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Dutch and Czechs ones to avoid in World Cup
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-12-08 11:25
No more than two European teams will be in one group while teams from the
CONCACAF, African, Asian and South American confederations will also be kept
apart.
Among the most intensely interested nations will be those taking part for the
first time, including no less than four from Africa -- Ghana, Ivory Coast,
Angola and Togo. Ukraine and Trinidad & Tobago are also debutants.
Germany have already been allocated slot A1 in the draw, guaranteeing that as
hosts they open the tournament in Munich on June 9 before playing matches in
Dortmund on June 14 and Berlin on June 20.
BIGGER STADIUMS
Brazil, as champions, have been allocated position F1, determining a first
round programme which also ensures they play in the bigger stadiums in the
opening round.
Brazil start their campaign in Berlin on June 13 before playing in Munich on
June 18 and Dortmund on June 22.
Those draw positions ensure that Germany and Brazil, finalists in 2002,
cannot meet before the final again if both finish top of their groups. The top
two from each first round group qualify for knockout games in the last 16.
Apart from the seeds and the draw positions of Germany and Brazil, the rest
of Friday's draw is impossible to predict despite intense speculation in the
world's media.
A headline in Wednesday's Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper proclaimed:
"Germany is threatened with extremely difficult group" but the hosts could just
as easily get a relatively comfortable draw, and much will depend on whether
they come up against the Netherlands or the Czechs.
The draw will be televised live to 150 countries and an estimated global
audience of around 350 million people.
Footballing personalities Pele, Lothar Matthaeus and Andriy Shevchenko are
all expected to take part in the ceremony which will be compered by FIFA's
director of communications Markus Siegler.
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