World Cup Qualification - Brazil 2014

[stealthpapes]

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/index.html

Currently 7th.

Brasil being seeded makes 'sense' in that's pretty much what they always do, innit? Plus it recognises the lack of actual games they've played.

That essentially 150 points separate 4th from 14th, and 3rd are almost 100 points above 4th is pretty telling. Outside of your Spains, Germanys, Argentinas, who are head and shoulders better than most, you've got your Colombias, your Belgiums and your Switzerlands who have a had a good qualifying and you also have your Italys, your Brasils, your Englands and your Netherlands who are always in or around the top 10.

[Ouroboros]

Given the Swiss didn't qualify for Euro 2014 it does rather seem that results in qualification are overweighted. A good ranking will then produce another favourable qualification group and so on...

I can't be bothered to properly fact check this, but at first glance it does not appear that Switzerland have ever won a knock-out game at a major tournament.

[stealthpapes]

Does anyone else think that there's something a bit weird about the FIFA rankings?

Every. Fucking. Month.

[Ouroboros]

Ok actually they have, but not since dismissing the Nazis in 1938.

[Ouroboros]

Does anyone else think that there's something a bit weird about the FIFA rankings?

Every. Fucking. Month.

Someone else do the wolfcastle please.

[stealthpapes]

[stealthpapes]

Given the Swiss didn't qualify for Euro 2014 it does rather seem that results in qualification are overweighted. A good ranking will then produce another favourable qualification group and so on...

I can't be bothered to properly fact check this, but at first glance it does not appear that Switzerland have ever won a knock-out game at a major tournament.

I've got the site open so ...

Weighting for game importance
Friendly match (including small competitions): I = 1.0
FIFA World Cup™ qualifier or confederation-level qualifier: I = 2.5
Confederation-level final competition or FIFA Confederations Cup: I = 3.0
FIFA World Cup™ final competition: I = 4.0

Weighting for Confederation
UEFA/CONMEBOL 1.00 CONCACAF 0.88
AFC/CAF 0.86 OFC 0.85

I'm going to assume they picked these numbers from out of their arse.

[Bandini]

I can't be bothered to properly fact check this,

That's the spirit. You'll be at 5k in no time.

[Ouroboros]

So what might pot 2 contain? Is it as simple as counting down the rankings? If so:

Certain:

Netherlands
Italy
England
Chile
US
Bosnia

Possible:

Portugal
Greece
Croatia
Russia
Ivory Coast

It's not a great deal worse than pot 1 overall.

[stealthpapes]

In the past, they've had a top seed pot (including hosts), then a UEFA pot, then two rest-of-world pots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Cup_2010#Final_draw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_World_Cup#Seeds

[stealthpapes]

1st result
Montserrat 2 v 5 Belize

nice.

[TBM]

Given the Swiss didn't qualify for Euro 2014 it does rather seem that results in qualification are overweighted. A good ranking will then produce another favourable qualification group and so on...

I can't be bothered to properly fact check this, but at first glance it does not appear that Switzerland have ever won a knock-out game at a major tournament.

[genome]

Edit: Ignore, my reading comprehension is lacking today

[Sanguine]

In the past, they've had a top seed pot (including hosts), then a UEFA pot, then two rest-of-world pots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Cup_2010#Final_draw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_World_Cup#Seeds

Yep, they'll do that, as there are to be no more than 2 UEFA teams in each group.

[Sanguine]

Must be a while since none of England, France, Italy and Netherlands made the top seeds (although the Dutch will be if Uruguay manage to lose their playoff).

[Ouroboros]

Given the Swiss didn't qualify for Euro 2014

I expect you can work out what it was supposed to say.

[paultheroyal]

Group 5

England
Australia
Switzerland
Yanks

[No Fixed Abode]

Plus side of qualification is there is something to look forward to next summer.

Down side is, town will be full of kants.

[YateleyRoyal]

Plus side of qualification is there is something to look forward to next summer.

Down side is, town will be full of kants.

Planning on going out a lot then?

[TBM]

Group 5

England
Australia
Switzerland
Yanks

LOL - if you take the first letter of each country it spells EASY