Germany 06 Final Draw

[HatCityEnforcer]

Well, basically, this is the world's answer to Selection Sunday...

The 32 teams that are in for Germany 06 are about to be divided up into 8 groups for the start of competition in June.

Where will the US end up? Who will Australia be grouped with? Which group will be the "Group of Death"?

I'll try and update this as much as I can throughout the process....

The draw itself, held in Leipzig (and not Berlin as I might have stated in an earlier thread) starts at 20:15 GMT (dunno what that translates to here in the States & Canada)

Also, Germany as being the hosts, were given the top seed in Group A and will be in the first game of the Finals, playing a yet to be determined group opponent at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Brazil, as defending champions, were placed in Group F.

One last little wrinkle...A CONCACAF team cannot be in the same group as Mexico, and a COMENBOL team cannot be in the same group as either Brazil or Argentina. Also, Serbia/Montenegro is going to be allocated to a group headed by either Brazil, Argentina, or Mexico seeing FIFA isn't allowing 3 UEFA teams in the same group.

Without further ado...here are your 8 groups for the 2006 FIFA World Cup...

NOTE: these are listed as they come up on the draw...no rankings involved outside of the top 8 seeds (which are listed at the top of each group)

GROUP A

Germany

Ecuador

Poland

Costa Rica

GROUP B

England

Paraguay

Sweden

Trinidad & Tobago

GROUP C

Argentina

Ivory Coast

Netherlands

Serbia/Montenegro

GROUP D

Mexico

Angola

Portugal

Iran

GROUP E

Italy

Ghana

Czech Republic

United States

GROUP F

Brazil

Australia

Croatia

Japan

GROUP G

France

Togo

Switzerland

South Korea

GROUP H

Spain

Tunisia

Ukraine

Saudi Arabia

[BB61]

Tough draws for the US and Australia. Especially Australia. Brazil AND Croatia? Yikes.

[HatCityEnforcer]

Yah, it's like 1990 all over again for the US...Italy and the Czechs in group play.

I'd also like to nominate Group C as the Group Of Death...Argentina, the Dutch, Serbia, and the Ivory Coast...all 4 are pretty solid teams..shame 2 of them are going home early.

[Breakwood]

Ill second the nomination of Group C as the group of death. Cote d'Ivoire may be the underdogs, but they are no slouches thats for sure.

[officeglenn]

I gotta say F is the Group of Death ... I was saying that to myself even before Japan was drawn in.

C is good except for Cote D'Ivoire ... E is good except for Ghana ... Looks like France, Germany, and Spain should have relatively easy paths to the knockout stage ... Mexico and Portugal will duke it out in D, as will England and Sweden in B.

[ROCHitman]

I was hoping to see a US-Britain match, but It fell through

[spyboy1]

Both Italy and the Czechs. Yuk.

I was hoping for Group G with Togo & the Swiss plus France.

It looks like Germany and England should be happy tonight.

JeffB

[WJMorris3]

Tell you what. If we get out of this group, does that mean the United States should be seeded in 2010?

[TFoA]

Group E=Once again, the Group of Death. Italy, US, and the Czechs in the SAME group? And then you never know about the African teams in the World Cup...I predict Group E as the Group of Death.

With that being said, GO ORANJE

http://www.staatsloterij-inkoppertje.nl/kn...ot/IMG_0082.jpg

[HatCityEnforcer]

If I'm a South Korean fan, I'd be LOVING the draw they got....Group G is probably the weakest of the 8, IMO. Group D looks to be pretty hideous as well as the Mexicans got a sweetheart draw as well (outside of having to deal with Portugal) .

Also, Germany doesn't have any excuses for not making it to the round of 16....

Group C is just brutal...Argentina blew through everyone in South American qualifying, the Dutch were great in the UEFA side of it, Serbia took Spain out behind the 'shed in qualifying as well, so they're no slouch (despite a FIFA World Ranking of 45)...Cote D'Ivoire was pretty solid in African qualifying as well..they play a lot like Cameroon, so I wouldn't be sleeping on them.

Group F is pretty nasty in it's own right as well...FIFA sure didn't do the Aussies any favors It's bad enough they have to deal with the defending champs from Brazil, but add a very good Croat team and a solid Japan side...ouch.

As for Group E...Italy can be had, IMO. They have a nagging tendancy to cough up leads in WC play. The Czechs scare the heck out of me...Nedved's just a beast. Ghana's a wild card in this as well. It's not 1998 brutal for the US, but it's a toughie to say the least.

[Seadragon76]

Hey, remember the last time the USA had Italy and the Czech Republic (Czechoslovakia in 1990) in group play of the World Cup? We survived that group in '90, we will survive this group with no problems.

[redwings8831]

In 1990, the US finished 0-3 and last place in the group. We didn't survive the group.

[kc51design]

Cote d'Ivoire is no joke, Drogba, Kolo Toure, Kalou, most players are playing in England and France and I think these guys are capable of making it throug...

