Mad Brit Diary

Excitement grows as World Cup draw nears.

(Wednesday, November 30, 2005) -- I know you are all dead excited about the World Cup draw coming up December 9 in Leipzig, Germany. Some of you are a little uneasy, especially fans of those second-tier European teams such as Poland and Portugal (Brazil or Argentina await you, ha, ha, ha) and some of you don't care a hoot, such as fans in Denmark, Turkey and Guatemala, whose teams aren't going to the finals.

Sorry guys. I know how you feel -- 1974,1978 and 1994 were tough years for the Mad Brit. Fans from Togo and Angola probably don't give much of a hoot about the draw. Hey, it's their first time on the big stage, so what do they have to lose, except their jerseys?

England must be a seeded team in Germany 2006 and if it isn't, FIFA boss Sepp Blatter will have some explaining to do. I'll be sending Wayne Rooney to Blatter's posh apartment in Geneva for tea and polite conversation.

Last time, the England lads got stuck in the Group of Death with Argentina, Sweden and Nigeria and it was nerve-wracking stuff. We all know Brazil is finally going to win the World Cup on European soil for the first time since Sweden in 1958, but it would nice not to have to battle with the Samba Boys and European "Player of The Year" Ronaldinho in the first round. Let the Brazilians kick sand in the face of say, the Czech Republic, Ghana and Iran before the knockout round begins.

Some would argue that the United States men deserve to be one of the top eight seeds at the draw, and avoid playing those big nasty teams like Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy and England, in the opening round. If Sepp Blatter decides to change the seeding formula when the FIFA big shots meet on December 6 and break into their lavish expense accounts, the U.S. may be a top seed, but I doubt it, even though one could make an argument that the Yanks deserve to be in Pot A.

The Americans have been doing very well in recent years, but still have a tough time against European teams. The U.S. team won the CONCACAF region qualifying group in 2005 ahead of Mexico, and Brian McBride and his teammates are currently ranked eighth in the world.

Mexico is certain to be a top seed and FIFA is unlikely to pick two top seeds from the CONCACAF region. Mexico is only one of four teams, including Brazil, Italy and Germany, to have advanced out of the opening round in the last three finals. The TV ratings in Mexico are also a little higher than in Akron, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

U.S. manager Bruce Arena, thinks if there is to be a seeded team from CONCACAF, the region of North America, Central America and the Caribbean, it should be the U.S., not Mexico. "If a CONCACAF team has the possibility of being a seeded team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final Draw, the United States has done what is necessary in the region to deserve it,' he told the Honda Symposium in Los Angeles yesterday.

In the past, the top seeds were determined based on a team's results in the previous three World Cups and its rankings over the previous three years. The U.S. reached the quarterfinals in 2002 and the second round in 1994, but came in last in 1998.

It's expected that the top eight teams will be: Brazil (defending champion) and Germany (host), along with Spain, Mexico, Argentina, England, Italy and France. However, the unpredictable Sepp Blatter could spring a surprise.

Recently he was quoted as saying: "The seeded teams won't only be decided on their FIFA ranking, but also on results obtained in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. With the selection procedures, I think the national teams of Holland (the Netherlands) and England have reason to be worried. Even Italy might not get a place."

Unless there is a major surprise, it would appear that the U.S., and the two other CONCACAF teams: Costa Rica and Trinidad & Tobago, will be placed in the same pot as the five African teams. The Americans could end up playing in a hard group against Argentina, the Netherlands and Switzerland, or find the going a little easier up against Spain, Croatia and Ecuador.

Notes: Frank Lampard is now the proverbial iron man of the English Premier League after playing 160 consecutive games. And congrats to Thierry Henry scores his 100th EPL goal for Arsenal.

It's good to see American Brian McBride notch two delightful goals in Fulham's 2-1 win over Bolton's foreign legion recently. McBride still seems to have life in those old legs which bodes well for the U.S. team in Germany next year.

Heard a rumor, have a gripe or a tip? Feeling lonely? E-mail the Mad Brit at themadbrit3@aol.com.