(edit:
http://y.ahoo.it/bz4XRDMA f.ds Bracket Challenge, password: theory
I chose yahoo because you can pick all of the games and the scores for them (only site that allows doing as such) compared to just picking who will win groups...)
The Draw is on Friday, there are so many good teams out there that just about any draw is frightening for any team.
The US weren't given any favors being put into group 3 with the Asia teams meaning that almost any draw will result in 2 difficult teams to face, if not 3.
I have been following the US through all of their qualifying and think they are playing perhaps the best soccer they have ever played, but I am not sure they will be able to get out of their group.
How do you think your country will do? Who would you want to face?
For reference here are the 4 groups.
Group1: Seeded Teams
Brazil
Argentina
Columbia
Uruguay
Spain
Germany
Belgium
Switzerland
Group2: UEFA, CAF and Conmebol
France
Chile
Ecuador
Ghana
Cameroon
Ivory Coast
Nigeria
Algeria
Group3: CONCACAF and AFC
Japan
Australia
Iran
South Korea
Costa Rica
Honduras
Mexico
Group4: UEFA
Netherlands
Italy
Bosnia-Herzegovina
England
Portugal
Russia
Greece
Croatia
I just ran a few
simulations and came up with the following for the US:
Switzerland, Portugal, US, Ecuador: two European teams and a pretty good S. American team, really bad draw.
Columbia, Greece, US, Cameroon: all good teams, but maybe the US can pull out of this one with a win and a tie somewhere?
Argentina, US, Cameroon, England: two powerhouses and a pretty good African team. Need to get lucky (ala England 2010) to get out of this.
Uruguay, France, US, Croatia: Two good, but struggling teams of late (Uruguay, France) and a midsized European team. Again need luck to get out of this, but there is a chance.
So four draws that are all difficult and none of them even had the real powerhouses: Spain, Brazil, Germany... regardless I am stoked for 2014. There is going to be some amazing soccer played in Brazil regardless of how well the US does it will be fun to watch.