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Hexagonal format for CONCACAF World Cup qualifying likely to remain the same

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Photo by ISIphotos.com

United States-Mexico World Cup qualifiers might not be a thing of the past after all.

CONCACAF officials have submitted a World Cup qualifying plan to the region's executive committee that would keep the current hexagonal format intact.

CONCACAF secretary general Chuck Blazer alluded to the possibility last week in the aftermath of the region's bid to secure a fourth automatic spot in the World Cup being rejected.

Had the region received the fourth bid, it's likely that the original plan for qualifying to have two four-team groups with the United States and Mexico not facing each other would have gone forward. Instead, it's looking as if the current format would stay the same, with the top three teams of the final six clinching berths in the World Cup, and the fourth team sent to a playoff.

What do you think about this development? Which four nations would you see making it through the prospective 2013 hexagonal?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. The “minnows” barely exist. The bottom 8 “countries” in the confederation have a combined population of Des Moines, and most are not even independent countries. Are we really trying to develop Turks and Caicos into a competitive soccer outfit? Until we get a combined West Indies team we can probably ignore these “nations” altogether.

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  2. The six-team single-group hexagonal is a much better indication of which 3.5 teams are ready for the WC than that awful two group final format.

    USA
    Mexico
    Costa Rica
    Jamaica

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  3. Mexico doesn’t have a Giggs/Rooney/Nani to feed Chicharito precision perfect passes… they have a bunch of selfish dribblers who can’t pass like gio dos santos

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  4. I saw this photo in a World Cup preview magazine and have looking high and low for it ever since. Finally victory is mine!

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  5. Why people keep saying dos a zero. You don’t see mexicans bragging when they used to beat us 3-0 4-0 back in the early 90s. Our national may be stronger than Mexico right know but there clubs are way superior to ours.

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  6. Agreed, we got 66.6666666% of our teams through the next round. Africa got 20% of their teams through.

    The only way for Africa to get a fair percentage of teams to the second round is to let them have a fifth spot.

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  7. I say they train at altitude but also pump pollution into an indooor practice field. Also just for kicks they could pay some of us to urinate in bags and throw it at them.

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  8. I’m with everyone, he’s such a great finisher, I’m weary he’ll put away some of those chances Mexico always seems to create.

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  9. Not sure I agree. We got 2 of 3 out of the group phase.

    Africa got 1 of their 5. Not sure anyone can argue we don’t deserve a 4th yet give Africa 5.

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  10. Its hard to determine which of the second-tier CONCACAF nations will grab the last two spots.

    I think Costa Rica will rebound and grab the third spot, after that, I’m leaning towards Jamaica to grab the fourth spot. But wouldn’t be surprised if Honduras nips them for the last spot.

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  11. correct me if i am wrong…..but i don’t think the US and Mexico would play in the hex qualifyng until 2013…..the year before Brazil 2014. the past three qualifiers between the two have been in 2001, 2005, 2009.

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  12. It’s never going to happen USA and Mexico game bring high ratings and no tv network is missing out on that. USA vs Grenada who wants to watch that?

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  13. If they train at high altitude, as opposed to training in Miami as they did last year, they have a very good chance to win at Azteca.

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  14. Except CONCACAF now is really a 2-team region, with the occasional 3rd team that might not totally embarrass itself in the finals. You could put a 4th team in there automatically, or you could do what FIFA is doing and force them into a playoff — but don’t expect that 4th team to make waves in Brazil. I think it’s reasonable to say that the 5th African team is probably better than the 4th CONCACAF team. Just because the USA and Mexico are better than Africa’s best doesn’t mean that Africa’s talent doesn’t run deeper.

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  15. I’m having a hard time understand how Africa can keep all 5 of its World Cup spots. The past 2 Cups they’ve only had 1 team make it through to the 2nd round (Ghana). While Concacaf isn’t a powerhouse by any means, they’ve done more in the past 2 Cups than Africa and thought they deserved the 4th spot, taking Africa down to 4.5

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  16. All that talk was to appease FIFA. Now that they screwed us out of the cup and the the confederation’s extra .5 spot, all bets are off.

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  17. It’s not exactly the same. More minnows will be included in the semifinals but the powerhouses will no longer be playing a home and home with a minnow to qualify for the semifinals anymore. US and Mexico (and 4 others I believe) will go straight to semis. A win win in my opinion.

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  18. Just happy that the most competative matchs will still be played. US Vs. Mex in Mexico is one of the most intense pressure matches that either team plays in the run-up to the WC. Great for the development and exerience of the players of both teams.

    Also helps with World Rankings…seeing as the US and Mex are the only CONCACAF teams in the Top 30 of the FIFA rankings. Playing each other twice in the final round.

    Hoping the US can finally win a match in the AZTECA.

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  19. Best news of the week, by far! I hope it goes through this way because the world should not be robbed of the chance to see the only titans of CONCACAF play games that matter.

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  20. I’m surprised they went back to the Hex after all the talk about wanting to help out the little teams. Either they didn’t really care that much about the little guys, or they were banking too much on getting that 4th spot and now there’s no time to come up with another new plan.
    Anyway, US, Mexico, Costa Rica to get the automatics and whoever gets 4th place will only make it if they’re matched up with Asia/Oceania.

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