What's the toughest World Cup group?

OK, I think the question needs no explanation: which is this year's "Group of Death"? Personally, I think that groups E, F, C, and D are the tougher ones while B and G look rather weak. But, let's see what the majority think!

Maybe it's just me being jigoistic, but I voted for the US's group. It's been called the group of death by some here. When Italy are the third ranked side in your group, you know it's gonna be brutal!

Somehow I don't see the USA advancing out of this group, though.

group c

and group e

although england may change this opinion for me.

What in terms of which one would be most likely to win a fight? Group C - Argentina, the Dutch have got to be favourites, but with Serbia/Monty and Cote d'Ivoire... Two sides capable of upsetting the applecart!

SHEDi xxx

Gotta be Group C

I agree that group C has the toughest top 2, but their #3 isn't as strong as groups E and F and since the top 2 advance anyway, I went with a group with more teams capable of going deep in the tournament.

Gnome Alone wrote: What in terms of which one would be most likely to win a fight? Group C - Argentina, the Dutch have got to be favourites, but with Serbia/Monty and Cote d'Ivoire... Two sides capable of upsetting the applecart!

SHEDi xxx

no chance. the dutch will fall apart. trust me.

i actually think Argentina will win it.

but of course, i hope England do.

hope the Oz get past the first round too.

I think E, F and G.

Group E (Czech Republic, USA, Italy, Ghana): Hard for USA, but with luck they can perhaps do it. Italian soccer is weakend by a national scandal these days...

Group F (Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia): Don't underrate Japan and Croatia. Will be a hard fight for second place...

Group G (France, South Korea, Switzerland, Togo): Though I don't think France is any more good, South Korea and Switzerland have to be beaten first.

And I don't know how to count on those African teams. Maybe some of them are better than you think...

Bere wrote: I think E, F and G.

Group E (Czech Republic, USA, Italy, Ghana): Hard for USA, but with luck they can perhaps do it. Italian soccer is weakend by a national scandal these days...

Group F (Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia): Don't underrate Japan and Croatia. Will be a hard fight for second place...

Thanks Bere. You've given me some hope. Maybe the Azzurri will be thinking about Juventus and such while they're playing the US.

Shellshocker wrote:

Bere wrote: I think E, F and G.

Group E (Czech Republic, USA, Italy, Ghana): Hard for USA, but with luck they can perhaps do it. Italian soccer is weakend by a national scandal these days...

Group F (Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia): Don't underrate Japan and Croatia. Will be a hard fight for second place...

Thanks Bere. You've given me some hope. Maybe the Azzurri will be thinking about Juventus and such while they're playing the US.

I hold thumbs... I don't like the Azzurri anyway...

Bere wrote:

Shellshocker wrote:

Bere wrote: I think E, F and G.

Group E (Czech Republic, USA, Italy, Ghana): Hard for USA, but with luck they can perhaps do it. Italian soccer is weakend by a national scandal these days...

Group F (Brazil, Japan, Croatia, Australia): Don't underrate Japan and Croatia. Will be a hard fight for second place...

Thanks Bere. You've given me some hope. Maybe the Azzurri will be thinking about Juventus and such while they're playing the US.

I hold thumbs... I don't like the Azzurri anyway...

me neither (ay Chriss). i've always been weary of teams with uni-brows, a la Guissepe Bergomi ex Inter.

I went with Group E, due to hearing commentators talk about how tough the group look. Don't know if this is the case or not, since I don't really follow soccer or football to everyone else :) But I do plan on trying to watch some of the World Cup this year.

Psy

I went with group c. Australia has a good chance in group f, even if they have to play Brazil. They only need to come second.

I voted group C, but...

Group E (Czech Republic, USA, Italy, Ghana), according to the FIFA ranking seems to be the toughest...

I went for Group C - I *think* that in Group E, Czech Republic and Italy (dependent on form) should go through...

However, this is the World Cup, and upsets are the name of the game!

Bere wrote: And I don't know how to count on those African teams. Maybe some of them are better than you think...

I think they can do it... The African Cup is a real football tournament by now... I had a look to the last competition and I think we have to count on them nowadays.

ivory coast have some good players and will give argies and holland a run for their money.hell of a group ivory coast are actually ONLY 80/1 to win the world cup even being in that hard group

Looking at the current FIFA rankings [obviously not updated to account for eg Italy's match-rigging scandal tho it did seem odd that the alleged corruption managed to leave the Serie A title winner in doubt until the final weekend!] we have:

GROUP B 10=England 16=Sweden GROUP C 3=Netherlands 9=Argentina GROUP E 2=Czech Rep 5=USA GROUP D 4=Mexico 7=Portugal [btw, can't believe Scotland at 59 are above Uzbekistan, Togo and Guatemala. Hang on, aren't Togo actually in the finals?]

USA group looks to be the toughest with 2 of the top 5, and Group C next.

Brazil, ranked No 1, seem to have been given a bye into the 2nd round as they're matched with Japan 18th, Croatia 23rd and Australia 42nd - who suggested this was one of the tough groups?!

The FIFA rankings suck though with USA at number 5.

Don't think the Aussies have a hope in hell of beating Brazil, but hey, you never know what's going to happen, Soccer's one of those games.

Barnette wrote: Don't think the Aussies have a hope in hell of beating Brazil, but hey, you never know what's going to happen, Soccer's one of those games.

but aussies have - ' LUCAS NEILL IS A FOOTBALL GENIUS ' as we jokingly sing at blackburn rovers , in their camp

Barnette wrote: The FIFA rankings suck though with USA at number 5.

The FIFA rankings are a joke. I don't know how they compute that stuff. Even I will admit the USA aren't #5 in the world. Maybe #10 on a good day...

bansheeman wrote:

Barnette wrote: Don't think the Aussies have a hope in hell of beating Brazil, but hey, you never know what's going to happen, Soccer's one of those games.

but aussies have - ' LUCAS NEILL IS A FOOTBALL GENIUS ' as we jokingly sing at blackburn rovers , in their camp

Don't forget grant they also have brett emeroid who is totally shite.

I think what happens with the FIFA rankings is that some countries send their best players to all international matches while other countries often send their second squad, like in Europe where the sport is actually big and top players have obligations to their pro teams.

Group C is definitely death since all four teams have a realistic shot at making it to the third round.

Group C is the veritable 'Group of Death' for me. Group E isn't that easy either to be fair...

Group E does rather suck because if you finish 2nd you'll almost certainly get the pleasure of facing Brazil in the second round.

Plato wrote: I think what happens with the FIFA rankings is that some countries send their best players to all international matches while other countries often send their second squad, like in Europe where the sport is actually big and top players have obligations to their pro teams.

Group C is definitely death since all four teams have a realistic shot at making it to the third round.

They weight friendlies less and important matches more, but obviously not enough. Tough thing to rank all the countries, but I think I'd as soon have it done by a council of elders. Oh well.