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"WC Euro play-off draw"

Spain vs Slovakia
Switzerland vs Turkey
Norway vs Czech Republic

Not fixed. At all. Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic don't play each other. Funny that.

Then why not simply pick the 32 counrties with the highest national viewing figures? Or those with the best reputations.

I'd sure as hell much rather see Cameroon and Nigeria over Togo and Angola.

I suppose you can say that these teams have 'earnt' their place in the world cup by coming out on top against seeded teams, and if the likes of Norway, Switzerland and Slovakia want to do the same, then they have to beat a higher seeded team. Then I guess they have a chance to prove themselves at the world cup, go up in the rankings, and gain a better seeding for the next campaign.

But the seedings have already been decided for the next qualifying competition anyway - which hardly seems fair. I suppose it would be reflected by the time the next World Cup qualifying came round though.

I just think they take seeding that little bit too far sometimes, and it seems to be that it's mostly because they want the big boys there, as they generate the most money.

Whilst completely free draws for qualifying groups would be fun, in the end it might not mean the best 16/32 teams get to the finals. But to pretty much set out the seedings from one to seven takes it a step too far. There's 50 teams in European qualifying for the next European Championships, and at the moment they're in seven seeding pots, for groups of seven (plus one eight) I just think the qualifying would be a bit more fun if they combined some of those, only had three or four seeding groups.

Put groups 1 & 2 together, 3 & 4, and 5,6, 7. Take two from the first, two from the second, and three from the third.

You could end up with a group like:

England
France
Russia
Denmark
Hungary
Wales
Malta

really strong, and so many exciting matches. Worst case, you might end up with sometihng like:

Greece
Romania
Slovenia
Isreal
Kazakhstan
Azerbaijan
Luxembourg

but still, there's some hieracy to it, and the usual whipping boys at least have a chance to build up some kind of form against equal nations, rather than being on a hiding to nothing each and every round.

At the moment there are very few surprises, and I just think that mixing it up a bit would add more spice and excitement to qualifying.

I know thta in this World Cup qualifying campaign I have been largely unenthused by the games, as much of the time it's a no contest. There was a little spark because of the presence of 'home nations' but had England had been placed with equally seeded other teams it would have been even more predictable.

Of course, I'd be the first to complain when England ended up in a tough group and failed to get to the finals!

That said, I still thoroughly enjoyed USA 94, without England, so I think we'd all survive.

Precisely why seeding systems are used. Whilst it might disappoint fans of the unseeded teams, the ideal aim is to enhance the experience for the neutrals, seeing as the number of neutral supporters in most sporting events easily outclasses the numbers who follow a specific competitor.

And naturally, most neutrals want to see the more famous names above someone who might not be as well known to them.

To be honest, although Spain vs Czech Republic would be a great match, I'd rather have them both in the World Cup. Then there'd be at least three matches from each of them, and I'd actually have a chance of seeing them.

Seeding for six teams?

They both finished second in their groups right after already being seeded?
Pffft

Yeah, to make the early rounds dull and predictable.

Look at the FA cup, every round has big teams against each other, and you get plenty of shocks too.

Mind you, Milwall made it to the FA Cup final without playing a top flight team a couple of season ago, which is the downside.

Knocking out two big teams and letting a smaller team go through?

Let's play Federer versus Roddick in the first round of Wimbledon, and have Chelsea, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Man Utd in the same Champs League group. Seeding is there for a reason.

It was seeded? Pah! What's the point of having it then? Why not just let them put their three favourite teams through.

I think it would have been more interesting if Spain had to play the Czech Republic, and if the Swiss were drawn against Slovakia, but then again I don't like seeding in anything. Wouldn't the qualifiers be much more fun in more random?

Meka Dragon wrote:
> Not fixed. At all. Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic don't play
> each other. Funny that.

That's because it was seeded.

Of course it was fixed to be that way, but it wasn't some kind of rigged draw.

Meka Dragon wrote:

> Not fixed. At all. Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic don't play
> each other. Funny that.

Just what I was thinking!

Spain vs Slovakia
Switzerland vs Turkey
Norway vs Czech Republic

Not fixed. At all. Spain, Turkey and the Czech Republic don't play each other. Funny that.