How should we qualify the remaining 4 World Cup team spots?

[Will Stranks]

I think we should have a discussion based on the topic mentioned. The first 4 spots - as well as the national champions - are being qualified at the Canadian Table Soccer Nationals. The remaining 4 spots need to be decided on.

I have thought of a couple of options, however it is always best to get several peoples opinions for how to do this. One possibility would be to use the Tornado Worlds in September for qualifying the spots. Maybe the highest placing 4 Canadians in Open Singles could have the 4 spots.

Post your ideas if you have them!

[Will Stranks]

Today the ITSF announced that the World Cup will be held in France again. I know that some people will question the ITSF for not moving the World Cup around the globe. I am very sure that they do want to move it, but it is not financially possible for them. They have a lot of support in France and will certainly put on another VERY impressive tournament.

[Eric Goodman]

I think that the highest 4 placings in OS at worlds could work, it's dependant on Canadians showing up to the event though. Plus I'm thinking that the 4 qualifiers from the Canadian Championships would probably overlap with the top 4 OS players at worlds. All depending on who shows up to what of course.

Personally I would like to see the four qualifiers from Edmonton choose the rest of the team. I realize that this is not ideal for the Eastern Canadian players since they won't see the same representation at the tournament that the West will. The last thing that we want to do is to open up old wounds with another international team East vs. West debate. I'd like to think though that our qualifiers are grown up enough not to choose all of their friends to play on the team just for the hell of it. As long as we get some of our more travelled players on the squad we shouldn't have a problem with determining who to invite to participate.

A second option that I'd be happy with is if our fearless TSAC leaders appointed a few of our more travelled players to create an ranking of the Canadian players (keeping this private might be a good idea) and invite according to the list.
I'd be happy with any of Eric D, Matt B, Darrel P, Jeff A from the west being on the commitee. From the east (naturally easterners would be better at creating a list) but Kane, Mario A, Mario I, Julien, Dom come to mind.

[Eric Goodman]

Of course all of this is a wash if we don't have enough players interested to field a team.

Maybe that's the first step. Figure out who is interested in going.

[Will Stranks]

I know i'm interested in going again for sure. Also I would agree to having a comitee of some sort, or even appointing a coach and manager to pick a team(as is done in hockey - and probably most team sports).

If we used worlds, the 4 qualified players would need to be excluded from double qualifying. The 4 spots would just be passed down the list of players.

[Mario A.]

Eric Goodman wrote

Personally I would like to see the four qualifiers from Edmonton choose the rest of the team. I realize that this is not ideal for the Eastern Canadian players since they won't see the same representation at the tournament that the West will. The last thing that we want to do is to open up old wounds with another international team East vs. West debate. I'd like to think though that our qualifiers are grown up enough not to choose all of their friends to play on the team just for the hell of it. As long as we get some of our more travelled players on the squad we shouldn't have a problem with determining who to invite to participate.



Eric let me clear the air before you go and make assumptions about my decisions. Which for the record you have no clue about. This was a decision that I had to make no one else. I talked to the team Eric, Darrel, Moya, Kane that qualified I told them what I had in mind. I listened to what they had to say and I made my decision accordingly. for you to take a stab at me like that is not cool at all.

I made a decision to make a Tornado multi table team and that is what we had. The problem was that our multi table players were good but they werent the best. They were high semi pro's. I still thought that's what we would have a better shot with multi table players that were high semi pro's rather than Tornado semi pro's. I thought that if we could steal points on the multi table we had a shot to win it. The problem was that we were giving up games on our table and only doing mediocer on there table.

Dont take stabs at me when you dont know the facts. Everyone is my friend i dont pick favorites. You really think that i would pick friends over friends. That is rediculous. I have a lot of friends here at home that could of been on that team as well but i made the choice to try and make a multi table team insted of a Tornado team. There was a lot of drama that went down in 2006 that i wasnt happy about but I had to swallow it because it was left in my hands.

[Eric Goodman]

Mario,

Honestly, I wasn't trying to take a cheapshot at you Mario. If what I said came off as a slight to you, sorry, I'll buy you a beer at Worlds. What I was trying to do was make reference to the drama and tension that happened in '06 based around the formation of the team. If I missed that mark, my bad, no slight against you was intended.

What I was trying to say was that having the qualifiers from a western based tournament choose the team could prove to be biased based on a primarily western turnout for the event. And that the resulting team choice could piss people off out East.

In hindsight maybe the reference to the '06 World Cup should have been omitted as not to stir feathers. I was trying to use it to emphasize my point is all.


See you at Worlds

[Eric Goodman]

Wow, just read my post again, and that reads like a real asshole remark. Sorry Mario, I really didn't intend it to come off the way that it did. I have more respect for you than that.

[Will Stranks]

In about a week we will have a vote regarding this. If there are any other ideas out there add them to this so I can have them included in the vote.

[Eric Dunn]

Seeing as the AQBB is having a pretty good tournament in a couple of weeks, possibly we could qualify a spot from the winner of OS there (or highest placing canadian that wants to go).
4 from nationals?
3 from worlds?
1 from AQBB?

i cant remember how many we agreed would be qualified from nationals. 1 singles champ, and the doubles champs? or was there more?

[Eric Dunn]

oh, i just read on the ITSF site, that its 7 men this year (instead of 8) for the world cup.

So maybe we should do 3 Nationals, 3 Worlds and 1 AQBB?
national singles champ, national doubles champs, and top placing 3 canadian at worlds, and top placing canadian at AQBB event?

[Earl Nicol]

I agree that the AQBB should have some representation on the World Cup team.

But the number of members qualifying from the Nationals was voted on as 4, not 3.

I'd lean toward toward your first suggestion:
4 from nationals
3 from worlds
1 from AQBB

Maybe even 4-2-2...but I still suspect with the event happening in France again it will ultimately come down to who is willing & able to attend. That being said it is important for us to attempt to name the best players & invite the best team possible.

[Will Stranks]

I certainly think having at least one spot from AQBB would be a good idea. The highest finishing player in OS that wishes to come to france.

4 from nationals, 2 from worlds, 1 from AQBB?
There is only 7 spots (and two alternates) this year.