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England to be seeded at World Cup

on 6 December 2005 , 4:56 pm 11 | 0 views

You heard it here first. Argentina, England, Italy, France, Mexico and Spain join holders Brazil and hosts Germany as seeded teams for the 2006 World Cup draw as the Netherlands were left out. Update with pots.
Pot 1
Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Italy, England, France,
Spain, Mexico

Pot 2
Angola, Togo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Tunisia, Paraguay, Ecuador,
Australia

Pot 3
Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal,
Switzerland, Ukraine

Special pot
Serbia-Montenegro

Pot 4
Iran, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, United States, Costa Rica,
Trinidad and Tobago

  • Ivor Dewdney

    Forza Togo!

    Stopped supporting England when Le Tiss was criminally overlooked. Their abject failure to play Plymouth Argyle players has solidified my contempt.

  • foreign correspondent

    Er, why is Serbia-Montegro in a pot by itself? Are they not allowed to play with the other boys?

  • Keith M

    It wouldn’t have been how I would have done it. I would have Netherlands in there ahead of Mexico, the all other 8 European qualifiers in pot 2, then put the other 16 in a big pot making sure that no two from any area were drawn together.

    I think the actual seeding does no favours to Netherlands, Serb + Mont and (especially) USA.

  • George

    Serbia and Montenegro were the last European team drawn out and will be in a special pot and drawn into a group with either Mexico, Argentina or
    Brazil because under draw rules no group can contain three teams from Europe.

    Sorry it isn’t a more exotic reason.

    Keithm,
    The reason is Netherlands didn’t make it to the last World Cup, which counts as double in the seeding process. A certain Corkman put in an inspired performance in Lansdowne Road to help seal a famous victory.

  • Keith M

    George,
    Was that the Corkman who through his toys out of the pram rather than seeing the World Cup out to the finish? Netherlands were a better team then, and they are certainly one of the Top 5 teams in the World now”. +

  • George

    Keithm,
    the criteria used to determine the seeding were
    the teams’ positions in the FIFA rankings in the last three years, as well as their placings in the last two World Cup finals – with the
    2002 event being counted double.

    As the Dutch failed to qualify for the 2002 event, they were never going to be seeded in the top 8 here.

    The Czech Republic are currently seeded second, Mexico seventh and USA eighth.
    England are ninth.

    I think it would be ridiculous to not take into account a team’s performance on the big stage. That’s where the world’s top teams perform.

  • Concerned Loyalist

    I agree with Keith M.

    Holland should be seeded rather than Mexico. I understand FIFA’s method but Holland are one of the 7 or 8 countries that have a team capable of winning the tournament, along with England, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, France and Italy.

    As a darkhorse I would take the Czech Republic.

  • NIer

    What has England ever done for us?

  • harpo

    ‘England to be seeded at World Cup’

    Victory is now assured.

    On the subject of the World Cup, one/more of the big boys/hot favourites always suck hugely when the actual games start being played. Think of France and Argentina in 2002. Neither got out of their group despite being seeded teams.

    Who will it be this time? Who won’t perform when it comes down to it?

    I can’t see France or Spain doing much.

  • harpo

    “On the subject of the World Cup, one/more of the big boys/hot favourites always suck hugely when the actual games start being played. Think of France and Argentina in 2002. Neither got out of their group despite being seeded teams.

    “Who will it be this time? Who won’t perform when it comes down to it?”

    England. 😉

  • Someone has to say it: “We wuz robbed”. Quarter-finalists in the last World Cup (and denied by a blatant hand-ball on the goal line that the referee ‘missed’ in game against Germany), beat Mexico in that World Cup, finished above them in qualifying and won the Gold Cup, from which Mexico were early leavers.

    I might get myself into Paddy Power’s now while the odds are long on a US win next summer.