Translation: "We can't be arsed to figure out the answer to your question. Piss off." That's FIFA for ya...
Actually, FIFA is the most professional sport organization with regards to answering questions UEFA never answered any of my e-mails. Same goes for the rest of the continental confederations. Many of the national associations never bothered to reply my e-mails. FIFA have always been very helpful, although a bit late sometimes at answering.
Well, of course they can't, because the World Cup Seeding won't be decided until right before the draw, when they'll adjust things slightly to suit their fancy. So silly little concerns like yours will be 'adjusted' away, should they come up.
Group F: Italy, Czech Republic, USA, Paraguay The Group of We Are So Dead. I am looking forward to things getting a little more settled.
Group A: South Africa, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Chile First time I've seen a group that Sth Africa could get out of - KSA could even qualify, although I'd go with Russia and Chile as favourites Group B: Argentina, Israel, Korea Republic, Egypt Argentina a shoe in with Sth Korea edging 2nd just ahead of Egypt and Israel Group C: France, Greece, Australia, Ghana Australia and Ghana, France 3rd over Greece Group D: Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Uruguay Bitchfight Group E: Brazil, Croatia, Iran, Cote d'Ivoire Brazil and Cote d'Ivoire - although Croatia could upset. Unlucky Iran Group F: Italy, Czech Republic, USA, Paraguay Italy and Paraguay, not by much over USA 3rd than Czech IMO Group G: England, Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon England and Netherlands, Japan and Cameroon respectable. Group H: Germany, Turkey, Honduras, Nigeria Germany and Nigeria. Turkey close. Honduras to the wolves
The Czechs have been poor for a while now. I would say there are 3 tougher groups in that mock draw. (C,D, G)
I think that would be a good group for us Australians. The French are entirely in the shit after the glory run they had at the end of the '90s, Greece has fallen back a bit after their Euro win not long ago; Ghana would be our strongest foe and even then I'd predict a tie, or short loss to them. I really think we could manage 6 or 7 points and 2nd place if we took things too easy, or top the group if we put all the chips on the table.
http://www.football-rankings.info/2008/12/2010-wc-seeding-formula-based-on.html Group A: South Africa, Serbia, USA, Uruguay That group would be interesting, since we'd run into Subotic...
Hmm. Yes, we got ran over by the Czechs in 06. But we have owned Poland recently, and we only lost to Romania 1-0 in 94. Somehow I don't think any past results would matter, though.
January 2009 update 2010 FIFA World Cup seeding based on current standings. 2010 FIFA World Cup seeding based on the latest FIFA Ranking.
Karma will hit those Balkan body snatchers. Australia got our revenge against 3 Croatian players who were developed in a tax-payer funded program by knocking them out of the WC in Germany.
Pot 3 seems like it is the determinant for which is the group of death. I'm rooting for a World Cup group of Germany, Israel, Iran and Egypt.
Most pointless thread on BS I've said this before, and will say it again, despite all the effort that went into making these calculations: this thread is pointless. It may be fun, and give people something to do while we are waiting for the next major tournament, but it it has no basis in reality. I understand that statistics can be helpful in many areas of life (like telling us who will be the next leader of country X, for example), but to go as far as to predict World Cup groups based on FIFA ranking or some other rankings, which will not have any bearing whatsoever on determining who makes it into the tournament, is silly. Sorry for being a spoilsport! Now, a word of advice to the statisticians: go back to the drawing board, and figure out something better, like for instance the probability of each country getting into South Africa based on past results and current position in an elimination group. That would make reading this thread something more than a waste of time.
Re: Most pointless thread on BS Since this is the reason most of us are subscribing the rest of your post is rather pointless. Keep up the good work Edgar
Re: Most pointless thread on BS The whole point of Edgar's work is to show which 7 countries might be seeded - which is an EXTREMELY IMPORTANT factor, both for them and for the draw in general, particularly at the margin. So, knowing whether there is a big/small/widening/narrowing gap in the seeding based on current positions and rankings is quite important. The "mock draws" are just an example of what might follow from the seeding. While they are not any use in determining what will happen, they can give a flavour for the type of groups we might get (such as what sort of group of death is possible, or the variety of easy/hard draws the seeds, or South Africa, may get). In the end, GiTC is right, the post was pretty pointless - although we now know how seriously to take that poster's analysis in future. So, not entirely wasted then. J Australia v Kuwait. Asian Cup Qualifier. Canberra Stadium, Canberra. 5 March 2008 - 8pm.