Lakenheath Old Boys

We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!

Thursday, December 03, 2009

South Africa 2010 Draw

The draw for next summer's World Cup in South Africa is still more than twelve hours away but my stomach is already churning over the prospects and it's because FIFA has made a complete balls up with the seeding as usual. I don't really have too many problems with Pot 1, which includes the world's best teams plus the hosts, including England. However, with the other pots FIFA have decided to go geographical rather than seeding by quality, which means that there are landmines out there in each pot. Here's what the seeding structure looks like:

Pot 1 - South Africa, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England, Spain, Netherlands.

Pot 2 - Japan, Australia, South Korea, North Korea, USA, Mexico, Honduras, New Zealand

Pot 3 - Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile

Pot 4 - France, Denmark, Serbia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal

So, yes, it's nice that England avoid the big boys in Pot 1 - apart from SA - but our group could still look like this:

England, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal (Yikes!)

And because the U.S. is in the crappest pot, our group could easily be this:

Brazil, USA, Nigeria, France (Goodnight and good luck!)

Anyone else out there reading the tea leaves tonight?

134 Comments:

Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Less than half an hour to go until the big event. I'm on pins and needles. There is live coverage on FSC this afternoon, but I'm at work so I'll be searching for a link in a few moments.

11:37 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here we go - I've got a look link up through Atdhe now. The first image I get is Raymond Domenech, the man who really should be in South Africa today.

11:49 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

There's Don Fabio, looking very comfortable and confident.

11:49 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Interesting point being made by an African pundit on the coverage I'm getting here. Even though this is the African World Cup, only Nigeria and Algeria have African coaches.

11:51 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Nice little feature about the stadia for next summer's games.

11:52 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I lost my link and now have a Sky Sports stream up through p2p.

11:54 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I've got my South African coverage back up again through Iraq Goals. Nice one!

11:56 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The draw is minutes away now!

11:57 AM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here we go!

12:01 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

David Seaman, El Tel, Roy Hodgson in the Sky studio.

12:01 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Goldenballs doesn't think the draw matters - he'll take anyone. Easy, there Becks. Don't imagine that you'll be on the field.

12:02 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Uh oh, ADHD poster boy running this site is flipping about his satellite channels and has chosen CNN International. Put it back on Sky, lad!

12:03 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

WTF Becks? Clear passage to the 2nd round would make a nice change.

12:03 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Sepp Blatters engaging the crowd in a bit of after-dinner humor. Don't give up your day job, Sepp!

12:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Welcome, birthday boy! Good to have you on board.

12:12 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here comes the statue that everyone will want to be picking up at the beginning of July next summer.

12:13 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

The shoe, throw the shoes at him.

"This is for (insert what you think is the worst of his hundreds of bad ideas here), you prick!"

12:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I'd love to see that.

12:17 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The South African stream has a load of FIFA propaganda on at the moment. zzzzzzzzzzz

12:27 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Some outrageous lip syncing now from Angelique Kidjo.

12:30 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now it's time for the renowned international football expert Charlize Theron. Huh?

12:34 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I miss the simple spectacle of a few ex pros standing around a popcorn bowl with some plastic balls in it.

12:37 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Did she really just say that the nice thing about growing up in South Africa is "going into bush?"

12:39 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Why does she insist on talking about her African bush?

12:42 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I think that growing up in SA sounds better now that I've heard that.

She played a great joke on FIFA yesterday in rehearsal that I read about.

They gave her the bowl with the ping-pong balls and she pulled one out, cracked it open, and read out "Ireland!"

Clearly she knows something about the game.

12:45 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Maybe we need visual aids to understand her fascination with that aspect of her upbringing.

12:47 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

By the way, is Domenech still rocking that bell-hop's coat?

I saw one in the window of H&M downtown a month ago and had to laugh again at the memory of that choice in the last Euros.

12:51 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The FIFA suit taking a few liberties with Charlize. Who can blame him, eh?

12:53 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Put her in the short-shorts Sepp!!!

12:54 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It looks as if we're going to finally get down to biz here in a moment.

12:56 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

This is a bit like watching Einstein explaining relativity to Betty Boop.

