U.S. MNT Gives a Poor Showing

U.S. Exits with a Whimper.

I need more time to digest what I saw the team do at this tournament before commenting.

World Cup Previews

For the most comprehensive and entertaining team-by-team preview of the upcoming World Cup I have come across, check out That's On Point:
The Draw;
Angola; Argentina; Australia; Brazil; Ivory Coast; Costa Rica; Croatia; Czech Republic; Ecuador; England; France; Germany; Ghana; Iran; Italy; Japan; South Korea; Saudi Arabia; Mexico; The Netherlands; Paraguay; Poland; Portugal; Serbia and Montenegro; Switzerland; Sweden; Spain; Togo; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia, Ukraine, and USA.

Gunslingers is also posting in-depth previews of each team.

I have some notes I collected four years ago on a system for running a pool not unlike March Madness or the college football bowls, but I'm not sure how much interest there would be in participating among my friends. Most of the people I know will watch as many games as they can regardless of their rooting interest. A pool might add an additional layer of interest for some.

World Cup Draw Analysis

The sum of the four teams' world rankings for each group (based on current FIFA world rankings with the seeded team in parentheses):

Group A (Germany): 16+37+23+21=97
Group B (England): 9+30+14+51=104
Group C (Argentina): 4+41+3+47= 95
Group D (Mexico): 7+62+10+19=98
Group E (Italy): 12+50+2+8=72
Group F (Brazil): 1+49+20+15=85
Group G (France): 5+56+36+29=126
Group H (Spain): 6+28+40+32=106

The average of the sums is about 98. Each group's sum is within 15% of the average except Group G, which is about 29% greater than the average, and Group E, which is about 26% below the average. That's bad for the US, which is in Group E.

The seeded team is the highest ranked team in its group except for Argentina in Group C (the Netherlands is ranked one spot better at 3) and Italy in Group E. Interestingly, both the Czech Republic and the US are currently ranked higher than Italy in Group E; again, bad for the US, although I can't imagine Italy is too pleased with its draw. Group E looks like next year's "Group of Death".

Germany's group (A) does not have a single team ranked in the top 10, but three of the four teams are in the top 25. Argentina and the Netherlands (Group C) should have no problem advancing from their group. Three of the four teams in Mexico's and Brazil's groups (D and F) are in the top 20. It looks like France and Spain have by far the easiest roads to the Round of 16 followed by a slightly more difficult road for England.

I can't say this looks good for the US. Advancing to the Round of 16 in the 2006 World Cup will require finishing ahead of either the Czech Republic or Italy in group play - this would be a major accomplishment. Winning Group E is extremely unlikely. I was pissed when the US was not seeded and getting drawn into a group with another top 10 team besides the seeded team is particularly unlucky.

The 2006 World Cup Draw . . .

is in progress. I'm tracking it live on ESPN Soccernet.

The seeded teams have all been placed in groups and they're now drawing teams from Pool 2 . . .

The drawing of teams from Pools 2 and 3 is complete. Serbia & Montenegro cannot be placed in Groups A, B, E, G, or H. Group C looks particularly nasty.

The remaining 7 teams just breathed a sigh of relief - S & M was placed in Group C.

Ouch! We're in a tough group.

The drawing is complete.

Group A: Germany, Ecuador, Poland, Costa Rica
Group B: England, Paraguay, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago
Group C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, the 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.

Dutch and USA Unseeded for World Cup Draw

This pisses me off. The U.S. national team is currently ranked eighth in the world and won their CONCACAF qualifying group ahead of Mexico. Friday's draw will be critical.

League Champs!

My soccer team, Postgame FC, clinched first place in the CCSL Premier Division yesterday morning with a 3 - 1 win over Booters FC. We will be the #1 seed in the play-offs, which begin in two weeks against a semifinal opponent TBD. This was a significant achievement for our team, which has never finished this high in Premier Div. league play. I've only been with the team for two years, but according to the old-timers, Postgame FC started out five or six years ago at the bottom of the bottom division in the league (hence the team name; post-game apparently being the only time the team could post impressive performances).

This result definitely made up for having to get up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning for our 8:00 game.