tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25555967.post4779773027160833797..comments2024-02-09T08:07:26.090-08:00Comments on Dodgy At Best: Altitiude DiscriminationKanuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25555967.post-61355208043141260622007-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:002007-06-01T15:21:00.000-07:00Expanding on this point:The best 4-5 teams from So...Expanding on this point:<BR/><BR/><BR/><I>The best 4-5 teams from South America DO qualify, as Bolivia's record shows, because even though they do much better at home than on the road, they by and large have still always been so shitty that they didn't qualify anyways. The balance of a round robin format over 18 matches with 9 at home and 9 on the road tends to event things out in the end and produce the best 5 teams."</I><BR/><BR/>If the format were like college football bowls or the one-off nature of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, then I would agree with your point about an unfair advantage. But over a true round robin format I believe that the top 5 teams do in fact qualify from South America. {well, 4.5 but you know what I mean}.Kanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25555967.post-54229920959793401852007-06-01T14:55:00.000-07:002007-06-01T14:55:00.000-07:00Respectfully disagree on both points.You are right...Respectfully disagree on both points.<BR/><BR/>You are right that theoretically, in a vacuum, BRA & ARA qualify and that it is the "other little guys". But this situation is not in a theoretical vacuum; in reality it is not the "other little guys" who made a big stink and fomented this- it was the big boys who as you said qill qualify anyways.<BR/><BR/>As far as BOL L& ECU qualifying at the other's expense when they are undeserving, dude- come on:<BR/><BR/>Ecuador did not qualify for a single World Cup between 1962-1998. They have qualified for the last 2 World Cups, and although their results proved that they at least belonged on the world stage with the best teams, they weren't embarrassing like some nations {2002 Saudi Arabia comes to mind}. <BR/><BR/>World Cup 2002<BR/><BR/>Ecuador was placed in group G, alongside Mexico, Italy and Croatia.<BR/><BR/>Italy - Ecuador 2-0<BR/>Ecuador - Mexico 1-2<BR/>Ecuador - Croatia 1-0<BR/><BR/>World Cup 2006<BR/><BR/>Ecuador was placed in group A, alongside Germany, Poland and Costa Rica.<BR/><BR/>Poland 0 - 2 Ecuador<BR/>Ecuador 3 - 0 Costa Rica <BR/>Ecuador 0 - 3 Germany <BR/><BR/>Round of 16:England 1 - 0 Ecuador<BR/><BR/>Bolivia have only qualified once since 1958, so it's a little crazy to say that these two teams are qualifying over superior opponents and intonate that this is a general rule {although I understand that based on their home/away records what you mean}.<BR/><BR/>The best 4-5 teams from South America DO qualify, as Bolivia's record shows, because even though they do much better at home than on the road, they by and large have still always been so shitty that they didn't qualify anyways. The balance of a round robin format over 18 matches with 9 at home and 9 on the road tends to event things out in the end and produce the best 5 teams.<BR/><BR/>At the end of the day, nations cannot be penalized/discriminated against based on the fact that they naturally exist in planet Earth in a particular geographic situation, and every nation has the right to play international matches wherever they damn well please, and ALL nations are free to attempt to maximize their home field advantage in whatever way they see fit, within reason/fair play. I vehemently think that for Bolivia playing at altitude is within reason/fair play, and that simply seems to be where you and I disagree.Kanuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02959256951835399304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25555967.post-60531770035468780582007-06-01T06:16:00.000-07:002007-06-01T06:16:00.000-07:00Here's the problem with your argument: Brazil and ...Here's the problem with your argument: Brazil and Argentina qualify for the World Cup every time, regardless of having to play at altitude. This is not the big guys versus the little guys. Rather, this is the little guys who play their games at sea level versus the little guys who play their home games at 10,000 feet. Ultimately, what we should all want is the best 4-5 teams from South America making the World Cup. Instead, what's happened is that teams like Bolivia and Ecuador have qualified over superior opponents because they win every home game and then scrape out a few points on the road. On a neutral field (such as the fields where the actual World Cup games are played), Ecuador and Bolivia aren't as good as the teams like Uruguay and Chile whom they're beating out because of altitude.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08365733949431139562noreply@blogger.com