Football World Cup Seeds are out:

[DaGaffer]

Pot 1 (seeds)
South Africa, Germany, Brazil, Italy, Spain, England, Argentina, Holland.

Pot 2 (Europe)
France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia.

Pot 3 (Africa and South America)
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay.

Pot 4 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America)
Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Mexico, Honduras.

So who do we want then? Portugal and France would be the only real threats in pot 2 (although France v. England would make an interesting dilemma for the Irish ), pot 3, anyone but Ivory Coast I reckon, pot 4, hopefully not USA or Japan. Worst case, Portugal, Ivory Coast, USA. Best case, Slovenia, Paraguay, New Zealand

 

[Wazzerphuk]

TBH Pot 3 is a bit stronger than pot 2, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Chile & Paraguay are all good teams. Uruguay aren't too shabby either.

I wouldn't fancy Switzerland either, they're incdredibly hard to break down and exactly the kind of defensive unit England struggle to break down. Remember, they're the only team to be knocked out of a world cup without conceding a goal (WC2006).

 

[Aoami]

All of those teams outside of pot 1 are beatable. Hardest sides are probably France, Portugal, Paraguay and Serbia (on their day).

Sides like Ivory Coast and Ghana, USA, Chile are sides with 1 or 2 good players that should be easy victories for any of the top sides other than SA.

Cameroon are probably the african team to look out for, they struggled throughout qualifying but have a decent side and could be a surprise package. Honduras, Uruguay and Nigeria are the other sides i'd put in the 'may surprise a few people' category.

 

[Olgaline]

We'll happily take

South Africa or England from pot 1,
Uruguay or Paraguay from pot 3
New Zealand or Honduras from pot 4

 

[Calaen]

I don't even know why people are worrying about France at all, they struggled to qualify, and regardless of the hand ball, they were shit over both legs. On there day yes maybe, but you can say that about all of the african and south american teams aswell.

 

[Raven]

I want France later on...just so we can destroy them and knock them out.

 

[DaGaffer]

I want France later on...just so we can destroy them and knock them out.

In WC finals England tend not to be in the "destroying" business, at best they tend to be in the "give the entire population of England an ulcer by scraping through every game" business.

 

[Gumbo]

There's a fella on another forum I frequent who sat in on a meeting of people putting corporate hospitality deals together for big banking players in The City. Apparently....... They knew that England would be seeded, and that they will be drawn in Group C. I don't believe this for a minute, but if I posted this after the draw, and it turns out to be true, you wouldn't believe I had heard this. So we'll see.

*Waits for England to be drawn in Group F as usual...*

 

[Madmaxx]

In WC finals England tend not to be in the "destroying" business, at best they tend to be in the "give the entire population of England an ulcer by scraping through every game" business.

haha Repped for the truth

 

[chipper]

illl take

england
slovakia
algeria
japan

pretty sure thats a grp we would ace if im honest id like france/portugal so we could send em home early hopefully

 

[DaGaffer]

illl take

england
slovakia
algeria
japan

pretty sure thats a grp we would ace if im honest id like france/portugal so we could send em home early hopefully

Japan are a good team. If we want the ideal pot 4 team, take new Zealand.

 

[Marc]

there's a fella on another forum i frequent who sat in on a meeting of people putting corporate hospitality deals together for big banking players in the city. Apparently....... They knew that england would be seeded, and that they will be drawn in group c. I don't believe this for a minute, but if i posted this after the draw, and it turns out to be true, you wouldn't believe i had heard this. So we'll see.

*waits for england to be drawn in group f as usual...*

lol

 

[Shagrat]

scary, England are in Group C...........

 

[caLLous]

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Group C: ENGLAND, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Groups D and G don't look like much fun.

England's fixtures:
12 June v USA, Rustenberg
18 June v Algeria, Cape Town
23 June v Slovenia, Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth

 

[DaGaffer]

Group G...ouch. And Brazil & Portugal play each other last in their games.

England have no excuses; USA are good, but they play them first, so that has draw written all over it.

Can't see Australia coming out of their group.

 

[Gumbo]

There's a fella on another forum I frequent who sat in on a meeting of people putting corporate hospitality deals together for big banking players in The City. Apparently....... They knew that England would be seeded, and that they will be drawn in Group C. I don't believe this for a minute, but if I posted this after the draw, and it turns out to be true, you wouldn't believe I had heard this. So we'll see.

*Waits for England to be drawn in Group F as usual...*

Now isn't that interesting?

There's too much money in hospitality now to leave these things to chance, apparently...

 

[Olgaline]

here's to holland underestimating us

 

[Fast]

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece

Group C: ENGLAND, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Groups D and G don't look like much fun.

England's fixtures:
12 June v USA, Rustenberg
18 June v Algeria, Cape Town
23 June v Slovenia, Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth

WTF no Sweden? seems a shame :/