Domestic Soccer 2009-10

[WJMorris3]

What are the chances Qatar qualifies for 2014 or 2018? I think it's very possible that 2022 could be their debut World Cup. Outside of the first few, has that ever happened?

Minute. They are ranked 113th in the world after all.

But not as bad odds as you think. They're 16th in their confederation and North Korea (who did just qualify for the World Cup, mind you) is 14th.

[Saintsfan]

I think some people are greatly underestimating how tricky building 12 stadia and infrastructure is. It's not just the money, it's the labour, the resources (materials etc) the equipment etc. It's not as easy as saying they have the money, they can do it!

[rams80]

I'm quite pleased that the rotational policy and voting procedures resulted in the Middle East region being able to host their first globally-watched sporting event. As dfwabel said, Qatar has oil and natural gas, so financing shouldn't be a problem. As for what to do with some of the stadiums that won't likely be filled afterward? Change the function of the building to an industrial warehouse or manufacturing plant. I've thought for a while that the oil-rich nations of the Arabian Peninsula should consider what happens to their economies once the oil runs out, but I think that's best left for another thread.

LOL WUT.

/Oil and gas won't last forever. Their neighbors to the West and East are already contemplating post-oil.

Isn't that what I said? Anyway, I hope those nations are looking to the future. I am admittedly on-board with the people who are sometimes called "left-wing hippie nutjobs", who want to see a world that doesn't entirely depend upon fossil fuels.

And I don't actually know if a stadium can be converted into another type of building easily or not. I was just thinking out loud.

Open air stadia as featured in the proposal, cannot be turned into factories or warehouses.

[Magnus]

Oh well. Too bad then. Maybe they can be the centerpieces to shopping plazas or something.

[Lee.]

If they were to build temporary open-air facilities like we did in Vancouver, they could theoretically start construction in 2021 and be ready in plenty of time for the opening jump-kick.

[BaltimoreFan]

Wow, shocked to see Qatar get the bid. The amount of people traveling for the tournament will probably be larger than the country's population a few times over.

That could be a problem after the games are over and the country has these huge stadiums and nothing to fill them with. The World Cup will surely bring alot of money to Qatar, but it will also cost them a ton of money to build everything (especially since the stadiums need some kind of special air conditioning). I'm not sure they will gross as much money as they think. This could end up being a huge strain on the country's economy. It will be interesting to see how they make out 5-10 years after they host.

They have oil and natural gas. The stadiums are called to be cooled by photovoltaic (aka solar) technology. They are getting 12 years worth of PR. They could make societal changes as they need to, but hotels and clubs currently sell booze.

I'm sure Qatar will see short term economic benefits, but is anyone going to care about Qatar after the World Cup is over? I doubt very many people are going to plan a vacation to Qatar after 2022. I don't think many people are going to be interested in watching Qatar's soccer league, regardless of how nice the stadiums are. Qatar will have all these giant hotels and stadiums with no one using them. As with just about all sports arena, Qatar will probably find that all the money spent on World Cup construction could have been better used elsewhere. I'm not saying they are certain to be doomed, but the deck is stacked against them. I don't think anyone is going to care about Qatar and their tourist attractions once the World Cup is over. I also wouldn't count on the oil market in 2022, I wouldn't be surprised if we find an alternative by that time or shortly after. Like I said, it will be interesting to see how Qatar responds.

[Don]

Surprise of the century.

[TFoA]

Corruption in FIFA?! I am shocked, shocked I tell you!

EDIT: Don't wanna bump the thread, & I guess since Brazil is closer to the US than Europe, I'll post it here: Fluminense won Brazil's Serie A today. This is a pretty big deal because 1) They're the hated rivals of Flamengo, probably the most popular club in Brazil. Flamengo won the title last year. 2) They finished in 16th last year, one point away from being relegated (bottom 4 get relegated in Brazil.). They went from nearly being relegated to winning the table.

Pretty cool turnaround for Flu.

[DEAD!]

Wow, shocked to see Qatar get the bid. The amount of people traveling for the tournament will probably be larger than the country's population a few times over.

That could be a problem after the games are over and the country has these huge stadiums and nothing to fill them with. The World Cup will surely bring alot of money to Qatar, but it will also cost them a ton of money to build everything (especially since the stadiums need some kind of special air conditioning). I'm not sure they will gross as much money as they think. This could end up being a huge strain on the country's economy. It will be interesting to see how they make out 5-10 years after they host.

They have oil and natural gas. The stadiums are called to be cooled by photovoltaic (aka solar) technology. They are getting 12 years worth of PR. They could make societal changes as they need to, but hotels and clubs currently sell booze.

I'm sure Qatar will see short term economic benefits, but is anyone going to care about Qatar after the World Cup is over? I doubt very many people are going to plan a vacation to Qatar after 2022. I don't think many people are going to be interested in watching Qatar's soccer league, regardless of how nice the stadiums are. Qatar will have all these giant hotels and stadiums with no one using them. As with just about all sports arena, Qatar will probably find that all the money spent on World Cup construction could have been better used elsewhere. I'm not saying they are certain to be doomed, but the deck is stacked against them. I don't think anyone is going to care about Qatar and their tourist attractions once the World Cup is over. I also wouldn't count on the oil market in 2022, I wouldn't be surprised if we find an alternative by that time or shortly after. Like I said, it will be interesting to see how Qatar responds.

