The road to the FIFA World Cup 2006 begins next January

[François]

from Concacaf.com


For CONCACAF, the road to the FIFA World Cup 2006 begins next January

30.9.03 - The long, winding road to the FIFA World Cup Finals of Germany 2006 will begin for the 34 CONCACAF entries in a little less than four months time, based on the final format proposal submitted to FIFA.
The first games will be played on the weekend of 17-18 January 2004, with the last ones scheduled for 12 and 16 November 2005; almost two years of intense competition to see who will represent the Confederation in Germany.

The dates used for the extensive qualifying schedule include those set aside in the FIFA International Calendar as well as dates reserved for Confederation and FIFA competitions.

All CONCACAF countries will enter the qualifying competition at the same, first, stage, instead of the more successful teams from previous events being "seeded" into later rounds.

The 34 teams will be divided into ten groups of three and two groups of two, to play home and away to produce 12 qualifiers, the group winners, for the second, semi-final stage. The first stage will be completed by the weekend of 19-20 June in order for the semi-final round to begin on 18 August and end on 17 November 2004.

At the semi-final stage, the twelve qualifiers will be divided into three groups of four, with the top two from each group moving on to the final qualifying stage. The final group of six qualifiers will play, home and away, from 9 February 2005 until 12 October 2005 at which point the three certain CONCACAF qualifiers will be known.

The fourth place team will then face a play-off in mid-November 2005 for a chance to make it four CONCACAF World Cup Finalists for the first time in history.

2006 FIFA World Cup Qualifying Dates for CONCACAF
2004
Saturday/Sunday, 17-18 January, Preliminary Round – Date 1
Wednesday, 21 January, Preliminary Round – Date 2
Wednesday, 18 February, Preliminary Round – Date 3
Wednesday, 31 March, Preliminary Round – Date 4
Saturday/Sunday, 12-13 June, Preliminary Round – Date 5
Saturday/Sunday, 19-20 June, Preliminary Round – Date 6

Wednesday, 18 August, Semi-Final Round – Game 1
Saturday/Sunday, 4-5 September, Semi-Final Round – Game 2
Wednesday, 8 September, Semi-Final Round – Game 3
Saturday/Sunday, 9-10 October, Semi-Final Round – Game 4
Wednesday, 13 October, Semi-Final Round – Game 5
Wednesday, 17 November, Semi-Final Round – Game 6

2005
Wednesday, 9 February, Final Round – Game 1
Saturday/Sunday, 26-27 March, Final Round – Game 2
Wednesday, 30 March, Final Round – Game 3
Saturday/Sunday, 4-5 June, Final Round – Game 4
Wednesday, 8 June, Final Round – Game 5
Wednesday, 17 August, Final Round – Game 6
Saturday/Sunday, 3-4 September, Final Round – Game 7
Wednesday, 7 September, Final Round – Game 8
Saturday/Sunday, 8-9 October, Final Round – Game 9
Wednesday, 12 October, Final Round – Game 10
Saturday, 12 November, Fourth-Place Team Playoff – First-leg
Wednesday, 16 November, Fourth-Place Team Playoff – Second-leg

[Bxl Boy]

When Canada begins to play ?

And which one of those games could we see in Montreal ?

[Daniel]

Canada should start on the first gameday, like everyone else.

A home game in Montréal? Probably the one in June if we'll see one in the first round.

[Bxl Boy]

