World cup draw

[CHAPPERS]

That's no excuse.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I know you've got to share the places around but can it really be right there will be so many shit teams at the next world cup? Togo, Ivory Coast and the winners of Uxbekistan and Bahrain will all be there whereas Denmark, ROI, Czech Reublic and Greece probably wont. Theres even a chance of France and Spain not being there.
I think FIFA are being a bit too accommadating to the lesser continents.

I think thats unfair. Senegal did well in their first apperance at the finals and Korea and Japan both did well while more fanceied teams were knocked out early. Would the inclusion of say Romania or Belgium instaed of Togo or Iran really make it a better tournament?

 

[Timbo]

I think thats unfair. Senegal did well in their first apperance at the finals and Korea and Japan both did well while more fanceied teams were knocked out early. Would the inclusion of say Romania or Belgium instaed of Togo or Iran really make it a better tournament?

That would be when the finals were in Korea and Japan wouldn't it! Hosts always do well. Call me cynical but it always amazes me no matter how awful the host nations are, they get to the quarter finals at least.
A team like Romania are capable of reaching the Semi Finals, Togo will be cannon fodder. The top two in each of the Euro qualifiers should automatically go. Have one qualifying group less and have some preliminarys to get rid of San Marino and Andorra.
Yes I think the WC would benefit from having Belgium there if it meant Uzbekistan weren't going.
All the Sven haters on here surely must want the crap teams out of it. We'll scrape through the qualifying round because of two poor teams being in there, win round two on Penalties and lose in the quarter finals to the first decent team we play. Everyone will then say well the quarter finals isn't bad. If our group contained say 3 good european teams and one African we'd actually have to perform to get out of the group.

 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

England will go into Wednesday's final World Cup qualifier against Poland not knowing if the result will affect their World Cup seeding.

Poland are two points ahead of England and as both sides are already through, the result may prove to be meaningless.

But BBC Sport has been told no decision has been taken on whether final group places will affect tournament seeding.

In 2002 seedings were decided by teams' records at previous finals and their average place in the Fifa rankings.

"It will be decided by the organising committee of the World Cup 2006 on 6 December in Leipzig, where the draw takes place on 9 December," said Fifa media officer Nicolas Maingot.

The eight European group winners and the two best performing runners-up are guaranteed places in next summer's tournament in Germany.

Holland's 2-0 win over the Czech Republic on Saturday ensured that whoever finished second in England's group would finish in one of those two runners-up places, meaning England are through regardless of Wednesday's result.

But fans hoping to watch England in Germany face a scramble for tickets.

Each team is officially entitled to just 8% of tickets for each game they play.

The Football Association will not know the exact number of tickets they will receive for each game until after the tournament draw takes place.

The only official way tickets will be made available to England fans for England games is through 'Englandfans', the official England Supporters' Club.

Membership of Englandfans has already been capped at 25,000 to give members a realistic chance of obtaining access to tickets, and no more applications to join will be accepted before or during the World Cup.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The world cup is called the world cup for a reason - you have to have these teams in it

 

[Tom Bombadil]

That would be when the finals were in Korea and Japan wouldn't it! Hosts always do well. Call me cynical but it always amazes me no matter how awful the host nations are, they get to the quarter finals at least.
A team like Romania are capable of reaching the Semi Finals, Togo will be cannon fodder. The top two in each of the Euro qualifiers should automatically go. Have one qualifying group less and have some preliminarys to get rid of San Marino and Andorra.
Yes I think the WC would benefit from having Belgium there if it meant Uzbekistan weren't going.
All the Sven haters on here surely must want the crap teams out of it. We'll scrape through the qualifying round because of two poor teams being in there, win round two on Penalties and lose in the quarter finals to the first decent team we play. Everyone will then say well the quarter finals isn't bad. If our group contained say 3 good european teams and one African we'd actually have to perform to get out of the group.

What a load of old tripe. How do you know Togo will be cannon fodder. i can think of at least 2 occasions where unfancied African teams did well. Obviously Senegal in 2004 who beat France ( a team your plan might benefit) and Cameroun in 1990 who were unlucky to be knocked out in the quarter finals by England.

Your suggestion are patronisng and ignorant.

 

[Pavilionaire]

You only have to look at the profile of African football and the quality of players coming through since the days of Milla and Makanake for Cameroon in 1990 to see that it is a good thing.

Ideally there would be more teams in the finals themselves to satisfy the demand for tickets and the pressure for more of the "better" European teams. The only answer would be to expand the group stages from groups of 4 to groups of 5.

This would mean you could get 40 teams at the finals and 32 extra matches - only feasible if the tournament was 1 week longer.

 

[Ex Shelton Seagull]

Togo finished above Senegal (who didn't do too badly in their first World Cup in 2002) and were undefeated against them. They also beat off a fancied Mali team and a well organised Zambia team. Just because you haven't heard of a place doesn't mean that they're going to be embarrasing.

People seem very quick to write off the entire 2002 tournament as an abberation that will be swiftly put right in 2006 when the Europeans and token South Americans Brazil & Argentina will sweep all before them. The rest of the world is fast catching up with Europe and pretty soon they're going to overtake us.

If Romania could reach the semi-finals in your opinion, then I could equally state the case for Ghana, USA, Mexico, Japan and Iran to do likewise.

 

[Timbo]

What a load of old tripe. How do you know Togo will be cannon fodder. i can think of at least 2 occasions where unfancied African teams did well. Obviously Senegal in 2004 who beat France ( a team your plan might benefit) and Cameroun in 1990 who were unlucky to be knocked out in the quarter finals by England.

Your suggestion are patronisng and ignorant.

Thats two in the last 4 finals.
Look, I'm not saying get rid of all of them, lets just have Brazil, Argentina and the rest from Europe. Obviously if for example the Czech Republic don't qualify then its their own fault for not winning enough qualifiers but then to see Uzbekhistan there just doesn't seem right, just because they've beaten Bahrain and one of the Maldive Islands (probably).
And its my birthday.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

This bit about cannon fodder and Togo,is that what we will be to them if we draw them?

 

[SussexSpur]

Have been underwhelmed so far by 'world's best midfielder' Essien for Chelsea in the Premiership at least, but reckon Ghana could cause a few problems for whoever draws them next summer.
Them again, I did back Colombia. to whoever would listen, as a decent contender to win USA 94...

Regardless of all... can't seem to shake off an uneasy feeling the headlines after England's first group game will be variations on the theme 'Sven has To-go'........

 

[Icy Gull]

It will still be Sven's fault....

Only to the paranoid