All eyes focus on World Cup draw

[wilheim]

The fate of 32 nations will be determined Friday afternoon when the draw for the 2006 World Cup of soccer takes place.




Spain and Mexico are in, and the United States and Netherlands out, as the eight seeded teams for the World Cup soccer draw were announced on Tuesday. Former champions France, Italy, Argentina and England will also head group play.

Host country Germany and defending champion Brazil were automatically seeded.

FIFA based its seedings on results at the last two World Cups and the world rankings of the past three years.

But the draw is also set up to prevent teams from the same continent landing in the same group. Europe, with 14 of the 32 teams, is the exception. But no more than two European teams will be paired in the same group.

Friday's draw will disperse the remaining 24 teams among the eight groups.

Brazil topped the seedings with 64 points, ahead of England with 51, Spain with 50 and Germany with 48. The fifth-ranked team was Mexico with 47, followed by France with 46. Argentina and Italy tied in seventh with 44 points.

The United States fell just short of the top eight with 43 points. The Dutch were well back with 38.

The Netherlands failed to make the seedings despite being third in the FIFA rankings behind Brazil and the Czech Republic.

While the Czechs ranked third in the rankings, they have failed to qualify for the last three World Cups.

The Dutch failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

Brazil was given top spot in Group F, and will play in Berlin, Munich and Dortmund, the biggest of the 12 World Cup stadiums.

Germany was already seeded to head Group A and will play at the same venues.

CBC Sports

 

[trytrytry]

it will never live up to the hype. all 6 views in the US will be disappointed.

 

[MarkieMark+]

The Draw is complete and this is how they stack up.

GROUP A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

GROUP B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden

GROUP C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland

GROUP D
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

GROUP E
Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic

GROUP F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

GROUP G
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

GROUP H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Groups C and E look like they will be the toughest ones to get out of.

England got a good draw and should be the favourites to advance from Group B.

 

[Nylon]

I think Group D is pretty solid too, Iran is underrated (I think), Portugal is good, & Mexico is solid.

Group H looks UGLY!

 

[AFLGuru]

I know a bit about soccer and HW86 knows a bit more than me, and here's what we've come up with so far... Note, that we're looking at these things in terms of value and the possibility of scalping later on.

We like Brazil at +305 to win the WC... We've got them obviously winning their little ***** group and then knocking out either the USA or the Czech Rep. in the 1st knockout round. Once they get to the round of 8, they're scalpable, especially since they'll either take on the a weak group winner or a weak runner up from France's group to get to the semis.

I, personally like the spot of Germany to win the WC at +870. No real threats in their group... 2nd round should feature a game with a weak group B runner up, either Sweden or Paraguay. Germany should get to the round of 8, where +870 has tons of value.

HW likes Ukraine at +5000, because he's got them qualifying from a group chalk full of mediocrity. If they finish 2nd in the group, they get a clearly aging France team, but if by chance they win the group, they get either Switzerland, South Korea, or Togo. Speaking of which...

He talked me into put $2.50 on Togo to win a bit over a dime at +40064. He thinks they're qualifying, and if they qualify, I don't care who they play, though it'd be a weak Spain team or as he has it, Ukraine... My point here is that SOMEONE'S gotta be runner up in the France group, and Switzerland being at 81-1 also might have value, though they're not in the same class as these other teams.

Speaking of which, I'm sitting on France -0.5 at -123 to beat Switzerland in the opener...

 

[Christian]

i just came back from the movies....and DAMN....the u.s. got a tough draw!!!

dare i call it the "group of death"???? it's definitely got 3 of the top 10 or 12 teams (depending on how high you might rank the u.s.)

italy and CZ are definitely top 10 teams in the world!!! the u.s. will be lucky to get to the 2nd round...

although, if the one thing most people don't realize is that the u.s. still has one of the top5 goalies in the world with kasey keller...and he's having the best year of his career!

if he can continue his form throughout next summer....they might be able to keep some clean sheets and hopefully advance...

i know, i know, i'm doing a whole lot of "hoping"

 

[edub69]

I should be able to get a good scalp in Team USA's first game by taking the Czechs at an internet book, and backing the U.S. at the betting parlors here in Prague, where the local "homers" will inflate the price on the Czech Republic considerably