By Graig Carbino - ALBANY, NY (Dec 4th, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Welcome to draw day. I’m on the couch in full-anticipation mode so let’s get this thing going already. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is on right now (if you don’t like John Hughes then I cant help you), but in about an hour and a half ESPN2 will open up the broadcast window and we’ll finally get the groups aligned.
As the last few minutes tick by I find myself thinking back to the last draw this time four years ago. I was a senior in college, hung over, laying in bed around noon when the draw was made in Berlin. My how things have changed.
Back then it was all about the US Nat’s for me. To tell the truth, not much has changed in that respect. Sure, I like MLS and European footy, but for me the real game is international soccer. Maybe it’s the “rooting for your country” thing, I don’t know. Whatever the reason, whenever the US plays my interest peaks.
I debated on how to cover this one, but I think I will just follow along like the rest of you and take some notes. Here goes:
12pm - I’m sitting next to my roommate as the broadcast starts, both of us inhaling turkey subs. He just mumbles out “…yo, I love soccer.” That is what the World Cup does to the casual observer. On a side note, I love saying “Efan Ekoku.”
12:05pm - They are going over the pots now and how all this works. I know some soccer snobs love to bash on ESPN for talking about the mundane during games and “explaining” too much. That isn’t the case here. My roommate just asked me “so, why are the US in pot 2?” My answer: “I really don’t know.” I mean, I know that they have to be grouped in the same pot with other CONCACAF teams so they don’t meet in group play, but other than that, who knows?
12:08pm - Anyone taking bets on whether or not Alexi Lalas and Steve McManaman will be wrestling each other on the floor before the end of the show? Think Jim Rome-Jim Everett on ESPN2 back in 1994. Jeeze, ease up on the US-England stuff, the broadcast just started.
12:15pm - They are going over a lot of the cultural stuff from South Africa. Bob Ley seems smart.
12:18pm - Nelson Mandela pre-taped segment airing now. He just said 2010 and it got me thinking back to the last World Cup. I know its cliché, but it really feels just like yesterday that I was ignoring family and friends at my own college graduation party to watch the bloodbath that was USA-Italy from World Cup 2006. Honestly, I remember waking up at 4am to watch the United States against South Korea in 2002 like it was only yesterday as well. Crazy to think how fast time flies.
12:26pm - So, what better way could we do this draw? What about just seeding every single team 1-32 and then making the groups? Roommate makes a good point in that seeding them is next to impossible, which is why the FIFA rankings make no sense. Then he says with a straight face (I swear), “they should just have a BCS….” I laughed out loud and we move on.12:35pm - Just flipped over to Fox Soccer Channel during a commercial. They are showing the English coverage from Sky Sports. One of the panelists is Fulham manager Roy Hodgson. I have followed the Whites from west London very closely over the past few years because of the large American contingent that has come and gone through the Craven Cottage doors. Hodgson seems like a very smart football man. That said, I watch his interviews on the Fulham website and he is SOOOO long winded. Doesn’t really translate to good TV.
12:40pm - Back to the Worldwide Leader, and its Rob Stone. He’s at Nevada Smiths in NYC. I was there for a quick beverage or two before the US-Argentina game in June 08. Pretty cool place.
12:42pm - I’m all about the culture of the host country. I like history and South Africa is very interesting to me. All that said, I am already sick of that guy saying “welcome to South Africa, this is the World Cup.” It’s grating on me like Jim Ross’s “its gonna be a slobber knocker” did during my WWE days. Oh well, I got used to that, I am sure I can cope with this.
12:46pm - Charlize Theron. That’s all, just Charlize Theron.
12:47pm - Broadcasters are talking about whether or not the players are watching today. I happened over to Jozy and Freddy’s twitter pages the past day or so. Both asked what time the draw was on. Really? They're watching.
12:52pm - Finally, the draw is about to start. That dude got to kiss Charlize, and the crowd goes wild. That was weird.
12:55pm - So here is the big explanation on how this thing was organized. Basically, it’s the FIFA World Rankings. Nice clarification.
12:58pm - I’m nervous right now. I cant quite figure out why, I think it is just the anticipation of it all. Every four years is actually a long time, no matter how short it seems if that makes any sense.
1:00pm - Ok, enough with this crazy demonstration and bad jokes. Let’s go already. Here come the folks that will actually do the draw. That guy from Ethiopia has a wild outfit on.
1:03pm - Gosh, I said it during the MLS Cup Final and I will say it again, that haircut on Beckham is terrible. Charlize is kind of starting to annoy me too.
1:05pm - Ok, here we go. Pot 1 is done. Now the real fun begins.1:07pm - Come on US to Group A!!! Of course, it’s Mexico. How fitting. South Africa v. Mexico in the opening game of the tournament. South Korea has been drawn with Argentina.
1:09p - There we go, United States and England. June 12th, first game of the group. Bob Bradley with his typical gruff exterior. I wonder what he is thinking on the inside. It could be worse than England I guess. If I were the US I’d rather face England than Brazil, Argentina or Spain. Sure, they are a good squad. Still, I just don’t see them being as dangerous going forward as some of those other top countries.
1:13pm - Brazil and North Korea. Jeesh, this one might be ten-nothing at half-time.
1:14pm - Ivory Coast out of the way. Algeria into group C. Very nice draw for both England and the United States there. I guess I wasn’t paying attention when they said how the African teams would be moved around. My heart skipped a beat there for a second when I thought the Ivory Coast was going into group C.
1:18pm - I am trying to get a read off of these coaches once their teams are drawn but they are all keeping pretty good poker faces. The broadcasters are talking over the crowd so I cant hear any audible reaction either.
1:20pm - There was some noise from the crowd. France into South Africa’s group. The French must be happy with that draw. Greece into group B with Argentina, Nigeria and South Korea. Tough group.
1:22pm - Group C is done with the US getting Slovenia to round out the foursome. Great group for England and the USA to qualify out of. I clapped when that last ball was drawn. Roommate says “this was actually really exciting.” Couldn’t agree more.1:24pm - Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal in the same group with North Korea. Three really good teams. I am going to set North Korea’s goal differential for the group at -12. Should they even waste money on the flight?
1:27pm - Lalas is really laying it on thick with the whole “US beating England thing.” McManaman is being a good sport about it.1:29pm - Ok, I am going to wrap this up with a few thoughts regarding the United States. I am sure you will be able to find plenty of other articles breaking down all of the groups. Overall I think you would have to say the US received a great draw for this World Cup. As I said above, out of the 8 teams in Pot 1, England might have been my second or third choice. Obviously you would take South Africa, but after that I think you wanted to stay away from both Brazil and Spain. I would have taken Italy or England as teams the US can stay with.
In Algeria and Slovenia the US gets two teams that truthfully, they really should be favored over. Still, England in game one will be no walk over. If the US can get a draw against the three lions they should set themselves up fine to move on to the knockout stage. As Lalas just pointed out, if the US cant get past Algeria and Slovenia they probably do not deserve to move on.
So everything is set now. Just about six months away and we kick off in Rustenberg. June 12th, Stars and Stripes against the mother land. Man, this is going to be fun. Let’s let it all sink in, take a deep breath, relax and enjoy it. The sky isn’t falling, its all to play for and the US is in with a shot.
Graig Carbino covers American Abroad and writes a weekly column for USSoccerPlayers. Contact him at graiger11@yahoo.com
