Thetownend.com

I've started this thread in anticipation of the WC draw on Friday...

Seems after all that bluster about us maybe not being seeded that we were second only to the boys from Brazil

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4356050.stm

But realistically being ranked 1st or 8th makes no difference, just so long as we're in the top 8.

whats with the Serbia thing?

To stop three European teams being drawn in one group

As the lowest European team they drawn into a group with no more than one team from Europe in it.

I.e. England will be drawn with another European team from Pot 3 therefore Serbia cannot be drawn in England's group

Actually Serbia can only be drawn into either Brazil, Argentina or Mexico's group.

According to FIFA it was done to make sure no group has 3 European teams in it ....

No idea how that works in practice other than the special pot being a 'fiddle factor'

Can't believe USA were nearly top seeds.

Just shows the ranking system is shit.

It needs sorting out, how are Mexico in there?

well i didnt want Serbia anyway

How about

England
Holland
Australia
United States

this would be a mega group

Brazil
Holland
Ivory Coast
South Korea

oh ye of little knowledge, i think they have a great chance this year, they have done brazil and the argies already this season.

Top 8 looks about right, holland (my outside bet), portugal and Czech Rep need to be avoided, as do the USA, maybe mexico are a bit high I know there is always the problem of the lack of competiton in CONCACAF, I honestly don't think there's an easy draw to eb ahd these days, maybe one of the weaker African sides because of their inexperience, but a tough draw backons for all IMHO.

Sorry for doubting them Mex, but they always seem to be ranked high, regardless of how good or bad they are that year...

I hope England and Mexico dont get drawn together, othrwise i wont be able to support Mexico.  :|

Here we go. Updates soon, refresh!

GROUP A
1. Genmany
2. Costa Rica
3. Poland
4. Equador

GROUP B
1. England (first game against Paraguay 10 June)
2 Paraguay
3. Trinadad and Tobago.
4. Sweden

GROUP C (group of death)
1. Argentina (FYI. v Holland, Frankfurt 21st June)
2 Ivory Coast
3. Serbia and Montenegro
4. Nedtherlands (that's Holland to you)

GROUP D
1. Mexico
2. Iran
3. Angola
4 .Portugal

GROUP E
1. Italy
2. Ghana
3. USA.
4. Czech Republic

GROUP F
1. Brazil
2. Croatia
3. Australia
4. Japan.

GROUP G
1. France
4. Switzerland
3. South Korea
4 Togo

GROUP H
1 Spain
2. Ukrane
3. Tunisia
4. Saudi Arabia

I hope you are joking. They are both seeded and cannot get drawn together  :D

Yes! We've misse dout on a lot of good teams, how lucky.

I'm updating my original post...Keep Refreshing it. Shit we got Sweden

Argentina v Holland  :o

Shame the Dutch havent got Dennis Bergkamp to dump the Argies out again.  :cry:

Delighted with our group.

England, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden.

We should get out of that fairly easily.

Being a very big word for England.

yea, i'll take that. not bad at all!

Germanys group a piece of piss.

Its a fix I tell ya!

All done. Posted on orginal post.

Not too bad a group, Sweden obviously tricky but if we don't get out we don't deserve to win it!

England get to play the football league representatives, including the most carribean player of all, Chris Birchall  :Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: We're through, could have Germany in the qualifying round though.

Agreed  :evil:

We'll knock em' out in the next round.

Great group for us really, anyone think Brazil might get through the group stage by any chance?!

Australia have a fantastic chance of second place though, hope they do it.

That's not bad at all, could have been a lot worse.

I'm almost tempted to go myself now.

 :?  :roll:

im pleased with our group! Im going for Group C as the group of death!
GROUP C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Serbia & Montenegro
Holland

Problem?

I think that group E is the group of death, those are all good sides.  Czech republic are rated 2nd in the world by fifa, Italy are very good too, USA have improved a lot and are a genuinely good side now and Ghana are an up and coming side with Michael Essien.

Ours is ok but Paraguay and Sweden aren't bad sides.

We'll beat Paraguay 1-0 in the first game. Beat T&T 11-0 in the second and play out a dull 0-0 draw which will take both Sweden and us through. Who do we play after Germany/Poland in round 2?

C and E are very tough groups. C is the group of death!

We are better than both.

Good draw, Sweden the only genuine threat.

Yeah but to be honest we are better than any side in the world apart from maybe Brazil and it's close with them but it doesn't mean any game against a worse side is easy.

the czechs aren't second in the world surely

it must be to put us at no.2

Not at all, but I think we'll win them both.

Good draw, I'm pleased with it. We may not have a good record against Sweden but as they are the last match I don't think it will matter.

And probably Germany or Poland in the 2nd round.

We wont beat germany this time around

Aye they are captain but it be rather a misleading curmudgeon.

USA are 8th arrrrrrr

It’s based on ye olde qualifying games and friendliness games.

The Czechs stormed their group but ended up being unsexed as the seeds for the draw as it’s based on past performance.  They aint qualified before you see Dave lad?

I see, but I can't believe they've never qualified for a WC either!

Good group for us i think. Sweden world ranked 14th. Paraquay 30th and Trinidad and Tobago 51st

Italy have the toughest group. Hope they go out

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/statistics/index/0,2548,All-Nov-2005,00.html

Surprise package? My moneys on Togo - they look good.

My tickets are for Portugal v Mexico then - a lucky escape as the other game in that group on that day is Iran v Angola :shock:

The other game that me and my mates have tickets for is England v Sweden 8)  - 6 guys and 4 tickets - there is going to have to be some serious negotiating in the next few months

not a bad group but we do have the possibiltiy of facing the argentines in the QF'S if my predicitions are accurate!

It's difficult to predict past the second round, It involves too many groups after that and there will be some upsets.

Spain might finally do something this year with that piss easy group!

I had a dream it would be an England Vs Brazil final but I think it's likely to be a semi.

Well we will just have to beat them in the semis then  :wink:

I honestly think that is an easy group that we should WIN without a problem. Of course Sweden are a threat but we are more than capable of banging them in against T&T and should beat Paraguay, then a draw against Sweden is likely to put us top of the group.

May i suggest a Fight Club style bareknuckle fight between you all.

what do you know about Paraguay?Going by qualification they are the 3rd best team in South America-we underestimate everybody except ourselves.Big mistake

The Czechs have qualified before as Czechoslovakia, I think they got to the final in 62 against Brazil.

But I guess since the country split up they haven't qualified as the Czech Republic, they looked good in Euro 2004.

Zurich .. you are going to Nuremburg then??

My uncle lives there .. im sure I can get an England v Trinidad ticket .. just need time off of wherever im working then!

Good point, everybodys saying "oh its an easy group apart from Sweden!" sorry but Paraguay arent no pushovers. :|

so they are pushovers then?

 :wtf:

*double negative*

Pedantic?

Very :D

oops double post.

:D

Not a bad group. I'm especially glad we have Sweden last, although Paraguay do worry me slightly. England don't attack teams nearly enough, with the exception of Rooney and maybe a couple of others. Our tendency to back off teams will not help us against Paraguay - they are fantastic going forward and have some brilliant attacking players.

Roque Santa Cruz is one of the dangermen for Paraguay.