World cup expansion thoughts

Cast your minds back to the aftermath of the infamous Thierry Henry handball in 2009. In among the uproar was a daft suggestion from Football Association of Ireland (FAI) CEO John Delaney that Ireland should be allowed into the following year's world cup as team 33. Disgraced FIFA president Sepp Blatter openly mocked the claims and well Delaney was well compensated with €5 million sush money.

However this week, some seven years later, FIFA have gone and expanded the world cup. It's not thirty-three teams but forty-eight and the expansion won't come in until 2026. Now my thoughts were that the current thirty-two team format was working fine and there wasn't any pressing need to fiddle with the format. My gripe was that the allocation could be a bit more representative of a world cup. However thirty-two is a nice round figure with the group stage of four team groups.

My first thought of the forty-eight team format was this is a mess. Firstly three team groups open up a situation where two sides can play out the final group game in a draw to eliminate the third team. If the rumours of group draws being settled by penalty shootouts are true well then that adds a further mess. It will not lead to more exciting games as teams will settle for the lottery of the shootout.

It's argued that it reduces the number of dead rubbers which in some degree is true but football being football you won't have a tournament without dead rubbers. You will have boring groups and competitive groups. An expansion to sixty-four, the next round figure for the tournament was never considered which was the only expansion needed to maintain the four team group format.

The big positive to this sixteen team expansion is seeing potentially new teams qualifying. Now the allocation wasn't discussed by FIFA but I'm assuming it'll be Africa, Asia and North America who will get more qualifying berths. Perhaps Oceania might get a guaranteed berth. South America can't really expect more given they are a ten nation confederation and I'd be against Europe getting anything more than two or three places in the expansion. They have a decent amount already.

All this leads to how the qualifying stage will be redone. With more places possibly going to Africa, Asia and North America their traditional qualifying formats will need to be altered. That will probably mean the end of the hexagonal in North America and Asia's final stage of two groups of five. If Oceania is given a guaranteed spot that changes their system slightly but it is very much remain to be seen territory as the confederation has never had a guaranteed spot. Europe will be unchanged even with an extra few qualifying berths and South America assuming no places are given in the expansion keep their qualifying format, which is the most exciting in my opinion.

It's hard to escape the fact that there wasn't much wrong with the current format. A rejig in confederation allocations but nothing drastic. Despite the potential new teams on show which I stress is my only favourite part of the expansion the format is a mess. Sixty-four might have been too big a jump but it is the next number up from thirty-two that goes perfectly. The revenues which is the real reason for expansion will be significant for FIFA and so I'll end this post with a prediction, we'll have that sixty-four team format after two world cups of forty-eight.

The devalued FA Cup

The valuation of the FA cup took yet another beating this past weekend with scratch teams and TV games being the bone of contention. The oldest cup competition in the world as has been said repeatedly when talking about it saw teams from the top two divisions enter this season's event this past weekend and being honest, some shouldn't have bothered.

So we'll start with the scratch teams. Bournemouth were away at Millwall, a club in anguish which is an entire post in itself. One would've thought the premier league side would have this tie in the bag. Manager Eddie Howe then made eleven changes to the team that capitulated against Arsenal. These changes didn't work as Millwall brushed them aside 3-0. Why the wholesale changes? Bournemouth will be clear of relegation but probably won't have enough to get Europe. Why not give the fans a cup run to enjoy for the rest of the season?. It beggars belief that a side such as Bournemouth would throw away a potential cup run for the sake of finishing one or two places higher in the league. Had I made the trip those Bournemouth fans made and see the manager blatantly disregard the game I would be incredibly disappointed.

Liverpool made many changes too but did have the excuse of a first leg cup semi-final this Wednesday. However Jürgen Klopp's team couldn't break down League two Plymouth so Klopp's team faces a replay down in Devon. Even Cardiff City made changes with manager Neil Warnock going with five for their game against Fulham. However with twenty-two league games left he felt the need to sacrifice the cup for their battle to stay in the second tier. So even this mentality is sinking to championship sides.

Unfortunately for the cup it wasn't just the teams devaluing it, the TV companies had already made their intentions clear weeks in advance. The third round saw non-league side Sutton United face neighbours AFC Wimbledon, their first third round appearance since the 1980s and seventh tier Stourbridge making their third round debut. However TV companies including the national broadcaster, where viewing figures are not a prerogative, overlooked the non-league side's biggest games of the season in favour of an all premier league tie and ties where the premier league side was at home. All of which were no contests or drab affairs, really showcasing the cup in a bad light.

