ET game times for the World Cup:

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2013/11/22/tv-times-for-fifa-world-cup-2014-for-soccer-fans-in-the-united-states/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EPLTalk+%28World+Soccer+Talk%29

11/22/2013 10:51:47 AM

Nice! Not bad. Most people can at least make time for 1 or 2 matches every weekday. Happy hour in 2014 is going to be the shit! Hopefully the US gets those 6pm start times. That would be ridiculous!

11/22/2013 11:11:16 AM

Perfect.

Extended lunch for the noon start. I'll be able to finish the 3 before I leave work at 5 and it gives me enough time to get home and everything before the 6.

11/22/2013 11:29:33 AM

Did they do three games a day in 2010?

I thought it was always just one group each day

11/22/2013 11:43:44 AM

yeah, they did 3.

[Edited on November 22, 2013 at 11:47 AM. Reason : wasn't it like 8, 11, and 2]

11/22/2013 11:46:09 AM

work productivity will go to 0% after lunch the month of June

11/22/2013 11:56:37 AM

^ This. Lol. Its on watchESPN too. I am going to be making a lot of dentist/doctor appointments in June.

11/22/2013 1:44:37 PM

The 32 team pool for the draw on December 6th 11am EST
Europe
Belgium
Italy
Germany
Holland
Switzerland
Russia
Bosnia
England
Spain
Croatia
Greece
France
Portugal

South America
Brazil
Argentina
Colombia
Chile
Ecuador
Uruguay

North/Central America
USA
Costa Rica
Honduras
Mexico

Africa
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Cameroon
Ghana
Algeria

Asia
Iran
South Korea
Japan
Australia

The potential pots sets up the US to play a pretty hard group, may end up in a group of death scenario. The US will most likely end up being the best team in the worst pot. Meaning 5 of the 7 teams in the US spot are likely to be the worst teams in the World Cup. The easiest opponent the US could get is Algeria.

The easiest group I see is:
Switzerland
Algeria
USA
Bosnia

That is the best scenario and it is a very slim chance the US ends up with that.

It will most likely contain a very good European and South American team and if the US get lucky someone easier. The draw should be interesting. Two groups of death are very possible.

[Edited on November 22, 2013 at 2:50 PM. Reason : .]

11/22/2013 2:49:22 PM

Basically it boils down to this for the US.

The US will be paired with two European teams. Out of the 13 (on paper) the US is only able to match:
Switzerland
Bosnia
Greece
Croatia

Only 1 is in Pot 1 and the other 3 will be in another pot. It would be very lucky to end up in a pot with two of the four European weak teams.

Then the US will have a South American Team. There are 4 in pot 1 that are all better. The only South American team I can see the US match is Ecuador, potentially Chile.

And then the US will have an African team.
The weakest of the lot is Algeria.

Does not bode well. Nightmare scenario

Brazil/Spain/Germany/Argentina
US
France/Ghana/Ivory Coast
Italy/Netherlands/England

Too many nightmare scenarios and only 1 really easy one....

[Edited on November 22, 2013 at 3:07 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on November 22, 2013 at 3:09 PM. Reason : .]

11/22/2013 3:05:00 PM

US matches up with mighty England just fine...

11/23/2013 7:36:06 AM

^

11/23/2013 9:45:38 AM

^^^Chile would easily top the US, one of the hottest teams in South America playing on their home continent, they would get much love from the Brazilian fans

[Edited on November 23, 2013 at 9:53 AM. Reason : ]

11/23/2013 9:52:10 AM

Quote :

"US matches up with mighty England just fine..."

Bullshit. USA outdoes England right now. I am an avid England fan so I've been watching all of their WC qualifiers and friendlies. I may be a fan but I'm also a realist and quite honestly I'm surprised England has even qualified for WC2014. This men's national team plays with no drive, no passion, no creativity. Individually the players are great but together on the team they play like utter shit. I haven't seen the USA team play lately but typically they have a lot of enthusiasm. If USA were to play against this England team, England would push crazy boring defense to get a draw, then lose in penalty kicks.

11/23/2013 4:07:51 PM

World Cup ball leaked

12/2/2013 4:09:21 PM

Ah, I see they went with round again this year.

12/2/2013 4:46:04 PM

Is their goal just to make the most aerodynamically fucked up ball possible at this point?

12/2/2013 5:16:18 PM

Yes.

12/2/2013 6:58:11 PM

^

12/2/2013 8:09:33 PM

That ball looks awful.


I'm thinking about taking a sabbatical from June-July.

12/2/2013 8:19:38 PM

I've always said bumble ball should be the official ball of the cup.

12/2/2013 8:29:45 PM

Pot 1 - Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Spain, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

Pot 2 - Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Ghana and Nigeria.

Pot 3 - Australia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic, Mexico, USA.

