Then there were 32 - but not many surprises

All 32 places for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil are now taken after the play-off games were completed this week, and the field has a familiar look to it. Twenty-four of the 32 teams are same as in 2010, with the qualification process seemingly paving the way for the bigger teams to make the tournament. 

Mexico won just two of their 10 games in the final round of qualifying, yet still got another chance to make it by playing a home and home series with New Zealand, a team ranked 79 in the world (Mexico are 24). Bosnia-Herzegovina are the only debutants, with 14 of the 32 teams having reached double digits in appearances (Brazil 2014 is the 20^th World Cup). 

Although 76 different national teams have made the finals, there have only been 17 new teams since the format expanded to 32 teams in 1998, and only seven of those have made a repeat appearance. 

Only South American teams have won the tournament when it's been held in the Americas, and no team from outside of Europe or South America have ever made the final in any World Cup - so although it's great to see representation from Algeria to Australia, it's unlikely they will reach the later stages - with South Korea and the US (in 1930) the only teams from outside the traditional powerbases to even make a semi-final.

The African teams tend to vary a little, but teams from Asia, South America, North and Central America and Europe are largely the same every four years. Some bigger European nations always miss out as the region gets 13 spots for 53 nations, but it’s the World Cup and the beauty of it is seeing teams from all over the world – because there’s no other stage to potentially watch Iran against Costa Rica.

Also worth viewing on the WSJ sports section:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304607104579210260819460176

What Jurgen and the US need to do next

First of all, congratulations. The US have qualified for the World Cup in Brazil next summer.

They deserve to be there, but frankly, they should qualify every time if the CONCACAF regions continues to get 3 automatic spots and the chance of a 4th. The US have now qualified 7 times in a row, but it's tough to think they'll ever be the 5th worst team in the region - especially when FIFA ranks Haiti as the 6th best team in CONCACAF. Yes, Mexico have been awful this qualifying campaign, but they still have a very good chance to finish 4th and reach a playoff against New Zealand (ranked 57th in the World).

The region isn't necessarily too easy, they just get too many qualifying spots - make it a hard 3 and the games would be even more competitive, and ultimately improve the standard.

The thing the US need to do now is play difficult games against top European, African and South American opposition. I hope Jurgen Klinsmann and the US Federation arrange friendly games with teams that will challenge them, and highlight the weaknesses.

Currently, the full-backs and outside midfielders are the weak links - with the exception of Landon Donovan. DaMarcus Beasley and Fabian Johnson aren't good enough, Alejandro Bedoya isn't ready yet. Klinsmann needs to get Brek Shea back in form, look to the MLS for new full backs and develop a system to utilize the strengths of Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey - by far their best players.

Now is a time to celebrate, but finishing second in the group in Brazil and not progressing in the knockout stages isn't progress for soccer in the US. Now is the time to build and improve - simply qualifying isn't a measure of success for the US anymore, competing at the highest level should be the goal.

Also available here on WSJ - http://blogs.wsj.com/dailyfix/2013/09/11/u-s-soccer-congrats-and-criticism/