@ Xapi:

Here is my prediction. SA goes through into 2nd round. They will beat Uruguay and they will either beat or draw Mexico and lose to France.

I am not sold of Mexico at all. Its not like they are playing in Mexico and their million meter elevation home field advantage.

FIFA will ensure that host make it out to round 2 and I guarantee this will be same.

The group I am most interested in D with Germany, Serbia, Ghana and Australia. Watching historical rivals like Serbia and Germany go at it is always fun because of the deeper meaning outside just soccer.

Makes me wonder how will Portugeese cheer in Portugal-Brazil game. Brazil scores WOOHO.... I MEAN SHIT!@#$@!@

And South Africa were the most unlucky one, got Mexico (best from pot 2) and France (best from pot 4) and pot 3 is more or less even.

The draw was good for England, it will be interesting to be an Englishman in the US when we play!

"Well, I don´t think Italy´s groups is that easy. Paraguai is a hard nut to crack (more or less a Turkey on footbal)."

I agree with this, but New Zealand and Slovakia should be easily beaten by Italy, and probably Paraguay too.

" Here is my prediction. SA goes through into 2nd round. They will beat Uruguay and they will either beat or draw Mexico and lose to France. "

I think in that group, France and Mexico should advance. Both SA and Uruguay have chances, they're not out of it at all, and I don't count out a mayor France flop like in 2002.

Brazil's group should be very fun to watch.

@BoG - I really don´t think SA will make to the round 2, unless they start to play at another level next year. For what I saw in the Confederation Cup, SA is far above any of the other 3 in his group. Mexico don´t play only in elevation, and if you look at the last three or four Cups they have been on 2nd round on all of them.

@Xapi - "Brazil's group should be very fun to watch. "
For an Argentinian, probably yes, lol, for a brasilian it´s not the best group we could draw. At least, first game is against North Korea, so the risk of a surprise is lower. And I guess the Portuguese and the people from Côte d'Ivoire don´t find funny too.

The thing about Argentina's group, as well as Germany's, is that there's no easy-beat team.

Brazil has North Korea, Spain has Honduras, England has Algeria, but all teams in Argentina's group are competitive (although Argentina should be one step above all of them)

"For an Argentinian, probably yes, lol, for a brasilian it´s not the best group we could draw."

Of course, it will be fun because it will ve very competitive. You didn't do well in the draw at all.

Cote d'Ivore on the other hand, can't catch a break. Netherlands and Argentina on 2006, Portugal and Brazil on 2010...

Argentina´s groups is not the easiest one, but is very unlike it won´t be on the second round.
Germany groups is more tricky, Serbia and Gana are good teams and Australia plays a competitive game, they run like hell.

I very surprised with all the love for Mexico. This is the team that has never done anything significant on the world stage and have consistantly been labeled as "good team". They make it to the World Cup time and time again mostly due to playing in CONCACAF which is a joke and this time they even strugled to get in (fired their coach mid way through qualifing). Calling them a lock to make it out of this group ahead of the host country is strange at least and crazy at worst. Do not forget that FIFA is still running the show and FIFA gets what FIFA wants and FIFA will always want to have a host country in 2nd round.

Poor Drogba (I hope) carry his country to the Cup, but got really unlucky draws twice. If I have to bet, Brasil and Portugal should pass.

Loving the Brazil group, with the lovely side-effect that whoever comes 2nd (and would probably be quite happy with this given the challenge) will surely get to play Spain.
Still, loving the English group :D

( wow, I used the phrase 'loving' twice in one post, how strange! )

@BoG - About Mexico, I just point out he make to the second round in the last 3 or 4 Cup editions at least, and also make a Confederation Cup final too. Well, if you count on extra-field factors, ok, but in the field, Mexico is way ahead SA. What USA have done significant on world football? But they have a good team too, as Spain saw this year.

the team that nobody wanted to play with (along with Portugal)

What do you mean Xapi?

I am not sold on USA either. I think whole of CONCACAF should be forced to qualify with South America. None of this 3+1 from CONCACAF.

Also I do agree that Mexico is better on paper than South Africa there is doubt about that but I also think they are not world beaters. Out of the that pot they were one of the tougher teams but all I said is that they are beatable. And I am willing to bet that South Africa does make into 2nd round one way or another.

As for Portugal - Brasil, I hope that being the last game of the group it will be only to decide who gets 1st and 2nd...
...but I have a bad feeling about Côte d'Ivoire

"the team that nobody wanted to play with (along with Portugal)

What do you mean Xapi?"

I mean that nobody wanted to get France or Portugal in the draw.

Why not?

I mean... why those 2 specificly

"Calling them a lock to make it out of this group ahead of the host country is strange at least and crazy at worst. Do not forget that FIFA is still running the show and FIFA gets what FIFA wants and FIFA will always want to have a host country in 2nd round. "

I didn't call them a lock, I think, in football terms, they are the favourites. Yes, if FIFA fiddles with things, SA will go through. I'm talking football here though, SA got something very similar to the worst group they could get.

@Troodonte: Because they were viewed as the best of the rest.

@Xapi: If this means less Drogba due to him being out in first round I for one will be dancing in the streets.

"I mean... why those 2 specificly "

Because they were probably the better teams in polls 2, 3 and 4 together. Every team in poll 1 was scared of getting Por and Fra from poll 4.

to be drawn in the south african group, france has had another lucky hand. ;-)

I'm not sure about that...
Portuguese qualification was very bad.
Let's hope for some changes ;)

Argentina was not that good either :P

Nope, not really. I think at this stage, for a team not in the "top 8", getting Argentina was a good deal (although of course, getting SA was better)

@ rdriver:
"Mexico (best from pot 2) and France (best from pot 4)"

I don't know about this... Mexico didn't have an easy time qualifying, and I do believe the US is better than them (I am slightly biased though). Also, France had a lot of trouble qualifying, and they couldn't even cleanly beat Ireland. It was so painful watching the draw and knowing Ireland wouldn't be in it :'(

I'd put the US at least above Mexico in pool 2
I'd put Portugal easily above France in group 4

As french, I can tell you that unless rules of football are switched to handball, France won't hit the 2nd round.