World Cup Draw

[TexasTerror]

Two hours and change left til the draw...

I keep reading these mock draws. I'm really interested to see how the names fall once they hit. I'm just happy we avoid Iran this year because we're in the same pot. That'd of been a mess...

[LacesOut]

USA! USA! USA!!

I'm very curious about this draw also.

[DinoDex200]

Two hours and change left til the draw...

I keep reading these mock draws. I'm really interested to see how the names fall once they hit. I'm just happy we avoid Iran this year because we're in the same pot. That'd of been a mess...

Personally, I would have enjoyed that rematch. Our team is much better than in '98...we would smoke them!!

I just hope we can avoid the Czechs or Dutch...because there's one thing I can't stand...people who are intolerant of other races and cultures...and the Dutch! :beerchug:

[TexasTerror]

England wants to avoid us and the Aussies...

They think playing either one is like the hugest match for either of us. Quite frankly, I think most Americans would love to topple Mexico in a big game, a game that matters a helluva lot, once more! Because that was just great...

[blur2005]

Less than an hour away. I wouldn't mind being in England's group, just as long as we avoid getting two European powers. I'd take Serbia and Montenegro... :), though we can't actually be with them if we're with England.

[DinoDex200]

England wants to avoid us and the Aussies...

They think playing either one is like the hugest match for either of us. Quite frankly, I think most Americans would love to topple Mexico in a big game, a game that matters a helluva lot, once more! Because that was just great...

England punked us with their B team in Chicago...I'd prefer to stay away from them for as long as possible. I'd love to be able to beat Mexico by a say...2-0 score...in the quarters. :)

Best draw for us, I think would be: Brazil, Angola, Switzerland...

Believe it or not...reason being if we play Brazil early, we can avoid them in the knockout stages...the other two games are very winnable. Easiest draw would be Spain, Angola, Switzerland...probably.

[Tribefan]

But didn't we have our B Team as well. That game was meaningless even for a friendly.

I agree with the consensus. Give us Mexico.

[LacesOut]

But didn't we have our B Team as well. That game was meaningless even for a friendly.

I agree with the consensus. Give us Mexico.


I think what Dino meant was that the Redcoats whooped our A (good team) with their scrub (B) team. That game was ugly.

[TexasTerror]

Less than 10 minutes...

Glad to see Cobi Jones is included with the likes of Pele!

[DinoDex200]

But didn't we have our B Team as well. That game was meaningless even for a friendly.

I agree with the consensus. Give us Mexico.

We were missing some folks, but not like them. No Owen, Rooney, Scholes, Beckham, Ferdinand, Gerrard or Lampard for them. 7 of the best players in the world.

We didn't have Beasley, Eddie Johnson, Eddie Lewis, Reyna, Onyewu, or John O'brien (crucial when healthy). Certainly 7 of the best in CONCACAF, but I would rate only Reyna as currently "World Class", with Beasley, Johnson, and Onyewu having the potential to be in the future.

Either way, I still think we could get points from them, if we play to our potential, and Keller stands on his head. :)

[DinoDex200]

Less than 10 minutes...

Glad to see Cobi Jones is included with the likes of Pele!

I think the actual draw starts at 3...I'll have to watch it on soccernet.com since I am at work...of course, I could just work, but I think we've established that I'd rather be on AGS. :D

[dbackjon]

Is there a site where it will be posted first?

[DinoDex200]

Is there a site where it will be posted first?

go to ESPN's www.soccernet.com

They are doing a "gamecast" type thing for it...essentially you can watch it cyber-live...or something. :beerchug:

[89Hen]

Here we go!

[dbackjon]

go to ESPN's www.soccernet.com

They are doing a "gamecast" type thing for it...essentially you can watch it cyber-live...or something. :beerchug:

thanks!!

[TexasTerror]

FIFA has it on their site too. It includes commentary and all that jazz...

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/fd/index.html

[TexasTerror]

Too much ceremonial mumbo-jumbo...

Go to the pots!

[89Hen]

No S... they did a countdown to the draw and it hit zero like 20 minutes ago and still no results. :mad:

[TexasTerror]

No S... they did a countdown to the draw and it hit zero like 20 minutes ago and still no results. :mad:

We have to remember that behind the World Cup final, this is the second-highest rated World Cup event on TV in the world...

FIFA needs to stick out their chest awhile and make it go the full time to get the $$$ because pot-pulling doesn't take long...

