From: michals@fuw.edu.pl (Michal Szleper)
Subject: Re: FIFA propoesed changes to (OCEANIA) Southern America
Summary: More discussion about soccer of Uruguay & Co.
Organization: Warsaw University Physics Dept.
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 15:55:32 GMT

In article <7826@public.BTR.COM> Carlos Rimola-Sarti writes:
>                          (...) My objection was to your (and I quote
>myself "simply incorrect statement") that Brasil and Argentina were
>the only countries that matter in South-America.  Your original statement
>was actually more extreme as I recall.
>
>I later posted a reply to Radu Tomescu, who appears to share your views,
>in which I re-emphasized my point and named ways in which Uruguay and
>other South-American nations have shown that their level of play has
>matched or surpassed Argentina and Brasil. (...) 
>                                            BTW, in that article I 
>incorrectly stated that Uruguay last won the Copa America in 1985 when
>it really was in 1987 and came in 2nd place in 1989.

Sorry, but I don't really give a damn about Copa America. Maybe
Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Paraguay are superpowers in
Copa America, but somehow they repeatedly fail to confirm this
in world competitions - and only these I refered to.

>Let me give you a little tidbit here, why go back all the way to 1982.
>That's tooo far away by your standards, no?  So, if we look at only
>1986 and 1990, where does Poland fall?  Well, in 1986, according to
>my sources it finishes #14 right behind Paraguay and just two places
>above the Uruguay.  1990?  Not much to talk about!

I considered the last 3 World Cups in order to have some reasonable
amount of statistics, but in the meantime to make sure that we're
not talking of prehistory. Should it be 2 or 3 or 4 it's just a matter
of taste.

You're right about Poland. We've had 10 bad years. But what did
you want to prove with that?

>However, if as you wish, we only look at these last 3 cups then we
>will see that in 1982 the two other South-American teams, Peru and
>Chile did poorly but in 1986 Paraguay finished #13 ahead of the following
>European teams in the general standings:
> (----------------------- much deleted --------------------------------)
>             (...)Personally, I don't think this proves anything.

That's right! At least you can judge yourself objectively.
Is #13 such a big success? Frankly I see no difference in finishing
#13 or #16 or whatever. And has any of your favorite teams advanced
to the top 4?  Or even 8?  You see, some European teams have.

>Incidentally, my personal opinion is that South-America's 3 spots with
>the chance to fight a 4th is fair.  Europe's 13 I think is a bit high
>and I suspect that as Africa and other continents continue to improve
>it will be Europe who will have to give up additional spots.  Either
>that, or we will have to go to a cross-continent set of ellimination
>games.  I think that would be fair and should please all of those who
>are confident in their teams.

Well, so in the end of all we do agree. I like very much the idea
of cross-continental eliminations. Not because I'm confident in
any team in particular, but simply because this would be the most
fair system, giving equal chances to all teams, regardless
geography.

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My opinions are my opinions. Quite predictable.
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Michal~ Szleper                          "All you need is love, love,
(michals@fuw.edu.pl)                      Love is all you need..."

Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer