Possible World Cup seedings- pick your favourite group

[Lady Whistledown]

Possible seeding groups for the World Cup next year now all the qualifiers are in place, according to today's Guardian. The rumour is that there will be the normal pot of top seeds, and all the others divided according to their confederation, to avoid too many European teams ending up together.

So given that, and taking one from each group below, what would be your perfect group for England, or your worst case scenario?

Also: what do you reckon is the ultimate Group of Death, pathetically weak group, or group of historic-rivalry-based mayhem?


Pot 1 (top seeds)
Argentina
Brazil
England
France
Germany
Italy
Spain
South Africa

Pot 2 (remaining UEFA teams)
Denmark
Greece
Netherlands
Portugal
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Switzerland

Pot 3 (AFC, Concacaf & Oceania)
Australia
New Zealand
Honduras
Mexico
Japan
South Korea
North Korea
USA

Pot 4 (CAF & remaining Conmebol)
Algeria
Cameroon
Chile
Ghana
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Paraguay
Uruguay


I'd probably take England, Switzerland, New Zealand or North Korea and Algeria as the best case I think. Worst case scenario being Portugal (because we usually play worse against them than we do against the Dutch), USA or Australia and the Ivory Coast.

 

[Napper]

England
Portugal
USA
Ghana

would be a near on group of death

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

So its not really seeded at all?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I guess you want

England
Swiss
Kiwis
Algeria

 

[Lady Whistledown]

So its not really seeded at all?

That's what they're suggesting in today's paper.

Something to do with rules about more than two European teams in a group, therefore they reckon they'll lump them all in one pot so they can work it out perfectly.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

That's what they're suggesting in today's paper.

Something to do with rules about more than two European teams in a group, therefore they reckon they'll lump them all in one pot so they can work it out perfectly.

They normally fix it some other way. Its clearly to make sure USA/South Korea dont draw North Korea

South Africa Drawing Holland would be ace.

 

[Forster's Armband]

England
Slovenia
New Zeland
Algeria

 

[Aristotle]

England
Netherlands
USA
Chile

Chile qualified second in the South American group, so wouldn't fancy them much...

 

[Lady Whistledown]

In terms of current FIFA world rankings (which aren't always much cop anyway), the highest rated teams you could have in each group, and therefore the theoretical Group of Death would be

Brazil (1)
Holland (3)
USA (22)
Cameroon (14)

and the lowest

South Africa (85)
Slovenia (49)
North Korea (116)
Ghana (38)

 

[Lady Whistledown]

They normally fix it some other way. Its clearly to make sure USA/South Korea dont draw North Korea

They've played the likes of Iran and China without problems in recent years though, surely? FIFA may be one of the most corrupt organisations on the planet but I can't see what interest they'd have in making sure the US doesn't play the North Koreans.

Algeria v France would be fun for the security services.

 

[patchamalbion]

i cannot blody wait til that draw i have tickets to 3 matches and will cum in my pants if i get some decent games

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

They've played the likes of Iran and China without problems in recent years though, surely? FIFA may be one of the most corrupt organisations on the planet but I can't see what interest they'd have in making sure the US doesn't play the North Koreans.

Algeria v France would be fun for the security services.

True, But I dont see why they would change a system that has worked for most world cups.

Is this the first world cup that two teams From Oceania have got to finals?

 

[Pavilionaire]

If I was World Ranked No. 14 Cameroon I'd be pretty pissed off at being drawn in a group with Brazil, Holland and Mexico. That would be 4 of the worlds top 20 teams in one group.

You could also have a group with, say, South Africa, Slovenia, New Zealand and Ghana where Ghana, at 38, would be the top-ranked team.

In which case the draw would become a farce.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

True, But I dont see why they would change a system that has worked for most world cups.

Is this the first world cup that two teams From Oceania have got to finals?

I imagine so, as they only ever had one qualifier. Australia have effectively granted them another place by leaving and joining the Asian confederation. Not sure where it leaves New Zealand in terms of competitive games- playing the likes of Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu can't be much use unless your balls are oval, as it were.

 

[GNF on Tour]

I would see New Zealand being seeded in the last group, they are are a cert 3 points for most teams.

A worst case scenario would be:
England
Netherlands
Australia
Nigeria/Ghana

 

[auschr]

France
Algeria
North Korea
South Korea

in one group please. i dont care if its notpossible

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

I'd love to see the draw pan out like this...

Group A
Argentina
Serbia
USA
Cameroon

Group B
Brazil
Portugal
Mexico
Ivory Coast

Group C
England
Switzerland
New Zealand
Uruguay

Group D
France
Slovakia
South Korea
Algeria

Group E
Germany
Denmark
North Korea
Ghana

Group F
Italy
Greece
Honduras
Chile

Group G
Spain
Slovenia
Japan
Paraguay

Group H
South Africa
Netherlands
Australia
Nigeria

 

[Gary Leeds]

Dont care as long and Nigeria and Germany get drawn in the same group, want to see if any TV companies make the error of not putting the teams at the top of the screen with the score as GER-NIG

Seriously though I would think England would like a couple of simple games like New Zealand and Ghana along with a testing game like Portugal or Netherlands as the other team, get them ready for second stage rather than 3 easy games

 

[Gerbil]

why the f*** are south africa in the top seed and holland in group 2?

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Because SA are the hosts therefore have to be seeded so they get to play at their major stadiums. Happens at every world cup.

Holland presumably have a worse record in recent tournaments than other nations therefore are unfortunate to miss out.