From SpoFi today one of my compadres commented: “I’m not sure there’s a good way to produce rankings for a sport where teams might face each other in competitive games no more often than every four years, and usually much less than that, but I am sure that if there is a way FIFA haven’t found it yet.“
You have to start with the fact that most games–the competitive ones which count–are against the other countries in the same region. So other than Mexico and with less consistency Costa Rica and Honduras the US do not play too much quality opposition outside of the World Cup. We rack up points against the Cubas, Canadas and Jamaicas towards FIFA’s scoring system.
Some people claim that to significantly improve our national team MLS need to switch to a European calendar (with a Scandinavian-style winter break) but MLS has never agreed. Adding teams in Toronto, Seattle, Portland and Vancouver recently make such a change even less likely. MLS promotion/relegation is another popular idea that will go nowhere in our lifetimes.
Instead I think US Soccer should push CONCACAF to put the Gold Cup on a four year schedule like the Euro and then in the vacated year organize a new tournament: the US Invitational.
Invite seven big national teams to play in the USI at our best stadiums. Everyone gets a big payday–just look at the huge attendance at the club friendlies and Gold Cup matches last month–its TV friendly and, for us, gets the US quality regular intercontinental competition.
The tournament would need to avoid being seen as competing with the Confederations Cup, easily done by simply not inviting the other continental association champions. Similar to how the Europa League takes the teams who just missed the Champions League (sort of). Say Argentina, Chile, England, Russia, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Australia.
Does anyone have Sunil Gulati’s phone number? This could be up and running in 2013 or 2015 and, having had some organizational experience, I’d be glad to give a helping hand.
BillSaysThis 