The World Cup Draw

[smhbcfc]

The World Cup draw takes place on Friday (BBC Two from 16:30-17:45 GMT). I think I have finally understood the (typically FIFA) complicated draw process.

Basically in order to keep South American teams apart and have a maximum of 2 Euro teams in each group, Pot 2 (Africa and non seeded South America) currently has 7 teams and Pot 4 (non-seeded Europe) has 9.

One of the European teams will be drawn into Pot 2 and will play one of the South American seeds (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay or Colombia). This could happen to England.

The draw would then continue with the African teams in Pot 2 meeting South American seeded teams. in other words the 2 South American non-seeded teams will play European seeds.

So a possible "group of death" for England could be - Brazil, Ivory Coast and Holland

Alternatively they could get Switzerland, Algeria and Honduras.

Here are the Pots:

Pot 1 (top eight seeds): Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Switzerland, Uruguay

Pot 2: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador

Pot 3: Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras

Pot 4: Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, England, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, France

I think we all need to remember that for a team of England's current ability there will be no easy games.

 

[OddRiverOakWizards]

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/...aw-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?