[LeopardFan04]

Shouldn't be long now...

[DinoDex200]

FIFA has it on their site too. It includes commentary and all that jazz...

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/fd/index.html

Would you guess that FIFA's will be updated faster? I would...but I love soccernet...

[LeopardFan04]

it's on ESPN2 as well...

[DinoDex200]

it's on ESPN2 as well...

At work...no TV!! :bawling:

ESPN2...home for all sports ESPN pretends to support. :splat:

[LeopardFan04]

haha, so true...one of those lumber skills competitions was on right before it... :rolleyes:

[TexasTerror]

Would you guess that FIFA's will be updated faster? I would...but I love soccernet...

I would and they have commentary. Soccernet doesn't. No TV here either.

Also, keep in mind in other countries, this event came on an HOUR before it came on in the USA. Can you imagine sitting through that? Oy!

[DinoDex200]

I would and they have commentary. Soccernet doesn't. No TV here either.

Also, keep in mind in other countries, this event came on an HOUR before it came on in the USA. Can you imagine sitting through that? Oy!

This "pre-game" is about as overwrought as the Super Bowl's! Let's get going!!! :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped: :hyped:

[TexasTerror]

Thank gawd I'm following on FIFA...

Reading that WC mascot GOLEO IV sang a "special song" for the world. This must be the worst TV program ever!

[LeopardFan04]

Espn is wasting the time away showing clips from 02...no song from the mascot for the States I guess...we could use some Heidi Klum however...

[DinoDex200]

Thank gawd I'm following on FIFA...

Reading that WC mascot GOLEO IV sang a "special song" for the world. This must be the worst TV program ever!

Great...I'm sure he is as compelling a mascot as Izzy:

http://members.tripod.com/arf4dogs/izzy.jpg

Yep, that's the genius of my hometown. You should hear our awful new "theme song".

Now, get on with it!!

[TexasTerror]

Best mascot of all time is from I-AA! You know IT, I know IT!

http://www.meacsports.com/images/meackie.jpg

[DinoDex200]

Best mascot of all time is from I-AA! You know IT, I know IT!

http://www.meacsports.com/images/meackie.jpg

Holy Crap! I've never seen that...that puts WKU's mascot to shame!

The non-draw related commentary is high comedy, that is for sure...

[TexasTerror]

Colombian "singing sensation" Juanes is singing La Camisa Negra!

This is definitely comparable to the Super Bowl pre-game. Colombia is not even in the WC!

[TexasTerror]

FIFA.com says we are MINUTES away...

Apparently, that's what should've happened an hour ago!

[DinoDex200]

:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:
"We are minutes away from the Final Draw beginning"

Arggh!!

[DinoDex200]

Colombian "singing sensation" Juanes is singing La Camisa Negra!

This is definitely comparable to the Super Bowl pre-game. Colombia is not even in the WC!

Doesn't La Camisa Negra mean "the black shirt"...I am sure it's as good as "Hollaback Girl"... :bang:

[DinoDex200]

Did you know that the 32 teams will be divided into 8 groups of 4?? Apparently, they don't think we do...or Captain Obvious has hijacked the Live Commentary... :rolleyes:

[AppGuy04]

anything yet??

[LeopardFan04]

Here we go!

[LeopardFan04]

Oops...not quite yet...now they're introducing those who will pull the balls out of the pots...

[TexasTerror]

Oops...not quite yet...now they're introducing those who will pull the balls out of the pots...

This way conspiracy theorist know what's up...

Where's David Stern?

[LeopardFan04]

funny, i just thought the same thing...

[TexasTerror]

A1 Germany
B1 England
C1 Argentina
D1 Mexico
E1 Italy
F1 Brazil
G1 France
H1 Spain

[DinoDex200]

A1 Brazil
B1 England
C1 Argentina
D1 Mexico
E1 Italy
F1 Germany
G1 France
H1 Spain

Is this basically how the bracket would look if the seeds held?? Meaning Brazil and Germany could meet in the finals, etc.??

[89Hen]

PLEASE draw Group G for US, PLEASE...

France, Togo already the crappiest group possible.

[TexasTerror]

After two placements...

A Germany, Ecquador
B England, Paraguay
C Argentina, Ivory Coast
D Mexico, Angola
E Italy, Ghana
F Brazil, Australia
G France, Togo <---- I want the US in this group!
H Spain, Tunisia

[TexasTerror]

Is this basically how the bracket would look if the seeds held?? Meaning Brazil and Germany could meet in the finals, etc.??