TORONTO (CP) -- The World Cup soccer focus is on Canada's women right now, but the men will open their qualifying campaign in mid-January.
CONCACAF, the governing body of soccer for North and Central America and the Caribbean, announced Tuesday that 34 teams in the confederation will take the first steps on the road to Germany 2006 on the weekend of Jan. 17-18.
That's a month earlier than Canadian officials expected, leaving little time for a team currently without a permanent coach to sort itself out.
Qualifying won't end until November 2005, with Canada and 33 other countries vying for three automatic berths to the finals. A fourth CONCACAF team will advance to a playoff to make the 32-country World Cup field.
Unlike past years, there are no byes this time. That means powerhouses likes Mexico and the U.S., ranked fifth and 11th respectively in the world, could be rubbing shoulders with such holiday destination countries as No. 181 Bermuda, No. 195 Aruba and No. 203 Turks and Caicos Islands.
The Canadian men won't know who they're up against in the first round until FIFA holds its qualifying draw on Dec. 5 in Germany.
The Canadian Soccer Association hopes to have a new coach in place by then. San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop is probably the front-runner although acting coach Colin Miller will also be given serious consideration to replace Holger Osieck.
In holding the draw, FIFA will no doubt ensure that the top countries will be separated in the first round so they won't bump heads too soon.
For France '98, Canada entered CONCACAF qualifying at the semifinal stage. The Canadians made it to the final round, only to finish last with a 1-6-3 record. Coach Bob Lenarduzzi resigned as a result.
For 2002 in Japan and South Korea, the Canadian men had to enter qualifying at a lower level, forced to beat Cuba in a home-and-away playoff before joining the semifinal round. Canada failed to advance to the final stage of qualifying in the region, ousted under the hot sun at a cricket ground in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.
Miller, who played 61 times for Canada between 1983 and 1997, says he hopes to add another friendly to the Oct. 11 exhibition game in Finland to get the men's team ready for the first qualifying hurdle.
"They take on added importance now, he said Tuesday of the upcoming friendlies. "Because we've got to get as strong a squad together as we can and move on from past experiences."
Miller is unfazed by CONCACAF's decision to have everyone join qualifying at the same time.
"We've dropped so far down the rankings that we've made our bed and we've got to lay in it," he said. "We've got to build from whichever games we're given.
"It doesn't make it easier, that's for sure."
Canada is ranked 79th in the world and ninth in CONCACAF.
The CONCACAF schedule means Canada would play either 18 or 20 games if it made it all the way to the final stage of qualifying.
Miller knows that getting players for that many games will be difficult, even if some of those dates are reserved for internationals. But he says that has always been the case. He recalls playing 16 games in one qualifying campaign for Canada, missing that many club games in Scotland as a result.
The 34 teams will be divided into 10 groups of three and two groups of two. Teams will play home and away matches within the group, with the 12 group winners advancing to the semifinal stages.
Match days for the first round in 2004 are Jan. 17-18 and 21, Feb. 18, March 31 and June 12-13 and 19-20.
The 12 semifinalists will be divided into three groups of four, with play starting Aug. 18. After home and away games within the group, the top two from each pool will move on to the final stage of qualifying.
Semifinals match days are Aug. 18, Sept. 4-5 and 8, Oct. 9-10 and 13, and Nov. 17.
Six teams will advance to the final round of CONCACAF qualifying in 2005, a slate of home and away matches to be played between Feb. 9 and Oct. 12.
The fourth-place team will go to a playoff Nov. 12 and 16. Three other confederations also hold half-places, meaning teams from Asia, South America and Oceania will join the CONCACAF fourth-place finisher in the fight for two berths in the finals.

[Daniel]

The Canadian Soccer Association said Wednesday that the national men's side won't start World Cup qualifying until February 2004. CONCACAF's schedule for qualifying announced Tuesday includes Jan. 17-18 and Jan. 21 but the CSA says Canada will skip those dates and open Feb. 18. The Canadian men will find out how they play at FIFA's qualifying draw on Dec. 5. Should Canada play the February game at home, it will be in Victoria.

[Y]

Would it be legal to play, say, at McGill ?

Should be lots of fun - especially against the likes of Honduras, El Salvador, etc.

[Daniel]

Of course it is, the new surface is FIFA-approved, which means open for internationals and official competition, as long as there are no other markings on the field.

I also read that the Big O might be installing a new surface prior to the CFL Eastern Final.

[Y]

I meant playing during winter...?

[Daniel]

I don't think FIFA has any reglementation towards cold temperatures.

But the question would more likely be: how many people would show up for an outdoor soccer game in February???

[Y]

Maybe this is the answer to how to get a pro-canadian crowd anywhere in the country - LOL...