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| 2010 World Cup Draw | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 16 2009, 11:25 AM (1,138 Views) | |
| Simon | Dec 1 2009, 03:28 PM Post #16 |
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I'm pretty familiar with those South African cities through following rugby and cricket, and on the subject of those sports I read some interesting interviews with English cricket and rugby stars that spoke in some detail about the conditions in South Africa, altitude, weather etc. I think it was in light of recent news that David Beckham is asthmatic. I've tried to hunt them down but I can't find them unfortunately. I'll have another crack tomorrow. Obviously comparisons between sports aren't ideal. Bowling a six-ball over in Cricket could be hard work at altitude, but for the fielders etc it's pretty sedentary. Rugby's obviously the closer fit but the conclusion was the footballers shouldn't find it too hard. There was all kinds of other stuff about what fans will find, atmosphere in the different cities etc. Shame I can't lay my hands on it now, but England are just starting a cricket Test Series in South Africa this week, so presumably there will be other World Cup angles/comparisons in the reporting of that. I'll keep my eye open. |
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| enganche | Dec 1 2009, 03:49 PM Post #17 |
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Interesting thoughts on the altitude and overal weather effecting the World Cup. As was discussed earlier, the cooler temperatures should help teams play more dynamically than they do in the middle of the northern hemisphere summer. About the altitude, i didn't notice it adversely effected the teams this past summer in the Confederations Cup and then the visiting teams had even less time than they will next year to acclimatise. |
| Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado | |
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| Sammy Maudlin | Dec 1 2009, 06:24 PM Post #18 |
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Like enganche I too did not notice any serious effects of altitude during the Confederations Cup. Not all matches were played in altitude but there certainly were plenty of games in that tournament played in Johannesburg and Pretoria in altitude to convince me this won't be much of an issue next year. And enganche is right to point out how next year most teams will have even more time to acclimate to the altitude which should make it even less of a hinderance. Only 2 more days to go to the draw! I am getting anxious for this to start, every four years I feel like the World Cup really starts with the draw. |
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| alabastergremlin | Dec 1 2009, 09:45 PM Post #19 |
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Why does FIFA feel the need to protect the regions from themselves? Why divide the pots (after the top teams) by region at all? It seems to me that is just a way to artificially dictate certain matchups. Why not seed the top teams into one group each. Then put all of the other teams into one big pool. Draw for Group A Spot 2, then Group B Spot 2,...,Group A Spot 3, Group B Spot 3,... Are they worried about having an all European group? Even so, who cares? |
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| Simon | Dec 2 2009, 04:50 AM Post #20 |
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I just think, certainly from an English viewpoint, it would be a bit boring to be in an all-European group. We play these countries all the time, I think you want something a bit more exotic at a World Cup. I'd personally rather play Ivory Coast and Mexico than Switzerland and Slovakia, even if it would be harder. |
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| alabastergremlin | Dec 2 2009, 06:31 AM Post #21 |
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http://soccernet.espn.go.com/world-cup/sto...?cc=5901&ver=us This is the lineup, according to ESPN (sorry for the uneven pasting) Pot 1 Argentina Brazil England Germany Italy Netherlands South Africa Spain Pot 2 Australia Japan North Korea South Korea Honduras Mexico United States New Zealand Pot 3 Algeria Cameroon Ivory Coast Ghana Nigeria Chile Paraguay Uruguay Pot 4 Denmark France Greece Portugal Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Switzerland Moderators Note: I edited this so the spacing would be more even. |
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| Sporting | Dec 2 2009, 09:12 AM Post #22 |
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I'm looking forward to when they actually get round to doing the draw, as I imagine there'll be the usual tedious speeches before (and probably during, come to that) the actual procedure. |
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| raconteur | Dec 2 2009, 10:38 AM Post #23 |
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Well at least there will be Charlize Theron to look at! ![]() So the seeding went exactly as planned except Holland became a top seed and France dropped to the pot of "secondary" European teams. FIFA claim it was because seeding was based on FIFA rankings, but most think it was done as a punishment for the Henry handball. And speaking of that FIFA will also be looking in to punishing Henry for that. And despite most everyone, including Sepp Blatter himself, thinking the use of extra officials on the end line would be a good idea, that was not approved by FIFA. So no extra officials for South Africa 2010. So long as they don't get placed in South Africa's group you have to think any group involving the US or Mexico from Pot 2, Ivory Coast, Ghana or Paraguay from Pot 3 and France or Portugal from Pot 4 stands a good chance of being this World Cup's "Group of Death." |
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| Mr. Pither | Dec 2 2009, 11:30 AM Post #24 |
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I think Simon has correctly summarised FIFA's view on this, they want geographic diversity and I think that is right in a tournament called the World Cup. European teams play one another in qualifying and in the European Nations Cup, Africa teams do the same with fellow African opponents and South America's teams play one another in Copa America. Because of the quantity of European nations there often will be some groups with 2 European nations but that is more than enough for me. It does as Simon point out add some extra interest when your nation is playing a team from another contnent in the World Cup. Curious isn't it how Netherlands moved up to become a top seed while France moved down? That was the only difference between the actual pots and what the Spanish newspaper that merengue quoted to begin this discussion came up with. It would not surprise me if this one change was done in response to the circumstances of France's qualification. It is not often that you see the current World Cup runnerup not given a top seed. But as someone who follows the Oranje, I will not be complaining. |
