Friday, December 3, 2010

World Cup 2010 Blog: “No Rest For The Curious: Looking Ahead To World Cup 2026” plus 2 more

World Cup 2010 Blog: “No Rest For The Curious: Looking Ahead To World Cup 2026” plus 2 more

Link to International Football News - World Cup Blog

No Rest For The Curious: Looking Ahead To World Cup 2026

Posted: 03 Dec 2010 06:00 AM PST

2026Who in the flippin' fluff cares about 2018 & 2022 anymore?

This is sort of like getting a new toy: the joy is in the anticipation, but once the toy arrives, within 48 hours it's tossed into the once-desired toy graveyard.

So while Russia and Qatar spend the next few years deflecting criticism over the progress of their World Cups – there's no honeymoon period here – we'll be busy fumbling around for the next (next, next…next) big thing: 2026.

First off, I haven't the slightest when the 2026 bid is happening. Roughly 7 years before the bid based on previous timelines, so you can say anything you'd like right now and not reap the consequences until 2019 (the way life should be).

That said, this subject came up based on one simple question: will the US bid in 2026?

And upon consideration…well, they'd have to, right? Asia and Europe, two federations with massive clout, are both eliminated as continents which will be hosting, and Brazil will have held 2014, you'd think giving a greater chance to a non-South American bid.

China was one of the major contenders, but that’s now completely off the board thanks to Qatar’s 1.6 million people to their 1.3 billion. Little dudes (with big bankrolls) can fight.

Off the top of the old noggin, some options:

US –They want another World Cup, period. Plus maybe Eric Wynalda will finally shut up.
Colombia – They were the only other country to bid for 2014 with Brazil before pulling out, '86 (when they were forced to hand the WC to Mexico due to finances) must still burn, while FIFA's made mention they should bid again.
Morocco – They were supposed to be the first African World Cup, but lost out to South Africa. Whether they want to or not is another question.
Australia – They feel like an inevitability one of these years, for no other reason than I say so. They can probably skirt around the "Asian federation" rules by mailing FIFA a map.
Egypt – Because one of these years, they'd like to play in a World Cup again.
Trinidad & Tobago – Somewhere ridiculous is bound to be on the list…and then win it. (See: Warner, Jack.)
Democratic Republic of the Congo – If we learned anything from the recent votes, FIFA loves it some legacy building. Where better to plant a flag?
Canada – Don’t snicker; Steve Nash needs something to do once he retires.

What has to be considered is that Uruguay-Argentina has already been proposed and formally bid for 2030 for obvious reasons: 100 years of World Cup returning home with a helping hand from the land next door. You’d have to imagine that one’s been earmarked within the organization, to be passed down to Sepp’s successor (should he ever die) along with the keys to a diamond vault somewhere deep in the bowels of Zurich. This feels like South America can be taken off the board, leaving just Africa, North America and Oceania New Zealand.

Of course there’s an easy answer to all of this: FIFA will change the rules yet again, leaving the world guessing and England rebuffed once again.

And maybe it's time to get out of the house and breathe for a couple…or seven…years.

World Cups 2018 & 2022 Voting Breakdown

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 10:16 AM PST

Qatar-World-Cup-Bid-1

The bid nonsurprise today was that there was a mild surprise – Qatar – which poked its way through to World Cup glory. Russia was always one of the likely candidates, but everyone had thought the United States and their safe bid would conquer the day.

Not so, and legacy building was apparently more important to FIFA than a bit of a cash guarantee.

These are the breakdowns for voting on the bids, via the Guardian.

Two major, major surprises from the tallies:

i. England never had a prayer, some of which may be sour grapes due to the BBC documentary unleashed on suspecting FIFA members just Monday. Betherlands 2018 was the odds on favorite to be the first bid down, and they doubled the English votes.

Apparently England’s major tournament overconfidence applies to the bid process as well.

ii. Very few, I think, gave South Korea much of a chance of anything, much less trumping Japan’s bid from the technological future, and this was further hampered by the recent kerfuffle with the north, as a few games were due to be played in North Korea were they to have won the bid.

But then it appears FIFA would love nothing more to play peace broker – well, one thing more: make its mark on the Arab world.

And one last thing: was Putin’s decision to no-show in Zurich in protest of England’s treatment of the bid committee an absolute masterstroke? Might’ve been. You’d think it to be horribly transparent, but these are public figures who love nothing more than a pat on the back and friends in high places, genuine or not…

The Votes

2018:

First round: England 2, Holland/Belgium 4, Spain/Portugal 7 votes, Russia 9 votes

Second round: Holland/Belgium 2, Spain/Portugal 7, Russia 13

Russia win

2022:

First round: Australia 1, Japan 3, USA 3, South Korea 4, Qatar 11 (Australia eliminated)

Second round: Japan 2 votes, Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 10 votes and USA 5 votes (Japan eliminated)

Third round: Korea Republic 5 votes, Qatar 11 votes, USA 6 votes (Korea Republic eliminated)

Fourth round: Qatar 14 votes and USA 8 votes (Qatar obtained an absolute majority)

Qatar win

Russia’s 2018 Bid & Stadiums Video

Posted: 02 Dec 2010 08:17 AM PST

Russia2018

The Qatar bid video made the rounds on the internet like some celebrity sex video, but Russia’s bid video fell well below the radar, mostly because their bid wasn’t rooted in some far-off fantasy world.

Just watching it now, because, if you haven’t heard, they just got the World Cup, it’s a surprisingly good proposal and a nice video. And proof that to sell stuff, you don’t need Morgan Freeman.

Entire markets just crashed upon this revelation.

Also worth noting we now have to sets of Olympics piggybacking World Cups, or vice-versa: Brazil/Rio and Sochi/Russia.
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