World Cup Fever

[DoubleDown]

its heating up (referring to soccer, not baseball)

Seeding, draws, and ties will be simulcast live across the world this Friday. Many soccer authorities have the U.S. ranked as high as #8 in the world. Will this be enough to propel the U.S. to their 1st-ever #1 seed? I doubt it, since their poor showing in France 1998 will surely knock them out of favor with many World Cup Seeding officials.

What're some juicy match-ups that you'd like to see?
List of Qualifiers

here's one i'd like to see:
U.S. vs Iran
-this would be a great rematch of these bitter political rivals who last played in WC1998 in France, where Iran came out on top. the current team of americans is more experienced & deep than the '98 team, but the iranians play with pure heart and will be tough to beat in an emotion-packed match

another question i have that some euro posters may have better insight on. what type of home-field advantage is there in a Euro-site WC compared with a non-Euro site?

The US did better than expected in WC1994 in america. South Korea went well deep into the tourney in the last WC as well. Does Germany have as big of a home-field advantage as the US & S. Korea did in past world cups given the fact that it is so easy for european fans to travel to germany from other european nations which will be heavily represented at the WC? i realize that france recently hosted the world cup ... and won; and that fact may, in & of itself, be a simple answer to my question. but, couldnt it be argued that france would have fared well in that WC despite the home-field due to them fielding arguably one of the best players of all-time (Zidane)?
qué dices

[PokerFink]

The US is not seeded. Germany and Brazil get autoseeds. ESPN Article.

Home field advantage is enormous. US did MUCH better in '94 than anyone thought they would, in fact, the US was ranked in the 30's that year and probably would not have even qualified. Both Korea and Japan reached the knockout phase last year which was very surprising. And although France had the best player in the world in '98 (as they do today) HFA went a LONG way.

[smb394]

The US is highly unlikely to be seeded, whereas Mexico will probably get seeded due to their lofty FIFA ranking.

Hopefully the US can avoid Brazil or Germany in their pool. Mexico or the underachieving Spaniards wouldn't be a bad draw.

[banditbdl]

U.S. can't get grouped with Mexico per WC draw rules.

[smb394]

[ QUOTE ]
U.S. can't get grouped with Mexico per WC draw rules.

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That's right. Meant to say I hoped we would get grouped close to them. This Eagles loss is hurting my thinking.

I'd hope to not have Brazil and a strong European non-seeded team like the Dutch or Czechs in the group with the US

[Brudder Andrusha]

[ QUOTE ]
The US is highly unlikely to be seeded, whereas Mexico will probably get seeded due to their lofty FIFA ranking.



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Actually Mexico (7th) is ranked only one spot higher than USA (8th).
No bias here to you Yanks, but this is clearly a misnomer.

The seedings for the WC Final Groups was calculated on a far more complicated and elaborate system which took in account previous WC Final performances and Mexico edged out USA on the count that USA failed miserably in the 1998 WC.

Arena was just recently quoted as saying Australia & Trinidad & Tobago will be a laughing stock at this coming WC. He has a lot of balls saying this coz outside the US the Yanks are the laughing stock in this sport!

[kenberman]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The US is highly unlikely to be seeded, whereas Mexico will probably get seeded due to their lofty FIFA ranking.



[/ QUOTE ]

Actually Mexico (7th) is ranked only one spot higher than USA (8th).
No bias here to you Yanks, but this is clearly a misnomer.

The seedings for the WC Final Groups was calculated on a far more complicated and elaborate system which took in account previous WC Final performances and Mexico edged out USA on the count that USA failed miserably in the 1998 WC.

Arena was just recently quoted as saying Australia & Trinidad & Tobago will be a laughing stock at this coming WC. He has a lot of balls saying this coz outside the US the Yanks are the laughing stock in this sport!

[/ QUOTE ]

USA ended up being seeded #9 in the WC this year - 1 spot ahead of Holland.

If USA is a laughingtsock, then I guess so is Holland. And Sweden. And the Czech Republic. etc, etc

[Brudder Andrusha]

[ QUOTE ]
[

USA ended up being seeded #9 in the WC this year - 1 spot ahead of Holland.

If USA is a laughingtsock, then I guess so is Holland. And Sweden. And the Czech Republic. etc, etc

[/ QUOTE ]

Seeded 9th means they have to face a real team for the once in 4 years.

Do I have to remind you how badly the US performed in the 1998 WC?

Holland has a far more impressive record going into this WC than the US and are ranked 3rd in the WC. Undefeated in the UEFA Group 1 qualifying group which had the high ranking Czech Republic and Romania. The only reason they didn't get seeded is because they failed to make the WC last time.


Here is the pot that the US was placed into:
Asia, CONCACAF and the lowest UEFA ranked team Serbia&Montenegro.

Iran
Japan
Saudi Arabia
South Korea
Costa Rica
Trinidad & Tobago
United States
Serbia & Montenegro

Yep - Thats about right!

[RRRRICK]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The US is highly unlikely to be seeded, whereas Mexico will probably get seeded due to their lofty FIFA ranking.



[/ QUOTE ]

Actually Mexico (7th) is ranked only one spot higher than USA (8th).
No bias here to you Yanks, but this is clearly a misnomer.

The seedings for the WC Final Groups was calculated on a far more complicated and elaborate system which took in account previous WC Final performances and Mexico edged out USA on the count that USA failed miserably in the 1998 WC.

Arena was just recently quoted as saying Australia & Trinidad & Tobago will be a laughing stock at this coming WC. He has a lot of balls saying this coz outside the US the Yanks are the laughing stock in this sport!

[/ QUOTE ]


Australia had to beat the 5th best team in South America and two time WC winner to take there place we wont be a laughing stock

[jstnrgrs]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The US is highly unlikely to be seeded, whereas Mexico will probably get seeded due to their lofty FIFA ranking.



[/ QUOTE ]

Actually Mexico (7th) is ranked only one spot higher than USA (8th).
No bias here to you Yanks, but this is clearly a misnomer.

The seedings for the WC Final Groups was calculated on a far more complicated and elaborate system which took in account previous WC Final performances and Mexico edged out USA on the count that USA failed miserably in the 1998 WC.

Arena was just recently quoted as saying Australia & Trinidad & Tobago will be a laughing stock at this coming WC. He has a lot of balls saying this coz outside the US the Yanks are the laughing stock in this sport!

[/ QUOTE ]

How long will the poor 1998 showing be held against USA? That was eight years ago.