If a team can go 0-3 as did Mexico and still "advance" to the next round, why have a first round at all?

I've never heard or don't believe there has ever been such a situation before, ever, in the history of qualifying for any sport where a team could "advance" by losing every game it played in the qualifying round.

If Mexico advanced because another team failed to field a team when they faced Mexio, (another bizarre twist in this mess) then NEITHER Mexico or the other team should have advanced and America should have gotten a bye in the next round, rather than the bye bye they did get.

Before you argue that the United States needs to win regardless of who they play, then consider this, If the United States played every game as if it were it's last, then they have inevitabley depleted their pitching.

If another team can go 0-3 and "advance" to the next round, who's to say if they played with the same tenaciousness as a 3-0 team. This could mean that Mexico was better rested and had more pitching available then the United States did.

The Olympic Qualifying system stinks. The U.S. earned a bye rather than face an 0-3 club. What a stupid debacle.