World Cup Finals Draw

[Compo's Hat]

So we now have the final 32 for South Africa.

AFC
Australia
Japan
Korea DPR
Korea Republic

CAF
Algeria
Cameroon
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana
Nigeria
South Africa

CONCACAF
Honduras
Mexico
United States

CONMEBOL
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Paraguay
Uruguay

OFC
New Zealand

UEFA
Denmark
England
France
Germany
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland

Are South Africa a seed as the host nation and will England be a seed as well?

There are certainly some preferances as to who i'd like England to face, like New Zealand and Honduras. While there are definitely some teams to avoid, i presume we'll get another European side and if a team like Holland isn't seeded i'd like to stay clear of them.

[Sun Tzu]

They did the draw on 5L this morning and we got Denmark, S Korea and Nigeria which looks good to me.

I'm not sure it was 100% offical though....

[Thaumagurist*]

I hope they're going to factor in the qualifying records rather than relying solely on the FIFA rankings to decide on the seedings. I don't want to see teams who qualified through the play-offs to be ahead of teams who finished 1st in their groups. That means I want to see France placed in an extremely tough group.

[papereyes]

South Africa are seeded, yes

I think England will be.

Pot of seeds (fnarr) would be, I imagine

Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, France

Holland might just replace France, but that leaves 8 other UEFA countries - another pot.

AFC + Conacaf + OFC = 8 teams - another pot

CAF + remaining conmebol = 8 teams - a final pot

Sadly, this would mean that North and South Korea and the US would be in one pot and not play each other. I can also imagine teams really wanting to play New Zealand and Honduras.

[Thaumagurist*]

Pot of seeds (fnarr) would be, I imagine

Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, France

Holland might just replace France, but that leaves 8 other UEFA countries - another pot.

Didn't Holland qualify with an excellent record? First European team to qualify. Therefore they should in ahead of France.

[cmonurz]

You are tiresome Spacey, they are the holders of the World Cup.

The seedings in 2006 were based on performances at the previous two World Cups, and world rankings over the previous three years (and those rankings reflect results over that period, including qualifying matches).

That said, with teams from different confederations kept apart (and no more than 2 European sides in a group), the seedings are almost irrelevant, save for producing a couple of groups with two strong European teams in. Holland and Portugal likely to be the Pot 2 teams others want to avoid.

Pots based on 2006 method:

Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Argentina
Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia
Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria
Pot 4: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2935 ... ding-boost

Holland, Cote d'Ivoire and Australia wouldn't be much fun. Slovenia, Algeria and New Zealand would be.

[Thaumagurist*]

You are tiresome Spacey, they are the holders of the World Cup.

EH?!?!? A bit a of re-write of history there.

[readingbedding]

At least one group will be fixed.

[readingbedding]

You are tiresome Spacey, they are the holders of the World Cup.

The seedings in 2006 were based on performances at the previous two World Cups, and world rankings over the previous three years (and those rankings reflect results over that period, including qualifying matches).

Do me a favour, it's not 2002.

[cmonurz]

Getting my years the wrong way around. Either way, the last two world cups are taken into account, and a win and a final should see France seeded. Unless they change the criteria.

[paultheroyal]

ZURICH (AP) — FIFA has yet to select a formula to seed the 32 World Cup qualifiers for the finals draw.
Football's world governing body said Thursday that it could choose the seeding rules, or hand the decision to the World Cup organizing committee which meets in Cape Town two days before the December 4 draw.

The formula usually combines rankings over several years plus performance at previous World Cups.

Host South Africa will be one of eight top seeds heading a four nation group, leaving traditional powers like France, the Netherlands or Portugal among eight second-tier nations.

[wolsey]

I hope they're going to factor in the qualifying records rather than relying solely on the FIFA rankings to decide on the seedings. I don't want to see teams who qualified through the play-offs to be ahead of teams who finished 1st in their groups. That means I want to see France placed in an extremely tough group.

So you would be happy for them to be in England's group (should we be top seeds?) - because, let's not forget, FIFA is rabidly anti-English, and they will do anything to make us fail (they did, after all introduce penalty shoot outs)

[papereyes]

Getting my years the wrong way around. Either way, the last two world cups are taken into account, and a win and a final should see France seeded. Unless they change the criteria.

They're above Holland, yeah, but come on, cmonurz.

Slovenia are better than some would think, btw.

One European team will be dogpoo. One African team surprisingly good.

I think USA could upset someone.

[paultheroyal]

The next Fifa world rankings, which will go some way to decide the seeding, will be released on November 20.

2010 FIFA WORLD CUP SEEDING AS OF TODAY:

POT 1
1. South Africa
2. Brazil
3. Spain
4. Netherlands
5. Italy
6. Germany
7. Argentina
8. England

POT 2
1. France
2. Portugal
3. USA
4. Slovenia
5. Switzerland
6. Cameroon
7. Greece
8. Chile

POT 3
1. Mexico
2. Ivory Coast
3. Serbia
4. Paraguay
5. Australia
6. Uruguay
7. Denmark
8. Algeria

POT 4
1. Nigeria
2. Slovakia
3. Honduras
4. Ghana
5. Japan
6. Korea Republic
7. New Zealand
8. Korea DPR

[papereyes]

BUT they also link it to confederation.

[cmonurz]

I'm saying simply that if FIFA again take into account the previous two tournaments, its difficult to see France not being top seeds.

[papereyes]

I'm saying simply that if FIFA again take into account the previous two tournaments, its difficult to see France not being top seeds.

Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Italy, Germany, England, Spain, France

Holland might just replace France, but that leaves 8 other UEFA countries - another pot.

I know.

[Silver Fox]

One European team will be dogpoo.

England? Let's be honest where they get seeded is irrelevant, they'll win their group, roll past a last 16 tie and then fail miserably against France, Brazil, Argentina or Portugal in the quarters

[papereyes]

One European team will be dogpoo.

England? Let's be honest where they get seeded is irrelevant, they'll win their group, roll past a last 16 tie and then fail miserably against France, Brazil, Argentina or Portugal in the quarters

Oh I mean, Greece '94 or SerbiaMontengro '06 dogpoo. France '02 perhaps? Beaten by some plucky Africans, draw against a decent team then implode against some under-rated scandinavians.

And yes, that's exactly my prediction for England. Beaten by the first decent side they play in a game that matters. Someone will get sent off to add injustice for the 'can't quite wipe the drool from my mouth' brigade.

[Ark Royal]

I would imagine that all of the Europeans would hope to avoid Ivory Coast or Ghana. There is going to be at least one Group of Death.