By Joffa - 1 Mar 2014 12:23 AM
World Cup should let in some losers
Alan Black
Updated 10:56 pm, Thursday, February 27, 2014
What of the nations that never get to go to the World Cup party? Left outside the ropes of FIFA's gala, this year's breeze being held on the beaches of Brazil. Soccer's top nations rollick in the surf, riding their golden brands and products. The forlorn and forgotten countries look on - if only we were worthy.
Many nations suck at football, others try hard and occasionally score a goal but it's never enough. Those left out can only chew on historical beefs and become jerky. When England plays Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Brazil this summer, the Scots (not at the World Cup) will give up haggis for spaghetti, wear the colors of a South American nation and scream Gooool! when Costa Rica scores.
Other unqualified countries will get rude. North Koreans will boo Rio-bound South Koreans, if they can tap a signal on the rabbit ears of their Stalinist TV sets. The Chinese will mock Japan hoping they sink quickly in the first round. In Europe, the stay-at-home Serbs will laugh out loud if Croatia is buried under a dune of Brazilian goals in the opening game. Expect more excluded Europeans to sneer and giggle when everyone's favorite German word, schadenfreude, is applied to the shock result of the tournament - U.S. 3, Germany 1.
Sour grapes make for bad taste. FIFA should squash the bitter and leave open a couple of spots for perennial losers. Imagine a World Cup with San Marino or Liechtenstein, European soccer's whipping boys. Or from the South Pacific, the sad song of American Samoa, known as the worst team in the world and the subject of a new movie, "Next Goal Wins," to be released in April. The Samoans took a 31-0 defeat in a World Cup qualifier in 2001.
Sure, the one-sided score lines would be ridiculous. We might see Brazil 22, Djibouti 0 but no critic could then say the World Cup was short on goals. And goal differential can be decisive in first round play. Imagine France must beat Luxembourg by 12 goals to advance yet the Luxembourgers hold out by losing 11-0, like brave defenders on the barricades of resistance. A whole new paradox of defeat could be written by soccer hacks: Luxembourg destroys French hope.
So, what of the underdog? Soccer's elites muzzled the small bark by planting their big money kennel over the sport years ago. The World Cup increasingly looks like the same bunch of countries playing for glory every four years. There's talk about expanding the number of qualifying teams but that's not what's needed here. Just let a couple of inept wags play to remind the planet that power should not be the only criteria on the invite to the party. Soccer is the game of the poor result. FIFA, be inclusive and let the unfortunates in on the fun.
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/World-Cup-should-let-in-some-losers-5275112.php?
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By Benjamin - 4 Apr 2014 12:22 PM
Having randomly selected 'loser' nations included reduces the meaning of qualification. I'm 100% against that.
With regard to expanding the 'joy' of competing at the World Cup to more nations I've suggested this idea in the past...
Rather than have play-offs on a continental, home and away basis - why not take all the play-off sides from around the world to a central location and play a 10 day long qualification tournament. That way the players, the supporters, and the host cities, get to be a part of the world cup without detracting from the world cup itself.
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