World Cup 2018 and 2022: Site Selection

[Keystone Phil]

We're just a week away from the big day. We can use this thread as a general discussion area and to voice our opinions on the process, who we support as hosts, etc.

I'm hoping for Spain and Portugal as hosts for World Cup 2018 for weather and scenic reasons followed by England. I obviously support the U.S. for 2022 but if we can't get it, I want Qatar. I originally supported Australia if we couldn't get it but I'll take the 100°+ heat in Qatar over another Winter World Cup.

As for South Korea, they are now almost certainly out of the running to host because of the crisis. From a Soccer standpoint, I'm thrilled about that (not that they were going to get it anyway).

Most recent news has Qatar getting a boost because Zidane did some ad on their behalf. 

[Keystone Phil]

I like the most exotic places, so I voted for Qatar and South Korea.

You are voting for Qatar? Wow. Zidane's video about accepting the Muslim world must have really worked.

By the way, you didn't follow the instructions. You voted for two candidates trying to host the same tournament (2022). You should have voted for one of them and one of the top four for 2018.

[Keystone Phil]

Isn't alcohol banned in Qatar? I'm sure that would go over well with normal people

They discussed how that might be an issue - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/25/world-cup-2022-qatar-fifa

[Keystone Phil]

Isn't alcohol banned in Qatar? I'm sure that would go over well with normal people

They discussed how that might be an issue - http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/25/world-cup-2022-qatar-fifa

yeah, that's dumb. USA and England guarantee a good time for everyone; why unnecessarily try to be 'edgy' and make things awkward?

Because FIFA is more interested in making silly political statements these days.

[Keystone Phil]

Well, Qatar would be nice because all the stadiums are right next to each other, unlike a ridiculous country like USA or Russia where games would be played in stadiums hundreds of miles apart.

Yeah, that is cool but why in the world do they have so many stadiums already or did they figure, "we have so much money that we can just blow it on stadium construction for 2022...even if we don't host the tournament."?

Why does FIFA select host sites for two tournaments at once? Picking them separately seems like an easy fix for Sepp Blatter's "inevitable" collusion.

No idea why they are doing it at once but plenty of people have suggested that they be held separately.

I'm pessimistic and  think it goes to 2018 to the USA and 2022 to England

That can't happen. The U.S. isn't bidding for 2018 anymore and no European country is bidding for 2022. 

[Keystone Phil]

I guess I'll vote for Belgium and the Netherlands in hope of the Netherlands simply to drive you up the wall (on the other hand I'm sure there is nothing you'd love more than Italy beating the Netherlands on their home turf)

Actually, despite the result in the Final, Belgium and The Netherlands hosted one of the best Soccer tournaments ever - Euro 2000. That tournament included what you mentioned in the second part of your statement - Italy beating The Netherlands in an epic Semi final on their home turf. It's the main reason I started following the Azzurri. I was in Italy for the first time during that game and the Final.

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Are you unfamiliar with the 1994 World Cup hosted by the U.S.? Again, despite an unfortunate result in the Final, it is regarded as one of the best World Cups ever. It has been unmatched in terms of attendance, too. The major "problem", ironically enough, was the heat.

[Keystone Phil]

Are you unfamiliar with the 1994 World Cup hosted by the U.S.? Again, despite an unfortunate result in the Final, it is regarded as one of the best World Cups ever.

Really? Who by? I mean, I can see why the Federation Internationale de Mammon and Kickbacks might have loved it, but I remember it quite well and it, basically, sucked.

It was a good one, with lots of goals and some pretty memorable games. Certainly far better than the travesties of 2002 and 2006.

Haha. 2002 was so bad that I sometimes forget who won it.

Px is spot on. Attendance also helps the argument that 1994 was one of the best. I agree with both of you about 2002 (I think 2010 might have it beat though. It's a close call) but not about 2006. Not even factoring in the winner, it really was a great tournament all around.

3. The last couple of world cup decisions were basically foregone conclusions and FIFA wanted as much excitement as possible for the next decision

Not for 2006. That one was very controversial.

[Keystone Phil]

no unworthy upstart nations ruined the party by reaching the quarterfinals

God bless Soccer snobs! I love it!

If every World Cup was like 2006, I'd be thrilled. Germany was a great host, too.

[Keystone Phil]

Germany-Argentina was fantastic, with Ballack's late goal to tie and then a very dramatic shootout. Portugal-England was one of the more interesting 0-0 matches I can remember, with Rooney being sent off.

Yeah, I was going to say that those were great, too.

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Sorry to hear the latter. 
 

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Exactly.

[Keystone Phil]

Are they choosing both at the same time ?

Not at the same exact time. 2018 will be announced first and then I think there is a half hour or so break until 2022 is announced.

