World Cup 2010 Draw: What Are You Hoping For?

December 4th, 2009 | by: Daryl |

theron Don’t know if you heard, but the draw for World Cup 2010 happens today in Cape Town, South Africa. Judging by my TV schedule, FIFA are set to make the relatively simple process of picking balls out of pots last something like three hours. But no point complaining. Better to just dive in and enjoy.

Because it’s basically a big party. With Charlize Theron, David Beckham and a multitude of other famous footballers and noted South Africans. There’s even a video address from the now 91 year old Nelson Mandela. Plus Sepp Blatter. So something for everyone. Unless you like expletive filled homophobic rants, as Diego Maradona’s ban includes this event.

Below you’ll find a quick recap of how it all works, followed by a very simple, but very important question: Who’s your team and what are you hoping for?

First the recap. As Chris explained on Wednesday, we have four pots:

Pot 1 (Seeded teams): South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Holland, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England.

Pot 2 (Asia, Oceania, North/Central America): Japan, South Korea, North Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Mexico and Honduras.

Pot 3 (Africa, South America): Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay.

Pot 4 (Europe): France, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, Greece, Serbia, Denmark and Slovakia.

The eight groups (A to H) will be selected by Theron, Beckham et al drawing one team from each pot and hey presto you have a group of four. Only rule is that (with the exception of Europe) no group can have two teams from the same confederation. So when they draw the team from Pot 3 to go in South Africa’s group, it can’t be any of the African teams.

I’m excited. You’re hopefully excited. Everyone is excited. And maybe a little anxious. Because no one wants to see their team in the dreaded Group of Death (which must exist, by law). So please share in the comments: Who is your team and who do you hope they get drawn with today?

The ceremony (that’s the ceremony, not the actual drawing of balls) begins at 7pm Cape Town time, which is 12 noon USA eastern time, 5pm UK time. Chris will be LiveBlogging the event here on WorldCupBlog and following Charlize Theron’s movements. But not in a creepy way.

International Football News – World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://melbourne.theoffside.com Marcus

I support Australia and I hope we get South Africa, Algeria and Slovenia :)
FIFA will probably rig it so we get Italy, but I wouldn’t mind drawing the Dutch.
http://flamengo.theoffside.com André

Brazil
New Zealand
Slovenia
Algeria
http://www.assyriska.theoffside.com Luka

Australia is my team, and I hope we get mother England. It will be the biggest game in Australian sporting history.
http://japan.worldcupblog.org/ Aidan

With my Japan hat on, very much hoping for South Africa as the seeded team. Then either Slovakis/Switzerland and Algeria/Uruguay.

As for England, I’m hoping for the same options of Slovakia/Swizterland and Algeria/Uruguay and then New Zealand or Honduras.
http://melbourne.theoffside.com Marcus

Luka I’d love to draw England as well minus Capello if thats possible!
Phil

My team is FRANCE and I want the group of death. If you’re going to be world champion you have to beat the best. Hence, I want:

Spain
France
USA
Cote d’Ivoire
walter

england
usa
chile
greece
i put my hopes on the americans
http://hull.theoffside.com Matt

Ireland
Bahrain
Costa Rica
Bosnia
http://japan.worldcupblog.org/ Aidan

During the practice draw, in which England got Australia, Cameroon and Slovakia which I would be thrilled to get for real, Charlize Theron picked France out of the pot but read out “Ireland” instead.
Beautiful, funny, likes footy…she must be the perfect woman! But can she cook?
Jean-François

Phil, I am confident in my team(France). But I wish I were that confident!
As for me. I’d like a challenge, but nothing too much…..maybe Italy, Australia, and not Algeria(I’d rather not have what happened in 2001 reoccur) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzMqjIWNMOA
I’d like to take on Cameroon or something too.
Rob

Beckham is bound to draw us (England) against Portugal or something. I’m nervous, I’m excited. Going to be looking for the World Cup sooo much after the draw as well.

