Soccer-Latin America unruffled by World Cup date change

By Andrew Downie SAO PAULO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - South American soccer bosses have yet to react to a possible November-December 2022 World Cup but such a date change should cause little commotion in a region that traditionally ends its season a few weeks before Christmas. A FIFA Task Force on Tuesday recommended Qatar should host a shorter tournament in the cooler months of November and December when the average temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius. June and July are not viable for a soccer tournament in the Gulf nation, when temperatures routinely exceed 40 Celsius. CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, said it had no comment on the proposed date change and the Brazilian Football Confederation was unaware of FIFA's decision when contacted on Tuesday morning. No major Latin American nation has yet made a public statement about the decision, which will be put before FIFA's executive committee to be ratified next month. But they are unlikely to mount strong objections because it will not involve the same amount of reshuffling to domestic fixtures as in Europe. NO CONCERNS The Brazilian domestic season ends in the first week of December, as the height of South America's summer approaches. Leagues in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay all either end in December or take a break over the festive period. The lack of concern in the region about a November-December World Cup, was reflected by the fact the main sports websites in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia paid more attention to Tuesday's European Champions League fixtures than to the FIFA decision. Stories about the 2022 World Cup focused on the controversy surrounding domestic fixtures in Europe rather than potential local concerns. CONMEBOL and its member associations may have something to say on the proposal during a congress at its Asuncion headquarters next week. FIFA president Sepp Blatter, UEFA chief Michel Platini, CONCACAF chairman Jeffrey Webb and Oceania's David Chung will all be in attendance. (Reporting by Andrew Downie; additional reporting by Rex Gowar in Buenos Aires; Editing by Ken Ferris)