World Cup Qualification - Brazil 2014

[cmonurz]

Qualification for the greatest show on Earth kicks-off this week as Montserrat play Belize in the first leg of their preliminary round qualifier in the CONCACAF region. The match will be played in Trinidad, as Montserrat's stadium isn't up to scratch, having been devastated by a volcano eruption in the 90s, before they gained FIFA membership.

AFC

Qualifying starts on 29th June, with first leg games in the preliminary round including Afghanistan hosting Palestine, and the East Timor travelling to Nepal (presumably played at some altitude). The winners progress to a second round of two-legged knock out ties against the highest seeded teams.

CAF

Not yet drawn, Africa gets under way in November, where the 24 lowest seeded teams face a knockout round to determine who goes into the first group stage.

UEFA

53 teams will fight for 13 qualifying spots, the draw is made in Brazil on 30th July, with the first matches not until August 2012, after the European Championships.

CONCACAF

A preliminary round and three group stages, all to decide 4 qualifiers. Starts with Montserrat v Belize as above, the top seeds don't enter until round 3 (being the likes of USA, Mexico, and thanks to their good run last time, Honduras).

CONMEBOL

Brazil qualify automatically as hosts, so there is an 'extra' spot available for a South American side this time out. Of the nine eligible teams, only Venezuela have never reached a finals.

OFC

12 teams enter the preliminary round to determine who gets the right to lose to New Zealand in a couple of year's time, and/or the fifth place finisher in the AFC region.

Let the games begin! Or something.

This thread is a bit early, isn't it.

[TBM]

This thread is a bit early, isn't it.

tbh, i'll be amazed if it lasts 3 years

[cmonurz]

This thread is a bit early, isn't it.

tbh, i'll be amazed if it lasts 3 years

Tbh when I started it I assumed it was all kicking off, but it's just blimmin' Montserrat.

Oh well, if it lasts a few months it'll be alive when it kicks off properly.

[Barry the bird boggler]

So they do Euro groups in July, usually its December isn't it? Guess we've got even more Euro teams to make way for then and therefore more games starting in Easter 2012..... honestly why don't they have some preliminary rounds to get rid of some of the deadwood (like England for example) and reduce the number of pointless games. Oh sorry, forgot, it's money isn't it...

[Wax Jacket]

This thread is a bit early, isn't it.

tbh, i'll be amazed if it lasts 3 years

Tbh when I started it I assumed it was all kicking off, but it's just blimmin' Montserrat.

Oh well, if it lasts a few months it'll be alive when it kicks off properly.

if I know Papereyes like I think, this could be here a long while

[papereyes]

Qualifying starts on 29th June, with first leg games in the preliminary round including Afghanistan hosting Palestine, and the East Timor travelling to Nepal (presumably played at some altitude).

This sentence gives me the absolute raging horn.

[Silver Fox]

UEFA

53 teams will fight for 13 qualifying spots, the draw is made in Brazil on 30th July, with the first matches not until August 2012, after the European Championships.

Why on earth would the draw be made in Brazil? Obviously I can think of one reason but it's not a very good one

[TBM]

UEFA

53 teams will fight for 13 qualifying spots, the draw is made in Brazil on 30th July, with the first matches not until August 2012, after the European Championships.

Why on earth would the draw be made in Brazil? Obviously I can think of one reason but it's not a very good one

Cos the WC is being played in Brazil - so as hosts they will invite all the nations along for a big piss up and then do the draw before having another piss up at the Marina da Gloria harbour.

[Wax Jacket]

I've got to say to SF there

[papereyes]

A preliminary round and three group stages, all to decide 4 qualifiers. Starts with Montserrat v Belize as above, the top seeds don't enter until round 3 (being the likes of USA, Mexico, and thanks to their good run last time, Honduras).

Monserrat - the lowest ranked nation to produce a PL footballer.

[TBM]

I've got to say to SF there

He'll probably say something like cos they are European teams it should be made in Zurich or something

[soggy biscuit]

8)

Qualifying starts on 29th June, with first leg games in the preliminary round including Afghanistan hosting Palestine, and the East Timor travelling to Nepal (presumably played at some altitude).

This sentence gives me the absolute raging horn.

Agreed, I f**cking thove this kind of shizzle!

http://www.goalzz.com comes into it's own during pre qualifying for qualifying type tournaments

[buzzby]

1st result
Montserrat 2 v 5 Belize

[Silver Fox]

UEFA

53 teams will fight for 13 qualifying spots, the draw is made in Brazil on 30th July, with the first matches not until August 2012, after the European Championships.

Why on earth would the draw be made in Brazil? Obviously I can think of one reason but it's not a very good one

Cos the WC is being played in Brazil - so as hosts they will invite all the nations along for a big piss up and then do the draw before having another piss up at the Marina da Gloria harbour.

Well, that was the obvious answer. Are all the other federations doing their draws there at the same time? If so it makes a bit more sense but the OP kinda implied it was just the freeloading pcunters at UEFA who were going on a jolly

[TBM]

I believe all the draws are being made their.........they are the hosts so will host everything to do with the WC

[cmonurz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13830127.stm

Montserrat could find themselves progressing, Belize face expulsion from the World Cup after their FA suspended, government influence.

[T.R.O.L.I.]

The European draw could end up being a massive fest at WaLOLes:

Wales could face a nightmare World Cup qualifying draw because the Faroe Islands seem to have overtaken them.

The 30 July draw in Rio de Janeiro will be based on Fifa's rankings system, calculated by a complex formula.

Wales are tied with the Faroes on 273 points - with one of those teams set to join the likes of Andorra in pot six.

And the Faroe Islands are lobbying Fifa to include decimal points in their calculations - something which would see them leapfrog Wales into pot five.

Full story

Hopefully FIFA will go down the decimal point route as it would be nice for one of the perennial "minnows" to finally make it out of the bottom pot.

[Wax Jacket]

interesting one - if they did it alphabetically in the home language of each country Cymru would take precedence over Føroyar

come on FIFA, we want decimals

[T.R.O.L.I.]

Draw is next Saturday - can't find any confirmation as to decision on the Wales / Faroes issue yet.

[Stranded]

Wikipedia has Wales listed in the bottom pot.