Canada starts year in ninth on CONCACAF list

Canada sits ninth within CONCACAF in the first FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings of the 2009 season. USA, meanwhile, maintained the top spot for the fourth-consecutive month with Mexico and Honduras in second and third place.

The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings looks at each country’s international results from the last four years. The ranking takes into account the result, the importance of the match, the strength of the opponent, the regional strength, the time period, and the number of matches per year.

Canada has not played since 19 November and remains stuck on 410 points. It did, however, move up four spots on the world ranking as other countries lost points. Canada’s 410 points currently ranks 86th on the world ranking.

USA ranks 22nd in the world ranking with 853 points, four spots and 42 points better than second-place Mexico. Honduras (689), Costa Rica (606) and Jamaica (494) round out the top five.

In 2009, Canada will compete in the CONCACAF Gold Cup (schedule and location have yet to be announced). Twelve teams will participate in the 2009 tournament of which seven have already qualified (Canada, USA, Mexico, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Jamaica).

FIFA : CONCACAF : Country : Points
22 1 USA 853
26 2 Mexico 811
40 3 Honduras 689
47 4 Costa Rica 606
66 5 Jamaica 494
73 6 Trinidad and Tobago 461
77 7 Cuba 425
83 8 Panama 417
86 9 Canada 410
100 10 Haiti 357