en

m an injury and expected to perform straigh from corse178's blog

LONDON -- World Cup qualifying in North America is set to be overhauled to avoid shutting out the majority of countries in the CONCACAF region so early. Blue Jackets Jerseys Outlet .CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani has instigated a review of an archaic format that leaves only six out of the regions 35 teams still in with a shot at qualifying for Russia in 2018.Alongside a potential new name to replace the corruption-tainted CONCACAF brand, revamping qualifying to be more inclusive has emerged as a key objective for Montagliani after five months in charge of the confederation covering North and Central America and the Caribbean.Something needs to change because you cant have 85 percent of your members who are on the outside looking in two years before the World Cup, Montagliani told The Associated Press. It doesnt make sense.Since qualifying for the 1998 World Cup, CONCACAF has used a system where teams play home and away in early rounds. Once 12 nations are remaining there are three groups of four, which produces six teams for a final round.The United States, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago are the last teams standing , chasing three of CONCACAFs automatic qualification places. Starting next month, they play each other twice in a league.Its great for those six teams over the next year and a bit but how about the other ones? Montagliani said. Its hard.Hard for players to raise their standard and hard for teams to generate revenue to fund soccer development.Caribbean countries have problems climbing the FIFA rankings, just because we are not able to play as many international games as you want to, John Krishnadath, president of the Suriname soccer federation, told the AP earlier this year, while also highlighting the high cost of traveling to matches.Surinames World Cup journey ended in June 2015 immediately after entering in the second round of CONCACAF qualifying. The first seven CONCACAF teams were eliminated back in March 2015. Its so long ago that Montagliani is the third president CONCACAF has had during qualifying for the 2018 tournament.Former CONCACAF head Jeffrey Webb was first arrested as part of the sprawling American investigation into soccer corruption in May 2015 and his temporary replacement, Alfredo Hawit, was indicted seven months later. Montagliani said CONCACAF competitions and the interests of teams were neglected in an era when the leadership was motivated by corruptly extorting money from the confederation and its commercial backers.Can you imagine you are a country trying to find a sponsor and they say, `Im all for it, whens your next big game? And its three years from now, Montagliani said during an interview in London.So we seriously need to look at our World Cup qualifying system that is a bit archaic. We need to be a bit more all-encompassing. Were looking at how we balance competitions with our commercial (priorities) without putting too much stress on already too busy calendars as well.But Montagliani is certain qualifying must change, although there could be a proliferation of games that draw smaller crowds and little broadcast revenue.Discussing a new configuration, Montagliani said: Maybe its like the Europeans or maybe its like the South Americans with a league -- or its a hybrid of the two.In Europe, countries are split into nine groups, balanced according to their rankings, and play games from September 2016 to October 2017. The group winners qualify automatically and the eight best runners-up will contest playoffs for the remaining four UEFA spots in Russia.In South America, the 10 CONMEBOL members are in a two-year league that started in October 2015. The top four have guaranteed World Cup places and the fifth-place team has to go through a playoff against a country from Oceania.Each region will gain more automatic World Cup places if FIFA President Gianni Infantino achieves his mission to expand the finals from 32 to 48 teams by 2026 when CONCACAF is in a strong position to bring the tournament to North America.Separately, Montagliani is also exploring how to upgrade CONCACAFs premier club competition. The Champions League is currently nearing the end of its group stage -- featuring eight, three-team mini-leagues -- before a knockout phase, starting with quarterfinals.The Champions League is a real opportunity for us to grow that product because when you look at the latter stages of it, its quite good, really well attended and great TV audiences, Montagliani said. But the early stages are poor, not well attended and maybe not the best stadiums.So I think we need to rejig that so it really becomes an impactful event both for television and our fans and on the technical side so it is quality all the way through -- from the group stage to the final.---Rob Harris is at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Discount Blue Jackets Jerseys . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Wholesale Blue Jackets Jerseys . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. http://www.cheapbluejacketsjerseyschina.com/ .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Dante Exum has to adjust to more time playing off the ball, but he is just happy to be playing consistently again after missing all of last season rehabilitating from a torn left anterior cruciate ligament.Its a great feeling, Exum told ESPN after Utah Jazzs come-from-behind win against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.[Being on the bench] is no place for a player-to-be. Im just happy to be out there, taking it one game at a time and continuing to get better.[Im] definitely back into the rhythm of playing. Its just getting that consistency - not having played for a while to going to back-to-backs and five games in seven nights. Its just about adjusting to that.Its not just consistency that Exum is adjusting to, though. The Australian, who was drafted by the Jazz essentially straight out of high school, had played as a point guard for the majority of his rookie season in 2014-15, but through the first six games of the current season he has played the role of an off-the-ball guard more than that of the traditional point guard -- with most of those latter minutes being assigned to George Hill and Shelvin Mack.Im always used to playing the one [and] its always an adjustment changing, Exum said.Ive adjusted well and Ive just got to continue to concentrate on what to do. Hopefully just get better from there.Exum is averaging 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game through the early stages of the season, but theres always room for improvement. As the season progresses, he feels like eventually hell be moved back to his most natural playing position.[Jazz coach Quinn Snyder] hasnt talked to me about that [but] Im a versatile guy; being able to play both positions, I think we get a bit more sttable in our rotations, he said. Womens Blue Jackets Jerseys. I think Ill get back into the one more.Snyder says nothing is guaranteed minutes-wise for any of the Jazz players.Roles are going to expand and contract based on how guys play, Snyder said pregame.Its really that simple.Exum, still only 21, had been pegged as the Jazzs point guard of the future, but the team acquired veteran Hill in the off-season -- a move that could have, understandably, given Exum the impression that a starting spot was still a way off.Exum, however, views the move as a positive for his development.I think its always good that [the Jazz] have patience in me, he said.Its always hard coming back from an injury and expected to perform straight away. Its good that I can find my feet first and hopefully I get to that point [of starting].Im watching [Hill] every game and seeing what he does. During practice hes helping me with certain decisions, and doing everything to help me.The Jazz are scheduled to play the 76ers in Philadelphia on Monday -- a contest Exum would have been looking forward to even more had his good friend Ben Simmons been able to play.Exum has been in regular contact with Simmons, saying he has urged him not to rush anything in his rehab as he looks to come back from a Jones fracture.The biggest thing was about for him doing [rehab] so when he gets back on the court, hes ready to go, Exum said.I told him the biggest thing is not to rush it as well. I know he wants to get out there and play, but he needs to continue to stay in rehab because you dont want it to be an injury that keeps hanging around. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '

The Wall

No comments
You need to sign in to comment