*The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

[Bruins]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

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[fugazi]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

Pot 1...8 best teams
Pot 2...Other Top regional qualifiers not in Pot 1, remaining spots to best runners-up in SAmerica and Europe.
Pot 3 and 4...everyone else, separated by region as much as possible.


Regional "separation" should NEVER be a top priority. I don't care if two regional teams wind up in the same group, as long as the tournament is consistently and fairly drawn.

Hell, you can even have stipulations in the Draw (I think I've seen this before, not sure). Say USA is drawn from Pot 2, and Mexico is drawn from Pot 3 into the same group, you put El Tri back in the pot and draw until you get a non-CONCACAF squad, etc.

The fact that someone signed off on Pot 3 is one of the most egregious acts of official malfeasance i can remember in sports.

This WC might sour me on football.

And how can FIFA organize a tournament in a country the size of Brazil and arrange things so that some team is going to have to travel 8000 freaking miles?!? What a bunch of idiots.

[Bruins]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

Deadspin wrote about how the draw would look if it was done via a selection committee, ala the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Turned out some pretty interesting, fair, and balanced groups:

http://deadspin.com/what-if-fifa-seeded-the-world-cup-the-way-americans-wou-1476742465

[fugazi]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

^ wow...

nailed it. more than once even.

FIFA is an embarrassment.

I think I'll go back to playing PES just on principle alone lol

[Dogslax41]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

To be fair to Belgium, they're in the midst of a golden generation of sorts. They've got some world-class players in that team, Kompany and Hazard just to name two. Then you've got players like Vertonghen and Vermaelen at the back, Fellaini and Dembele in midfield and Lukaku up front. And those are just the Premier League players.

As I become an England fan for a tournament (as is the case of nearly every 2 years being a Northern Ireland fan), if we can get out the group, we've got a good chance of making the Quarters. Can't seem them going past there though, most likely a tie against Brazil or Spain if they get there.

Belgium is where Brazil was 4 years ago. Insanely talented team that was really two years too young to be a legitimate World Cup threat. But in Russia they will probably be up near the top as a favorite.

[razorkaos]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

So, do you guys remember the blonde beauty in the final draw???

Well, looks like she has some fans... and she will be hosting the Golden Ball award, with Ruud Gullit.

http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/esporte/fernanda-lima-sera-apresentadora-da-bola-de-ouro-da-fifa

(yeah, it's in portuguese, but it was confirmed by fifa)

[eyeamg0dly]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

Belgium is where Brazil was 4 years ago. Insanely talented team that was really two years too young to be a legitimate World Cup threat. But in Russia they will probably be up near the top as a favorite.

I agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if they make a run in Brazil. I think they have the right mix of veterans and youngsters to be pretty dangerous.

[Anners]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

I agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if they make a run in Brazil. I think they have the right mix of veterans and youngsters to be pretty dangerous.

I think I would be a little surprised if they went far, just because the group next to them (GER/POR/GHA/USA) is so strong. Wouldn't be surprised if they went 3 from 3 in the group stage though. Presuming they qualify for the Euro 2016 tournament, that's their one to aim at I think, especially as it's next door in France.

Also, speaking as a European, the American way of ranking is massively better than the way it's done currently. I think culture plays its part a little as there's no real ranking done in the main European sports compared to the US.

Brazil to win it, Uruguay my dark horse.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

Completely agree with you Anners. I've been tipping Belgium for Euro 2016 myself. That's when they'll have a tournament under their belt and 2 years more experience for the younger guys. The veterans will still be young enough to have maximum impact as well.

Uruguay has a ridiculous attack and always show up in these style tournaments.

[ImTellinTim]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/20131207/usa-portugal-fifa-start-time-world-cup.ap/

Some match times changed.

[Eton Rifles]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

just to chime in. Group G is toughest from top to bottom. I guess the biggest question is which Portugal team shows up? the one where the other 9 outfield players just watch Ronaldo do his thing or the one that plays like a cohesive team.

[jb12780]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

Belgium has some serious talent.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk

[My993C2]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

I have been a fan of World Cup soccer since the early 1980s but I have to admit I am not a hardcore fan of the club level soccer (or should I be saying Futbol LOL) so I am posting here somewhat blind when it comes to who is performing well and who is not during their respective 2013 club level seasons in Europe as well as everywhere else on the globe.

But ...

1) Can Spain repeat? even though no European team has ever won a World Cup in South America.

2) What made Spain so good these last 6 years?

3) If not Spain, then who? Brazil has home field advantage, but are they the best? Not so sure they are. Argentina appears to have the easiest Group pairing, and if they don't take first place in Group F it will be a major upset. But even if they take Group F they should face a good team in Germany, or Portugal or maybe the USA (sorry US I don't see you finishing in front of the Germans or Portuguese, but you never know) in the Quarter Finals, possibly even face France in the 2nd round if France does not win their Group (but I think the Frenchies will win their group).

4) Also it's easy on paper to say who will win each match and make the elimination round match ups now. But in sports there will always be some sort of upset which will make the elimination playoff rounds unpredictable.

[Anners]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

I have been a fan of World Cup soccer since the early 1980s but I have to admit I am not a hardcore fan of the club level soccer (or should I be saying Futbol LOL) so I am posting here somewhat blind when it comes to who is performing well and who is not during their respective 2013 club level seasons in Europe as well as everywhere else on the globe.

But ...

1) Can Spain repeat? even though no European team has ever won a World Cup in South America.

2) What made Spain so good these last 6 years?

3) If not Spain, then who? Brazil has home field advantage, but are they the best? Not so sure they are. Argentina appears to have the easiest Group pairing, and if they don't take first place in Group F it will be a major upset. But even if they take Group F they should face a good team in Germany, or Portugal or maybe the USA (sorry US I don't see you finishing in front of the Germans or Portuguese, but you never know) in the Quarter Finals, possibly even face France in the 2nd round if France does not win their Group (but I think the Frenchies will win their group).

4) Also it's easy on paper to say who will win each match and make the elimination round match ups now. But in sports there will always be some sort of upset which will make the elimination playoff rounds unpredictable.

1 & 3) They can, but I don't think they are as overwhelming favourites as they were in South Africa in 2010. I would think Brazil, Argentina and Germany would be more likely to win it for me. I think it's going to be between those 3 personally. Found a nice little stat for this actually, out of the 19 World Cups, 10 have been won by those 3 teams. Of the other 9, 4 were won by Italy, 3 were by the host nation, the others were Uruguay and Spain.

2) I think maybe the evolution of football has helped them. The game is changing into a game where possession is becoming more key and pressure high up the pitch. They're definitely in the midst of a "golden generation".

4) I know this wasn't a question, but there's always a team who chokes. Last tournament they're were 2, France (again) and Italy. England's turn maybe?

[ImTellinTim]

Re: *The Road to Brazil 2014* WC 2014 Qualifying Discussion

4) I know this wasn't a question, but there's always a team who chokes. Last tournament they're were 2, France (again) and Italy. England's turn maybe?

Holland will crash out of the groups this time around if they aren't careful. And we saw what happened at the last Euros.