The World Cup Draw!!!!

[AreliusIII]

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20051209&content_id=49370&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

[AreliusIII]

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20051209&content_id=49374&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

[AreliusIII]

http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20051210&content_id=49377&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

[bordelais7]

Originally Posted by BetterThanChivas

Check this out, the average world ranking in each group. This shows that USA's group is obviously the group of death.

Group A: 24.25<-------Germany
Group B: 26.00<----England
Group C: 23.75<---Supposed Group of Death with Argentina and Netherlands
Group D: 24.50<---Mexico and Portugal will go through easy.
Group E: 18.00 <----Group of death, second place most likely plays Brazil.
Group F: 21.25<---Second hardest group, but they have Brazil.
Group G: 31.50<-----France must've cheated
Group H: 26.50<----Spain has nobody ranked higher than 29 in their group.

This is "fuzzy" math for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's based off of the FIFA world rankings, which use a questionable algorithm to say the least. In my opinion, Serbia & Mont. is a much tougher team than the FIFA list makes them out to be, and Italy isn't quite worthy of its ranking, either. It's a fun ranking to look at, but it's tough to numerically gauge the success of teams who rarely, if ever, play each other (see BCS).

Secondly, it converts numerical ranking (represented in counting numbers) to overall strength, creating a linear scale where in fact I would assume it is more logarithmic. In other words, it assumes that the difference in skill between the 1st and 2nd ranked teams is the equal to the difference in skill between the 45th and 46th team.

Anyway, doesn't change the fact that USA are in a difficult group, but I still think group C is tougher.

[AreliusIII]

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=dw-worldcup120905&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

[AreliusIII]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13373697.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[AreliusIII]

December 10, 2005
Arena Finds Reasons to Be Optimistic About Difficult Draw for U.S. Team
By JERE LONGMAN
The United States was placed in a forbidding group at the 2006 World Cup draw yesterday, and will face Italy, a three-time champion, and the Czech Republic, the world's second-ranked team, in the opening round at soccer's world championship next summer in Germany.

The 32 qualifying nations were placed into eight groups consisting of four teams apiece. Two teams from each group will advance to the single-elimination portion of the tournament. The World Cup begins June 9 and ends July 9.

The United States will open against the Czech Republic on June 12 in Gelsenkirchen. On June 17, the Americans will face Italy in Kaiserslautern. Their final match of round-robin play will be against Ghana, the Americans' first game against the West African nation, on June 22 in Nuremberg. Despite the difficult grouping, things could have been worse, Bruce Arena, the United States' manager, said on a conference call from Leipzig, Germany, where the draw was held. At least the Americans avoided the favorites Brazil, Argentina, England and Germany in the first round, he said.

While much will be made of the Americans' traditional weakness in games against European countries and that they have never defeated Italy (0-3-2) or the Czech Republic (0-1), Arena said he liked his team's chances of advancing to a possible second-round matchup with the five-time champion Brazilians.

"I'm optimistic we can qualify out of the group, regardless of what anybody else thinks," said Arena, who led the Americans to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. "I think we're capable of playing with any team in the world."

But despite being ranked No. 8 in the world by FIFA, soccer's world governing body, and the encouraging showing in 2002, the United States, Arena said, had "a long way to go" to be considered among the elite soccer countries.

"Win games at the World Cup," he said. "That's the only way you can evaluate where a country is."

The grouping for 2006 bore a striking resemblance to the placement the Americans received at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, where they faced Czechoslovakia and Italy in the first round. Essentially a college team making its first appearance in soccer's world championship in 40 years, the overmatched United States was manhandled, 5-1, by a brawny Czechoslovak team in the opener, then lost, 1-0, to Italy in Rome.

This is a much more sophisticated and mature American team, one making its fifth consecutive appearance in the World Cup and fortified by the depth and the professionalism its players have gained in Major League Soccer and European leagues.

The United States, as usual, should have reliable goalkeeping, this time from Kasey Keller. The Americans' chances in Germany are likely to rest on their ability to score goals, frequently difficult against the world's top teams.

The United States scored one goal in three matches at the 1998 World Cup in France, and after an opening 3-2 victory against Portugal in 2002, managed only four goals in the next four matches. Several inviting opportunities went unfinished in a 1-0 quarterfinal defeat to Germany. But midfielder Landon Donovan has since become a star, and young strikers like Eddie Johnson have been accurate shooters when healthy.

"We can't afford injuries to a few key players," Arena said.

The Czech Republic reached the semifinals of the European championships in 2004 and led European teams in scoring during qualification for the 2006 World Cup. Petr Cech, who plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League, is a stalwart in goal; forward Jan Koller is a threatening scorer; and midfielder Pavel Nedved came out of retirement from the national team to lead the Czech Republic to a playoff victory against Norway in the final round of qualification.

The Czechs are making their first appearance in the World Cup as a separate nation since splitting with Slovakia in 1993. The last appearance for Czechoslovakia was in 1990. Recent experience in the event could, in fact, turn out to be an advantage for the underdog Americans.

"I can't tell you whether that gives us an edge over anybody, besides the fact that it helps our team," Arena said. "Having played in the World Cup is invaluable."

Italy, which won the World Cup in 1934, 1938 and 1982, last reached the championship game in 1994. The Azzurri, or the Blues, exited in the second round of the 2002 World Cup and did not emerge from group play at the 2004 European championships, struggling to score goals in a defensive posture.

The defense is resistant, as always, with Alessandro Nesta in central defense and Gianluigi Buffon in goal. And Italy may have solved its scoring troubles with Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino joining Francesco Totti in the attack.

Ghana, which has made impressive strides in international youth tournaments, is making its first appearance in the World Cup.

If the United States remains healthy and confident, Arena said, "There are a number of problems we can present to any team in this group."

[AreliusIII]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/13378593.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[AreliusIII]

http://unitedmania.matchnight.com/umindex.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=2925

[Super Phil]

Holy crap...I've been trying to fax in my ticket order all day, but the lines are busy. nice how their e-mail said they would be equipped to handle the volume of orders. I'm heading to the post office to overnight the forms to them. :slobber: