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Ankf00
12-09-05, 02:11 PM
T minus 2 hours :cool:

US missed out on being one of the 8 #1 seeds as did The Netherlands. We could theoretically be in the same group as HOL & Brasil :eek:

The formula for calculating seeding pools HAD been last 3 WC appearances + last 3 FIFA year end rankings...

So naturally, seeing as the US showed well in 94 and 02 and has been top 10 in FIFA rankings lately but was dead last in 98, FIFA changed their previous method for seeding and only factored in the last 2 WC's... which means our dead last showing in '98, factored as 1/6th of the overall rating. So the US is in another pool of teams now Americas teams, they cannot be in the same group as Mexico, Costa Rica, or Trinidad & Tobago b/c they're CONCACAF teams as well...

WC finishes and FIFA rankings weighed in at 50% each...
2002 counted as 67% vs. 1998 at 33%, so 33% & 16.5% each...

and the last 3 FIFA year end ratings were weighted equally, so 16.5% for each one of those...

Which group Germany & Brasil will be in has been predetermined b/c I think the stadii in Munich & Berlin have the largest capacity and those 2 teams will be the biggest draws. And it's been predetermined which groups will play in which cities, so today which teams are in which groups will be decided.

and funny blog from the Dallas Morning News' soccer guy

The World Cup Final Draw happens in about 3 hours. Whenever I think of a draw like this, I always think of Bruce Arena, the cocksure American manager. He was the Olympic coach in 1996 when the Americans were drawn into a particularly tough group, one that included Argentina.

Remember, the '96 Games were in Atlanta (with soccer played throughout the region). Usually, host nations get some kind of a break, even if the draw is supposedly random.

Which all led to a classic Arena quote, well-known inside soccer circles: "Americans are too stupid to know how to fix a draw."

and hopefully this time around the refs aren't rigging the whistles for the host nation :saywhat: That South Korean **** was bull ****. 1-1 draw my arse, fouls were something like 70 against us and only 15 or 20 against them :saywhat:

IlliniRacer
12-09-05, 04:38 PM
Since running the Champions League website for my current employer, I've actually taking a liking to soccer.

Speaking of Champions League - Man U = p0wned! :) I love it!!

Dr. Corkski
12-09-05, 07:01 PM
The Fix (Bold=my picks to advance):

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

Group B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Netherlands

Group D
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

Group E
Italy
Ghana
USA :laugh:
Czech Rep

Group F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

Group G
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

Group H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Ankf00
12-09-05, 07:49 PM
what a s***** ****ing draw, the Iti's AND the Czechs? :saywhat:

game vs. the czechs is going to determine who goes through. Hopefully Casano shows up with his typical hissy-fits and tanks Italia ala Totti + Euro 04 :D

Mexico receiving a seed over us is a crock though..


edit: Agree with the rest of the predictions but I say the Swiss go through in place of Korea, and Croatia in place of Japan.

Korea + Japan are decent teams, but they're not going to get all the B.S. whistles they did in '02, plus you figure the european teams will play that much better in europe...

emjaya
12-09-05, 10:35 PM
The Fix (Bold=my picks to advance):

Group F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

:p :p

Group F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

That looks better
:)

racer2c
12-09-05, 10:58 PM
I watched a soccer game once. :)

Ankf00
12-10-05, 02:47 AM
:p :p

Group F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

That looks better
:)

Australia's best competition this tournament will come from Togo, Trinidad & Tobago, and Ghana... the Race for Last Place :gomer:

emjaya
12-10-05, 05:12 AM
So,another unbeliever soon to be humbled by the sleeping giant that is Australian soccer,nay no longer is it soccer,now it is FOOTBALL

As Casey Ryback said "I guess we will see what we see"

:p :p

Ankf00
12-10-05, 12:28 PM
you did not just quote steven segal... :eek:

Ankf00
12-10-05, 05:23 PM
great, we're playing the Czechs in the first game, the Italians in the 2nd...

one of them as the 3rd game would've been preferable so we could've scouted their first 2 performances...

instead we're going to have to make WAG's about Czech with heavy scouting during their WC tune-up friendlies... and we'll have all of 1 game of WC play to base Italian play on...

would've been much nicer to have Ghana as the first game, then again, Ghana's the top african team so who knows how that one will play out.

US must win the group to reach the quarterfinals. If US goes through as 2nd in group, we play the winner of Brasil's group, and that team will most likely be, well, Brasil :mad:

Pavel Nedved is going to eat our lunch.

TrueBrit
12-10-05, 06:10 PM
No doubt the Yanks got a tough draw, but I wouldn't count them out yet...

eiregosod
12-10-05, 06:12 PM
some real interesting pairings.

The USA/Czech group will be a nightmare. The czechs are no slouches on the field.

France, Switzerland. They played against each other int he qualifiers.

Sebia/Holland/Argenina will be another good group to watch.

England have it fairly easy.

Croatia will be good.

Things dont go like clockwork in the world cup, so who knows what'll happen.

Ankf00
12-10-05, 06:22 PM
France, Switzerland. They played against each other int he qualifiers.


Didn't the Swiss play to a pair of draws with Les Bleus in qualifying? Swiss will play well imo.

dando
12-10-05, 07:18 PM
Game times released:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=351854&cc=5901

USA/Czech kickoff @ noon.

-Kevin

TrueBrit
12-11-05, 01:31 AM
So,another unbeliever soon to be humbled by the sleeping giant that is Australian soccer,nay no longer is it soccer,now it is FOOTBALL

As Casey Ryback said "I guess we will see what we see"

:p :p

If they play as well as your rugby team and your cricket team it's gonna be a short trip.... :rofl: :rofl:

emjaya
12-11-05, 09:14 AM
They only have to play like this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/england/2751635.stm)
:p :p


you did not just quote steven segal... :eek:

This is the danger of excessive beer consumption,Steven Segal quotes pop into your head. :laugh:

Ankf00
12-11-05, 06:12 PM
big lebowski, pulp fiction, office space sure...

steven segal? that must be some damn strong beer down there :eek:



anyone seen the throwback unis Italy, France, and Holland are going to be sporting? The Azzurri throwbacks look pretty funky, but the Oranje and Les Bleus have nice kits. I wonder what monstrosities Team Nike is going to unleash at the WC :rolleyes: