By Paul Nicholson
December 6 – “There is a bit of mystery about pot X,” said FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke at the 2014 World Cup draw in Costa do Sauipe in Brazil. There was no mystery once the draw was made and the teams were allocated – the World Cup is without doubt underway.
Pot X, for the record, dealt with the principle of geographic separation – making sure that in the eight groups there were no more than two European teams in any group (there are 13 qualifiers from Europe).
The draw threw up some exciting early round match-ups. World Champions Spain will open against Holland in Group B. Assuming Brazil win their group (they are 8-1 favourites to win the whole thing with most bookies), then they will play either Spain or Holland, assuming they top their group.
Elsewhere Jurgen Klinsmann’s USA will play his home country Germany in group G. A group that will be opened with a mouth-watering clash between the Germans and Portugal.
France, who turned round a two goal difference in the World Cup qualifying play-off, were rewarded with the draw that probably all the European teams were hoping for, being drawn in Group E with Switzerland Ecuador and Honduras.
For the generally over-hopeful English, Valcke might be seen as a prophet of doom. Hurrying Sir Geoff Hurst up to draw the next ball for Group E, having just drawn England into Group D, he inadvertently requested the next ball saying, “England is, uh, done…”. And indeed they might be, having to open against Italy in the 90% humidity of Amazonian Manaus.
English FA chairman Greg Dyke may well have thought the same, caught on camera in the audience mimicking the drawing of a knife across his neck. 15 minutes later it was all over Youtube (https://t.co/5mRmnNKtWn).
And what about the African challenge, could it be their turn. Certainly Cote d’Ivoire (with Columbia, Greece and Japan in Group C) and African Cup of Nations Nigeria (in Group F with Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Iran) will fancy their chances of progressing to the last 16.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil
Group A – Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B – Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C – Columbia, Cote d’Ivoire, Greece, Japan
Group D – Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy (Manaus in the Amazon region)
Group E – Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras
Group F – Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G – Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H – Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
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