The World Cup draw is Saturday,
November 28, 2001 1:40 PM Subscribe
The World Cup draw is Saturday, though I am a bit confused about the process. Why on earth is England ranked behind Germany?
Further reading:
FIFA explains how the draw will work.
about.com explains how teams qualify for the World Cup
An archive of past World Cups.
posted by iceberg273 at 2:09 PM on November 28, 2001
FIFA explains how the draw will work.
about.com explains how teams qualify for the World Cup
An archive of past World Cups.
posted by iceberg273 at 2:09 PM on November 28, 2001
The official Fifa 2002 world cup site went live yesterday. They should have as-it-happens info.
posted by kfury at 2:28 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by kfury at 2:28 PM on November 28, 2001
Here's the weirdest post-goal celebration I think I've ever heard of: Gallardo was caught on camera bending down and biting teammate Jose Antonio Reyes' genitals in celebration of the striker's goal early in the second half of the match.
posted by msacheson at 2:41 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by msacheson at 2:41 PM on November 28, 2001
In terms of its logistical complexity, the world cup draw makes the US election look like a coin-toss. It's about 60% fixed, especially this time round: to allow Japan and Korea to share out the best games equally; to keep big teams apart until the later rounds (and thus keep the different continental federations happy); and to make sure that England ends up having to play Germany in the quarter-finals.
posted by holgate at 3:46 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by holgate at 3:46 PM on November 28, 2001
They don't usually make it that easy for England to get to the semifinals..
posted by salmacis at 3:58 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by salmacis at 3:58 PM on November 28, 2001
I'm just hoping the US isn't dead last again.
I hope we beat Tunisia! I hope I hope I hope!
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:07 PM on November 28, 2001
I hope we beat Tunisia! I hope I hope I hope!
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:07 PM on November 28, 2001
I notice that U.S. is seeded above Portugal, which is laughable. This is a result of the points awarded for simply qualifying for prior World Cups. Portugal should relocate to North America for better future seeding.
posted by marknau at 4:17 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by marknau at 4:17 PM on November 28, 2001
i still don't get it. i'll never forget seeing 4 games at the Citrus Bowl in '94. god, that was nice.
posted by wantwit at 6:41 PM on November 28, 2001
posted by wantwit at 6:41 PM on November 28, 2001
The US isn't seeded above Portugal for terms of the draw. Apart from the seeds, the draw is geographically baed.
posted by salmacis at 2:35 AM on November 29, 2001
posted by salmacis at 2:35 AM on November 29, 2001
too bad i can't fully translate it here, but there's some news today (source : afp for france but i bet foreign agencies must have it as well), saying that english football is the dullest in the world (30 times more than any other) - some english scientists applied a mathematic model to football and finally found out that english football *is* dull (anywhere in the world : more than 10 goals every 300 games, england : more than 10 goals every 30 YEARS)
posted by aureliano buendia at 5:27 AM on November 29, 2001
posted by aureliano buendia at 5:27 AM on November 29, 2001
Oh, those days of thrilling catenaccio in Italy, 1-0 if you're lucky...
posted by holgate at 6:13 AM on November 29, 2001
posted by holgate at 6:13 AM on November 29, 2001
actually they are astrophysicists from the Warwick university and they used a model about x ray & black holes - the conclusion is that what caracterize "rest of the world" football are "extreme events" (meaning : events happening more often than they are likely to in a random process) - it's too bad i can't find a link in english
and yes i'm surprised too, to read that english football is duller than italian one (sure they didn't watch manchester arsenal on monday ;])
posted by aureliano buendia at 6:56 AM on November 29, 2001
and yes i'm surprised too, to read that english football is duller than italian one (sure they didn't watch manchester arsenal on monday ;])
posted by aureliano buendia at 6:56 AM on November 29, 2001
Oh, those days of thrilling catenaccio in Italy, 1-0 if you're lucky...
Nick, please, there is no catenaccio anymore in Italy, please, assuming that it has actually existed, once upon a time. I love English football, I love the spirit and the sportsmanship, the tough players and the elegant ones, but the history of Italian victories in Europe during the Nineties show you that all the talk about catenaccio really doesn't exist. Maldini's Milan, Ronaldo's Internazionale, Vialli's Juventus and even before them there was Platini's Juventus and Falcao's Roma -- I can't really think about defensive, destructive, ugly catenaccio games.
The last two-three years haven't been good for Italy, but our problems don't really come from excessive defensive play. And anyway the national team kicks some ass (World Cup third in 1990, World cup second in 1994, second at last year's European championship). France is World champion playing a much more defensive football than any maligned old time Italian side.
posted by matteo at 11:21 AM on November 29, 2001
Nick, please, there is no catenaccio anymore in Italy, please, assuming that it has actually existed, once upon a time. I love English football, I love the spirit and the sportsmanship, the tough players and the elegant ones, but the history of Italian victories in Europe during the Nineties show you that all the talk about catenaccio really doesn't exist. Maldini's Milan, Ronaldo's Internazionale, Vialli's Juventus and even before them there was Platini's Juventus and Falcao's Roma -- I can't really think about defensive, destructive, ugly catenaccio games.
The last two-three years haven't been good for Italy, but our problems don't really come from excessive defensive play. And anyway the national team kicks some ass (World Cup third in 1990, World cup second in 1994, second at last year's European championship). France is World champion playing a much more defensive football than any maligned old time Italian side.
posted by matteo at 11:21 AM on November 29, 2001
matteo: I know, I know, we get Football Italia on Channel 4, and once they got the live TV rights, the days of ultra-defence appeared to be confined to the past ;)
posted by holgate at 11:28 AM on November 29, 2001
posted by holgate at 11:28 AM on November 29, 2001
i'm surprised too, to read that english football is duller than italian one (sure they didn't watch manchester arsenal on monday ;])
well, the game was about a Frenchmen determined to boycott a great English team if you ask me. and he gave the ball to a fellow Frenchman, too!
posted by matteo at 12:54 PM on November 29, 2001
well, the game was about a Frenchmen determined to boycott a great English team if you ask me. and he gave the ball to a fellow Frenchman, too!
posted by matteo at 12:54 PM on November 29, 2001
Apparently, Fabien Barthez wasn't aware the strike has been called off..
posted by salmacis at 1:07 AM on November 30, 2001
posted by salmacis at 1:07 AM on November 30, 2001
Small boys in the park, jumpers for goalposts, mortal fear of parky? Marvelous, isn't it? SOCCER!!!
posted by dlewis at 1:44 AM on November 30, 2001
posted by dlewis at 1:44 AM on November 30, 2001
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Here's why (a pdf explaining the criteria used to determine seeding. In tabular format. Note that England is 8th on the list and thus out of luck).
posted by iceberg273 at 1:52 PM on November 28, 2001