Oceania still a trainwreck.� Trying to get some of it cleared by final data load next Monday.� Hopefully have some better by first data patch.[/QUOTE]
hugo_rune wrote:
I've got the same issue as icarus, and I've figured out what's wrong (I'm sure you guys at SI have, as well).
The Oceania Cup of Nations (Actually the OFC Nations Cup) is quite inaccurately implemented in FM2010, as it stands.
It now occurs every 4 years - 2004, 2008, 2012, etc, and is represented by a series of home and away games, spread out over the course of about 12 months. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_OFC_Nations_Cup for an example of how it should work.
The top team will be able to participate in a playoff (home leg & away leg) against the fifth team in the AFC, and the winner of that will gain World Cup Qualification.
The top team will also qualify for the Confederations Cup.
This is the only OFC/FIFA tournament that would require New Zealand national team players, and only during the six games every four years, and they don't all clash with A-League fixtures, just a couple of them. Wellington Phoenix and other A-League clubs might miss their NZ Nationals for one or two games every four years. Instead of for half the season, including finals every four - or two - or however SI have this scheduled right now - and/or during the other redundant Confed Cup and WC qualification tournaments that are in FM2010, and no longer exist in the RL football world
Since 2008, the four teams in the OFC Nations Cup are New Zealand (automatic entry), and the three medallists in the Football event at the four-yearly South Pacific Football Games - which in 2007 happened to be New Caledonia, Fiji, and Vanuatu, but could in theory be one of a number of nations. Solomon Islands would probably back themselves to be a medalist (and therefore qualiy for the OFC Nations Cup) more often than not, but they missed out in 2007. Papua New Guinea would also be a contender.
I'd love to hope that the SI team can fix this for FM2011.
[QUOTE=Bullion]This is a serious issue that I wish was fixed in the last patch. Not sure how it was so overlooked by SI. Was very annoyed last night (playing as the Phoenix) when i had to struggle with youth players and second string players when about 10 All Whites were away on international duty, only got 4 points in last 5 games (4 draws) of the season and finished second by a point. Battled through the finals and lost on penalties in the grand final. If I had my first team I am sure things would have been different. Not much incentive to sign NZ players to the only professional team in the country.