Obviously I would like England to have an easy a draw as possible. But getting either Australia or USA could be really interesting from a press perspective. They’d be games we’d want to win more than any other, I think. Likewise if France draw Algeria or something.

I don’t really follow them, but I always hope Japan get a nice draw. Their fans bring such colour to the World Cups, I always hope they do really well.
morpheus

I am for the US and all I don’t really mind who we are drawn against, but what I don’t want is the US to be drawn with Brazil, Spain, or Italy. Everytime we play Italy it ends up being an terrible game with several red cards.
http://italy.theoffside.com Francesco

It would be nice for the Azzurri to get New Zealand, Algeria, and Slovenia/Slovakia. But history shows Italy does better when placed in a hard group.
http://www.nealcollins.co.uk/blog Neal Collins

No need to guess. England will be drawn as C1, based in Rustenburg. First group game and first knock-out game at the Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace. You read it here first!
Coconut

i feel stupid by asking, but where can i find the Liveblog for this event? will chris just post a new entry?

anyways, I’m rooting for Mexico

Argentina
Mexico
Algeria
Slovenia
Bkkfrenchie

I’m French and I hope we get Ireland….wait a minute, that won’t happen. Instead I wish we get England just for the hell of it, so that they realize that even if they have the most popular league in the world, with a bunch of the best clubs, it’s got nothing to do with English players. But I doubt it though. I guess we’ll have to do with an opening game against SA..I’m almost scared. NOT!
Paja

France to meet the best in round 1.
Get them out of there real fast so that we can forget about the scandal!!!
Earthwire

To Paja:
My word !
James

I have a bad feeling about Mexico. :’(
Red

Good ole USA here. hope we don’t get screwed for the 3rd year in a row.

USA
South Africa
Chile
Slovenia

That would be a dream draw for the USA. Of course FIFA hates us so it’ll never happen.
Joseph

Any liveblogs going on anywhere?
Matteo

Interesting possible Group of death:
England
USA
Ivory Coast
France

France will for sure get knocked out of that group!
http://www.worldcupblog.org Daryl

Joseph, yes, our LiveBlog just started here:

http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2010/world-cup-2010-draw-liveblogtacular.html
http://algerie تسونامى

احذروا منتخبنا الجزائر

ربما نهائيات 1982 ستتكرر وان كان ذلك فسنلعب الادوار الاولى ان شاء الله فحذارى

وان*تو**ثرى*** فيفا لالجرى………………………………..
http://www.clbuzz.com/fifa-world-cup-2010-seeds-world-cup-2010-draw/ clbuzz

With 32 names in the bag (regardless of how they got there) thoughts can now turn to the subject of the draw for the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa. The draw takes place on Friday 4th December 2009.

http://www.clbuzz.com/fifa-world-cup-2010-seeds-world-cup-2010-draw/
http://www.xtremegapyear.co.uk/gap-year World Cup Tour

With the world cup draw now published this is you chance to get behind you team and tour Africa during the world cup. We are running a world cup tour around south Africa checking out the host cities during some of the best games. check out the details here:

http://www.xtremegapyear.co.uk/gap-year
http://apoiaportugal.blogspot.com/ Ricardo Costa

Força Portugal!

http://apoiaportugal.blogspot.com/
http://www.dozensports.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=3&Itemid=41 online sports

Group of Death
So the 2010 World Cup draw has been made – the usual uneventful event did have a few surprises this time around. I’ll have been following all the news on sports events at http://www.dozensports.com.
Most notably, Group G is the infamous “Group of Death.” In it are Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea. So what makes it the Group of Death?
Well, Brazil are Brazil. Ivory Coast may be the most talented African team. Portugal have Cristiano Ronaldo. And North Korea, well, let’s just say they don’t have a hope in hell.
In fact, why are North Korea allowed to play in such a tournament considering their human rights record and nuclear plans? Personally, I think politics has nothing to do with football, I think there are boundaries and North Korea should not be there at all. With North Korea on board, it really is a group of death.