FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) -- On Thursday, FIFA approved World Cup ticket prices as low as euro35 (US$42). On Friday, 156 nations will find out how they can qualify for the 2006 finals and provide value for money.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said preparations for the world's biggest single-sport extravaganza were advancing with clockwork precision, while stand-ins were already practicing for Friday's draw at the Festhalle.
In another decision Thursday, FIFA said South America will play Oceania while Asia will take on CONCACAF in playoffs for two berths at the finals.
The draw will set up qualifying groups for all continents except South America and set up 850 qualifiers over the next two years.
"We have butterflies in our stomach now," Franz Beckenbauer, president of the organizing committee, said of Friday's draw.
The crowd of 3,500 at the draw will include Formula One great Michael Schumacher and Senegal's singer Youssou N'Dour along with a host of celebrities from the worlds of soccer and politics.
The draw will be handled by former soccer stars such as Cha Bum-kun of South Korea, Japan's Yasuhiko Okudera, Ghana's Abedi Pele, and New Zealand's Wynton Rufer, who all played in the Bundesliga.
The United States will have Brandi Chastain on the podium and Mexican goalie Jorge Campos also will be involved in the draw.
Germany qualifies automatically for the 2006 finals and defending champion Brazil has already played four games in the South American qualifying round.
Even though there are 3.2 million seats available for the 64 matches, tickets will be hard to come by, whatever the price. The most expensive category of seats will cost euro600 (US$720) and they will be available for the final match. The top price for the opening match stands at half that.
But at euro35, the group matches bring the spectacle within reach of most.
"It was a good idea from the organizers ... so that ordinary people can also afford them," Blatter said.
The tournament kicks off June 9, 2006, in Munich and ends one month later with the final in Berlin.
Overall, close to 200 nations entered the competition, double the teams which tried to qualify for the 1974 World Cup in West Germany. Some 40 have been eliminated in pre-qualifying.
The mass of teams makes for sometimes extremely complicated qualifying rules -- with lucky losers, first-round byes, different group stages and intercontinental playoffs.
Traditionally, Europe attracts the most attention. It will produce 13 finalists who will join three-time champion Germany in the June 9-July 9 finals.
The European teams will be drawn into eight qualifying groups, with three groups of seven teams each and five groups of six.
The eight group winners and two best runners-up will qualify directly, with the remaining six runners-up entering a playoff round for the last three berths.
The eight seeded teams are France, Portugal, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, England and Turkey. Like Germany, Italy is a three-time champion, England won in 1966 and France in 1998.
Asia has four automatic finalists with the No. 5 team going into a playoff. South Korea, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Uzbekistan are the eight top-ranked teams.
Oceania, which has been stripped of its direct place, will start off with two groups of five, before New Zealand and Australia join the preliminary tournament at the next stage in a group of six. The winner also goes into the intercontinental playoff.
The complicated procedures for North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) will eventually produce three finalists with another slot possible through the playoffs.
Africa has the simplest procedure. The field has already been whittled down to 30 and five groups of six teams will produce the five automatic finalists.
European draw
GROUP 1:Czech Republic, Netherlands, Romania, Finland, FYR Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra
GROUP 2:Turkey, Denmark, Greece, Ukraine, Georgia, Albania, Kazakhstan
GROUP 3:Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg
GROUP 4:France, England, Switzerland, Israel, Cyprus, Faroe Islands
GROUP 5:Italy, Slovenia, Scotland, Norway, Belarus, Moldova
GROUP 6:England, Poland, Austria, Wales, Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan
GROUP 7:Spain, Belgium, Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, San Marino
GROUP 8:Sweden, Croatia, Bulgaria, Iceland, Hungary, Malta
African draw
GROUP 1:Senegal, Mali, Zambia, Togo, Liberia, Congo
GROUP 2:South Africa, Congo DR, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Uganda, Cape Verde Islands
GROUP 3:Cameroon, Egypt, Cote d’Ivoire, Libya, Sudan, Benin
GROUP 4:Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Algeria, Angola, Gabon, Rwanda
GROUP 5:Tunisia, Morocco, Kenya, Guinea, Malawi, Botswana
Nort˛h¢ral America draw
GROUP 1:Grenada v. Guyana winner plays USA
GROUP 2:Bermuda v. Montserrat winner plays El Salvador
GROUP 3:Haiti v. Turks and Caicos Islands winner plays Jamaica
GROUP 4:British Virgin Islands v. St. Lucia winner plays Panama
GROUP 5:Cayman Islands v. Cuba winner plays Costa Rica
GROUP 6:Aruba v. Surinam winner plays Guatemala
GROUP 7:Antigua and Barbuda v. Netherlands Antilles winner plays Honduras
GROUP 8:Canada v. Belize
GROUP 9: Dominica v. Bahamas winner plays Mexico
GROUP 10:U.S. Virgin Islands v. St. Kitts and Nevis winner plays Barbados
GROUP 11: Dominican Republic v. Anguilla winner plays Trinidad and Tobago
GROUP 12:Nicaragua v. St. Vincent and Grenadines
Oceania draw
GROUP 1:Tahiti, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, Cook Islands
GROUP 2:Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, American Samoa
Asian draw
GROUP 1: Iran, Qatar, Jordan, Laos
GROUP 2: Uzbekistan, Iraq, Palestine, Chinese Taipei
GROUP 3: Japan, Oman, India, Singapore
GROUP 4: China PR, Kuwait, Malaysia, Hong Kong
GROUP 5: United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Yemen, Korea DPR
GROUP 6: Bahrain, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan
GROUP 7: Korea Republic, Lebanon, Vietnam, Maldives
GROUP 8: Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka
CONCACAF is always a pain. The referees are very anti-U.S. I hate watching qualifying because the other teams like Mexico are so chippy. They just do not have the class the Euro teams do. The fans throw crap all over the fields. It is just so sad.
