The draw for the 2010 World Cup draw has been made:

Group A

South Africa
Mexico
Uruguay
France

Group B

Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece

Group C

England
United States of America
Slovenia
Algeria

Group D

Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

Group E

Netherlands
Japan
Denmark
Cameroon

Group F

Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia

Group G

Brazil
North Korea
Ivory Coast
Portugal

Group H

Spain
Chile
Honduras
Switzerland

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Reaching the World Cup is a cause for celebration.

If you are a fan of a nation who has made it to the World Cup finals, did you celebrate?

It is more than likely that many of you will have done…and if you did, did you wake up with a sore head?

Reaching the World Cup final is the pinnacle for fans and footballers so yes, having a party is not out of the question.

However, when you have to arrive at your work the next day or the day after, you have to make sure you are there.
This is because there is no hiding place. Your boss will know exactly where you have been and if you don’t turn up, everyone will know that you took your parting a little too far.

One player who seemingly enjoyed himself a bit too much is Madjid Bougherra, the Algerian stopper. Algeria qualified in the play-off against Egypt and the whole nation was keen to celebrate on the Thursday.

Bougherra supposedly got permission from his club, Glasgow Rangers, to arrive on the Friday but the player did not arrive back in Glasgow until the Saturday.

However, this is the third time that Bougherra has arrived back in Glasgow late. Most bosses would be exacerbated at this turn of events but Rangers seem quite calm about things.

Perhaps the reason for Rangers being so relaxed about the matter is explained here, with a potential financial benefit coming from the Algerian defender being unavailable.

Who knows, perhaps Bougherra just enjoyed an extra night on the town to celebrate or perhaps his club and himself are happy to play along with this storyline.

If you saw your team reach the World Cup, how did you celebrate?

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Five goals is more than Heskey will hit all year

Booking your flight in advance is a great way to make a saving on the money you spend but there are other benefits of booking early. He may not have put much money down but on Sunday, Jermain Defoe went a long way to booking his place on the English flight to South Africa come the summer of 2010.

Defoe would have woken up on Sunday knowing that strike rival Darren Bent had scored yet again for Sunderland. Bent has not exactly shone for England yet but his scoring record in the Premier League this season will definitely have caught Fabio Capello’s eye.

This meant that Defoe was needing something special to put himself back in the spotlight and that is exactly what happened at White Hart Lane. Wigan’s defenders put in a performance that could well see a few of them in the reserves but it still took the England striker to put the ball in the back of the net.

Which he did. Five times.

This is the second time that Defoe has scored a hat-trick this season but very few top flight players have struck five in one match. Defoe’s Sunday best saw him reach the heights that Alan Shearer and Andy Cole have managed since the English top flight became the all powerful Premier League.

Once again, it is advantage Defoe and if he can keep out of trouble and stay injury free, it would be an immense shock if the striker was not involved in the major football tournament next summer.

Can Defoe strike up a partnership with Wayne Rooney?

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It hasn’t taken long for the Hiddink rumours to start.

Although the smart money appears to say that Guus Hiddink is Chelsea bound for the 2010/11 season as technical director, he has some space in his calendar before then.

The friendship developed with Roman Abramovic may well see him back in London but surely a boss of Hiddink’s calibre should be at the World Cup, especially as he has cultivated a reputation as a trouble shooter who can work wonders with limited resources.

There is an argument that if he can do that with Australia and South Korea, what could he do with a major nation?

Obviously Guus has controlled the Dutch national team but there is always internal politics to deal with from that squad. The world may just get to see what Guus can do if Argentina follow up their interest.

Maradona has been banned from all football activity for a period of two months but there are concerns over whether he is the man to lead Argentina to the World Cup?

A squad containing Messi, Tevez, Higuain, Heinze, Mascherano and Aimar should not be struggling in the manner that they are.

National hero he may be but the greatest players don’t necessarily make the best coaches and Diego is likely to be out-thought in the tighter matches in South Africa.

It makes perfect sense for Diego to bow out, he will remain the peoples champion who guided the nation to the World Cup but can rightfully step aside to allow an experienced boss take control and hopefully guide the team to glory.

Maradona could even remain in post but work alongside Hiddink, hopefully capturing the blend of enthusiasm and tactical awareness which could make all the difference at a major tournament.

Thanks to dedo2083

These partnerships don’t always work out but an Argentina with Maradona and Hiddink at the helm would be far more dangerous than a Diego led team. As for Hiddink’s initial thoughts on the role, he answered;

“We know each other well. It even makes me smile thinking about it.”

There is the small nature of a contrct with the Russian Footbll Federation to negotiate but the race for Hiddink is definitely on.

Who do you think Guus should manage at the 2010 World Cup?

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Steve McClaren won’t be laughing

Yes, Steve McClaren is looking rather foolish these days. Even more foolish than the time he did a Gene Kelly when his English team was minging in the rain.

Even more foolish than the time he showed the world how good his grasp of the Dutch language was.