1:00 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here come the sports figures. Ethiopian Olympic runner?

1:01 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

That this needs a long winded explanation is evidence of how big a fraud this seeding's been.

If our draws don't go well, I'm starting a "Frog-march Sepp to the Hague" Facebook group.

1:02 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

At last an actual footballer from the Bafana Bafana

1:02 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I'll sign up for that.

1:03 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Wait - how did Parrot Spice get asked to this party?

1:04 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

So South Africa is A1

1:04 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

B1 - Argentina

1:04 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

C1 - England!

1:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

D1 - Germany

1:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

E1 - Netherlands

1:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

F1 - Italy

1:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

G1 - Brazil

1:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

H1 - Spain

1:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here comes the biggie - who gets South Africa.

1:07 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

US, US, US.....

1:07 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Shite, shite, shite - it's Mexico!

1:08 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

What a terrible opening match - SA v. Mexico

1:08 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Doh!

1:08 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Argentina with South Korea

1:09 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

BUGGGGGGGGER! US and England in the same group!

1:09 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

C'mon, type quicker. Who'd England get?

1:10 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now for Germany's group - they get Aussies. Lucky bastards.

1:10 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Doh! again.

1:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Charlize has a good feeling about that ball!

1:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now for Group E - Netherlands get Japan.

1:12 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

This post is a write-off for the Bivalve so far.

1:12 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group F - Italy get NZ.

1:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group G - Brazil get North Korea

1:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Bets might be a Charlize fan?

1:14 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Good to dodge the North Koreans tbf.

1:14 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group H - Spain get Honduras

1:15 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now for Pot 3

1:15 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

bush and balls

1:15 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Nigeria in Group B with Argentina

1:15 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Good - Ivory Coast in with Brazil

1:16 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Algeria in with England and US in Group C. Okay.

1:17 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Why are they out of order?

1:17 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Uruguay in Group A - looking like the easiest group so far.

1:18 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

They're avoiding geographical matchups

1:18 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Fix!

1:18 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group D - Ghana goes in with Germany

1:19 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group E - with the Netherlands it's Cameroon.

1:20 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group F - Italy gets Paraguay and NZ. Super easy group

1:20 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group H - Spain and Chile and Honduras. Really easy.

1:21 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now the European teams in Pot 4

1:21 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

OK, not France, not France, not France.

1:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Get France in there. Yes! France in Group A

1:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

We dodged the French bullet. Now no Portugal.

1:22 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

This is really where we could get well-f****d.

1:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Greece in with Argies in Group B

1:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

That's too bad - I would have loved Greece.

1:23 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

YESSSSSS!

WE get Slovenia

1:23 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Swiss maybe?

1:23 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

You know - England and the U.S. could well be the top two teams in that group - not bad.

1:24 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

That's an unattractive group C. Love it.

1:24 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group E - Denmark goes in with the Netherlands

1:25 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

We have to score a few. Who for the US is going to score more than Boca gives away in penalties alone?

1:25 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I missed Group D - who Germany got I was so excited about Slovenia.

1:25 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group F with Brazil. Go on Portugal!

1:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Awesome! Portugal in with Brazil!

1:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group F - Group of DEATH!

1:26 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

G=Group of Death

1:27 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Swiss in with Spain

1:27 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Who's 4th in D and F?

1:28 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Goldenballs now talking balls

1:29 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Serbia went in with Germany in Group D. Slovakia in with Italy

1:30 PM  
Blogger West Ham Rising said...

Hey, there . . . Surely England and the USA can get by Algeria and Slovenia . . . .

1:30 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Yesssss! England top and hopefully US 2nd in Group C

Group G is the crazy one. Any of Brazil, Ivory Coast, or Portugal in that. NK with an outside shout if their security forces kidnap some Brazilians off a Japanese beach.

1:34 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

right chaps. more on this later. i've shirked work long enough. someone's bound to have put a bounty on my head by now.

Cheerio.

1:36 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Great draw!
I think we are both going to go through!!

I posted the draw on Steve's Birthday post by accident

Hope you like it Steve!!

1:36 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Now, does anyone know what half of the draw we are in. Who would we meet in the Quarters of Semis?

