Tomorrow sees the opening gambit of pomp and circumstance as FIFA arrive in Brazil for the 2014 World Cup draw.
FIFA have pulled another rabbit out of the hat and contrary to media speculation have gone for a different draw format than was widely expected.
How the draw will work:
Four teams will be placed in eight groups with both their group and position (from 1 to 4) decided so that their venue order and fixtures can be decided. Many have speculated that due to Brazil's vastness and variable climate the venues and times of a teams games may be more important than the actual oppositions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25187878
Pot 1 includes all the seeds, one will be placed in each group. Brazil will be in Group A.
One of the nine unseeded European teams will be drawn (behind FIFA closed doors...) and placed in their own pot and effectively be the eighth team in Pot 2. All of the south american seeds will then be placed in Group X and one will be placed in the same group as the European unseeded team that is in their own lonely pot. This is to prevent three European teams from being in the same group.
Elsewise the teams will be drawn out of each pot in order with one team from each pot in each group (so long as it does not contravene the above rule about three European teams in one group).
Here are the four pots:
Pot 1: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay.
Pot 2: Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria.
Pot 3: Australia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Iran, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United States.
Pot 4: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia
Create your own draw here: http://www.theguardian.com/football...up-draw-2014-create-your-own-draw-interactive
Despite my scorn of FIFA and the World Cup no doubt I will be watching the draw on Friday - I see that all the American press are complaining about their tough draw due to the seedings, like the media Costa Rica and England and Italy. No one in France, Switzerland or Brazil are complaining though! I am hoping for a draw that sees Brazil, Netherlands and France in Group A and Germany and Italy in Group B as Germany has never beaten the Azzuri and Brazil against one of those two in round two would be competitive.
Will you be watching the draw, are there any fixtures that you would like to see and who would you like England to be paired with?
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Here are the groups and outcome of the draw:
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
Here is a full out and out fixture by fixture overview for you to predict:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo.../World-Cup-2014-Wallchart-Predictor-Game.html
I had an Argentina v Germany final but Brazil versus their rivals is also possible.
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Roy Hodgson announced his World Cup 23 for Brazil, which included Saints' trio: Shaw, Lallana and Lambert, along with along with seven back up players.
The full 23 man squad is currently as follows:
GK: Hart (Man City), Foster (WBA), Forster (Celtic)
DF: Johnson (Liverpool), Cahill (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), Baines (Everton), Shaw (Southampton), Jones (Man U), Smalling (Man U).
MF: Gerrard (Liverpool), Henderson (Liverpool), Wilshere (Arsenal), Milner (Man City), Lampard (Chelsea), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Lallana (Southampton), Sterling (Liverpool), Barkley (Everton).
ST: Rooney (Man U), Welbeck (Man U), Sturridge (Liverpool), Lambert (Southampton).
Here is the page detailing the list of players included in squads as they are announced: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FIFA_World_Cup_squads
TO VIEW ANY OF THE LINKS YOU NOW HAVE TO TAKE OFF THE SWEAR FILTER OFF - NO IDEA WHY
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Interviews with Rickie Lambert on the FIFA website and Luke Shaw on the BBC are included:
Rickie Lambert: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=5/news=lambert-world-cup-a-dream-come-true-2343391.html
Luke Shaw: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27545042
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Pick your all time World Cup XI: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-27699398
FIFA have pulled another rabbit out of the hat and contrary to media speculation have gone for a different draw format than was widely expected.
How the draw will work:
Four teams will be placed in eight groups with both their group and position (from 1 to 4) decided so that their venue order and fixtures can be decided. Many have speculated that due to Brazil's vastness and variable climate the venues and times of a teams games may be more important than the actual oppositions: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25187878
Pot 1 includes all the seeds, one will be placed in each group. Brazil will be in Group A.
One of the nine unseeded European teams will be drawn (behind FIFA closed doors...) and placed in their own pot and effectively be the eighth team in Pot 2. All of the south american seeds will then be placed in Group X and one will be placed in the same group as the European unseeded team that is in their own lonely pot. This is to prevent three European teams from being in the same group.
Elsewise the teams will be drawn out of each pot in order with one team from each pot in each group (so long as it does not contravene the above rule about three European teams in one group).
Here are the four pots:
Pot 1: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay.
Pot 2: Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria.
Pot 3: Australia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Iran, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, United States.
Pot 4: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia
Create your own draw here: http://www.theguardian.com/football...up-draw-2014-create-your-own-draw-interactive
Despite my scorn of FIFA and the World Cup no doubt I will be watching the draw on Friday - I see that all the American press are complaining about their tough draw due to the seedings, like the media Costa Rica and England and Italy. No one in France, Switzerland or Brazil are complaining though! I am hoping for a draw that sees Brazil, Netherlands and France in Group A and Germany and Italy in Group B as Germany has never beaten the Azzuri and Brazil against one of those two in round two would be competitive.
Will you be watching the draw, are there any fixtures that you would like to see and who would you like England to be paired with?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the groups and outcome of the draw:
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
Here is a full out and out fixture by fixture overview for you to predict:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo.../World-Cup-2014-Wallchart-Predictor-Game.html
I had an Argentina v Germany final but Brazil versus their rivals is also possible.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roy Hodgson announced his World Cup 23 for Brazil, which included Saints' trio: Shaw, Lallana and Lambert, along with along with seven back up players.
The full 23 man squad is currently as follows:
GK: Hart (Man City), Foster (WBA), Forster (Celtic)
DF: Johnson (Liverpool), Cahill (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), Baines (Everton), Shaw (Southampton), Jones (Man U), Smalling (Man U).
MF: Gerrard (Liverpool), Henderson (Liverpool), Wilshere (Arsenal), Milner (Man City), Lampard (Chelsea), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Lallana (Southampton), Sterling (Liverpool), Barkley (Everton).
ST: Rooney (Man U), Welbeck (Man U), Sturridge (Liverpool), Lambert (Southampton).
Here is the page detailing the list of players included in squads as they are announced: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FIFA_World_Cup_squads
TO VIEW ANY OF THE LINKS YOU NOW HAVE TO TAKE OFF THE SWEAR FILTER OFF - NO IDEA WHY
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interviews with Rickie Lambert on the FIFA website and Luke Shaw on the BBC are included:
Rickie Lambert: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2014/m=5/news=lambert-world-cup-a-dream-come-true-2343391.html
Luke Shaw: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27545042
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Pick your all time World Cup XI: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-27699398
Holland win the final.