The bracket is here:

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/bracket.html

[TexasTerror]

After three placements...

A Germany, Ecuador, Poland
B England, Paraguay, Sweden
C Argentina, Ivory Coast, Netherlands
D Mexico, Angola, Portugal
E Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic
F Brazil, Australia, Croatia
G France, Togo, Switzerland <---- still the group I want to be in!
H Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine

[89Hen]

OMG... it keeps getting worse... France, Switerland, Togo... please, please, please...

[DinoDex200]

After three placements...

A Germany, Ecuador, Poland
B England, Paraguay, Sweden
C Argentina, Ivory Coast, Netherlands
D Mexico, Angola, Portugal
E Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic
F Brazil, Australia, Croatia
G France, Togo, Switzerland <---- still the group I want to be in!
H Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine

I'll be good with groups A, B, F, G, or H...I will hate it if we are in C or E. :bawling:

Shwew...avoided C...thanks Serbia!! But not for starting WWI! :(
Check that...I'd prefer to avoid B, as well.

[TexasTerror]

I'd hate to be in B with England, Sweden and Paraguay...

[89Hen]

arrgghhhh, only 5 more....

[89Hen]

4

[DinoDex200]

Geez! Why don't they just give Mexico a bye into the 2nd round??!!

CRAP!! WE ARE IN A GROUP OF DEATH!!! :bawling: :eek: :bawling: :eek:

[TexasTerror]

Oh crap!

E Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic, USA

[89Hen]

DOH!

[89Hen]

G is a steaming pile of ****

[TexasTerror]

FINAL placements

A Germany, Ecuador, Poland, Costa Rica
B England, Paraguay, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago
C Argentina, Ivory Coast, Netherlands, Serbia & Montengro
D Mexico, Angola, Portugal, Iran

E Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic, USA
F Brazil, Australia, Croatia, Japan
G France, Togo, Switzerland, Korea Republic
H Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia

[89Hen]

H is as well.

[TexasTerror]

Brackets
1A-2B
1C-2D

1E-2F
1G-2H

2A-1B
2C-1D

2E-1F
2G-1H

[89Hen]

2E-1F
Nice. US vs. Brazil first round if the US can manage to make it. :bang:

[TexasTerror]

TT's early predictions
1A (Germany) over 2B (Sweden)
1C (Argentina) over 2D (Portugal)

1E (Italy) over 2F (Croatia)
1G (France) falls to 2H (Tunisia)

2A (Poland) falls to 1B (England)
2C (Netherlands) over 1D (Mexico)

2E (USA) over 1F (Brazil)
2G (Korea Republic) over 1H (Spain)

Quarterfinals
Germany over Argentina
Italy over Tunisia
Netherlands over England
USA over Korea

Semifinals
Germany over Italy
Netherlands over USA

Finals
Germany over Netherlands

[DinoDex200]

Nice. US vs. Brazil first round if the US can manage to make it. :bang:

I love how the rankings go out the window after the top 8 seeds...who devised this draw, the I-AA Selection committee?? Mexico can walk over, as can France, and Spain...and I am sure it was all random selection...rrriiiigggghhhhttt...

I honestly think we could win this group with draws with Czech and Italy, and a victory over Ghana...that would be huge!!

[blur2005]

TT's early predictions
1A (Germany) over 2B (Sweden)
1C (Argentina) over 2D (Portugal)

1E (Italy) over 2F (Croatia)
1G (France) falls to 2H (Tunisia)

2A (Poland) falls to 1B (England)
2C (Netherlands) over 1D (Mexico)

2E (USA) over 1F (Brazil)
2G (Korea Republic) over 1H (Spain)

Quarterfinals
Germany over Argentina
Italy over Tunisia
Netherlands over England
USA over Korea

Semifinals
Germany over Italy
Netherlands over USA

Finals
Germany over Netherlands
USA over Brazil...that's laughable. I'd like to believe it, but I can't.

[Tribefan]

G and H are total garbage. I would hate to see Korea advance again.

The nice thing about seeing those 02 highlights was that I was at those games. What a blast. Somehow I think the Germans will take all of the fun out of the process and it will be impossible to get scalped tickets.

[TexasTerror]

USA over Brazil...that's laughable. I'd like to believe it, but I can't.