1:38 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

1829: England's fixtures:
12 June v USA, Rustenberg
18 June v Algeria, Cape Town
23 June v Slovenia, Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth

1:39 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

England and US's Group play Goup D
So, winners would play runners up and vice versa

Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

1:40 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Bookmakers in the UK reacted to the draw by cutting England's odds to win the World Cup. They are now rated a general 6-1 chance from 7-1 third favourites after being drawn in a group which includes big outsiders Slovenia (175-1) and Algeria (500-1). Brazil, despite a tricky draw, and Spain remain the tournament's leading contenders at 5-1."

1:41 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The draw in full:

Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece

Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

Group D: Germany, Australia, Ghana, Serbia

Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Uruguay, Denmark

Group F: Italy, New Zealand,
Paraguay, Slovakia

Group G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal

Group H: Spain, Honduras, Chile, Switzerland,

1:41 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

June 12th is a Saturday... LOVELY JUBBLY!!

1:42 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Thanks for the posts, UWS!

Someone - I totally agree with you. Group H is the group of death. I'd rate Group H as the easiest.

1:42 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Group F also fairly easy

1:43 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Along with Group C and G matched up
Group G and H match up

1:43 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Ivory Coast can't catch a break in WC draws. They got the group of death last time around and again now.

1:44 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Group G not H is death!

1:45 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Fabio Cappello on ESPN2 right now

1:46 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Yes, you're absolutely right. I don't know why I keep ballsing up the letters. It's the group with Brazil, N. Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal that's the toughest by far. The Italian and Spanish groups are a doddle.

1:47 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I'd take any of those Group D sides apart from the Germans in the Second Round. It honestly looks like a walk for England straight into the quarters and then who knows....?

1:50 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

ESPN are now talking to Morgan Freeman!!!
Just because he was Nelson Mandella
in Invicta!!

1:51 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Invictus!! He is still bloody on!

1:54 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

I haven't seen it in print yet but... if C and D are matched up and G and F are matched up I would think that A and B meet and E and F are the last section
Agreed?

1:57 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Wolves' former United States goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann on BBC Radio 5 live: "I know as an American, everyone loves the Premier League - it is the best in the world to watch. Everyone in the US is going to be really looking forward to this. We know everybody in England. It's a great draw for us, and from England's point of view, it could have been a lot worse. How are the US expected to do? Historically we haven't got big name players but we are used to achieving more than we are expected to."

1:57 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

That's bloody brilliant. Does Morgan have any insight?

1:57 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

FSC have Sky Sports on.. why didn't you tell me?

1:58 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I think Marcus is right - it should be England and US one and two in that group no problem.

1:59 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I'm at work, mate. I had the streams going during the draw.

2:00 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

I bloody turned it over!

2:03 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

ESPN's show is on for THREE HOURS!!!

Lexi, Evan Ekoko and Steve McManaman is in the studio

They went to a bar in NYC call Nevada something. It was packed!

Big screen in Times Square showing the draw.. what is going in this country!!

2:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

That would be Nevada Smith's. Magic place - I've been there once. Wall to wall footer, cash conditioned ale, full monty breakfast. Check it out:

http://www.nevadasmiths.net/

2:16 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

I was right
It is A and B matched together

I will take a look at that place

2:18 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Again, I was first upset that the US came out of the pot but now I am thrilled!

Sky Sports gets Demarcus Beardsley on the phone and as he is answering the first question they cut him off and go to Fabio

2:21 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

Demarcus held on!

2:24 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

1924: The exact World Cup kick-off times are still to be confirmed by Fifa, but this is likely to be the schedule for England's group games (all times BST):
12 June - England v USA, 1930
18 June - England v Algeria, 1930
23 June - Slovenia v England, 1500

2:25 PM  
Blogger United We Stand said...

I used Di and De but it is Damarcus

2:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

So, of course the next question is:

Where will the LOB crowd be on June 12? Let's start the planning, eh?

3:02 PM  
Blogger Someone Said said...

It's a Saturday afternoon, a week before my birthday. I'll probably be at Claddagh in Columbus soaking it al in. Really big day for soccer in the U.S.

8:23 AM  
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