I do not like teams like Mexico for one reason and one reason only - diving it drives me mad. But I had to laugh when I was watching the CONCACAF draw being made it had the instructions on this big video wall and when the instructions were over it did a shot of the crowd and it was just a mass of confused faces, especially Chilavert who was helping make the draw :Lil: any way I think that the US will get through the first part they have the talent.
BTW have you heard of an American player called Clint Mathis ? is he any good because my team Rangers are thinking about signing him
Clint Mathis
DOB:
11/25/76
City of Birth:
Conyers, Georgia
Height:
5'10
Weight:
170
Team:
U.S. Men
Position: Forward
Hometown: Conyers, Georgia
College: University of South Carolina
Club: MetroStars (MLS)
U.S. National TeamProfessionalCollege/High SchoolPersonal
U.S. National Team: One of the most exciting attacking players the U.S. has ever produced … Has the ability to disrupt defenses with his unpredictability and speed off the dribble, as well as his willingness to shoot from distance … An equally adept passer of the ball, Mathis strikes a menacing free kick … Notched two goals and four assists in 2002 qualifying play, one of each serving as game-winners … 2002: Still recovering from knee surgery, Mathis began 2002 with three appearances off the bench in the Gold Cup … Scored the USA’s fourth and final penalty kick in the shootout win against Canada to put the team into the finals … Rejoined the starting line-up on March 2 against Honduras and scored twice in a 4-0 win … Set up the game’s only goal one week later in a 1-0 win against Ecuador … Followed that up with both U.S. goals in a 4-2 loss in Germany and the only U.S. goal in a 1-0 win over Mexico … 2001: Emerged as a unique attacking force for the U.S. side … Recorded two goals and three assists in six matches … His brilliant through ball to a streaking Josh Wolff set up the game-winning goal against Mexico in the opening match of the final round Hexagonal … Garnered Chevrolet Man of the Match honors in three consecutive matches, beginning March 3 against Brazil (where he scored the team’s lone goal in a 2-1 loss) … His most important strike came in the next match, where his wickedly struck dead ball in the 87th minute gave the U.S. a 2-1 away qualifying victory against Honduras in San Pedro Sula … Assisted on Jose Wolff’s lone U.S. goal in a 1-0 victory against Costa Rica on April 25 in K.C. … 2000: Started and played 90 minutes for the National Team in the final two games of the year, contributing two assists and his first international goal ... Took home Chevrolet "Man of the Match" honors after scoring the game-winning goal and setting up another in Barbados ... Assisted on Landon Donovan’s first goal against Mexico at the L.A. Coliseum in October ... 1999: Played in two matches for the U.S. in 1999, both as a substitute ... 1998: Earned his first international cap on Nov. 6, a 0-0 draw against Australia in San Jose, Calif. ... Was the game’s youngest starter (21) for the U.S., and earned game MVP honors for his efforts in the midfield ... 1997: Member of the 1997 World University Games team that finished third at the World University Games in Italy ... Scored two crucial goals for the World University Games team in a 2-2 come from behind draw with the Czech Republic in the first round ... Finished the tournament with four goals and one assist ... 1995: Played with the U.S. Under-20 National Team.
Lodgebo, that is his U.S. bio. I will let Mr.F fill you in on how good or bad he is now.
Aaah-haah Scotland will get through. And they just might be first in their group. I hope USA qualifies, i love the way they play! And Sweden and Bulgaria are Croatia's biggest rivals. Hey we've beaten both of those teams in the last 12 months! OK the draw doesn't hate us.
I am hoping Scotland will get second place because aint nobody going to get more points than Italy. Looking at it Italy ane Norway are the only temas I can see us struggling against.
Craotai should win that group.
What group do you tink is that hardest to qualify from? I think group 2
I'd say groups 4 and 7. Turkey in group 2 has its ups and downs but altogether they're not such a strong team, nor is Denmark. I wouldn't bet on Italy beating Scotland they're not really a constantly great team.
The only reason I picked group 2 is because a lot of the teams are about the same level of ability Turkey, Denmark, Greece and the Ukraine are all pretty close and Albania will be a nightmare away trip for any team.
Group4 is also tough but I can see Spain and Belgium easily making it through group 7.
So we're in Grmany for this one then. heres what I would love to happen but wont. Germany go out without winning a single match, Brazil are shown for the over-rated players they have become and go out in the first round, England do crap and Sven finally goes away forever, Scotland Qualify top of their group and go into at least the final stages of the World Cup, just to shut Charlie Nicholas up about them being a poor team.
"there's only one way to win a war: shout, shout, and shout again!" - The Duke of Wellington ((Blackadder - Stephen Fry))
Ecuador is going to the World Cup for the second time in history, for the second time IN A ROW.... take a bow yellow, blue & red, .... take a bow in deed.
"I'm looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love." - Carrie Bradshaw
"The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort" - Paulo Coehlo
Live your life like it's your last day on earth
Life is not how many breaths you take, but how many moments take your breath away.
12-05-2003 05:24 AM
I am praying for a realtivly easy draw for Scotland