We'll see. I'm hoping for it. Would love if the USA were able to pull of an upset to really get this country buzzing...

[Tribefan]

With the group we are in, we need to hope that going 1-1-1 does it again. We were lucky South Korea scored on Portugal last time around otherwise '02 would have been a failure.

[blur2005]

With the group we are in, we need to hope that going 1-1-1 does it again. We were lucky South Korea scored on Portugal last time around otherwise '02 would have been a failure.
Actually, I think what would be nice would be if we beat Ghana and tied the Czechs and Italians, while Ghana pulled the upset on on of those teams, and Italy and the Czechs tie each other. Ghana is no team to laugh at with Michael Essien of Chelsea.

[Hansel]

FINAL placements

A Germany, Ecuador, Poland, Costa Rica
B England, Paraguay, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago
C Argentina, Ivory Coast, Netherlands, Serbia & Montengro
D Mexico, Angola, Portugal, Iran

E Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic, USA
F Brazil, Australia, Croatia, Japan
G France, Togo, Switzerland, Korea Republic
H Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia


Europe Bias

[TexasTerror]

Europe Bias

How so?

[Tribefan]

It's easy to get that impression considering how many berths the Europeans get. But they have considerable depth when you consider that Greece won the Euro 2004 tournament and failed to qualify for the WC and the Netherlands failed to qualify for the previous WC. They just have a buttload of good teams.

[Hansel]

It's easy to get that impression considering how many berths the Europeans get. But they have considerable depth when you consider that Greece won the Euro 2004 tournament and failed to qualify for the WC and the Netherlands failed to qualify for the previous WC. They just have a buttload of good teams.
Yah, I know Europe is good (it is kind of a take off on "East Coast Bias", I don't get how the Czechs are ranked 2 in the world and didn't get a seed though ???

[TexasTerror]

Yah, I know Europe is good (it is kind of a take off on "East Coast Bias", I don't get how the Czechs are ranked 2 in the world and didn't get a seed though ???

Based on Czechs failure to make previous WC. They have been great in recent championships, but not well based on criteria for seeding...

[89Hen]

G and H are total garbage. I would hate to see Korea advance again.
You kidding me, I'm not sure I can find two teams out of those groups that deserve to advance, let alone four. :nonono2:

[Tribefan]

Our group looks tough but now that I have thought about it, it's no tougher than the group fom '02. In 02 we had Portugal, who many thought could go all the way, Poland who had basically dominated World Cup qualifying and South Korea who enjoyed tremendous home field advantage, paid off referees and possibly amphetamines.

Look at it this way, if we advance nobody can say we didn't earn it.

[TexasTerror]

Our group looks tough but now that I have thought about it, it's no tougher than the group fom '02. In 02 we had Portugal, who many thought could go all the way, Poland who had basically dominated World Cup qualifying and South Korea who enjoyed tremendous home field advantage, paid off referees and possibly amphetamines. Look at it this way, if we advance nobody can say we didn't earn it.

Difference is, the USA stinks in Europe! Remember 1998? Heck, Bruce Arena is 0-3-2 in games that have been played in Europe! We have two European teams in our group in a WC that is being played in Europe. Going to be an uphill climb, but I think the American side can do it! :)

[Tribefan]

Ahem, dude you need to realize that 2006 is not 1998. We have better talent, a more competitive frame of mind and we don't have that moronic coach anymore. We have players that have played throughout Europe so it doesn't seem like that big of a deal anymore. Many of the players on the 1998 squad could not make the 2006 squad.

You also have to take into account the incredible impact the MLS has on our team. In getting to play competive soccer for 10 months in a year our domestically based players enjoy the same benefits of skill development year in year out. In 1998 that simply wasn't the case.

If this years' team played 1998's team this year's team would win by 2 goals.

[TexasTerror]

It's not just 1998, it's the fact the US has til this day (even the 2005 version) had issues with teams from Europe and playing in Europe. A 1-1 draw with Scotland in Glasgow, losing to England 2-1 here in Chicago and in 2004 to Holland 1-0 in Amsterdam.

Americans are going to have to get some wins against European sides. We'll see what happens in the warmup games. The US gets Norway, Japan and Germany in 2006. Two European sides and a tough Japan squad. Throw in Canada if you need them. I think we'll learn more there, but the US needs to get some confidence in those four games and any others added to the schedule prior to the WC.