Pot 4 - Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia

Quote :

" DRAW PROCEDURES (from FIFA.com) 1.In order to create an even flow to the draw as Pots 1-4 are emptied, we begin by drawing one ball from Pot 4 (containing a European team) and placing it into Pot 2 to achieve an equal balance of eight teams in each pot 2.Pot 1 will then be emptied beginning with Brazil; teams will be allocated to position 1 of Groups A through H sequentially 3.With the addition of the European team to Pot 2, Pot 2 will contain teams from three different qualification zones. With teams from three zones in the same pot, we increase the risk of inadvertently violating the principle of geographic separation. In order to ensure we do not mistakenly end up with three European teams in the same Group, the following mechanism will be implemented: - The four seeded South American teams will be placed in an ancillary pot – Pot X - One of the four teams will be drawn - The Group of the South American which is drawn will determine the Group which the European team from Pot 2 will join Final Draw Procedures 4.Pot 2 will then be emptied, beginning with the European ball: - The European team will join Group of South American team drawn from Pot X - The remaining teams will be allocated to Groups A through H sequentially (Note: Groups may be skipped to respect principle of geographic separation; e.g. Chile and Ecuador may not be drawn into Groups with seeded South American teams) 5.Pots 3 and 4 will then be emptied in order 6.The positions within Groups A through H will be drawn for all teams of Pots 2, 3 and 4. "

12/3/2013 3:41:28 PM

Tomorrow 11:30 AM EST
Available on live stream through WatchESPN and on ESPN2.

Pot One: Argentina, Brazil, Belgium, Colombia, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay
Pot Two: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chile, Ecuador
Pot Three: US, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia, Mexico, Costa Rica and Honduras
Pot Four: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, England, France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia

There are certainly going to be one or two interesting groups. Fingers crossed the US and England get lucky. Pretty likely one of them will end up in a group of death though. The quality going into the tournament is good on paper. I am excited!

12/5/2013 10:59:11 PM

I want Brazil. I'd rather face them in group play and lose than face them in the round of 16 and lose. Plus, they'll probably take full points off the other two teams so it makes your task more straight forward.

12/5/2013 11:36:51 PM

I just don't want Columbia in our group because one of the guys in my department at work is from there. We both can't be off on the same day. I'm planning on checking the draw at 1 pm break and then putting in my vacation time for the group matches.

12/6/2013 12:16:16 AM

I'm waffling on whether I want to go or not. I'm gonna wait and see what locations/teams we've got before making a final call.

Anyone else making the trip?

12/6/2013 8:52:45 AM

^ I will be there. We have 6-8 people tentatively confirmed. Still can't figure out if I want to be there for the group stages or the knockouts. The group stages would be a lot of fun since everyone would be there but the knockouts, especially if Brazil are doing well would be a whole different experience. It will probably be worth the trip. Brazil is a fantastic country (From what I have read, never been) and has lots to offer besides just the World Cup.

12/6/2013 10:21:56 AM

SAMBA SAMBA SAMBA

12/6/2013 11:06:40 AM

Nice rack.

[Edited on December 6, 2013 at 12:03 PM. Reason : Mexico will get E]

12/6/2013 11:51:42 AM

Group E the group of meh so far.

12/6/2013 12:04:26 PM

Mexico in A

12/6/2013 12:07:24 PM

COME ON GROUP E

12/6/2013 12:07:41 PM

COME ON E

jesus E is weak.

[Edited on December 6, 2013 at 12:08 PM. Reason : dammit.]

12/6/2013 12:08:14 PM

fuck

12/6/2013 12:08:44 PM

Damn!

12/6/2013 12:09:20 PM

we're gonna get stuck with Germany

12/6/2013 12:09:27 PM

E may be easiest group of all time.

[Edited on December 6, 2013 at 12:09 PM. Reason : Germany and Ghana for sure]

12/6/2013 12:09:37 PM

wonderful, Germany and Ghana, we're fucked.

12/6/2013 12:10:01 PM

12/6/2013 12:10:30 PM

Germany and Ghana?

Welp

12/6/2013 12:10:30 PM

USA and germany

12/6/2013 12:10:35 PM

Fucking lame go ahead and mark a loss to Germany, will have to find a way to beat Ghana and whoever else is in the group.

12/6/2013 12:11:08 PM

fuck it

[Edited on December 6, 2013 at 12:11 PM. Reason : WE GOT THIS]

12/6/2013 12:11:08 PM

USA gets most travel of any team in draw in that spot.

12/6/2013 12:11:42 PM

eh, at least it isn't a south american team

[Edited on December 6, 2013 at 12:12 PM. Reason : ]

12/6/2013 12:12:13 PM

Holland and Spain

12/6/2013 12:13:04 PM

England's in group E aren't they

12/6/2013 12:13:28 PM

C, E are easiest!

12/6/2013 12:13:41 PM

ENGLAND

12/6/2013 12:14:46 PM

France gets a walk to the knockouts.

12/6/2013 12:14:51 PM

Here comes Portugal.

Yep.

Germany Ghana USA Portugal.

12/6/2013 12:16:21 PM