D’oh! … Friday’s draw still not looking good for the United States

by Steve Davis on Dec 2, 2009 12:02 PM EST

FIFA finalized procedures for Friday’s World Cup Draw, also known in these parts as the impending Cape Town Crusher.

U.S. supporters were pinning some slim hopes on a slight tweak from past methodology, with the United States perhaps placed into a grouping alongside South American or African teams.

The less appetizing scenario would have the United States grouped with Asian sides and Oceania’s New Zealand and Australia for purposes of Friday’s draw. Translation: Bob Bradley’s Bunch would not get the benefit of facing one of the weaker sides in the first round; Asia and Oceania teams along with CONCACAF lightweight Honduras, were always seen as the slow beasts of the herd. So, if the United States was in a pot with those teams, they could not be drawn into a first-round group with them.

So, FIFA did the Yanks no favors with Wednesday’s announcement: past methodology was preferred anew, the United States joins theAsian nations and New Zealand and, well, skies continue to be threatening in and around Friday’s big news day.

Things could still clear up. The United States could get lucky and draw, say, South Africa, Slovenia and Chile. Or, things could go dark and stormy, and the tiny ship could be tossed to the tune of Spain, Ghana and France. Feel free to quiver just a bit at the thought.

Friday’s draw is at noon ET, live from Cape Town. For a little more depth on the draw ins and outs, see Richard Farley's good work on World Soccer Digest, a thinking man's blog that always comes with lots of "poll dancing."

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from a pal

My friend Jackson just sent this by text: “How great to be a South American team, you get a 1 in 3 chance of South Africa and guaranteed not to have Brazil or Argentina.” Well said.

by Steve Davis on Dec 2, 2009 12:35 PM EST reply actions

very well said.

At USC we're not snobs, we're just better than you.

by TrojanCBB on Dec 2, 2009 5:23 PM EST up reply actions

As a US fan

I’d rather be grouped with Argentina than a few of the other South American sides. Even if Maradona gets the boot and they return to the Argentina they should be, the US still matches up fairly well against them or at least as well as they will against a seeded team. Having a one in three chance at South Africa though is why I was rooting so hard for CONCACAF to be potted with Africa.

Formerly ryebreadraz

by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 2, 2009 7:02 PM EST up reply actions

The Draw

If we get a tough draw and don’t advance we can expect a million the US is horrible posts….

If we get a good draw and advance we can expect a million the US is great posts….

We are good, not great and the draw will in large part determine how we do. 2002 was a great success. 2006 a dismal failure.

by brokejumper on Dec 2, 2009 5:16 PM EST reply actions

you know...

i’m ok with a tough draw as long as freaking mexico doesn’t get a cakewalk draw like they did in germany. it was silly the disparity between the two groups.

At USC we're not snobs, we're just better than you.

by TrojanCBB on Dec 2, 2009 5:22 PM EST reply actions