Sucking air

In one of the more idiotic moves of an often idiotic organization, the international soccer federation FIFA has banned all international matches from being held at an altitude of more than 8,200 feet. The ban primarily hurts Bolivia and Ecuador, but also affects Colombia (who can't play in their capital city) and Mexico. The decision outraged most Latin American soccer federations.

FIFA's claims that the high altitude harmed the health of visiting players who weren't acclamated. In reality, FIFA caved in to the demands of Latin America's two most influential federations, Brazil and Argentina. These federations didn't like their precious stars, more used to Madird and Milan, to have to travel to the sticks. Brazil and Argentina didn't like the fact that they actually lost games in Quito and La Paz and want to strip their fellow South Americans of home field advantage.

FIFA's rationale is a joke and everyone knows it. High altitude is hardly the only risk. Mexico holds most of its home matches in the choking pollution of Mexico City; ex-US national teamer Eric Wynalda described a 1997 game in the Mexican capital, "I once saw Cobi Jones cough up something that looked like a brownie." Honduras holds some home contests in a tropical steam bath known as San Pedro Sula. I guess 'health conscious' FIFA doesn't care that Costa Rican fans have thrown bags of urine at American players on visits to San Jose.

FIFA will ban venues based on altitude, but don't seem to be particularly bothered by racist abuse or fan violence. But I guess some federations are more equal than others.

But FIFA is hardly the only soccer organization prone to politicization and corruption. Consider the case of CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Jack Warner has been president of CONCACAF since 1990.

Just for the heck of it, Google the following:

CONCACAF Jack Warner corruption scandals

and see how many pages of results you get.

A good concise account of Warner's sleaze can be found at this article from the Trinidad Business Guardian.

Then again, anyone who's seen the state of officiating in CONCACAF matches already knows that competence isn't exactly a priority in the organization.

(Exhibit A: one of the linesmen in the US-Trinidad & Tobago incorrectly signaled offside on the US four different times in the first half of Saturday's game. Only one of them was even remotely close. This constitutes continental championship caliber officiating in CONCACAF)