The Soccer Thread (IV)

Mexico's had two in the past 40 years, and it's probably one of the least safe countries in the world right now.

Australia, maybe, in 2022? Qatar, frankly, wouldn't shock me.

 

Qatar, for sure. Indonesia, perhaps? They don't play good soccer at the national level, but they're trying to sell the idea of a Green World Cup and that might help. Plus it gets them back in Asia, where they've only been the one time.

Australia has the infrastructure, but, and maybe this is just me, I can't imagine them going to two English-speaking countries back-to-back. It's also why, among other reasons, the Spain/Portugal joint bid would stand a better chance in 2022, unless England, Russia or Belgium/Netherlands scores it in 2018.

 

2018 will be held in Europe for sure.

 

Can they play there in June?

 

Is the instability going to be a factor there too, though, I wonder? And I can't imagine FIFA wanting to give an automatic place to Indonesia. Qatar aren't great either, but they're not awful, and if they get a World Cup, the side is sure to improve. Trooper, what does anyone in Indonesia think about their chances of getting a Cup?

Other than the first few, has there ever been a World Cup hosted by a nation that's never qualified? (Though that gives me an idea: FIFA could say, 'we'll only give you an automatic place for your World Cup if you manage to qualify for one on your own'.)

You may have a point with English-speaking countries, but in fact, there have only been two World Cups in history in English-speaking countries. England and the USA. England and Australia back-to-back may be tricky, though, you're right.

I know I'm biased, but it's just really difficult to see it going anywhere but England in 2018. It'll have been 52 years, and the stadia are simply unmatched anywhere in the world.

 

Probably not.

On that topic, I've seen more than one Web posting today that has mentioned the 'heat' as a reason for sub-standard play in various matches. It was, at most, 75 degrees here today. Damn pansy-ass English.

 

Australia is too remote, China and Russia are the most likely first time hosts. Spain and England will host again.

 

I don't think Australia's too remote. They had an Olympics there. English teams play there all the time in rugby and cricket. The time difference is annoying, but it was annoying in Korea/Japan as well.

China's not bidding for 2018/2022, so it'll be a while there.

Really surprised Japan and South Korea are making bids again. It'll have been 16 years, guys. There's just no way. Japan's also relies on getting the Olympics for 2016, because otherwise they don't have a stadium big enough for the final.

Oh, and a bit of Wiki browsing reveals that Indonesia have been to a World Cup, in 1938 as the Dutch East Indies.

 

For those who claim soccer is low-scoring, by the way (and I know that's no one here), scores from the second division of the local Wessex League. This is level 10 on the pyramid:

AFC Aldermaston 0-9 Fawley
Whitchurch United 14-1 Shaftesbury

 

Ayup. Three successive World Cups away from Europe (and all the votes contained within) is a complete non-starter.

England is the most likely destination, especially if FIFA sticks with its stated aversion to joint bids. The English bid will also have another showcase stadium already in place, too, provided the government doesn't shrink it after the 2012 Olympics.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure why FIFA says it doesn't want joint bids, then allows them anyway. Spain in particular doesn't make a whole lot of sense. You'd figure they could manage it on their own.

The thing with England is there's likely to be another two or three top-class stadiums by the time a World Cup rolls around. Portsmouth have been threatening to build one that could host World Cup games, but, well, we've been over that already.

They'll know by 2012 whether they've got the World Cup, so that would inform whatever decision is made about the Olympic Stadium. But you've gotta figure that any bid in which Old Trafford is the third-biggest stadium has to be in with a chance.

 

Qatar is pretty stable compared to some of its neighbors. Read up on its bid here:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=664089&cc=4716

It's a pretty ambitious concept, to be sure, one likely contingent on the world not weaning itself off of oil (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) and AFC President Mohammad Bin Hammam retaining enough clout within Asia and FIFA. Considering he came within two spoiled ballots of losing his place on the FIFA Executive Committee earlier this year, that's pretty doubtful.

You guys might be thinking a bit too deeply into FIFA's motives. It doesn't matter if you're remote or your lingua franca happens to be English. What matters is whether your World Cup will generate tons and tons of filthy lucre. As long as that hurdle remains, I would not count out the possibility of a World Cup in the US.

As for Indonesia: YGFBKM. The whole act of bidding for the World Cup in the first place was a political ploy by Nurdin Halid and an attempt to distract people from the rampant corruption and utter incompetence within the Indonesian FA. I've seen and heard plenty of stories, but suffice to say, the people who rail against Gulati, Blazer and Soccer House don't know how good they have it.

What little chance there was of this happening went out the door thanks to the hotel bombings and the country's inability to organize and run its own league, let alone the sport's grandest event. This bid would require billions of dollars in a country where the majority of the population lives on a few dollars a day, players go months without getting paid and government money always seems to find its way everywhere but the intended project. Hell, Jakarta hasn't even been able get its shit together long enough to approve a light rail system and get some of these 8 million people off the damn roads -- and the plans have been in place for more than a decade!

The best Indonesia can hope for, I think, is for Australia to win the 2022 bid and have a nice, short flight to watch some games in person.