World Cup draw on Friday

[Panda]

IVORY COAST

Odds: 80/1

Qualifying: (group winners)
Libya (H) W 2-0
Egypt (A) W 2-1
Cameroon (A) L 0-2
Sudan (H) W 5-0
Benin (A) W 1-0
Benin (H) W 3-0
Libya (A) D 0-0
Egypt (H) W 2-0
Cameroon (H) L 2-3
Sudan (A) W 3-1

Past performance:
Never previously qualified

[Admin]

Why on earth are we 2nd faves?

Cant wait for the draw though!

[paulgilb]

Apparently FIFA have had the cheek to give Germany an automatic seeding, even though they are only ranked 16th in the world - as if giving them automatic qualification wasn't enough...

[Maximo Mark]

paulgilb said:

Apparently FIFA have had the cheek to give Germany an automatic seeding, even though they are only ranked 16th in the world - as if giving them automatic qualification wasn't enough...

They ALWAYS do that though. Korea and Japan were seeded last time...

[Zodiac]

These are the pots then

POT ONE
Germany (hosts)
Brazil (holders)
Argentina
England
France
Italy
Mexico
Spain

POT TWO
Australia
Angola
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Togo
Tunisia
Ecuador
Paraguay

POT THREE
Croatia
Czech Republic
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Sweden
Switzerland
Ukraine

POT FOUR
Iran
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Costa Rica
Trinidad & Tobago
US
Special pot: Sebria & Montenegro

Now let's just avoid the Czech Republic, Holland and Portugal PLEASE

[Thor]

BEST -
Argentina
Australia (assuming Paraguay can't go in a group with Argentina ??)
Netherlands
Serbia & Montenegro

WORST -
Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago
Switzerland
Togo

I'd say England are through for definite unless they get Paraguay from Pool 2. Whatever happens i see lots of euopean teams making the second stage, especially as Europe is hosting. without doubt the strongest continent.

Pool 2 is a bit silly with the massive extremes in quality

I do hope we get a fair draw though. lets go!!

[Thor]

I think they should have done...

POT TWO
Australia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Iran
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Special pot: Sebria & Montenegro

POT FOUR

Angola
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Togo
Tunisia
Costa Rica
Trinidad & Tobago
US

which in my view makes it a *little* more balanced in terms of quality

still its undeniably unfair that the US who did so well last time are given the same drawing as T+Tobago who have never done anything. EVER!

[rubcale]

So England have been seeded then?

As the tournament is in Germany I wouldn't bet against them (Germany that is) winning it.

[Admin]

Germany are poor, but the crowd may pull them thru, depends on their draw...
Why are serbia in a special pot?
Cant wait for the draw, there are some teams in pot 3 we need to deffo avoid, or become the group of death

[Maximo Mark]

I can see us in the group of death tbh, we usually are but we are good enough to get out of it!

[Panda]

admin said:

Germany are poor, but the crowd may pull them thru, depends on their draw...
Why are serbia in a special pot?
Cant wait for the draw, there are some teams in pot 3 we need to deffo avoid, or become the group of death

They needed to keep one European team separate to avoid the possibility of having 3 European teams in one group. It means they will go in a group with Brazil, Argentina or Mexico.

[Panda]

broomhelga said:

BEST -
Argentina
Australia (assuming Paraguay can't go in a group with Argentina ??)
Netherlands
Serbia & Montenegro

WORST -
Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago
Switzerland
Togo

I'd say England are through for definite unless they get Paraguay from Pool 2. Whatever happens i see lots of euopean teams making the second stage, especially as Europe is hosting. without doubt the strongest continent.

Pool 2 is a bit silly with the massive extremes in quality

I do hope we get a fair draw though. lets go!!

I'd pretty much agree with those, except I'd maybe have the Ivory Coast as the strongest team in Pot 2.

[Zodiac]

broomhelga said:

still its undeniably unfair that the US who did so well last time are given the same drawing as T+Tobago who have never done anything. EVER!

Hmm, yeah, but I can see the sense in a regional draw and seeing as they're both in CONCACAF I can't see there's any getting around that. I think it would be even more unjust if the US got a seeding, which they surely almost did. I still think it's a little farcical that Mexico have got one.