Going back to Cardiff, their game was moved to the ludicrous kick-off time of 11:30am which fans quite rightly vented fury over. Just over five thousand turned up to see Cardiff surrender a potential cup run to Fulham, whose fans had to make costly arrangements due to TV selecting an absurd kick-off time.

This isn't a new phenomenon. There are a myriad of causes for the devaluation of the cup with many pointing to the Manchester United withdrawal in 2000, with FA blessing, as the moment it lost value. The increasing wealth in the premier league has led to sides prioritising finishing one or two places higher than having runs in the FA cup, league cup and Europa league. As seen last weekend even championship sides are starting to throw away the cup for the sake of a couple of places in the league standing.

Calls for revamping the cup such as offering a champions league place for the winner are being made so the premier league sides will take it seriously. While it does sound good in theory, the Europa league had that exact 'revamp' and still hasn't done much to the English view. Do we start offering champions league places to the league cup as well in vain hope premier league sides take it seriously? If these sides are not interested in cup competitions, save us all the hassle and just don't bother entering.

Thrills and spills in the highlands

Victoria park
Source: JOD photography

It was the only option left. Edinburgh had become London price wise for four days. Hogmanay being a massive attraction and drive in the price hike. I scampered around for a place to stay for those four nights around new year's. Newcastle, Glasgow, Aberdeen, even remote areas like Fort William, nothing. It came down to Dundee or Inverness for affordable accommodation. I chose Inverness. After all that was sorted I was dealt a blow with Inverness Caledonian Thistle not having a home game. However as luck would have it, they were away just over the road in Dingwall, home of their Highland rivals Ross County.

So a highland derby? This needed to be done. Tickets were available and it was off to Dingwall we went on new year's eve. My first premiership game and it was a derby, brilliant. A chilly day in Dingwall with Inverness washed out it was probably a typical highland derby setting. Caley Thistle under Irishman Richie Foran were bottom, Ross County with a former Limerick striker (Curran) and Cliftonville star (Boyce) were sixth.

Derby setting
Source: JOD photography

After getting into Victoria park early to take in the build up the game kicked off at three on the dot. However it was nearly over after two minutes for myself and my friend. A smoke bomb was let off and my innocent friend got the blame from the investigating steward. Thankfully common sense prevailed and we were allowed to stay but missed Boyce giving County the lead.
The game was County's as they forced Fon Williams into a few key saves before Caley hit the back of the net with Carl Tremarco's diving header causing a roar from the opposite end of the ground. Caley didn't quite fill the away stand but were in good voice until Boyce's deflected cross/shot gave County the lead again.

Half-time arrived and with it darkness. Daylight not sticking around for the second half. A half with more drama. Foran made a double change near the hour mark and well, within minutes County hit them with a sucker punch. Martin Woods slotting past Fon Williams in the box. 3-1 and Caley looked shaken.

Ross County v Inverness CT
Source: JOD photography

They did try to rescue the game with County keeper Fox making a couple of stops. With Boyce having a stormer he remained a threat on the counter. Ten minutes remaining and a Caley lifeline, Fox could only parry a shot from outside the box and substitute Alex Fisher was quickest to pounce. 3-2 and a grand stand finish in store. Urged forward by Foran, Caley just couldn't force the ball home and referee Robert Madden sounded his whistle on the derby, County being the highland top dogs going into 2017.

After the game a surprisingly lax segregation saw Caley and County fans exchange pleasantries. "Going down, going down" being one with Caley fans wanting to get out and hope the winter break is put to good use. A few did want to show County fans they had a bit of fight left after what was a deflating result.

First highland derby and it was eventful to say the least. The next clash isn't till March by which time, given how congested the bottom of the table is, things will be different. Foran and Caley had better hope so.

Egypt - Africa's great mystery

For me one of Africa's great footballing mysteries involves Egypt. Not the club game, which has been home to the giants of the African game Al-Ahly, but the national team. The national team has certainly provided success down the years be it winning African titles or supplying decent players who have gone on to forge decent careers in Europe. As mentioned the domestic game has been home to multiple champions league winners Al-Ahly while their great rivals Zamalek reached this year's final losing out to Mamelodi Sundowns.

The great mystery for me is how this nation has not had more world cup appearances. To date Egypt has only two world cup qualifications (1934 and 1990) with no win registered, although they did manage to cling onto a draw with Ireland in 1990. Most nations will have lulls in fortunes with periods in the footballing doldrums but Egypt really do defy this. They have been African champions a record seven times which includes the dominant era of 2006-2010 where they won the African title three times running. Yet they failed to qualify for either of the world cups in 2006 or 2010. How can such a power consistently fail to qualify for the world's showpiece event?

