Re: Fifa's new ranking

by Motogp69 Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:08 am

FalcaoPunch wrote:Just compare the competition in Concacaf,it's a joke.
It would be a huge shocker if USA or Mexico don't get to the world cup considering the teams they have to face to get there.

This is such an ignorant comment. As a supporter of a CONMEBOL member in Columbia you should know that the reason we qualify isn't the teams we're playing but the process of qualification itself. Can you think of an easier qualifying process than the HEX? The process is essentially rigged so that FIFA can cash in on the millions/billions of dollars coming from the United States and Mexico. All the more reason to wonder how Mexico is bottling it this bad right now.

In terms of the teams themselves, I would gather no one would look forward to playing away to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama or Honduras. If you did, then you obviously don't know the ins and outs of the CONCACAF region and all the intricacies involved besides just the teams themselves.

I think the real issue everyone has with the United States being ranked so high is that individually we are not in the top 20 in terms of individual talent, but as a unit 13th is about right for the United States as a collective unit.

Also doesn't hurt this is the deepest squad we've had in a very long time, and we still have plenty of depth not even getting a whiff of the first team right now. My only issue is that a decade later we are still weak in the same positions: wingback and forward.

by FalcaoPunch Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:23 am

I'm glad that US is ranked where they are, if anything it's a sign of improvement over time.

Much need improvement to help the sport move forward in this country.

My rant is more centered around the competition that is concacaf. Not Mexico or United States as a team.

I'm saying the quality of NT in concacaf is laughable if I'm to be honest. So it makes sense that US and Mexico should qualify everytime (putting aside the revenue to be gained)

by Motogp69 Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:58 am

FalcaoPunch wrote:I'm glad that US is ranked where they are, if anything it's a sign of improvement over time.

Much need improvement to help the sport move forward in this country.

My rant is more centered around the competition that is concacaf. Not Mexico or United States as a team.

I'm saying the quality of NT in concacaf is laughable if I'm to be honest. So it makes sense that US and Mexico should qualify everytime (putting aside the revenue to be gained)

That's the part I don't agree with. I think the qualifying process is laughable, however the quality of competition has come a long way. There are not many teams in the world that would do well playing away to Costa Rica, Panama, or Honduras.

Ranking (Previous Ranking)
13) United States (19)
21) Mexico (20)
33) Costa Rica (42)
35) Panama (40)
40) Honduras (43)

Oddly, Honduras has the lowest ranking out of those three, but I think they have the potential to do the most damage should they perform more consistently.

However, I understand the hate coming from a supporter of a team in CONMEBOL since your confederation easily has the hardest World Cup qualifying process.

by McLewis Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:05 am

lszanto wrote:
McLewis wrote:USA jump 6 spots to 13th...that's about right honestly.
USA shouldn't be in the top 20. Maybe 30 if they're lucky.

Are they really better than teams like Serbia and Czech Republic who are both 30+? Like others have said the group they are in for qualifiers distorts the rankings.

You're having a laugh, ser.

The competition within CONCACAF doesn't dictate how good teams like USA and Mexico are. These teams generally do quite well outside of CONCACAF as we've seen in recent comps so I do not understand why there is this persistent refusal to accept that the USA is a top 20 team now. We've been in this group more of the recent years than outside of it. Why do you think that is? It can't all be because our direct regional competition is shit. That's definitely not the only reason.

by BarrileteCosmico Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:58 pm

Correct me if I'm wrong but the FIFA rankings are used to seed the groups in the WC, right?

So if things stand as they do now Belgium and Colombia could be top seeds Shocked

Edit: I looked into this and the FIFA rankings matter for the top 7 seeds excluding Brazil, and the rest of the teams are seeded by geography. So right now the top seeded group would be Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Belgium and Uruguay, assuming all these teams make the WC. And the other 3 teams will be a European group, an African + SA group and NA + Asia + Oceania group.

by Ion Creanga Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:31 pm

BarrileteCosmico wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong but the FIFA rankings are used to seed the groups in the WC, right?

