How do the Pots for World Cup groups work?

EVS · 18 Nov 2009, 06:32 PM

There are 8 seeded teams, so assuming Uruguay holds on, the breakdown is 13 Euro teams, 6 African (including the hosts), 5 South American, 4 Asian, 3 Concacaf and New Zealand

So, will it look like this?

Pot 1: Brazil, Spain, South Africa, Italy, Germany, England, Argentina, France/Netherlands

Pot 2:

8 Euro Teams

Pot 3:

5 African teams plus 3 Concacaf or 3 South America

Pot 4:

4 Asian teams plus 3 South American or Concacaf teams, plus New Zealand

How else could it work? If this is the case, it would be much better for us to be in Pot 3 than Pot 4 -- the Asian teams are a lot weaker than the African teams, and I can't imagine they'd draw the African teams in with South Africa, so we'd have a pretty good chance of getting them in a group.

Dream group would look like:

South Africa
Slovenia(?)
US
New Zealand

MtMike · 18 Nov 2009, 06:57 PM

there's several threads on this in general.

An Unpaved Road · 18 Nov 2009, 06:59 PM

The draw is irrelevant, just brace yourself for:

- one embarrassing loss
- one solid effort
- one "we were close" loss

SheffWedFan · 18 Nov 2009, 07:16 PM

This is how I think it will work (current FIFA rank in brackets):

SEEDS
1. Brazil (1)
2. Spain (2)
3. Netherlands (3)
4. Italy (4)
5. Germany (5)
6. Argentina (6)
7. England (7)
8. South Africa [HOSTS] (85)

POT B (EUROPE)
1. France (9)
2. Portugal (10)
3. Switzerland (13)
4. Greece (16)
5. Serbia (20)
6. Denmark (27)
7. Slovakia (33)
8. Slovenia (49)

POT C (AFC/AFRICA)
1. Cameroon (14)
2. Ivory Coast (19)
3. Algeria (29)
4. Nigeria (32)
5. Ghana (38)
6. Japan (40)
7. South Korea (48)
8. North Korea (91)

POT D (AMERICAS/OFC)
1. USA (11)
2. Chile (17)
3. Mexico (18)
4. Paraguay (21)
5. Australia (24)
6. Uruguay (25)
7. Honduras (35)
8. New Zealand (83)

Dream draw for the United States: South Africa, Slovenia, North Korea

cleansheetbsc · 18 Nov 2009, 07:53 PM

However FIFA wants to fix it.

MountainHawk · 18 Nov 2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheffWedFan

This is how I think it will work (current FIFA rank in brackets):

SEEDS
1. Brazil (1)
2. Spain (2)
3. Netherlands (3)
4. Italy (4)
5. Germany (5)
6. Argentina (6)
7. England (7)
8. South Africa [HOSTS] (85)

POT B (EUROPE)
1. France (9)
2. Portugal (10)
3. Switzerland (13)
4. Greece (16)
5. Serbia (20)
6. Denmark (27)
7. Slovakia (33)
8. Slovenia (49)

POT C (AFC/AFRICA)
1. Cameroon (14)
2. Ivory Coast (19)
3. Algeria (29)
4. Nigeria (32)
5. Ghana (38)
6. Japan (40)
7. South Korea (48)
8. North Korea (91)

POT D (AMERICAS/OFC)
1. USA (11)
2. Chile (17)
3. Mexico (18)
4. Paraguay (21)
5. Australia (24)
6. Uruguay (25)
7. Honduras (35)
8. New Zealand (83)

Dream draw for the United States: South Africa, Slovenia, North Korea

Actual draw: Brazil, Portugal, Cameroon

Grumpy in LA · 18 Nov 2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by An Unpaved Road

The draw is irrelevant

Seriously?

Also, this thread should be moved/merged.

O'Dubhghaill Rules! · 18 Nov 2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SheffWedFan

This is how I think it will work (current FIFA rank in brackets):

SEEDS
1. Brazil (1)
2. Spain (2)
3. Netherlands (3)
4. Italy (4)
5. Germany (5)
6. Argentina (6)
7. England (7)
8. South Africa [HOSTS] (85)

POT B (EUROPE)
1. France (9)
2. Portugal (10)
3. Switzerland (13)
4. Greece (16)
5. Serbia (20)
6. Denmark (27)
7. Slovakia (33)
8. Slovenia (49)

POT C (AFC/AFRICA)
1. Cameroon (14)
2. Ivory Coast (19)
3. Algeria (29)
4. Nigeria (32)
5. Ghana (38)
6. Japan (40)
7. South Korea (48)
8. North Korea (91)

POT D (AMERICAS/OFC)
1. USA (11)
2. Chile (17)
3. Mexico (18)
4. Paraguay (21)
5. Australia (24)
6. Uruguay (25)
7. Honduras (35)
8. New Zealand (83)

Dream draw for the United States: South Africa, Slovenia, North Korea

Australia is in AFC now, not Oceania, so neither of the last two pots can work. According to the previous seeding method France will get a seed and Holland will not (according to the stuff posted around here).

For the last two pots it will be either CAF+CONCACAF and AFC+CONMEBOL+NZ or CAF+CONMEBOL and AFC+CONCACAF+NZ. Those are the only two ways the pots can matchup really.

Autogolazo · 18 Nov 2009, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cleansheetbsc

However FIFA wants to fix it.

And if they want to fix it for South Africa, they group CONCACAF with Africa and give the host nation a shot at our 3 teams, instead of CONMEBOL's, which almost everyone thinks will be harder.

Which would then give the U.S. a decided advantage in not having to face any African team other than potentially the hosts.

It all comes down to CONCACAF + Africa, or CONMEBOL + Africa. Which of those two will be grouped with Africa in a single pot?

You can bet there's some serious politickin' going on right now.