CONCACAF a fouré bien des gens pour 2006... (anglais)

[Daniel]

My real beef was with CONCACAF structuring the semis group (and that entire round; let's even forget about Haiti and Cuba for a sec) NOTE: upon edit, it's a downright travesty: Canada ended up being seeded as a 3 (in the pots)
- Canada finished as a 3 seed after 2002 WCQ (behind T&T and Mexico, in front of Panama)
- St-Vincent finished as a 4 seed (getting completely crushed)
- Barbados finished as a 4 seed

For 2006, assuming that the seeds get picked up by the preliminary round winners:
- Canada keeps its 3 seed
- St-Vincent keeps its 4 seed
- St-Kitts picks up a 4 seed by defeating Barbados

So, Canada's group ended up being seeds (Hex result in parenthesis): 1(1), 2(4), 3, 3
While T&T's group ended up being by some miracle: 1(2), 2(6), 4, 4
The other group, for the record: 1(3), 2(5), 3, 4

I see this (again, having just realised the seeding travesty) and it is clear that either Canada or Guatemala should have switched with one of the island minnows. I can't even fathom how this came to happen. Anyone care to dig up something from 2004 announcing how the semi groups would be created? Because this has just gotten that much more depressing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_W ... nary_Round
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_W ... nary_Round

Edit2: Apparently, the non-hex teams were unseeded for the 2006 draw.

Which is completely ridiculous when what would be the #4 seed were uncompetitive in 2002, going a combined 1-1-16 6:61 (or 0.22 points per game and an average game score of 0.33-3.39. The last teams were on average 10.33 points from a hex spot.

The #3 seeds went a combined 7-3-8 23:27 (1.83 ponts per game and an average game score of 1.28-1.50). The 3rd teams were on average 3.66 points from a hex spot. Guatemala and Costa Rica went to a playoff for a spot in the hex!

Having thus done the math, it seems CONCACAF only followed their seeding rational halfway. How f ucking horrible.

Edit 3:

If we thought we got screwed, look at Cuba and Haiti: they've played 6 games each in 2000 and 2004 *combined*, never making it to the semis, eliminated by Canada, Costa Rica, Jamaica and T&T in the preliminary round. St Vincent has played 20 games over both cycles, Barbados, 14 and St Kitts, 14 as well. Their combined preliminary opponents to make it to semis have been: Nicaragua x2, Barbados and St Kitts.