"I think an argument can now be made that the knockout stage of the Champions League is a more severe test (than the World Cup finals), with almost all the world's great players playing for top European clubs."
Roy Keane.
On Saturday, I congratulated New Zealand on reaching the World Cup finals for the second time in their history. To qualify, New Zealand played Bahrain, New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu.
On Wednesday night, France and Portugal could find themselves out of the World Cup finals. Players such as Ronaldo, Henry, Deco, Carvalho and Benzema will miss out. They will join the likes of Ibrahimovic, Rosicky, Berbatov and Vermaelen in not going to South Africa.
What can North Korea and New Zealand bring to the World Cup? Both are unlikey to win a game. The World Cup is a showcase tournament, where the best footballing countries test their skills to see which nation is the best in the world at soccer. Yet, Portugal - who are much better than both North Korea and New Zealand - may not be there.
Other nations that have qualified, such as Australia, qualified by playing in the wrong continental zone. They played teams in Asia, instead of Oceania. Isreal and Khazakhstan play their qualifying matches in the European zone, yet niether country is in Europe! While San Marino and Andorra are not countries.
World Cup qualifiication needs a major overhaul. When the USA played Barbados they beat them 8-0. Why not have the smaller nations play against each other, then let them join the big guns in a second qualification stage? Qualifying groups should be mixed involving countries from all over the world, with proper seeding. With worldwide travel and players from different nationalities plying their trade in every continent, this seems the most logical step forward.
But then FIFA is not a logical organization. After all they have Jack Warner as their Vice President.
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