CONCACAF Argument Is Half-Baked
The world has grown used to -- not to mention tired of -- inane remarks being made by Trinidad and Tobago’s Jack Warner, who through sheer luck or politics is president of CONCACAF and a FIFA vice president.
But when U.S. Coach Bruce Arena makes the same ill-founded claims as Warner, the time has come to set the record straight and prevent the pair from continuing to delude themselves and others.
At issue is whether CONCACAF, soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean region, deserves the extra half-place in the World Cup that FIFA awarded it Tuesday.
According to Warner, the question is not even up for debate. He argues that it should have been a full place.
“When you look at the evidence, it is only right and proper that we should be able to send our best four [teams],” he said before Tuesday’s vote in Madrid, “because who in the world can argue that our best three [at the 2002 World Cup] did not stand up to the best the other confederations have to offer? And who can argue that our best four could not do the same?”
Well, Jack, here’s the argument.
True, the United States reached the quarterfinals at Korea/Japan ‘02, but it was only the width of an Inchon goalpost away from being eliminated in the first round. If that last-minute shot by Portugal’s Sergio Conceicao had been one foot to the right, South Korea would not have saved the Americans’ bacon. And there would have been no appearances with Jay Leno or David Letterman, no magazine covers, no $750,000-a-year coach contracts.
True, Mexico made it to the second round before losing to the U.S., but all that shows is that CONCACAF perhaps deserves two World Cup places, the same number it had before the field was expanded from 24 to 32 in a ploy to help former FIFA president Joao Havelange be reelected.
What did Costa Rica do at the World Cup? Supposedly, it was CONCACAF’s best team, having finished in first place during qualifying. But it went 1-1-1 and was ousted in the first round after being hammered, 5-2, by eventual champion Brazil.
Warner argues that CONCACAF should have been given four World Cup places based on its 2002 performance. But no one heard him argue after France ‘98, when the U.S. finished dead last in the field of 32, that CONCACAF should get fewer places.
It just doesn’t wash. If performance is to be the criteria, then it should not be only the most recent tournament that is considered.
Look at the history of CONCACAF teams in the World Cup. Ten countries have represented the region since the inaugural tournament in 1930. Half of them have not won a single game. Three more have won only five games between them.
It goes without saying that no CONCACAF team has ever won the event.
In fact, the 10 countries’ cumulative record in World Cup play is an abysmal 21-54-17. Hardly figures that support Warner’s claim.
And yet here comes Arena, basking in the glow of a new multimillion-dollar contract and the fawning praise of U.S. Soccer, which might be a lot richer than it used to be but is no smarter.
And what does Arena say at his coronation?
“I think if we [CONCACAF] had gotten a full slot, I would clearly say that we deserve it. I think it is ridiculous that Europe has as many places as they do.”
Oh, really? This is rich, coming from a coach who for four years has ducked European teams at every turn. U.S. Soccer’s publicity machine makes much of the fact that Arena is “the winningest coach in team history” with a four-year record of 34-18-14, a .621 winning percentage.
But if numbers mean so much, then perhaps Arena’s record against European teams should be checked. It is 3-7-1.
Not to rub it in, but Arena has never beaten a European team on European soil, going 0-4 in the pitifully few occasions he has ventured into Europe.
In fact, the U.S. is 32-67-26 all-time against European teams.
Given that sad history, no American, let alone the national coach, should be claiming that it is “ridiculous that Europe has as many places as they do,” especially if the argument is that Europe should give up places to the likes of CONCACAF.
In this neck of the woods, only Mexico and the U.S. have proved on the field that they deserve World Cup berths. Yet Warner thinks it is “right and proper” that the region gets double that many places.
What utter drivel.
Europe and South America each lost a half-place at the World Cup so that CONCACAF and Asia could each gain a half-place. And Oceania gained a full place at the expense of the defending champion, Brazil.
South America, for one, was unimpressed. The influential Argentine daily La Nacion was scathing in its criticism of FIFA.
“It’s more convenient [for FIFA] to embrace the presence of South Korea, China, Japan, Australia, countries with no footballing language but with a very influential commercial impact,” the newspaper said.
Julio Grondona, president of the Argentine Football Assn. and, like Warner, a FIFA vice president, was oddly restrained, but he might have a hidden agenda.
“We have to accept it,” Grondona said. “We can’t be too disappointed. There are more important things in the world than half a place more or less at the World Cup.”
One of those things is the right to stage the 2014 World Cup, which now appears al- most certain to go to South America.
That was the Cup the U.S. wanted, 20 years after the success of 1994.
Meanwhile, if FIFA continues to nibble away at Europe’s places, it won’t be too long before the European Championship becomes a much more competitive and meaningful event than the World Cup. It’s close to being that already.
