Photo by jrseles
FIFA announced on December 4 the groups for the 2010 World Cup, and as Italy’s coach Marcello Lippi declares, there are no easy teams.
Here’s the final draw:
Group A – South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B – Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C – England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D – Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
Group E – Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F – Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G – Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal
Group H – Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
There´s much anticipation circulating around the 2010 World Cup’s “Group of Death,” Group G. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, “Group of Death” refers to the group with the highest concentration of top-caliber teams. The teams in the group face tougher opposition and are less likely to advance to the next round than if they had been drawn into a less competitive group.
According to Soccer Examiner Nicholas Richards, 2010’s “Group of Death” is extremely diverse:
The group has everything a sportsman would want – champions, great matches, stars, and goals. Brazil have won this competition 5 times, most recently in 2002. Portugal made it further in 2006 than the Brazilians, advancing to the semi-finals before losing to France and eventually finishing fourth. Côte d’Ivoire had a respectable finish in 2006, battling in that year’s Group of Death with The Netherlands, Argentina, and Serbia and Montenegro. Even the unknown North Koreans carry intrigue, mostly because no one knows who they are, as only two players in the side play outside of the Communist nation.
Another point of interest is that South Africa’s placement in a tough group may possibly make them the first host country not to make it past the first round, although other sources like Now Public predict otherwise.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
What are your predictions for the 2010 World Cup?
About the Author
More By This Author
- Kitesurfing Down a River (2 comments)
- The Athlete as Industry: How Will Cleveland Survive Without LeBron James? (1 comments)
- Is Nike's World Cup Commercial Cursed? (1 comments)
Related Posts
6 Comments... join the discussion!
-
-
I don’t think you can look any further than Brazil and the Ivory Coast in Group G. Portugal have been a little overhyped since the draw – they were dreadful in qualification, and I can’t see them turning the tide next summer.
Group D has actually gone under the radar a little – that will be a really tough group for Germany (a team that has arguably only put in 2 good performances since the last world cup). Ghana have a mighty midfield, Serbia overran France in qualification and Australia is riddled with Premier League players.
England vs. Spain final perhaps?!
↵ -
Boa sorte, Brasil!!!
↵ -
G is the ‘Group of Death’? Really? Group of Intrigue, maybe, but Nick Rich’s assessment is derived mainly from Brazil’s dominance and North Korea’s unpredictability. I’m interested to see what the DPRK’s team looks like as well, but chances are Kim Jong Il won’t be happy. Groups A, B, and H look much deadlier, with what will probably be low-scoring but fiercely contested games.
↵ -
I agree with Jonny to an extent… that Group G is NOT a group of death… A true group of death would mean that you look on the sheet and can see that any of the four teams could make it through. Portugal, Germany and the Ivory Coast are looking at North Korea expecting to get 3 points out of it. Anything less would be a HUGE embarrassment.
If any group is a group of death, I’d say it’s D. When Australia (a pretty damn strong team) is the weakest team in the group, you know it’s going to be a little tricky. Germany are perennially successful, Ghana has some amazing players, and Serbia has one of the best defenses in the world.
↵ -
Australia, a pretty damn strong team? I dunno. They’re better than they get credit for, but compared to the other three, they’re still serious underdogs.
↵