Like dfwabel said, Qatar is getting 12 years worth of PR. The advertising from the sponsors will have Qatar 2022 all over the world. This is not about getting more tourists for Qatar, it's about getting more business that the UAE, (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) already enjoy. I'm sure Bahrain (which was one step away from the 2010 World Cup and even much smaller than Qatar) could have put in a bid if they wanted to.

[Breakwood]

The idea that sporting events stimulate the local economy in a positive way is false.

[Saintsfan]

The idea that sporting events stimulate the local economy in a positive way is false.

Then why are countries and cities so prepared to host them? You could debate how long the effect lasts for, but just the shear fact that thousands of people arrive in a locale and spend money there must stimulate the economy.

But one thing that happens with these major tournaments is that infrastructure improves. Roads, rail, airports are all built or improved, and that by itself must help the local economy.

[Brian in Boston]

The idea that sporting events stimulate the local economy in a positive way is false.

Then why are countries and cities so prepared to host them?

Because there is a belief on the part of the countries and/or cities that host such events that they will be perceived as world-class locales if they host such events. Lip-service is paid to the fact that the events will generate significant revenue and "stimulate the economy", but the real reason most nations and/or municipalities jockey to play host to these events boils down to a very simple, very primal human need to be recognized as being important.

You could debate how long the effect lasts for, but just the shear fact that thousands of people arrive in a locale and spend money there must stimulate the economy.

How much the economy is stimulated - and, more importantly, how much of a net positive impact on the economy takes place - depends upon how much money a country and/or city had to spend in order to land the event in the first place.

Germany spent $5.75 billion on infrastructure in order to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The German Chamber of Commerce and Deutsche Postbank forecast a $12.5 billion bump - or, 0.5% of the country's total domestic performance - to the German economy as a result of hosting the tournament. The creation of 10,000 to 20,000 permanent jobs was touted. The reality was that two-million tourists spent $766 million in Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the economic "growth" fueled by said expenditures amounted to just 0.25% - half of what had been predicted. According to the German Ministry of the Economy, only 50,000 jobs total were created - and half of those were temporary. Economist Wolfgang Maening of Hamburg University found that foreign tourist expenditures in 2006 resulted in an increase of just 0.07% of the 2006 German gross domestic product. In other words, an infinitesimal - indeed, negligible - impact on the nation's economy.

But one thing that happens with these major tournaments is that infrastructure improves. Roads, rail, airports are all built or improved, and that by itself must help the local economy.

Not necessarily. Improvements to infrastructure will ultimately have to be made anyway. What hosting an event like the Olympics or World Cup will do is speed-up the time-table for when said improvements will be made. As a result, new roads, rail facilities and airports will go on-line sooner. That said, the impact to the economy of having this improved infrastructure up and running in a shorter timeframe is often off-set by significant public expenditures that are made on "white elephant" projects such as costly stadiums, etc.

[BrySmalls]

From the WTF Department at FIFA: Qatar's neighbors could help host '22 World Cup.

[BrianVlietDesign]

From the WTF Department at FIFA: Qatar's neighbors could help host '22 World Cup.

Ok, now that's just stupid. Why even bother giving the bid to the nation if they're considering the possibility of neighboring nations hosting matches? FIFA ceases to amaze me. Pricks.

[Lee.]

Finally, the fox walked away with his nose in the air, saying "I'm sure those grapes were sour."

[rams80]

From the WTF Department at FIFA: Qatar's neighbors could help host '22 World Cup.

Soccer in Wahabiland everyone! Feel the excitement! Hear the screams of Fundamentalist nutjobs as they are directly confronted with the exact opposite of their incredibly narrow worldview!

[TFoA]

Oh what a surprise, there are corruption claims & scandal surrounding the decision to give the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.

Qatar paid each member on the selection committee $10M for each vote.

If Newsweek's Johnathan Alter's source is correct...then the fix was in. Nice job, Qatar, nice job FIFA.

[Viper]

From the WTF Department at FIFA: Qatar's neighbors could help host '22 World Cup.

Soccer in Wahabiland everyone! Feel the excitement! Hear the screams of Fundamentalist nutjobs as they are directly confronted with the exact opposite of their incredibly narrow worldview!

Even as Sepp Blatter bends over backward to accommodate said incredibly narrow worldview:

LONDON -- A leading international gay rights group demanded an official apology Tuesday from FIFA following Sepp Blatter's comment about homosexual fans traveling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

The president of the world soccer governing body said Monday that gay fans "should refrain from any sexual activities" during the World Cup in Qatar, where homosexual behavior is illegal.

Could this be FIFA's Lando Calrissian moment (as in "This deal is getting worse all the time!")?

[Jer15]

Here we go again....

Dwayne De Rosario keeps doing whatever the heck he wants.

Between the fact that Houston traded him due to contract demands, the rumor that he is a good chunk of the dressing room fighting that happened in 2009 and, the infamous "cheque signing" goal celebration I've had enough.

Just get what you can from Celtic (if they'll have him) or any other team and get rid of this guy.

I won't deny him of his talent, and I realize he's been a great marketing tool for the Reds, but enough is enough.