By points order:

1. Brasil
2. England
3. Spain
4. Germany
5. México
6. France
7. Argentina
8. Italy

[This message has been edited by Netbreaker (edited 12/6/2005 8:09a).]

the usual suspects...

I actually believe that Holland should be there instead of Spain...

England has a nice shot this year. Anxious for it

England is all hype. They shouldn't be seeded.

It's based partly on performance in the 2002 and 1998 World Cups, so Holland missing out in '02 hurt them a lot.

We can't be with Mexico, so we'll be with one of Brazil, England, Spain, Germany, France, Argentina, or Italy. That sounds fun. We'll probably get stuck with Germany.

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

[This message has been edited by Ag Since 83 (edited 12/6/2005 9:37a).]

The other teams in our pot who we can't be drawn with are Costa Rica, Trinidad & Tobago, Iran (no repeat of the '98 debacle!), Japan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

When is the final draw released?

Son of a *****. We missed being seeded by one lousy point. I don't think we deserved it but it would have been sweet to avoid those teams 1st round.

If Germany wasn't the host nation, I'd feel pretty good about facing them in the group stage. Maybe I'm just taking too much from the QF game in '02 but they seem relatively young and lack creativity. With the Netherlands missing a seed, I feel sorry for whatever teams are grouped with them because the group could be brutal. I mean if the US gets stuck with the Netherlands, I think their chances of advancing past the group stage will be very small.

Big bucks, no whammies.

This Friday.

Brazil, Germany, Spain, Argentina, Italy, England, Mexico and France. That was the expected seeds according to Kicker magazine. Nothing is official yet though.

I'm still trying to figure out how the US isn't seeded. If the ranking system is similar in past years, the US has legitimate gripe. Supposed to incorporate current ranking plus results of last 3 World Cups with emphasis on more recent WCs. It was 50% current ranking and 50% WCs at a 25%, 17%, 8% ratio.

Take bottom 3 and team on bubble... Italy, Mexico, England, and USA.

Italy - ranked 12th
round of 16 in 2002
round of 8 in 1998
4th in 1994

England - ranked 9th
round of 8 in 2002
round of 16 in 1998
didn't qualify in 1994

Mexico - ranked 7th
round of 16 in 2002
round of 16 in 1998
round of 16 in 1994

USA - ranked 8th
round of 8 in 2002
finished last in WC
round of 16 in 1994

I think Italy is tops in this group. But between the other three it's a tossup.

US beats Mexico headup, wins CONCACAF, beats Mexico in 2002 WC. Only advantage Mexico has over US is America's horrible 1998 performance and slight mysterious advantage in current rankings.

US/England. Our horrible 1998 and England's round of 16 performance gives them an advantage. But in 1994 we made it to round of 16, while they didn't qualify. (they weren't banned for hooliganism were they?) And we have a slight ranking advantage over them right now.

It is official.

http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/5143548

That's one of many links confirming it. They changed the formula slightly so only the last two WCs were taken into account with 2002 counting twice as much as 1998. The order that Netbreaker posted is the actual order according to point total.

quote:

---

FIFA based its seedings on results at the last two World Cups and the world rankings of the past three years.

Based on that rule, Brazil topped the standings with 64 points, ahead of England with 51, Spain with 50 and Germany with 48. The fifth-ranked team was Mexico with 47, followed by France with 46 and Argentina and Italy tied in seventh with 44 points.

The United States fell just short of the top eight with 43 points, while the Dutch were well back with 38.

---

The official World Cup site confirming that all this is official:

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/051206/1/5hj3.html

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

[This message has been edited by Ag Since 83 (edited 12/6/2005 4:13p).]

i seriously doubt the US gets put in the same group as the Netherlands, that would mean one of the seeded teams, the US, and the Netherlands were in the same group. i doubt that happens.

i for some reason think we will be put in the same group as Italy, IMO. i like that matchup.

In 94 you automatically qualified as hosts.
I think they also take into account the groups & CONCAF is weaker than UEFA.

quote:

---

i seriously doubt the US gets put in the same group as the Netherlands, that would mean one of the seeded teams, the US, and the Netherlands were in the same group. i doubt that happens.

---

The US and the Netherlands being put together is just as likely as the US and any other European team from that pot being seeded together. It's all a game of chance at this point.

I would love the chance to beat Italy in the first round (I don't know that we would beat them if we played but I would love the chance). Their arrogance rivals Mexico (sorry Netbreaker) and I would love the opportunity to knock them down a peg.

I know it's said all the time, but the FIFA rankings are ridiculous. I'm not saying the US should be seeded, but we should atleast be ahead of Mexico.

Yeah there's nothing to prevent the US and Holland from being put together. Such a group would no doubt be the fabled "group of death" of this World Cup.

"I feel like we have some unfinished business." - Chris Walker
On the bandwagon since birth. Raised in the bleachers of Kyle, Olsen, and G. Rollie White

Dre,

U.S. and the arrogant Mexicans can't be on the same group...

Yeah I know that...other than Europe, no region can have 2 teams in one group. Didn't mean to suggest it was possible.

It is a shame though, of all the seeded teams, that's the one I would like to see most...if for no other reason then it would be a meaningful game in a great rivalry. But I understand why FIFA doesn't want to crowd a group with multiple teams from the same confederation. As more quality teams emerge globally though, I think you'll see the need for FIFA to seed 16 teams in 2010. 1-8 and 9-16...regions be damned.

Hopefully, both Mexico and USA will make it out of their group. Love to have a rematch in round of 16. Or while I'm wishing, how about a rematch in finals.

[This message has been edited by birdman (edited 12/8/2005 9:15p).]