My profile:
NEW YORK -- With the 1998 World Cup pool increased from 24 teams to 32, the world soccer federation is having to grapple with demands from all six of its member confederations for extra places in the finals.
Europe, for example, has demanded 15 places, plus host France, an automatic qualifier. That would mean 16 European teams, or half the field. The argument is that Europe is where the best soccer is played, as evidenced by the fact that seven of the eight World Cup '94 quarterfinalists were European. Europe had 13 teams in World Cup '94.
South America, too, which had four teams this year, is asking for greater representation, suggesting that each of the five major confederations (ignoring Oceania) be given one additional place. Africa and Asia, meanwhile, are demanding not one, but two additional berths each in the finals. Africa cu rrently has three, Asia two.
The soccer federation is expected to announce its decision Thursday.
Chances are, Europe will be given three additional places; Asia, Africa, South America and CONCACAF (the North and Central American and Caribbean region) will each get one, and the eighth will be up for grabs.
n
The English Football League said it will not penalize Manchester United for fielding an under-strength team in two League Cup games earlier this season, accepting manager Alex Ferguson's explanation that the demands of his team's Premier League and Champions League schedule led him to bench most of his usual starters in League Cup wins against Port Vale on Sept. 21 and Oct. 5.
The league also said Monday it would recommend that teams playing in European competitions receive an automatic bye to the third round of the League Cup starting next season to lessen the schedule load. (LAT, AP)
Continents Angle for Slots In Expanded '98 World Cup
26 October 1994
|
|
Tweet |
|
This article has no comments. Be the first to leave a comment |
Discussion
Comments
To post comments you must be registered
Comments via Facebook
Most Read
1.
McFaul and State Department Respond to Attack
The U.S. ambassador and the U.S. State Department said they were surprised by blistering criticism from the Foreign Ministry regarding comments McFaul made to students last week.
2.
Google Honors Faberge Egg Maker With Homepage Doodle
The creator of the intricately jeweled Faberge eggs was honored by Google on its homepage Wednesday, the 166th anniversary of the famed jeweler's birthday.
3.
Opposition Fund Reveals Sponsors
Opposition leader Alexei Navalny has revealed the list of sponsors contributing to his Anti-Corruption Fund, which is poised to gather even more donations with the "Navalny credit card" that is in the works.
4.
Video Inspires Anti-Putin Twitter Trend
An anti-Putin message on Twitter started trending worldwide after opposition activists posted a hashtag inspired by a pre-revolutionary Azerbaijani musical tradition.
5.
Putin's Final Act
Russians are usually patient and slow to rebel, but once they have turned on their leader, they don't stop until he is out.
6.
U.S.-Russian 3-Year Multientry Visa Bill to Go to Duma
After months of delays, the government has finalized a much-touted visa agreement with the United States and drafted the corresponding bill.
7.
Duma Committee Lowers Fines for Protest Violations
A State Duma committee has introduced changes that would drastically cut the maximum fines in a proposed bill boosting the penalties for illegal rallies.
8.
Anand Wins Chess World Title
World chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India has retained his title, beating Israeli challenger Boris Gelfand 2.5-1.5 in a rapid tiebreaker round of four games Wednesday.
9.
Russia Raps Syria Envoy Expulsions
Russia criticized Western nations on Wednesday for expelling Syrian envoys, calling the move "counterproductive," and warned them not to seek new UN Security Council action for the time being on the crisis in the Middle Eastern state.
10.
Regions Hope Foreign Tourists Float in Their Direction
Regional officials have plans to lure foreign tourists from the Moscow-St. Petersburg route by developing water tourism, particularly cruise tours on the Volga River.
1.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
2.
McFaul Faces Kremlin Scorn Once Again
The Foreign Ministry assailed U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul for comments the ministry said went "far beyond the bounds of diplomatic etiquette."
3.
Red Square Flyboy Regrets Air Stunt
When Mathias Rust landed his white Cessna on Red Square on May 28, 1987, he had placed all his hopes for world peace in Mikhail Gorbachev.
4.
Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
5.
Protest and Chaos Seen in Kudrin-Ordered Study
Continued protests in Russia will likely lead to violence or chaotic change, according to a new study ordered by the former finance minister.
6.
Ukraine in Uproar Over Status of Russian Language
Ukraine's ruling party has triggered violent protests with a move to upgrade the official role of Russian, a sensitive issue opponents say will split the country.
7.
150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies
About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
8.
Tensions Rise as Opposition Leaders are Freed
Sergei Udaltsov and Alexei Navalny emerged from prison Thursday, while a dramatic standoff erupted at a State Duma hearing over a bill that would hike fines for illegal demonstrations.
9.
More Public Figures Accused of Flouting Road Rules
Following the president's order to cut the number of officials entitled to use flashing lights to skirt through traffic, several incidents of alleged abuse involving high-profile figures have come to light.
10.
TNK-BP Head Quits as Shareholder Crisis Flares
Billionaire Mikhail Fridman resigned Monday as chief executive of TNK-BP, plunging the country's No. 3 oil firm deeper into crisis and challenging co-owner BP's grip on the business.
1.
Hundreds of Arrests Set Grim Backdrop for Victory Day Celebrations
As Moscow gears up to celebrate its victory in World War II, 67 years ago Wednesday, the shadow of political conflict shrouds the capital as hundreds of arrests cloud Victory Day festivities.
2.
Russian Satellite Takes Highest-Ever Resolution Picture of Earth
A stunning 121-megapixel snapshot of the Earth was taken by a Russian weather satellite in what is thought to be the highest resolution picture of the planet ever taken from space.
3.
Bodies, No Survivors Spotted at Superjet Crash
Search and rescue helicopters and volunteers struggling through thick forest and mountainous terrain spotted bodies but no survivors on the Indonesian mountainside where a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed by the time darkness forced an end to the search Thursday night.
4.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
5.
Mysterious Photos Reveal an Unseen WWII
After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp.
6.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
7.
Vladivostok Bridge Climbers Fined 300 Rubles Each
Three thrill-seekers who climbed two Vladivostok bridges earlier this week and took photos from the top were fined 300 rubles ($10) each for trespassing.
8.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
9.
Superjet Missing in Indonesia With 50 on Board
A dark cloud was cast Wednesday on the revival of Russia’s aviation industry when a Sukhoi-built Superjet 100 with 50 people on board disappeared from the radar screens of Indonesian flight controllers.
10.
Why Putin's Days Are Numbered
On Monday, Vladimir Putin will take the presidential oath of office for the third time. After 12 years in power, Putin has increased his control over the country's major institutions, the siloviki and state bureaucracy.