Thanks to supanovasky

No, it was almost four years ago that Steve McClaren banished David Beckham into the international wilderness, seemingly never to reach 100 caps or play at a major tournament again. This set Beckham’s career into a spiral where he fell out of favour with Fabio Capello at Real Madrid and seemed to be setting himself up for retiral in the world of US Soccer.
Wow – it shows how football is hard to predict.

McClaren guaranteed that no English players would be playing at a major tournament in 2008.

Capello relented and saw a Beckham inspired Real Madrid snatch La Liga…and the player was practically begged to postpone his Stateside jaunt.

And Beckham now stands on the brink of his first MLS title, back in favour with the national set-up and on 115 caps, ten away from the English record, held by Peter Shilton.

After disappointment, Beckham is determined to fully enjoy this World Cup and help England to glory.

Even if England triumph in South Africa, Beckham will be unable to beat Shilton’s record at that tournament but he is not ruling out playing on even further for England. A stint at AC Milan will ensure Beckham remains match-fit for the World Cup but he has already extended his MLS contract with the LA Galaxy.

In an interview with The Times, Beckham, when asked about what would happen if England triumphed and came so close to holding the record number of caps, stated;

“Even if that dream came true, I’d still make myself available to play for my country”

The role of Beckham is becoming marginalised but his ability to whip accurate cross balls into the box ensures he is a useful player to have in a squad. Pace and dribbling ability were never Beckham’s strong point so he hasn’t lost much there and no other English player has the ability to deliver telling crosses in the way that he can.

After McClarens axe in 2006, who would have thought Beckham would be looking to 2010 and beyond with so much vigour and optimism?

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Now that all the teams have booked their place, what will the fixtures be?

No sooner had the last of the qualifiers booked their place that the entire football world looks forward to the World Cup draw. December 4th is the date and Cape Town in South Africa is the place to be to find out what the group matches will be.

The excitement is starting to build but it hasn’t reached fever pitch and this is because no one knows what will happen. Fifa have yet to come out and announce how the seeding is going to be structured so any attempt to predict matches is going to be pure guess-work.

Yes, Fifa may decide to use the template they followed back in 2006 but then again, they may decide on a far more random and abstract mechanism. Whatever method is likely to create the best environment for television viewers (or more accurately sponsors) is likely to be the chosen method.

Thanks to fernando231074

Fifa are currently weathering a barrage of comments for the way they (with Uefa acquiescing) changed the rules of the draw for the European play-offs. This allowed the top teams to be seeded and avoided the potentially commercial disaster of a France versus Portugal tie.

Fifa will point to the fact that one of their top seeds in Russia were knocked out but it is hard to take when the rules are changed during a campaign.

Another issue that is causing consternation amongst many people is the fact that South Africa are billed as a top seed. No offence to the host nation but they are a fourth seed team at best and you can guarantee that if it wasn’t for the fact that they are hosts, they would be nowhere near this competition.

There is a desire to see the host nation remain in the tournament for as long as possible, it makes great business sense and what is good for the local economy of the host. However, every single team that is in the second, third and even fourth pot will be praying that their top team is the host nation.

Perhaps South Africa should ask Guus Hiddink if he would like to take charge of them during the tournament seeing as the Dutchman won’t have anything else to do.

When the draw begins, all the quarrels and concerns will be washed away but there is a strange feeling in the build up to this tournament that Fifa may have another surprise or shock in store.

Show some transparency please FIFA!!

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Uruguay made it tricky but they claimed the final spot at the 2010 World Cup.

Winning 1-0 away from home should have set them on easy street and taking a 1-0 in the home tie lead looked to be enough to book their place. However, Costa Rica took a goal back through Walter Centeno, which left them one goal away from knocking the Uruguayans out.

When the fourth official announced there would be seven minutes of injury time, the shock could be heard all around Montevideo. It came to nothing though and Uruguay had sneaked through a World Cup play-off for the second time in a row.

It is fair to say that Uruguay are not amongst the favourites to clinch the World Cup, in fact, if they make the last 16, its likely to be a big surprise for many. However, that was not always the case as Uruguay are wrapped around the very heart of World Cup history.

For starters, when the World Cup was first mooted, Uruguay were arguably the best team in the world.

Their triumph at the Olympics, at the time, the most important football tournament, saw them being asked to host the inaugural World Cup event.

The host nation duly won the event, writing their name into the history books.

Thanks to KINGofSOCCERhistory

This alone would be enough to mark them out as footballing pioneers but their shock triumph in Brazil in 1950 probably changed the world of football for ever.

The passionate Brazil fans were certain their team was going to win the Cup, all they had to do was avoid defeat. This was due to the league system in place as opposed to a knock-out system with a final.

It just so happened it all came down to the Brazil versus Uruguay match in the Maracana Stadium.

Thanks to KINGofSOCCERhistory

The outcome was so famous it was referred to as the Maracanazo, “the Maracana blow” and the outcome on the Brazilian psyche was severe.

It is said that more books have been written on this tournament and match than all of Brazils triumphs put together!

