a draw.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (2)
Ukraine (1, qualifed)
Slovakia (2)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (3)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, three, Costa Rica, Mexico and
United States have qualified, while past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. 2 of the
26 never beens, Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago remain in the hunt for
the playoff spot against AFC. The final match of the round robin is
Wednesday.
Guatemala needs a victory at home over Costa Rica, while Trinidad &
Tobago does not win against Mexico, in order to gain the playoff.
Otherwise T&T will advance.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (4)
Guatemala (5)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 5 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, Kuwait, North Korea, and UAE). 2 of the 35
never beens, Bahrain and Uzbekistan, remain in the competition.
Bahrain takes the home field advantage into the second match of their
playoff with Uzbekistan, after the two teams drew 1-1 in Tashkent. The
winner of the 2nd match on Wednesday will play the 4th place team from
Concacaf.
Uzbekistan (playoff)
Bahrain (playoff)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. Of the 9 past finalists,
four, Argentina, Brazi, Ecuador, and Paraguay have qualified for
Germany 2006, while two, Bolivia and Peru, have been eliminated. The
remaining three, Uruguay, Colombia, and Chile remain in contention for
5th place and the playoff series with OFC representative Australia.
The one never been, Venezuela has been eliminated. The final matches
are Wednesday.
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist
Jim Riley
<anthu_001@No€SPaM€_hotmail.com> wrote:
>Quoting Jim Riley in rec.sport.soccer:
>
>>The Czech Republic needs a win at Finland to finish second. The
>>Czechs will most likely will face a playoff, but would qualify
>>directly if they can make up a 10 goal difference relative to Sweden.
>
>...but first they need to make up the 3 /points/ difference...
You are correct, a draw by Sweden and a 11-goal win by the Czech Republic
would not have been enough.
--
Jim Riley
Jim Riley
27 teams have qualifed for Germany 2006, including 22 past finalists, and 5
newcomers. The final 5 berths will be decided in November playoffs
involving 6 veterans and 4 teams seeking their first trip to the finals.
The playoff between Bahrain and Trinidad & Tobago ensures at least 6 new
teams will make the final 32 next year, with a possiblity of two more from
UEFA.
FIFA has 207 members, with Comoros and East Timor joining after
qualification for 2006 began. 66 have previously played in the World
Cup finals (as have Czechoslovakia, Dutch East Indies, East Germany,
USSR, and Yugoslavia) [1]. Of the 66, 22 have qualified for 2006
(Germany as host; Croatia, England, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Serbia & Montenegro, and Sweden from UEFA; Argentina, Brazil,
Ecuador, and Paraguay from Conmebol; Costa Rica, Mexico, and United States
from Concacaf; Tunisia from CAF; and Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South
Korea from AFC), 6 remain in qualification, and 38 have been eliminated
(Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canada, Chile,
China, Colombia, Congo DR, Cuba, Denmark, Egypt, El Salvador, Greece,
Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Kuwait, Morocco,
New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, North Korea, Peru, Romania, Russia,
Scotland, Senegal, Slovenia, South Africa, UAE, and Wales). Of the 139
never beens, 5 have qualified, (Ukraine from UEFA, and Angola, Côte
d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo from CAF), and 4 remain in contention (Czech
Republic and Slovakia from UEFA, Trinidad & Tobago from Concacaf, and
Bahrain from AFC)
Of the 71 finalists, 27 competed in their first World Cup final in the
3 played during the 1930s, and 44 first competed in 1950 or later.
These 44 novices represent 15% of the 285 total finalists since 1950.
If this form holds, we should expect 5 newcomers in 2006, the same as
in 1998 and 2002. At this point, 5 have qualified, one more is
assured from the AFC-Concacaf playoff, and 2 UEFA teams will be in
playoffs.
Europe (UEFA) 52 countries. 28 have been finalists, and 10 have
qualified (Germany as host, plus Croatia, England, France, Italy,
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia & Montenegro, and Sweden), while 14,
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel,
Northern Ireland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovenia, and Wales have been
eliminated. The remaining 4, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey, will
be in a playoff in November. 24 teams have never been to the finals. One,
Ukraine, has qualified, while 2 others, Czech Republic and Slovakia will
join the 4 veterans in the playoffs.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Czech Republic (2, playoff)
Ukraine (1, qualified)
Slovakia (2, playoff)
North America, Central America, and Caribbean (Concacaf) - 35
countries. 9 have been finalists, three, Costa Rica, Mexico and
United States have qualified, while past finalists Canada, Cuba, El
Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Jamaica have been eliminated. Of the 26
never beens, Trinidad & Tobago has finished 4th to qualify for a playoff
against AFC representative Bahrain.
The number in parentheses represents their current qualifying group
standing [2].
Trinidad & Tobago (4, playoff)
Asia (AFC) - 44 countries. 9 have been finalists. 4 have qualified
for 2006 (Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea), 5 have been
eliminated (China, Iraq, Kuwait, North Korea, and UAE). Alone among the 35
never beens, Bahrain will face Concacaf representative and fellow newcomer,
Trinidad & Tobago in a playoff in November.
Bahrain (3, playoff winner, playoff)
South America (Conmebol) - 10 countries. Of the 9 past finalists,
four, Argentina, Brazi, Ecuador, and Paraguay have qualified for Germany
2006, while four, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, have been eliminated.
The 9th team Uruguay finished 5th earning them a playoff with Oceania
representative Australia. The one never been, Venezuela, finished 8th.
Oceania (OFC) - 12 countries. 2 have been finalists. Past finalist New
Zealand has been eliminated, and Australia has secured a playoff against
the 5th place team from South America, Uruguay. All 10 never beens have