The first major event leading up to next summer’s soccer World Cup in South Africa took place live on television today. The draw to place teams in eight groups for preliminary play was broadcast around the world from Cape Town and featured celebrities from across Africa, including Nelson Mandela (via satellite) and Charlize Theron, who you probably didn’t even know is South African.
If you’re like me, you woke up late, missed the broadcast and scrambled to a proper “football” website to see which countries America’s Team (Italy) will have to beat to advance to the knockout rounds.
Thankfully we weren’t drawn into a Group of Death (that would be Group G) but instead the defending champions will play Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia in Group F.
The Americans drew hated rivals and colonizers England in Group C, along with Algeria and Slovenia.
America’s other favorite team, Germany, will play Australia, Serbia and Ghana in Group D.
Group G, by far the toughest, features perennial powers Brazil, along with Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea. No word yet from Kim Jong-il’s animated corpse on how the running dog capitalists conspired to keep North Korea from advancing to the next round.
Finally, Adidas unveiled the official World Cup Match Ball, the “Jabulani,” which costs a ridiculous $150 but is totally worth it if you have a ball fetish. Jabulani means “to celebrate” in the Bantu language isiZulu.
Soccer is not ‘football’ any more than Obama is bringing ‘change’ or Christians are ‘discriminated’ against.
Yeah! If American Football was good enough for Jesus it should be good enough for the World Cup.
If anybody out there thinks futbol is a sissy sport, watch this! It’s a man’s game!
Forza Italia!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AElXm7GDCPw
Texas Secessionist : I certainly don’t think soccer is a sissy sport. I just don’t like it being called football. Actually, Australian -rules football is pretty cool. And I recognize the soccer is the world’s pre-eminent sport.
I just hate sports of all kinds.
Disgruntled band geek.
Texas Secessionist: Forza Italia!
I think I love you.
@Hobo
You beat me to it.
Ohh and it’s
Força Portugal or is it Força Wankers
I forget how it works
Italy is rubbish, mate, RUBBISH!!! Ghana is going to beat the shit out of ze Germans and go on to win. JUST YOU WATCH
I’m putting my money on Bhutan.
Ghana? Ha ha ha ha ha. So what if it’s in Africa. Who on Ghana has experience winning anything? Nobody, that’s who. Even if they managed to get to the semis they’d lose there for sure.
I’d love for Italy to win, again, and Lippi being coach gives them a chance, but unless Totti joins them they will have problems scoring.
Germany I would be happy to see win. But Spain look fairly unbeatable right now, despite the Confed Cup.
Ohhh Hobo please shut it…
a)Ghana has a better chance than Italy
b)EVERYONE knows that either Spain or Brazil are taking this one….
c)BE PATRIOTIC
CANADA, CANADA, CANADA!!!!!!!
New Zealand!!
I’m an Italy supporter, but, yeah, my money would go Spain or Brazil. Although Italy could mature into something by June. Brazil though, they’re playing hot footie right now.
Sleepers? Holland? Denmark? Ivory Coast?
Screw Germany, sock and birkenstock-wearing mofos.
What about Spain…
They’re the ones with the sexy football right now. Brazil, meh! it took them Spaniards hundreds of years to build this armada and now they’re ready to take over the whole world (except, of course, the Basque Country)
Spain will win. Germany should win, but wont. Italy will not win because the bastards don’t deserve it, and England will have a surprisingly good year. Crucify me if I’m wrong.
Wilson Edgar: BE PATRIOTIC
Sorry, can’t do. THE US national team does nothing for me. I won’t go so far as to say I loathe them, because that would mean I care which I don’t.
It pretty much never happens that teams repeat as World Cup winners, but I’ll be cheering on Italy all the same, and Germany unless they meet Italy.
England only have a chance to do well because of Capello. But if Rooney gets hurt or Joe Cole doesn’t get back to his best they won’t get past the quarters, again, and they’ll need a lotta luck, some of which they got with the draw, to get that far.
Brazil are hot, and they have a smart coach, but the middle of their defense could be their downfall.
Holland? Too young, no experience. Denmark — seriously? Ivory Coast — like all the African teams, yes the tournament’s in Africa, but few of the players have experience winning anything.
Ghana have zero players who’ve won anything. Ivory Coast has Yaya Toure who’s won it all with Barcelona, but no one else who’s won more than a league title, and few of those. Fucking Egypt won the last two Africa Cup of Nations. If Ghana or Ivory Coast win in January then they’d have a better shot in South Africa.
Maybe this will be the tournament that an African team overcomes history and lack of experience and wins. I hope so, as that would be fucking awesome. But I don’t see an African team beating Brazil, Spain, Germany, Italy, France in a semifinal. It’s a big stage & all these teams have been there.S
As I keep saying ad nauseum, you have to have experience winning on the biggest stage, and for every Greece ‘04 there are 10 seasoned teams who’ve won the World Cup or European Championship. That makes Spain favorite, followed by Brazil, Italy, France and Germany. The winner will be one of those countries.
Why can’t we just agree to support Bhutan?
Spain should win, except all of their best players have glass legs, which is a problem.
England has a chance. This is the last world cup for a while that they’ll have a chance
I’m with Edgar. Bhutan it is!
Though it might be fun to watch if the North Koreans won, just for shits and giggles.
France will win.
@sagheer Baloch
Of course France will win. The handball tournament thats what?