World Cup (football) 2014

Draw is in... England have it tough with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, though an easy group didn't exactly help matters last time around.

Australia have drawn the shortest of short straws though... Spain, Holland and Chile!

Friendly looking draws for Germany, France and Argentina, the latter on course to meet the hosts in the final perhaps?

Yoiks, any group would be for us, but this is really a group of death. We have to face 1, 9 and 15 in the world.  

If we score a goal it will be a good result.

Meanwhile, the Koreans are PTSL.

2014 FIFA World Cup Groups
Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon
Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia
Group C: Colombia, Greece, Cote d’Ivoire, Japan
Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy
Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras,
Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria
Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA
Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/australia-in-nightmare-group-of-death-for-brazil-world-cup-20131207-2yxjw.html#ixzz2mjR5Zuaw

Frogs and Argies would also be chuffed.

skully wrote:Frogs and Argies would also be chuffed.

Yeah, couldn't have hand picked them any better. The other groups look pretty competitive, though.

The hosts usually get a soft draw, but Croatia and Mexico are decent.

Bring it on!!

Portugal (Group G) has a bloody lucky draw too . . . bearing in mind they only made the WC Finals after a play-off.

Merlin wrote:Portugal (Group G) has a bloody lucky draw too . . . bearing in mind they only made the WC Finals after a play-off.

If Germany, Ghana and USA is an easy group I'm not sure what a tough one is...

Dello wrote:

skully wrote:Frogs and Argies would also be chuffed.

Yeah, couldn't have hand picked them any better. The other groups look pretty competitive, though.

The hosts usually get a soft draw, but Croatia and Mexico are decent.

To be fair, Mexico are shit.

beamer wrote:

Merlin wrote:Portugal (Group G) has a bloody lucky draw too . . . bearing in mind they only made the WC Finals after a play-off.

If Germany, Ghana and USA is an easy group I'm not sure what a tough one is...

If the Portugese can't run through Ghana and the Seppos like a dose of salts,
then they don't deserve to be out in Brazil.

What is everyone's England teams then? Gutted for Walcott. Went to a WC at 17 and won't actually play in one until he's 29 (and that's a maybe).

Banks
Cohen
Wilson
Stiles
Charlton (J)
Moore
Ball
Hunt
Charlton (R)
Hurst
Peters

Might win something.

Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jags - Baines
Jones - Wilshere
Ox Barkley ?
Rooney

Or Jones at DM with Barkley and Wilshere in front and Sturridge, Rooney and Ox front 3.

Miranda Hart
Mitchell Johnson
Tim Cahill
John Prescott
Evian-les-Bains
Milton Jones
Wiltshire County Council
Os du Randt
Gnarls Barkley
Mickey Rooney


Should bring out the crowds at least.

Even if you're shooting yourself in the foot by going out one man down already.

You need more Saints in there ffs.

Aquinas? Italian.

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:                      Hart
Johnson - Cahill - Jags - Baines
             Jones - Wilshere
       Ox       Barkley     ?
                     Rooney

Or Jones at DM with Barkley and Wilshere in front and Sturridge, Rooney and Ox front 3.

We're not exactly bursting at the seams with quality. Assuming Walcott is out, and he may be back in time depending on how quickly his recovery goes I think I would pick:

Hart
Johnson
Cahill
Jagielka
Cole
Gerrard
Wilshere
Townsend
Rooney
Milner
Sturridge

And take as back-up:

Foster
Forster
Jones
Baines
Dawson
Carrick
Lampard
Barcley
Henderson
Lallana
Welbeck
Lambert

Although there's still time for other players to play themselves in if they get on good form, e.g. Smalling, Oxlade-Chaimberlain, Cleverley, Carroll, maybe even Peter Crouch. Or more likely we'll get a host of injuries in May and end up with Ryan Bertrand playing on the left wing.