After this game, Brazil decided to ditch their white kit and moved to the now famous gold top and blue shorts combination that bewitches fans everywhere. Brazil has triumphed in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 since then whereas Uruguay have not came close to matching their peaks. It is funny how football history can turn on a game and that the disaster for Brazil paved the way for the golden generation.

Regardless of Brazils success, it is great to see Uruguay added to the list of teams for the 2010 World Cup.

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Taking it to extra-time was a triumph but the Irish players will be devastated at having their World Cup dream stolen from them.

William Gallas is the man credited with notching the equaliser that put France ahead on aggregate but all credit must be given to Thierry Henry for the way he controlled the ball with his hand before squaring it to Gallas.

Two ex-Arsenal captains combined to give their nation a World Cup lifeline when they looked on the ropes but the Irish will be devastated.

Fifa have hardly covered themselves in glory for the way the rules about the play-off draw were changed and the fact that the referee missed such a blatant foul will only cause further anger amongst the smaller nations who feel they do not get a fair shake when it comes to playing the big boys.

That said, France were beginning to dominate and a goal was looking likely. However, there is a massive difference between losing to a well-crafted strike and losing a goal in such fashion.

It is a shame when a player of such sublime skill resorts to such a tactic but this is part of the reason why Henry is a winner.

Faced with a summer of sitting on the beach or making what could be his last hurrah on the major stage, Henry did what had to be done and gave his country what they craved the most.

It is also not the first time Henry has used the black arts of football to help his team out.

Thanks to chiquitibum

That goal, unsurprisingly, seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Irish side and another goal never looked like coming.

After such a dramatic qualification campaign where they remained unbeaten throughout the group stages, to lose out in such a sad manner is one of the most disappointing aspects.

Next summer, the French and the vast majority of the watching world will not remember how France qualified but you know the girls and boys in green will.

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The excitement of the play-offs means that there is a lot for any football fan to keep their eye on.

Algeria and Greece got the party started by triumphing in the two early kick-offs but the three remaining European play-offs were kicking off around the same time, causing armchair fans to flick between the three games.

Slovenia, although defeated in Russia in the first leg, gained a psychological advantage by notching an away goal in the dying minutes on Saturday, Turning a 2-0 loss into a 2-1 defeat makes a huge difference in the two-legged system and so it proved in Slovenia.

Within half an hour Dedic did just about enough to prod the ball home and suddenly, Slovenia were in the driving seat. The aggregate score was tied at 2-2 but that late goal in Russia proved to be the difference between the teams.

At half-time, many were predicting that Guus Hiddink would be able to revitalise his Russian team but Slovenia were never troubled too much.

A red card for substitute Alexander Kerzhakov seemed to place the final nail in Russia’s coffin and Slovenia saw the remainder of the game in relative comfort, even more so after the Russians slipped to 9 men.

Even though one Russian goal would have changed it all, it never materialised and Slovenian fans will be celebrating long into the night and excitedly looking for ways to get to South Africa.

The outcome of the Portugal and Bosnia and Herzegovina match may have been less exciting but don’t tell that to the Portuguese fans.

A poor qualifying campaign saw many people write off the Portuguese and a slim 1-0 lead was not going to be an insurmountable challenge to the Bosnian and Herzegovina unit.

It was 0-0 at half time but not too long into the second half, Meireles struck to give Portugal a 2-0 lead and place them on relatively easy street.

This away strike was crucial as it meant the Portuguese would need to ship three goals to be denied of their trip to South Africa and this never looked like happening.

Sighs of relief in Madrid and Fifa headquarters will be heard at the fact that Ronaldo will be present at the World Cup but for now, fans of Portugal and Slovenia will just want to celebrate.

The final list of teams for next summers World Cup is nearly complete.

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Although the boys in green and white were dreaming of it, few were backing the Republic of Ireland to cause France problems.

There is still a big forty-five minutes to go but Robbie Keane’s finish from an exquisite flowing move has tied this game and equalled France’s away goal. The thing to remember is that France do not have the opportunity to score another away goal but the Republic do. The simple facts are, if Ireland can score another goal, France will need to grab two to qualify for the World Cup.

After a stuttering start, the Irish midfield started to take control and this led to a stronger flow of the ball going forward in the direction the Irish fans want it. There is no doubt that players like Henry and Anelka have a touch of class when they have the ball but they are perhaps lacking in work ethic.

Much of the Republic’s success in the first half came through a lack of pressing in the French front line allowing Ireland to surge on. With a numerical advantage in midfield, Ireland were able to push on and it was Robbie Keane, as usual, who was in the right place at the right time to punish the French.

Kevin Kilbane was able to release Fulham winger Damien Duff who cut the ball back to the on-rushing Keane. Some strikers would have been flustered but Keane remained calm and applied a calm finish to square the tie…and as he predicted, Robbie has rattled the French

Thanks to ITN News

With forty five minutes to go, this tie is very much in the balance but Ireland deserve to be back on level pegging.

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