oh, and this new format was hatched because:
(2016 article)
Concacaf set to fix 'archaic' World Cup qualifying to give more teams a shot | Football | The Guardian
From the article:
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani has instigated a review of an “archaic” format that leaves only six out of the region’s 35 teams still in with a shot at qualifying for Russia in 2018.
The end result?
Well, let's see how much has changed..
The format that leaves only six out of the region's 35 teams still in with a shot for DIRECT QUALIFICATION for QATAR in 2022.
Plus ca change., Plus ca le meme chose..
Or as the Who would sing: "MEET THE NEW BOSS.. SAME AS THE OLD BOSS"