I'm sure Egyptian fans won't want reminding that Togo and Angola have had more recent appearances in the world cup. It's not like Egypt have lacked the talent. The likes of Mido, Amr Zaki, Hossam Ghaly and Ahmed Hassan had been part of those failed world cup attempts.

However after failing to capitalise upon that dominance the team did plunder into the doldrums. They weren't even qualifying for the African nations cup. In fact, up until this campaign they hadn't qualified since their 2010 title victory. They make their return next month in Gabon but looking slightly ahead they are also on the right path to their third world cup.
Granted it's only two games into the final stage but Egypt lead their group containing Ghana, Congo and Uganda. The group winner qualifies for Russia and Egypt have two wins from two.
These days Egypt can call upon the sheer pace of Roma's Mohammed Salah, the industry of Hull City's El-Mohamedy and Arsenal's holder in midfield El-Neny. Koka at Braga is a decent striker to have as well. Best of all though is having a Trezeguet to call upon, always useful even if it's not David.

November's home win over Ghana has got fans believing that the world cup absences will be ended soon. The return game will be huge and being the final game in the group it's shaping up to be the biggest fixture in years for the nation, in a world cup sense.

In fact the last big world cup fixture was the tie-breaking play-off for the 2010 edition. A dramatic 2-0 win over Algeria meant both countries ended the group with identical records in points and head-to-head. The play-off in Sudan saw Algeria edge through 1-0 to condemn Egypt to more hurt, despite being the three-in-a-row continental champions.

So Russia 2018, will Egypt be there? It will be worth tuning into this to see if Africa's great mystery can be solved.

The utterly dominant TNS

In Scotland, Celtic have been the subject of "can they go the season unbeaten" questions with the title secured. The Celts are, at the time of writing, fourteen points clear with two games in hand on arch-rivals Rangers. They have won all, bar a last minute slip up in Inverness, their league games but this doesn't actually make them the most dominant team in their domestic league in Europe.

We are going to Wales, well the Welsh league but the team in question are actually based in Oswestry, England. TNS, The New Saints to give them their full name are well, well clear in the league. They are twenty-one points clear of distant second placed Connah's Quay having won EVERY league game this season. That's nineteen wins to date with no slip up at all. They stand to become the earliest league champions in Wales ever. Such is their lead, they could lose seven on the bounce and still be top, thanks to the healthy goal difference built up.

TNS will be lifting their sixth successive league title in the new year giving them another shot at the champions league qualifiers. Their last defeat in all competitions was away at APOEL Nicosia back in July. They are chasing a European record held by Ajax which is twenty-six consecutive league wins. TNS have twenty-five ahead of their game against Cefn Druids on St Stephen's day.

The dominance has bought the 'how can it be good for the league' questions. In truth it can't. There is dominance then there is this where no one is even taking points off TNS. Some of this can be down to the fact that TNS are the only full-time professional club in the league. Training full-time does make a massive difference. However TNS are also getting players in that the rest simply can't afford.
Their 3-0 win over third-tier Scottish side Livingston showed how far they have come in recent years. Their annual champions league campaigns bring in fortunes that dwarf what the Welsh Europa league entrants get. So you have TNS maintaining a dominance that won't be broken unless they go down the road of the previous dominant force in Wales, Barry Town, which was financial implosion chasing progress in Europe.

On a European scale no team has gone a league season with a 100% win record. Can they do it?. No matter how dominant it would be some feat, no question. I've jinked them now with this post, haven't I.

On the subject of records, they also stand to break the largest league winning margin. Already standing at twenty-one points clear the record, which I blogged about earlier this year, is the twenty-nine point margin Celtic won by in the SPL in 2013-14.

Club world cup thoughts

Last Sunday morning (December 18th) the club world cup final was held in Yokohama, Japan. Real Madrid faced Japanese champions Kashima Antlers and while it ended in an all too predictable outcome the J-league side made the Spanish giants work for the trophy.

However this competition should be in theory at least the biggest club game in the world. The chance to be called world champions. The viewpoint of this competition is varied to say the least. It's viewed as an inconvenience in Europe while in South America it's the ultimate prize. For Africa, Asia, North America and most of all Oceania its a reward to be in the same tournament as their more illustrious European and South American opponents.

Personally I do like the idea this tournament tries to portray however it is not entirely fair that the European and South American teams get byes to the semi finals. And yes I know they are the two biggest footballing continents.

