World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

LEAGUEA

GROUP A

Jamaica

Mexico

Suriname

GROUP B

Costa Rica

Martinique

Panama

GROUP C

Canada

Curacao

Honduras

GROUP D

ElSalvador

Grenada

UnitedStates

LEAGUEB

GROUP A

Antigua& Barbuda

Barbados

Cuba

Guadeloupe

GROUP B

Bermuda

Guyana

Haiti

Montserrat

GROUPC

Bahamas

Nicaragua

St.Vincent& Grenadines

Trinidad& Tobago

GROUP D

Belize

DominicanRepublic

FrenchGuiana

Guatemala

LEAGUEC

GROUP A

Bonaire

SintMaarten

Turks& CaicosIslands

USVirginIslands

GROUP B

Aruba

SaintMartin

St.Kitts& Nevis

GROUP C

Anguilla

Dominica

St.Lucia

GROUP D

BritishVirginIslands

Cayman Islands

PuertoRico

THEDRAW

WORLDSERVICE

rankingsthough,thoughtsof theWorld

Cuparenothingbuta pipedream.

Thegap betweenthe topandthe

bottom in thisregionismassive; out

ofthe sixregionalconfederations,

CONCACAFhasthe largestcontingent

offull membersleftoutsideofFIFA.

TheDutchislandsofBonaire and

SintMaartenandthe Frenchoverseas

territoriesofGuadeloupe,Martinique,

FrenchGuiana

andSaintMartin

areallstuckin

limboandunable

toenterWorld

Cupqualifying.

Withno

CaribbeanCup

stagedsince 20 17,andnosignof the

competitionreappearing,the Nations

Leagueisparticularlyimportantto

thoseislandsthathavenot been able

toprogresstoFIFAmembership.

“Forourfederation,itisa very

importantcompetition,” saysPhilippe

Briotfromthe GuadeloupeanLeague

ofFootball.“Even if we arenotyet

a federationrecognisedbyFIFA,we

arepartof CONCACAF like theother

federations.Wearepreparingfor

thesemajormeetingslikethe

otherfederations.”

TheGoldCupofferedanoutlet

forsomeofthese territories,suchas

2007 semi-finalistsGuadeloupeand

Martinique,whoqualifiedfor the 2021

finals.Smaller, lesscompetitiveislands

likeSintMaarten didnotenterand,

asa result,barelyplayedanysenior

internationals.

TheNationsLeaguehas now

changedall that.Althoughtakingpart

ininternationalcompetitionscan be

expensive,CONCACAFhasusedmoney

fromthe$ 10 millionFIFA Forward

programmetohelpthoseteamslacking

FIFAmembershipsfundstocover

travelexpensesand participate.

Thecompetitionalsooffersa routeto

theGoldCup.A placeinthe preliminary

qualifyingstageisonoffer foreachof

thebottom teamsinLeagueA groups,

thefourrunners-upfromtheLeagueB

groupsandthe fourLeagueC winners.

Foranyofthelatter nations, reaching

theGoldCup finalswouldbea tallorder,

butsimplyplayinggamesthatcanbe

wonis thebenefit.“Alltheislandsin

theCaribbeanthatpeoplehavenever

heardof wanttodowellatfootball.It’s

a greatexperience,” addsDonachie.

Focuselsewhere...

Costa Ricawillbe

prioritisingWorld

Cupqualification

Regular games...

Dominicaversus

Nicaragua

importanceto theWorldCup.
Costa Ricainparticularwillview
theiropeningfixturesagainstPanama
andMartiniqueas preparationfortheir
inter-confederationalqualifieragainst
NewZealand,whileUSAandMexico
played friendliesagainstopponents
fromSouth AmericaandAfricapriorto
kick-off to helpthemprepareforQatar.
Forthoseatthe bottomof the

Pr

ev

ie

w

WORLDSOCCER 85

“It’sbrilliantforthesmallcountries.

Wewouldn’thaveplayedfortwo

yearswithoutFIFAandCONCACAF”

MontserratheadcoachWillieDonachie