Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Time: Friday, December 4 at 1700 GMT
Its still a few days away, but the meeting to decide the seeds and pots is tomorrow.
Here are the expected pots IF they keep the same formula as 2006. FIFA can always change it tomorrow.
Pot 1: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Argentina, France, South Africa
Pot 2: Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
Pot 4: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, New Zealand, Honduras, Mexico, USA
The only remaining question is who gets grouped with Africa? The assumption is CONMEBOL gets grouped with the African teams, but they could include CONCACAF.
This is big because whoever gets grouped with Africa has a 1/3 chance of drawing South Africa from the seeds pot because none of the five Africa teams could be put in group A. Also, it opens up being able to draw the weaker Asian/New Zealand teams.
The teams put with Asia will only have a 1/8 chance of drawing South Africa, while they will draw someone from Africa or South America. As an American I'm praying we somehow get put with Africa. If not, the US and Mexico will both likely be in the two or three groups of deaths (which there will be more than one).
From Pot 2, Netherlands and Portugal will be the teams to avoid.
Best group for England: England, Slovenia, Uruguay (or maybe Algeria), New Zealand (or North Korea)
World group for England: England, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico
Best group for USA: South Africa, Slovenia, USA, Uruguay
World group for USA: Brazil, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, USA
Hardest possible group: Brazil, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico
Easiest possible group (aka the one South Africa will really get :wink: South Africa, Slovenia, Uruguay, New Zealand
You could replace Cote d'Ivoire with Ghana or Cameroon as well.
Time: Friday, December 4 at 1700 GMT
Its still a few days away, but the meeting to decide the seeds and pots is tomorrow.
Here are the expected pots IF they keep the same formula as 2006. FIFA can always change it tomorrow.
Pot 1: Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Argentina, France, South Africa
Pot 2: Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
Pot 4: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, New Zealand, Honduras, Mexico, USA
The only remaining question is who gets grouped with Africa? The assumption is CONMEBOL gets grouped with the African teams, but they could include CONCACAF.
This is big because whoever gets grouped with Africa has a 1/3 chance of drawing South Africa from the seeds pot because none of the five Africa teams could be put in group A. Also, it opens up being able to draw the weaker Asian/New Zealand teams.
The teams put with Asia will only have a 1/8 chance of drawing South Africa, while they will draw someone from Africa or South America. As an American I'm praying we somehow get put with Africa. If not, the US and Mexico will both likely be in the two or three groups of deaths (which there will be more than one).
From Pot 2, Netherlands and Portugal will be the teams to avoid.
Best group for England: England, Slovenia, Uruguay (or maybe Algeria), New Zealand (or North Korea)
World group for England: England, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico
Best group for USA: South Africa, Slovenia, USA, Uruguay
World group for USA: Brazil, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, USA
Hardest possible group: Brazil, Netherlands, Cote d'Ivoire, Mexico
Easiest possible group (aka the one South Africa will really get :wink: South Africa, Slovenia, Uruguay, New Zealand
You could replace Cote d'Ivoire with Ghana or Cameroon as well.