Only Europe and South America have ever won this tournament which when you look at it more isn't that surprising. They are the two biggest footballing continents and the two with the biggest tradition. Prior to the expansion of this tournament in 2005, (there was a trial in 2000) it was only ever a single match between the champions of the two big continents so to include the four other champions has been a welcome change.

The big problem for this tournament is trying to change the views from Europe. The final last Sunday wasn't even that well advertised and the game not on tv.
The viewpoint of the tournament is that it's too predictable. Europe will almost always win because they have the concentration of all the best players in the world leaving the rest well behind. The South American sides would be more competitive if their continental winning sides weren't broken up after the success. This year Atletico National had lost a chunk of their Libertadores winning side, River Plate before that and so on. A potential improvement from Asian sides could help this tournament. Given the cash Chinese sides are splashing maybe they will be more competitive. Although it remains to be seen as last year Guangzhou Evergrande were comprehensively beaten by Barcelona. That after splashing a pretty decent sum already.

Another aspect that needs changing is the host country. It seems like its always been Japan, (even the one off games before expansion were in Japan) but only Morocco and the UAE have only hosted it as well. Spread it around more. Brazil, Australia, Mexico etc open it up.

I will also tackle new FIFA president Gianni Infantino's proposal to expand this tournament even further. I've read articles suggesting thirty-two teams in the summer, another including Europa league and copa Sudamericana winners and well, I don't necessarily agree with expanding this any further. If expansion is insisted upon I'd go with maybe including the defending champions to bring it up to a nice figure of eight teams and go open draw from there.  I like the way this tournament brings together the six continental champions plus a host country champion and go for the title.

The timing of this tournament I understand is hindered by the fact that the different champions leagues end at different stages in the year but it's current slot doesn't do it much good, just before the Christmas break. Although if it was better received it would be as gooda time with no clashes with current season champions league games.

Basement battle

Saturday November 19th was the first football game I attended since the decision to up root and leave Ireland. Being Edinburgh based the game was a no brainer, it was Edinburgh City v Cowdenbeath. Sure why wouldn't you?.

A few months ago I blogged about my first ever game in Scotland while on a short trip which was seeing Hibernian dismantle Greenock Morton 4-0 at Easter Road. For this I decided to give the other club a shot. Edinburgh City are newly promoted to the Scottish football league this season having seen off East Stirling in a play-off match last May. The step up has so far proven to be a challenge but in the past few weeks City have seemingly turned a corner and had some decent results. One such result was putting League 2 leaders Forfar Athletic out of the cup which set up a tie with East Fife this coming weekend.

Their opponents in this game were Cowdenbeath a side in a free-fall. They went into this game two places above City at the bottom of League Two and to give an idea of their free-falling nature, they were in the championship two seasons ago. Two successive relegations and an awful start to this season have them residing well off any promotion picture and it all set up a fixture that few would've thought could happen not so long ago. While Cowdenbeath were in the championship, getting thumped 10-0 by another Edinburgh team in Hearts, city were winning the Lowland league (part of the 5th tier) with ease. Quite a turn around in two seasons.

City play their home games at the Meadowbank stadium down the road from Hibernian's Easter road. It does feature a pet hate of mine with a running track but the main and well only stand adds an element of charm.

Conditions wise it was bitter. A 3pm Saturday kick-off with a low sun soon gave way to a bitterly cold and crisp evening. Cowdenbeath bought a sizeable number of the 352 total attendance and were in good spirits surprisingly. They didn't have far to travel being based north of the forth.
The visitors started disastrously giving up two glorious chances for City. Had City a striker in form then they would've been two or three up in the first half. Cowdenbeath's keeper, David McGum keeping his side in the game. Cowdenbeath got back into the game with some bursts forward, one of which was foiled by the impressive Joe Mbu, whose sliding challenge on one of the attacks was as brilliant a challenge as you will see. Just before half-time Cowdenbeath struck with Kris Renton given the freedom of the city to nod home.

Half-time cups of tea were needed to brace the bitterness and the second half began with Cowdenbeath asserting some control on the game, hitting the bar later in the half before a sitter was spurned. The challenges were flying in however from both sides, not much pulling out. Eventually city did rescue a point when Dougie Gair pounced on a loose ball in the box to shoot low into the net. That came after an Ouzy See header flashed narrowly wide of McGum's post. The points were shared which wasn't enough to elevate City off the bottom but does keep them within reach of the sides above them . It keeps Cowdenbeath in among the cluster of sides that reside in the lower half of the division.