Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The 2006 World Cup Draw

Jaffa Cake

Jaffa Cake

macrumors Core
Original poster
Aug 1, 2004
19,801
9
The City of Culture, Englandshire
The draw for next summer's World Cup has just been made – and very confusing and convoluted it was too! The groups for the First Round line up as follows...

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador

Group B
England
Paraguay
Trinidad & Tobago
Sweden

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Netherlands

Group D
Mexico
Iran
Angola
Portugal

Group E
Italy
Ghana
USA
Czech Republic

Group F
Brazil
Croatia
Australia
Japan

Group G
France
Switzerland
South Korea
Togo

Group H
Spain
Ukraine
Tunisia
Saudi Arabia

Hmm... any thoughts on the draw? Are people here happy with how their country's fortunes went this evening, or do you fear for your chances next summer?

From England's point of view, a decent draw – and of course Sven's got Sweden again... :p
 
Groups C and E seem the toughest ones.
england got lucky and so did germany

edit: first quick prediction, (not particularly thought out):

a: germany, poland
b: england sweden
c: argentina, holland
d: portugal, mexico
e: italy, usa
f: brasil, japan
g: france, korea
h: ukraine, spain

ii

germany-sweden >germany
england-poland> england
argentina mexico>argentina
portugal holland>holland
italy-japan>italy
brasil-usa>brasil
france-spain>france
ukraine-korea>ukraine

quarters:
germany-argentina >germany
england-holland >holland
italy-france > italy
brasil-ukraine >brasil

semis

germany-italy >germany
holland-brasil >holland

final
germany-holland > holland

editedit: possible biggest surprises: cote d'ivoire and ghana
 
As long as Brazil and Argentina bite the dust, I'll consider it a good Cup. Most of the teams I'll cheer for probably won't figure in. I like European style of play and Germany since they're at home will probably have a strong showing, but I hope Holland beats Argentina, England advances, Switzerland for political reasons, and Brazil gets a good trouncing from whomever. The U.S.A. will need all the luck they can muster, and little Ecuador will need something "mas alla de la suerte" to advance. It should be exiting. Can't wait.
 
Don't panic said:
Groups C and E seem the toughest ones.
england got lucky and so did germany
Click to expand...

So did Mexico. Iran and Angola? Good grief. Spain is in good shape too.

As bad as it looks for the US, I'm not sure there are too many places they would be clearly better off. Maybe H. F, and G arguably. It's always tough, though--the 2d place slot is the battle. First is usually obvious, and so is 4th. They have to keep close with Italy, tie C.R., and blast Ghana, hoping to advance on total goals maybe.

Even worse is that if Brazil wins Group F, and the US is second in Group E, well, they'll play then. It will be tough to repeat the success of 2002.
 
mj_1903 said:
Ouch, Australia got nailed in their draw. Oh well, they could pull something special out of the bag.
Click to expand...

Australia has a dutch coach, so i will rooting for them a little...But i still have a little grudge against anything that is Australian *Thinks back to Cricket World Cup 1999 semi-final SA vs Australia*. Still a sensitive area that i have difficulty talking about.
But i think that hollandia is in quite a good group.Don't panic i like your prediction, and i hope it comes true.
 
Yep, our first world cup in what? 32 years?

We're gonna get flogged!! Our first game is against Japan too...
 
vouder17 said:
Australia has a dutch coach, so i will rooting for them a little...But i still have a little grudge against anything that is Australian *Thinks back to Cricket World Cup 1999 semi-final SA vs Australia*. Still a sensitive area that i have difficulty talking about.
But i think that hollandia is in quite a good group.Don't panic i like your prediction, and i hope it comes true.
Click to expand...

That was the "How does it feel to drop the World Cup and Allan Donald forgot to run" World Cup semi-final wasn't it? Ouch.

Ah well, I hope we at least beat someone in the whole comp.
 
Chundles said:
That was the "How does it feel to drop the World Cup and Allan Donald forgot to run" World Cup semi-final wasn't it? Ouch.
Click to expand...

Yeah that was the one...sigh
 
Don't panic said:
~snip~
Click to expand...
Hmm... Interesting predictions there. I've done a bit of working out since the draw, and my prediction is for a Brazil-Argentina final, with the Brazilians running out eventual winners. A predictable prediction I know, but hey. Along the way, Holland beat France in the 3rd place play-off, and England go out in the quarter finals to the Dutch (probably on penalties – although I seem to remember hearing that they're one of the few nations with a worse record than us in shoot-outs?). Of course, anything can happen, and there's usually a team or two who advance further than teams who should do better. My pick for a potential dark horse? Sweden.
 
Definitely some lopsided divisions, but also some good match-ups. I'll be curious to see how well England does (after they win their Group, which I think will be a given), I'll be cheering against Brazil ;) and will probably be cheering for Holland as well as a yet-undetermined team - I always seem to find one "sleeper team" in the initial batch of games which really surprised me whihc I decide to cheer for. I'm always a fan of underdogs... ;)

I'm really looking forward to watching as much of the Cup as I can next year, but what I am really looking forward to even more is the next World Cup in South Africa, 2010 - myself, my wife, my brother and his wife (who is from S. Africa) will be going in person! And being the backpackers and adventurers we are, in addition to South Africa, we're planning on going on safari in the Serengetti, visiting Victoria Falls, and most notably climbing Mount Kilimanjaro! It will be yet another trip of a lifetime for this globetrotter, and I am very much looking forward to it. :cool:
 
Now we just need someone to make some widgets, a countdown and a fixtures and results widget.

Poland v Germany, there will be some riots.
 
a: germany, poland
b: england sweden
c: argentina, holland
d: portugal, mexico
e: italy, usa
f: brasil, japan
g: france, korea
h: ukraine, spain
Click to expand...

I think Spain will win group H, Czech Republic might be able to edge out USA.
Pity there is no Cameroon or Finland
 
pknz said:
Poland v Germany, there will be some riots.
Click to expand...

Ouch, good call! I know I shouldn't, but I do find that amusing in an ironic sort of way... :eek: Now let's not speak of this anymore, lest this thread get relegated to the Political Discussion Forum... ;)
 
Blue Velvet said:
Czech Republic will, not might, beat the USA. Betcha bottom dollar...
Click to expand...

Yeah i can also place my bet for the Czechs to go through. They have been in this World Cup business longer than the US and are a really powerful, never ceasing to impress!
 
vouder17 said:
Yeah i can also place my bet for the Czechs to go through. They have been in this World Cup business longer than the US...
Click to expand...
I'll put my pedantic hat on and say that the United States competed in the very first World Cup in 1930 – the Czech Republic (or, as they were then, part of Czechoslovakia) didn't enter until the following tournament in 1934.

But I'll agree with you in so far as they'll get past the US next summer.
 
mj_1903 said:
That was a memorable morning over here as well. :) Oh how great teams self destruct sometimes.
Click to expand...
They were one of the favorites coming in. Colombia in '94? The "autogoal" of infamy and subsequent retaliation outside of Medellín.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back