[Keystone Phil]

Are they choosing both at the same time ?

Not at the same exact time. 2018 will be announced first and then I think there is a half hour or so break until 2022 is announced.

Yeah, I meant same day of course ...

Isn't it normally the case that 1 place is announced this year for lets say 2018 and then we have to wait for another 3 or so years until it is announced for 2022 ?

Why are they choosing 2 of them on one day now ?

Not sure exactly why they are announcing them both on the same day (though I did read the reasoning somewhere before).

Italy-France was a better final than this year's but that's not saying much. It's like saying that Michael Steele is more qualified to be president than Sarah Palin.

Not that I like admitting this but have we really had a thrilling Final recently?

[Keystone Phil]

"unworthy upstarts" are the only thing that makes the World Cup interesting.  That was pretty awful what happened to Ghana (although I hope they all die of cholera for beating the USA)

Oh, you mean one of the "aces" missing a penalty kick in the final minutes of the game? Yeah, awful. That's what happens when you let upstarts advance beyond the group stage: they end up proving themselves to be total failures. Awful that we even let them in to the tournament.

Though you could imagine the smirk on my face as I watched them win one of their games...

[Keystone Phil]

Yeah, I considered Uruguay an upstart. As the tournament went on, however, I didn't mind that they were doing well. At least they had a history of being an established power (even if you had to go back a few decades to prove that).

I remember the day of the group drawing, an ESPN commentator had them going all the way to the Semi final. Everyone on the set thought he was crazy and I definitely thought the same. Looks like he had the last laugh.

[Keystone Phil]

Final presentations take place today. Does anyone know if it will be televised?

[Keystone Phil]

Of course, after hearing from several others I didn't bother to wake up early to try to find a broadcast of the presentations. 

Hugh is so brutally biased so can someone else give me a feeling of how things went? 

[Keystone Phil]

Morgan Freeman!

Sometimes I forget that he is American, because I forget that he is not Nelson Mandela.

Sometimes I forget that he is American because he sounds like the voice of God.

[Keystone Phil]

I'm watching the video on FIFA's website. It doesn't help that Freeman, who is nearly perfect, "missed a page." 

[Keystone Phil]

How were the others? I've heard from several people (Australians included) that the Aussie presentation was a complete failure. Sorry, Hugh, but you really are too biased with this. 

[Keystone Phil]

England and the USA because they are both Anglophone nations so I will still understand what is going on.  And, hopefully, these nations will filture out the annoying buzzing sound in their broadcasts.

Which is what might doom the U.S. If England is picked tomorrow, I'll be pleased but I won't be feeling great about our chances at hosting 2022.

[Keystone Phil]

2022 was supposed to be our's, too. Mexico has obvious problems but just wait until they play the "Bring the World Cup to a poor, troubled part of the world that has never hosted the tournament!" card. 2026 is far from certain. Plus, I'd rather experience a World Cup on home soil when I'm 34, not 38. 

[Keystone Phil]

2022 was supposed to be our's, too. Mexico has obvious problems but just wait until they play the "Bring the World Cup to a poor, troubled part of the world that has never hosted the tournament!" card. 2026 is far from certain. Plus, I'd rather experience a World Cup on home soil when I'm 34, not 38. 

Mexico's hosted the World Cup, twice.

Wow. Major embarrassment for someone like myself to forget that.    I guess I just block out 1970 because of the horrible result in the Final...

[Keystone Phil]

Well, Hugh better be right about 2026...

[Keystone Phil]

Clearly won by dubious means, but a reasonable case could certainly have been made.

Any evidence or its the old "Russia never wins anything fairly" routine?

Putin already has the puppets out defending the victory...

[Keystone Phil]

I am obviously still pissed at these totally laughable picks but two things I'll give to Qatar: the stadia look really cool and I like the scenery (not that I can see myself making the trip there. Then again, it's twelve years down the road so who knows what could happen...). Their social laws really wouldn't affect me anyway so I'm not whining about that. 

The Russian selection probably doesn't irritate me more than Qatar because Qatar screwed out the only bidder I really cared about but it pisses me off that Russia beat out two clearly better potential hosts.

These two picks should end the silly feel good, history making host selections but since this is a joke organization, 2026 could produce another head shaking announcement. Maybe they'll give the games to Cuba since the Castro's will be gone!

[Keystone Phil]

And on the possibility of bidding for the 2026 Cup: “All of us that have been involved in this for quite some time want to sit back, not very long, but at least until the end of the night before we think what else we might do in the future.”

http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/soccer/tag/_/name/2026-world-cup

Sounds like Gulati, after a good night's sleep, is ready to move on to 2026.