[Alex Golec]

One thing to keep in mind is the size of the event: 64 teams means that only 7 qualification matches are going to be played, instead of the usual 12.

What that means, in an approximated ideal world, is that only 21~ teams will play against each of the supposed powerhouse teams. It is now likely that a team can get through the entire qualification schedule without a serious challenge.

I suppose what all this translates to is a cautionary statement: in order for an ideal alliance to occur, the standings be in a certain order...