FIFA World Cup 2014 pots

[Phoenix]

http://soccer.si.com/2013/12/03/live-fifa-announces-world-cup-pots-fridays-draw-procedure/?eref=sihp



Posted December 03, 2013
CONCACAF, Asia grouped together in World Cup draw
2014 World Cup, FIFA, FIFA World Cup
By Avi Creditor

The pots are set for Friday’s World Cup draw . (Screenshot, Brian Straus)

As expected, the USA and its fellow CONCACAF World Cup participants were paired with Asia’s four competitors ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw, which means all of the doom and gloom group scenarios that many have been speculating about for weeks are fully in play.



FIFA released the pots and its draw procedure Tuesday after its organizing committee meeting, with the results being:

Pot 1: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Switzerland

Pot 2*: Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Chile, Ecuador, European Team TBD

Pot 3: USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Australia, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic

Pot 4*: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia


Instead of choosing one of the nine unseeded European teams from Pot 4 to put into Pot 2, FIFA will conduct a meta-draw of sorts to select that team. That one team will then be placed in Pot 2 to create four pots of eight teams. It will not, however, be able to be grouped with two other European teams, nor can Chile and Ecuador be paired with seeded CONMEBOL teams from Pot 1.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your Group of Death scenario engines.

 

[jterrell]

http://ultra-zone.net/2014-FIFA-World-Cup-Group-Stage-Draws

Doesn't seem to end well very often....
Not being seeded is a deathknell for a Concacaf club.
Being easily the strongest club in the worst pot sucks donkey butt.

 

[jterrell]

Germany, Ivory Coast, US. Italy.... friggin frick.
I hate this stupid simulator.

sigh.. but it is addictive

Spain, Ivory Coast, US, Russia ughhhh

where is my Swiss, Cameroon, US, Greece draw!!!!!!

 

[Phoenix]

Pretty cool simulator thingy

 

[Future]

Does anyone root for anybody other than the USA?

I'll root for the Italians occasionally, but really, other than a handful of players, I have no rooting interest.

 

[jterrell]

I root for specific guys more than 'other' teams.

I am pulling heavily for Belgium because they are loaded with young stars I am connected through via Chelsea FC. --and I think they are the biggest sleeper.

I generally pick a side in most games I watch but overall it is USA all the way.

Watching Jozy finally play well for Sunderland against my Chels was interesting to say the least. Worked out perfectly for me with a Chelsea win but an Altidore EPL coming out party.

 

[Phoenix]

The draw is set to start in about 45 minutes I think. Anyone got a live video link by chance? It'll probably be on ESPN I imagine, judging by Tim Howard's taking over their twitter account during the draw....

Here's a live blog on the draw. Not sure if video will be available from here or not.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/final-draw/live-blog.html?intcmp=promo_fwc_hp_finaldraw_liveblog_en

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Does anyone root for anybody other than the USA?

I'll root for the Italians occasionally, but really, other than a handful of players, I have no rooting interest.

My people are from Ecuador so I'm hoping for a good draw for US and Ecuador.


Draw is about to start its on ESPN2 and Univision

 

[Phoenix]

http://i46.***BLOCKED***/albums/f131/vsmith23/WorldCupDrawResults_zpsbd2e9d28.jpg

 

[joseephuss]

They aren't making it out of that group.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

USA in the group

http://i46.***BLOCKED***/albums/f131/vsmith23/WorldCupDrawResults_zpsbd2e9d28.jpg

I'm 50/50 on this

The US got it pretty tough - Germany and Portugal...ouch even Ghana - you never know how good some of those African teams could be.

Group E - For Ecuador, not bad...We'll prob lose to France but be able to beat Honduras - the key will be with the Swiss.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Group D looks to be "the group of death"

Uruguay-England-Italy

 

[Phoenix]

I think I saw somewhere that even Ghana owns us in World Cups... we are 0-3 against them, is that right...?

 

[joseephuss]

USA in the group

I'm 50/50 on this

The US got it pretty tough - Germany and Portugal...ouch even Ghana - you never know how good some of those African teams could be.

Group E - For Ecuador, not bad...We'll prob lose to France but be able to beat Honduras - the key will be with the Swiss.

Ghana is good. They have a good program. Their younger teams do very well at the youth World Cups. I can see Ghana advancing out of that group. Ghana has beaten the U.S. in each of the last two World Cup Finals. Once in the 2006 group stage and once in the 2010 round of 16.

 

[jterrell]

SPI has:
Germany 4
Portugal 16
US 17
Ghana 24

US has a good shot to advance even though it is a tough draw.
Portugal is a fairly even match for US according to SPI but playing in the Americas is worth something.

Also sets up nicely that the US plays Germany last in group round where Germany probably already has top spot locked up and could see Jurgen's old assts do him a favor.

Ghana is a REALLY young team for this world cup and should fare better in 2018.
Essien and Boateng give them a solid ** base but the overall team is not close to better than the US.

 

[jterrell]

Group D looks to be "the group of death"

Uruguay-England-Italy

Group B is tougher by far. That is just not right....
Spaion, Netherlands are a re-match of the last WC final and then Chile...
That's 3,5,9 in the SPI rankings... wow... A top 10 done for sure.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Does anyone root for anybody other than the USA?

I'll root for the Italians occasionally, but really, other than a handful of players, I have no rooting interest.

Nope. I might pick a team if we are eliminated but not until then. It's USA all the way for me.

 

[nyc-cowboy]

Group B is tougher by far. That is just not right....
Spaion, Netherlands are a re-match of the last WC final and then Chile...
That's 3,5,9 in the SPI rankings... wow... A top 10 done for sure.

Yup that was my second one - ppl will tend to overlook Chile.

 

[jterrell]

Yup that was my second one - ppl will tend to overlook Chile.

The Netherlands should have been in the rated group.
That was just a silly omission.

 

[jterrell]

Final 8?

Mine are:
Brazil
Columbia
Germany
Ecuador
Spain
Chile --home turf over Netherlands...
Argentina
Belgium