[Panda]

JAPAN

Odds: 150/1

Qualifying: (group winners)
R2 - Oman (H) W 1-0
R2 - Singapore (A) W 2-1
R2 - India (H) W 7-0
R2 - India (A) W 4-0
R2 - Oman (A) W 1-0
R2 - Singapore (H) W 1-0
R3 - North Korea (H) W 2-1
R3 - Iran (A) L 1-2
R3 - Bahrain (H) W 1-0
R3 - Bahrain (A) W 1-0
R3 - North Korea (A) W 2-0
R3 - Iran (H) W 2-1

Past performance:
Round 2: 2002
Round 1: 1998

[Panda]

MEXICO

Odds: 66/1

Qualifying: (group winners)
R2 - Dominica (A) W 10-0
R2 - Dominica (H) W 8-0 (won 18-0 on aggregate)
R3 - Trinidad & Tobago (A) W 3-1
R3 - St. Vincent & The Grenadines (H) W 7-0
R3 - St. Vincent & The Grenadines (A) W 1-0
R3 - Trinidad & Tobago (H) W 3-0
R3 - St. Kitts & Nevis (A) W 5-0
R3 - St. Kitts & Nevis (H) W 8-0
R4 - Costa Rica (A) W 2-1
R4 - USA (H) W 2-1
R4 - Panama (A) D 1-1
R4 - Guatemala (A) W 2-0
R4 - Trinidad & Tobago (H) W 2-0
R4 - Costa Rica (H) W 2-0
R4 - USA (A) L 0-2
R4 - Panama (H) W 5-0
R4 - Guatemala (H) W 5-2
R4 - Trinidad & Tobago (A) L 1-2

Past performance:
Quarter-finals: 1970, 1986
Round 2: 1994, 1998, 2002
Round 1: 1930, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1978

[Panda]

PARAGUAY

Odds: 100/1

Qualifying: (finished 4th in group)
Peru (A) L 1-4
Uruguay (H) W 4-1
Ecuador (H) W 2-1
Chile (A) W 1-0
Brazil (H) D 0-0
Bolivia (A) L 1-2
Argentina (A) D 0-0
Venezuela (H) W 1-0
Colombia (A) D 1-1
Peru (H) D 1-1
Uruguay (A) L 0-1
Ecuador (A) L 2-5
Chile (H) W 2-1
Brazil (A) L 1-4
Bolivia (H) W 4-1
Argentina (H) W 1-0
Venezuela (A) W 1-0
Colombia (H) L 0-1

Past performance:
Round 2: 1986, 1998, 2002
Round 1: 1930, 1950, 1958

[Panda]

POLAND

Odds: 125/1

Qualifying: (qualified as best runners-up)
Northern Ireland (A) W 3-0
England (H) L 1-2
Austria (A) W 3-1
Wales (A) W 3-2
Azerbaijan (H) W 8-0
Northern Ireland (H) W 1-0
Azerbaijan (A) W 3-0
Austria (H) W 3-2
Wales (H) W 1-0
England (A) L 1-2

Past performance:
3rd place: 1974, 1982
Round 2: 1978, 1986
Round 1: 1938, 2002

[Zodiac]

broomhelga said:

WORST -
Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago
Switzerland
Togo

I can't believe this group is possible - it's terrible!

[Panda]

PORTUGAL

Odds: 18/1

Qualifying: (group winners)
Latvia (A) W 2-1
Estonia (H) W 4-0
Liechtenstein (A) D 2-2
Russia (H) W 7-1
Luxembourg (A) W 5-0
Slovakia (A) D 1-1
Slovakia (H) W 2-0
Estonia (A) W 1-0
Luxembourg (H) W 6-0
Russia (A) D 0-0
Liechtenstein (H) W 2-1
Latvia (H) W 3-0

Past performance:
3rd place: 1966
Round 1: 1986, 2002

[Panda]

SAUDI ARABIA

Odds: 400/1

Qualifying: (group winners)
R2 - Indonesia (H) W 3-0
R2 - Sri Lanka (A) W 1-0
R2 - Turkmenistan (H) W 3-0
R2 - Turkmenistan (A) W 1-0
R2 - Indonesia (A) W 3-1
R2 - Sri Lanka (H) W 3-0
R3 - Uzbekistan (A) D 1-1
R3 - South Korea (H) W 3-0
R3 - Kuwait (A) D 0-0
R3 - Kuwait (H) W 3-0
R3 - Uzbekistan (H) W 3-0
R3 - South Korea (A) W 1-0

Past performance:
Round 2: 1994
Round 1: 1998, 2002