I'm so unhappy now, we (Croatia) got Brazil which is Brazil and no words needed to be said, then Australia - which I like because they have 7 Croatians playing for them and I know they'll be a tough team to beat, and then Japan who Croatia beat in 1998 in France 1:0, but that was a time when Croatia got 3rd and Japan wasn't as strong as now with Zico on the helm.

Not to mention that I would support Japan and Australia in other groups since I have a lot of Japanese and Aussie friends...

As much as I know Croatia is strong, but my hopes of getting into 16 got smaller by each draw made few hours ago...

[Cujo]

I'm not a big soccer guy, but didn't Greece win Euro 04 and they're not in the Cup? ... or maybe I'm just wrong, and blind.

[Alphabet Man]

Tough draws for the US and Australia. Especially Australia. Brazil AND Croatia? Yikes.

nah seems simple on paper

We have the wood (sorta) over Brazil we beat them a few years back in the Confederations Cup in 2001 i think, andwe played a dud team that day.....

Croatia we'll beat cos the Croatians in our side hate a few of those players that used Australian tax payers money at the AIS to develop their skills then changed to Croatia just to get a game

and Japan we'll beat cos we beat them at everything (well only in WW2, i doubt we have palyed them in anythign since lol)

i however was hoping for England....group E looks the hardest to me they got Argentina and the Dutch

[Brian in Boston]

Tough draw for the United States. If they get through the Group Round, it will most likely be as the second-place team... setting up a probable Round of 16 match versus Brazil.

Yikes!

That said, I've already got my tickets to the Brazil-Australia and Ivory Coast-Serbia & Montenegro matches. Both my brother-in-law (who lives in Munich) and I came up lucky in the ticket lottery. Plus, there's still a possibility that my brother-in-law will use his business connections to score tickets to the opening match pitting Germany vs. Costa Rica.

[JQK]

I think this is the year the U.S.A shocks the world, and at least gets to the semi-finals.

They shoiuld have been their last time, but the no-call on the Germany hand-ball kinda took us out of it.

[-kj]

And here I had you figured as a soccer hater, JQK. I'm impressed.

It's a tough draw, no doubt (I was pulling for them to get drawn in the groups with France or Spain), but I think they'll be able to get through.

The round of 16 pairing of groups E and F is brutal. Those are two tough groups, and as a set of eight teams, they're easily the toughest quarter of the tournament.

Oh, and Brian? I hate you. I figured I couldn't afford the trip to Germany, so I opted for a less expensive European vacation, heading to England in February.

[JQK]

And here I had you figured as a soccer hater, JQK. I'm impressed.

It's a tough draw, no doubt (I was pulling for them to get drawn in the groups with France or Spain), but I think they'll be able to get through.

The round of 16 pairing of groups E and F is brutal. Those are two tough groups, and as a set of eight teams, they're easily the toughest quarter of the tournament.

Oh, and Brian? I hate you. I figured I couldn't afford the trip to Germany, so I opted for a less expensive European vacation, heading to England in February.

I'm still not THAT big of a soccer guy.. but the World Cup is "The World Cup"... can't not watch the biggest sporting event in the world.

[Alphabet Man]

apart from brazil, we are close on head to head with Japan and ahead of Croatia...but then we've hardly played these sides in the past 5 years

AUSTRALIA V JAPAN
PLAYED        10
WON           3
LOST          4
DRAWN         3
GOALS FOR     11
GOALS AGAINST 15

LAST 5 PREVIOUS RESULTS
15-AUG-01 JAP 3 AUS 0 SHIZUOKA   JAP
07-AUG-01 JAP 1 AUS 0 YOKOHAMA   JAP
15-FEB-98 AUS 0 JAP 3 ADELAIDE   AUS
14-FEB-96 AUS 3 JAP 0 MELBOURNE  AUS
10-FEB-96 AUS 1 JAP 4 WOLLONGONG AUS

AUSTRALIA V BRAZIL
PLAYED        5
WON           1
LOST          3
DRAWN         1
GOALS FOR     1
GOALS AGAINST 9

LAST 5 PREVIOUS RESULTS
09-JUN-01 AUS 1 BRA 0 ULSAN      KOR
21-DEC-97 BRA 6 AUS 0 RIYADH     KSA
14-DEC-97 BRA 0 AUS 0 RIYADH     KSA
17-JUL-88 AUS 0 BRA 2 SYDNEY     AUS
07-JUL-88 AUS 0 BRA 1 MELBOURNE  AUS

AUSTRALIA V CROATIA
PLAYED        4
WON           2
LOST          1
DRAWN         1
GOALS FOR     4
GOALS AGAINST 8

LAST 5 PREVIOUS RESULTS
06-JUN-98 CRO 7 AUS 0 ZAGREB     CRO
12-JUL-92 AUS 0 CRO 0 SYDNEY     AUS
08-JUL-92 AUS 3 CRO 0 ADELAIDE   AUS
05-JUL-92 AUS 1 CRO 0 MELBOURNE  AUS