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Stepping backwards Region set for confusing World Cup qualifying campaign
Posted: Friday December 10, 1999 06:43 PM
TOKYO -- The loneliest place at the Tokyo International Forum after the 2002 World Cup qualifying draw on Tuesday night? Easy. It was the CONCACAF podium at the mixed zone. The mixed zone is an area where journalists -- electronic and written -- enter at their own risk as they traditionally wrestle, grapple, push, pull and position themselves to get some words of wisdom from soccer players, coaches, administrators, etc. and etc. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth risking life and limb trying to get some innocuous quotes, but it is part of the job. On Tuesday night, it didn't appear a wrestling match was on the card or in the cards as a handful of U.S. media, including yours truly and Soccer America managing editor Paul Kennedy, waited as patiently as we could for the powers that be from our neck of the woods. A funny thing happened at the forum. No one showed afterwards. We were hoping for CONCACAF president Jack Warner to attempt to explain CONCACAF's complicated qualifying process. Perhaps he himself was so confused by his Rube Goldberg-type process that he was still trying to figure it out. Or perhaps he was embarrassed to talk it about with the media. We can only speculate. Just take a good look at CONCACAF's muddled situation. With all 35 countries from the confederation in the competition, CONCACAF has devised a confounding method in which three survivors will get an opportunity to play in either South Korea or Japan in 2 1/2 years time. Before then, teams have to jump through several hoops, including one scenario in which Caribbean and Central American teams get a second life after losing an earlier series. In fact, this process is so long and protracted that one or two Caribbean teams could wind up playing as many as 22 qualifying matches if it reaches the final round. The U.S., which is aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive World Cup berth, will have to wait until the fall to start its qualifying run -- after the Major League Soccer season -- due to the lengthy and complicated qualifying process, which probably will begin as early as March 1. How convoluted is CONCACAF's qualifying tournament it? Even FIFA secretary general Michel Zen-Ruffinen, made fun of it. "Just sit back, relax," he told the crowd and millions worldwide watching on TV. "Just look at this as a geography lesson for some of the most attractive Nations... I am aware you might not know what's going on, but I have a rough idea." Let's take it from the top. And take notes, I'm giving a quiz at the end of this column. Twenty-four Caribbean teams will play 12 home-and-home series in the opening round. The 12 winners will play six home-and-home series in the second round, with the six winners facing off in the third round. Are you still with us? Meanwhile, six Central American countries were placed in two groups of three with the group winners advancing to the semifinal round. But now, five lucky losers' fates will be resurrected in the fourth round, as the three losing sides from the Caribbean third round, along with two runners-up from the Central American group and Canada will play for the right to reach the semifinal round. The top three teams will advance. Got all this? Well, I'm not finished. The eight survivors will reach the semifinal round. There, they will be placed in three groups with seeded Mexico, Jamaica and the U.S., and unseeded Costa Rica. The top two teams in each group will reach the six-team final round -- which probably will start in March 2001 -- where the three best finishers qualify for the World Cup. It's that simple. Still, no one was there to explain it or comment on it. Because the podium wasn't being used, I stepped onto the stage to survey the other areas. Keith Cooper, FIFA's director of communications, came over with a smile and asked if I was waiting to be interviewed. I told him I was trying to get to higher ground to see if any U.S. Soccer or CONCACAF people were hiding somewhere in the crowded room. But U.S. Soccer's three-man contingent -- president Dr. Bob Contiguglia, general secretary Hank Steinbrecher and chief operating officer Thomas King who attended the draw -- were nowhere to be found. But I did see England coach Kevin Keegan talking to his media. Ditto for Italian coach Dino Zoff, German coach Eric Ribbeck, Scotland coach Craig Brown and Japan coach Philippe Troussier. Still, no one. The podium eventually put to good use -- by a player and coach -- with ties to a pair of countries in the confederation. Former Mexican international and Real Madrid star Hugo Sanchez, who also played with the Dallas Burn of MLS, was forthcoming when he talked about his country's aspirations about reaching South Korea and Japan. "In Mexico, we have a problem," he said. "We are in one place where football is not too hard. There are many teams, but no hard teams... I would like to play in Europe or South America because Mexico maybe go up [in quality]. But Mexico stays in CONCACAF, where we are the teachers of the other teams. Now, the distance [in quality] between Mexico and Canada and the United States is not so long. That's not good for us. We need a teacher and we don't have teachers near us." "We need some Mexican players to play in Europe or in South America because it is better for a Mexican national team player to play outside the country." Ironically, Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard wound up using the CONCACAF area for his interviews -- in English, no less -- as he talked about his team's chances. Rijkaard was born in Surinam, one of the CONCACAF countries. As one of the presenters, he picked that country out of one of the bowls during the draw; Surinam will play St. Lucia in the opening round. Rijkaard, who eventually emigrated to the Netherlands, where he found fame and fortune first with Ajax, Real Zaragoza in Spain and with AC Milan in Italy, spoke about his national team's chances. "I was looking to avoid teams like England and Italy, and I think the draw for the Netherlands is OK," he said. "Nevertheless, we can say that we have some strong opponents in our group like Portugal and Ireland. So, I think it's an attractive pool for us to play in. "I'm always with confidence because the Dutch side -- we always try to play our game and to give our best." Out of the corner of my eye, I still searched for Steinbrecher, Contiguglia, King, anyone. But to no avail. After an hour of waiting and disappointment, I finally relented and gave up. No Warner, no U.S. representative in a sport that needs all the positive publicity it can get in the United States. Four years ago at the 1998 qualifying draw in Paris, Steinbrecher and several other U.S. and CONCACAF officials were more than happy to talk to the media. I can't begin to fathom the reasons for the no-show. Did anyone say "taking a step backward"? In the news business, there is a saying: "I don't care what you say about me as long as you spell my name right." Heck, we never had an opportunity to talk to these men behind the names. In today's world of super-hype and where style keeps getting the upper hand over substance, that's the worst of all possible scenarios, even worse than CONCACAF'S confounding World Cup qualifying process.
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