On a 16 team league

Originally Posted by hitmannq8

nah, 16 teams would be unfair to teams from Asia, Africa and Oceania.. its good the way it is IMO

Let's be realistic: the football that really matters is played by europeans and south americans only, the rest is unnecessary...

Originally Posted by GRE-NO-LI

I would love not only a league with only 16 clubs, but also a much more competitive, entertaining frantic World Cup, with only 16 national squads: 8 european countries, 4 from South America, 2 from Africa and 2 from the rest of the planet.

Something like that... I hated to see how Costa Rica qualifies, and then we have Trinidad-n-Tabago. Hey, any team from Europe, inc. East and excluding little Luxemburg, Likhtenschtein (spell?) etc., would just destroy T-n-T.
Greece, Turkey, Slovakia, Russia, any of this team would take care of Costa Rica too.
The WC system is flawed!

Originally Posted by ukrainian_CA

Something like that... I hated to see how Costa Rica qualifies, and then we have Trinidad-n-Tabago. Hey, any team from Europe, inc. East and excluding little Luxemburg etc., would just destroy T-n-T.
Greece, Turkey, Slovakia, Russia, any of this team would take care of Costa Rica too.
The WC system is flawed!

FIFA options and choices are guided by one sole objective: MONEY.

Originally Posted by GRE-NO-LI

Let's be realistic: the football that really matters is played by europeans and south americans only, the rest is unnecessary...

No, I think it has to be 32 teams. Not only because I don't want there to be any exclusion, but so often there is upsets from the small teams, or great players that play for week nations. Sheva would have been unlikely to see a world cup in a 16 team version, same with Eto'o, Drogba, Hleb, etc etc. it would be an occassion reserved for the italians, english, spanish, germans, french and then another small handful of nations jousting for the remaining places. I'd have no chance of ever seeing scotland there again. And Imagine the 94 world cup without roger mila!

[quote=meazza]...Sheva would have been unlikely to see a world cup in a 16 team version, same with Eto'o, Drogba, Hleb, etc etc. it would be an occassion reserved for the italians, english, spanish, germans, french and then another small handful of nations jousting for the remaining places. ...QUOTE]

What do you mean by "Sheva would have been unlikely to see a WC ..."?

Ukraine made it from the top of their group, which included Denmark,
current Euro Champion Greece, and bronze holder of WC Turkey.

Originally Posted by ukrainian_CA

What do you mean by "Sheva would have been unlikely to see a WC ..."?

Ukraine made it from the top of their group, which included Denmark,
current Euro Champion Greece, and bronze holder of WC Turkey.

don't take it word by word. I think he is talking in a general sense. You can see that from the other names he listed.

I personally think 32 is too many, but definitely better than 16. 16 is just too little, and now I feel that many African teams will be able to pull miracles, as they have increasing number of players in Europe and have proved their worth.

Earlier in the nineties, afrincan national teams like Cameroon or Nigeria gave me the impression that sooner one them will win the WC, but now I think was a false hope.

I find these posts (as off topic as you can get) completely xenophobic, and offensive in the extreme.

I shouldnt even lower myself to respond..but I feel obligated.

The single biggest outpouring of national pride that I have personally witnessed in Jamaica, was when we made it to the WC in 98.

Everyone, regardless of class, colour, age, or political allegiance, was celebrating..in the streets, with pots and pans, in clubs, bars, on the beaches...we even had a national holiday in celebration of our qualification..(It was the biggest and best celebration I have seen...and we are a country that routinely wins gold medals in the olympics...more per capita than even Brazil).

And you guys have the nerve to want to deny that joy, that pride, that wonderful outpouring of national emotion, to a few countries that almost always qualify anyway?

How dare you!

I find this quite distasteful...and what hurts even more, was that you were serious.

And Trinidad just beat Iceland in the UK in a friendly...any money that they will beat England in the WC? And while Iceland isnt a European superpower...they fielded a side full of premiere league players, or players in the top leagues in other European countries.

Brazil may have won this event more than anyone else...but you also have 365 days of warm weather per year, and the largest population of football playing persons of any country (no stats to back that up, but its almost a no brainer)....indeed...you should win it every year based on those stats.

I cant go any further with this, lest I start using offensive language etc.

32 countries is fine by me...now, lets stick to the topic...a 16 team national league...and the serie A in particular.

Originally Posted by ukrainian_CA

Something like that... I hated to see how Costa Rica qualifies, and then we have Trinidad-n-Tabago. Hey, any team from Europe, inc. East and excluding little Luxemburg, Likhtenschtein (spell?) etc., would just destroy T-n-T.
Greece, Turkey, Slovakia, Russia, any of this team would take care of Costa Rica too.
The WC system is flawed!

The same T&T that beat Iceland? The same Costa Rica that beat world cup qtr finalists Korea, and only lost 3-2 to France?

Gimmie a break.

Originally Posted by Warro Bantan

The same T&T that beat Iceland? The same Costa Rica that beat world cup qtr finalists Korea, and only lost 3-2 to France?

Gimmie a break.

I'll take your bets on T&T v England and Costa Rica vs whatever.
Please let me know what game and how much...

Originally Posted by ukrainian_CA

I'll take your bets on T&T v England and Costa Rica vs whatever.
Please let me know what game and how much...

So do I, for sure!