So if things stand as they do now Belgium and Colombia could be top seeds

Edit: I looked into this and the FIFA rankings matter for the top 7 seeds excluding Brazil, and the rest of the teams are seeded by geography. So right now the top seeded group would be Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Colombia, Belgium and Uruguay, assuming all these teams make the WC. And the other 3 teams will be a European group, an African + SA group and NA + Asia + Oceania group.

Add spain to top seed..

So, there's no pot 2,3,4 based on rankings? Sounds fair to me, since most of the points were made in the geographical zone that the NT belongs, and it's more easy to make points in Asia for example than Europe qualigiers.. Also, it's more easy for big teams to get out of the group since they'll meet an Asian, Oceanian etc that doesn't have good enough teams to challenge

by sportsczy Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:33 pm

33) Costa Rica (42)
35) Panama (40)
40) Honduras (43)

drunken

I mean seriously. First off, how are these teams even ranked in the top 50... who have the played and beaten that anyone would know? Laughing

And how pathetic that they're the next best teams after the US and Mexico Laughing

Second, FIFA gives you almost the same number of points for beating Cambodia than getting a draw against Spain.

I like the US National team... but their ranking is absolutely laughable. If i had to compare them to a team in Europe, it would be Sweden except they don't even have Ibra Laughing

Other than Bradley, who is decent, and the keeper... what US player would even play for a decent European side. Sunderland is not a decent European side btw Laughing

by Ion Creanga Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:42 pm

sportsczy read what BC wrote..
Fifa rankings matter only for pot 1 teams , than the next 3 pots will be in no order:
-European group
- Africa+South America
-North America+Asia+Oceania
This is what i learned from BC post... So the rankings don't matter that much

by inter1lachen Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:49 pm

I am an American, but I have to agree that there is no way we are no. 20. There may be 20 better national teams just in UEFA. There are even a few better teams than the USA in UEFA that might not qualify for the World Cup.

by sportsczy Fri Sep 13, 2013 4:56 pm

The do for the playoffs in Europe. The top 4 second place teams are the seeds and they're the top 4 highest FIFA ranked teams... then you have a lottery to see who plays those 4 teams.

Sweden does not have as good results as France in Euro 2012 qualifying, Euro 2012 or WCQ... yet they're ranked ahead of France. Why? Here are the friendlies by team since Euro 2012

Sweden
China, England, South Korea, Finland, Argentina, Macedonia, Norway

France
Japan, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Brazil, Belgium

So Sweden jumped France because they played an extra friendly and won more of their friendly games against lesser opponents.

To me, the influence of friendlies on the FIFA rankings is insane.

The USA and Mexico rankings mean little to me unless they affect something... but the overall manner in which FIFA ranks teams is laughable. I just used the USA example to illustrate yet another travesty of this system.

by BarrileteCosmico Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:02 pm

FIFA rankings weigh friendlies the least amount of points (I think the ratio of WC game points to friendly game points is 4:1). Without them Brazil would have no points since 2011.

by Ion Creanga Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:13 pm

sportsczy wrote:The do for the playoffs in Europe. The top 4 second place teams are the seeds and they're the top 4 highest FIFA ranked teams... then you have a lottery to see who plays those 4 teams.

Sweden does not have as good results as France in Euro 2012 qualifying, Euro 2012 or WCQ... yet they're ranked ahead of France. Why? Here are the friendlies by team since Euro 2012

Sweden
China, England, South Korea, Finland, Argentina, Macedonia, Norway

France
Japan, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Brazil, Belgium

So Sweden jumped France because they played an extra friendly and won more of their friendly games against lesser opponents.

To me, the influence of friendlies on the FIFA rankings is insane.

The USA and Mexico rankings mean little to me unless they affect something... but the overall manner in which FIFA ranks teams is laughable. I just used the USA example to illustrate yet another travesty of this system.

agree with the friendlies..
so, as things stands, for the play-offs ...
favourites group:France,Croatia,Portugal,Sweden and we'll meet one of
group: Ukraine, Greecce, Turkey/Romania, Bulgary
If Denmark who is 1 point behind bulgary will get 2nd place, here comes the madness... France will jump into the 2nd group and we could see Portugal, Croatia, Sweden vs France in play-offs... lol