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P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD | |
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| Simon | Dec 2 2009, 04:02 PM Post #25 |
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Textbook FIFA. Punish France in an underhand way, and don't own up to it. Meanwhile, don't take any action that might prevent precisely the same thing happening again. Brilliant! :rolleyes: |
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| rosarino | Dec 2 2009, 07:09 PM Post #26 |
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On the last post of page 1 merengue noted a radio report he heard where France had the choice of being a top seed and Henry getting a suspension or giving that up and Henry not getting suspended. The first part of that equation has happened, Holland not France got the top seed, now we see if Henry will be suspended or not. As an Argentina fan I know my country will have one of the 5 African teams from Pot 3 in it's group. Those could range from the difficult Ivory Coast to the more acceptable Algeria but in all likelihood it will be a difficult team as the other African entrants all look formidable. The key for the group's difficulty will be the European team selected. If it is Portugal or France then we know there is a strong chance this could become the group of death. Hopefully it will be Slovakia or Slovenia instead. And the same with the Asian/CONCACAF pot, Mexico or the US would mean a difficult opponent, New Zealand or North Korea a more easier one. Best case scenario for Argentina: North Korea, Algeria, Slovenia Worst case scenario: Mexico, Ivory Coast, Portugal. Actually those best and worst case scenarios probably apply to all of the seeded countries except South Africa who cannot be placed with Algeria. |
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| ursus arctos | Dec 2 2009, 07:31 PM Post #27 |
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Well, FIFA have announced that they've opened a formal inquiry into Henry's handball, and it is difficult to see how they could conclude that without some sort of suspension. I happen to think that the seedings are "right", in that Holland is currently stronger than either France or Portugal, but FIFA's lack of transparency in such matters means that they will always be subject to accusations of having manipulated the selection process to achieve the desired result. Announcing the complete seeding process to be used for groups, palyoffs and the finals before the qualifiers begin would be a very obvious step forward (and the minimum for having a claim to basic standards of fairness), but it is hard to see Blatter's FIFA ever taking such a step. |
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| alabastergremlin | Dec 2 2009, 07:43 PM Post #28 |
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Announcing the complete seeding process to be used for groups, palyoffs and the finals before the qualifiers begin would be a very obvious step forward (and the minimum for having a claim to basic standards of fairness), but it is hard to see Blatter's FIFA ever taking such a step. I'm amazed at how obvious FIFA makes this. I can't think of any other sport at any level that decides these types of thing so late in the process. All of the "rules and policies" should be set in stone before the first qualifier is even played. I'm not nearly as familiar with this stuff as some of you seem to be. Has this been Blatter M.O.? How long has he had the position? Was this common before his term? |
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| Pique | Dec 3 2009, 12:14 AM Post #29 |
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Announcing the complete seeding process to be used for groups, palyoffs and the finals before the qualifiers begin would be a very obvious step forward (and the minimum for having a claim to basic standards of fairness), but it is hard to see Blatter's FIFA ever taking such a step. To try and answer gremlin's question, I cannot recall even FIFA being a svague as they are now about how these things would be determined. It seems to me in previous qualifying competitions for the World Cup, the system was in place beforehand and there was not the appearance of impropriety like we have now. I do know in past World Cups they've always used results from the 2 or 3 most recent World Cups to determine the top seeds, if that was done now then France would have been the top seed, as ursus writes maybe Holland does deserve it more based on current form but this way of seemingly doing things as you go along really does make it all look like it is being manipulated. Now just watch Slovenia or Slovakia get drawn into South Africa's group and the claims the balls with their names on it were put in a freezer so as to be distinguished by whomever is pulling them out will arise! |
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Esas son las leyendas de futbol mexicano, En todo Mexico hay un Chiva hermano! | |
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| Simon | Dec 3 2009, 12:01 PM Post #30 |
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FIFA is unbelievable. It's outrageous that they just make it up as they go along. It's amusing to think that South Africa could possibly get, say, Mexico, Paraguay and France, and yet we all know there's absolutely no chance of that happening. I'm willing to eat humble pie if South Africa get a really tough group, but I'm not getting the plate and cutlery out just yet! I take rosarino's point about best case and worst case scenario, but I personally would be disappointed if England were drawn with North Korea, Algeria and Slovenia. IMO you want a group that will generate excitement and anticipation over the next half year until the tournament begins. I'm hoping England get at least one 'big team', hopefully France/Portugal and/or Ivory Coast. That would really give us something to look forward to. Actually, if there's one team I'd really like England to avoid, it's Australia. They'd be so revved up to play England, and it's by far our biggest sporting rivalry. It's already intense in other sports, if football was added to the mix I think that would be one massive banana skin that could deprive us of points that we should really be getting from Pot 2. |
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