From: t-frans@microsoft.com (Francis Stanisci)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: Southern America (was FIFA....)
Date: 19 Aug 1992 09:12:04 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

In response to the postings below most notably Radu's comment...

"Now, no matter how partisan you can be, I do not see how you could 
possibly enroll these facts in the service of the argument you made. 
South America has only two teams that do count: Brazil and Argentina. "

Personally I would think that with so many talented players trying to 
make the Argentinian or Brazilian teams, that it would be difficult to 
form other teams with the same power and prowess.

I wonder also if, financially, it would be difficult to field 
additional teams from South American countries.  Any opinions?

South America, Unlike Europe, is not as diverse in culture or 
nationalities.  This is NOT to imply that they are not diverse, just 
less so than Europe, and for that matter a few other 
continents/countries.  This I believe strengthens the support divided 
between the team *major* teams.  In Europe you have *very* distinct 
countries of *very* distinct cultures.  This tends to promote more 
teams.  Of course, it doesn't hurt to have the financial resources that 
most (not all) of these countries have.

One must admit, the two major teams that they have, represent South 
America very respectably.

Francis.

----------
From:   <netmail!160955r@garnet.berkeley.edu>
To:  <s947607@umslvma.BITNET>
Subject: Re: FIFA propoesed changes to (OCEANIA) Southern America
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 1992 3:42PM

In article <7747@public.BTR.COM> car@public.BTR.COM (Carlos 
Rimola-Sarti  car@btr.com) writes:
>The tiny nation of Uruguay has always been and still is a power in the
>the world scene.  They have won two world cups, including the biggest
>upset in soccer history when they defeated Brasil in the "Maracanazo"
>final in Brasil in 1950.

I'm not sure about Uruguay's current soccer prowess; at the last world cup
they were unmercifully taken apart by a rather mundane Belgium in their
first play-off game. To get there they had to fight South Korea, a team of
dedicated but clumsy footballers, against whom they scored in the 90th minu-
te...
True, Uruguay has a rich soccer tradition, but its last meaningful showing
in a WC final was against Brazil in 1970. By no means does this qualify them
as a "power in the world scene"..
>
>Countries like Peru and Paraguay and more recently Colombia (no, not
>Columbia :-) have also had quite respectable appearances in the international
>scene (read world cups).

Well, I vaguely remember Cubillas' Peru making the playoffs once; and then, in
Argentina'78 giving 6 goals away against Argentina so that Kempes&Comp could
make it to the second round...As for Paraguay, I do not think they ever quali-
fied to the finals in recent history; in addition, they seem to play a cross
of soccer and tae-kwon-do; I hear that even South American teams are afraid to
play in Asuncion against "los defensores del chaco"...

Last but not least: Colombia. The way the WC is structured, 66% of the teams
make it to the second round. Colombia too made it : they tied Germany (el gol
del milagro), lost to Yugoslavia and defeated a team of tourists from 
the United
Arab Emirates.In their first palyoff game they lost: to Cameroon, 1-2.

Now, no matter how partisan you can be, I do not see how you could possibly
enroll these facts in the service of the argument you made. South America has
only two teams that do count: Brazil and Argentina. Commonly known facts simply
do not support the assertion that any other team of that area is of internatio-
nal caliber...

Cheers!


>
>I suggest you get yourself a good reference book on the history of the game
>before making any more comments.
>
>+---------------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
>| Carlos Rimola-Sarti                   |         email: rimola@csisdn.com  |
>| Connective Strategies Inc.            |                      car@btr.com  |
>| ISDN PRI Connectivity Group           |         phone:      415-903-2585  |
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--
Radu T. Tomescu at UCBerkeley
Department of Economics