The Jack of All Sports on 105.7 The FAN Baltimore

Brazil fans will be favorites in South Africa next summer

Drama, euphoria, controversy, and disappointment were all themes that emerged the final day of World Cup qualifying. The field of 32 is now complete and sets the stage for selection Friday (December 4th) when the world will learn the eight groups of four.

Costa Rica was moments away from securing a place in the World Cup until the U.S. scored a last second, injury time goal at RFK stadium last month. The goal was meaningless to the U.S., but pushed Honduras through to the World Cup and forced Costa Rica to play Uraguay (home and away) for one of the final eight spots. Qualifying for the World Cup would have meant everything to the people of Costa Rica. Unfortunately, Costa Rica will not take part in the World Cup as they lost to Uraguay by 2-1 aggregate.

Ireland and France played a dramatic qualifying match that ended in chaos and controversy . The referees failed to call an obvious hand ball (self admitted) on Thierry Henry during the build-up preceding the winning French goal. As a result of this debacle, FIFA officials may finally succumb to the demands of soccer fans and media who have been clamoring for instant replay. Many media members also feel that the game should be replayed altogether. The economic and sociological impact of going/not going to the World Cup cannot be underestimated. The Republic of Ireland will probably miss out on tens of millions of dollars as a result of this outcome.

Egypt and Russia also lost in heartbreaking fashion allowing Algeria and Slovenia to celebrate a World Cup berth.

Fans traveling to South Africa next summer will be unable to watch the artistry of Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Zhlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), and Luka Modric (Croatia), as their respective teams failed to qualify for the World Cup. However, fans will get to see Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Lionel Messi (Argentina), and Franck Ribery (France), whose teams all qualified.

The crown jewel of the world’s most popular sport has come a long way since Uraguay first hosted the World Cup in 1930. Looking back at the initial tournament, the field included only thirteen total participants. I was surprised to learn that the United States not only competed but placed third in the inaugural World Cup. The only European teams to make the trip were Romania, Yugoslavia, and Belgium. By comparison, 201 countries attempted to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

There are only seven countries that have won a World Cup: Brazil (5), Italy (4), Germany (3), Argentina (2), Uraguay (2), England (1), and France (1). Americans who are waiting to become soccer fans only after they see the Red, White, and Blue hoist a World Cup trophy, may never become fans at all.

Europe and South America are the only continents that have produced a World Cup winner. Five other continents are unable to make the same claim.

Only one nation has ever won the tournament playing on a different continent or hemisphere. Brazil accomplished this feat by winning the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, 1970 World Cup in Mexico, and the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

No African team has ever advanced to the semifinals or finals of the World Cup. However, 2010 will be the first time a country on the African continent will host the tournament. The history books may be rewritten next summer as the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, and host South Africa attempt to benefit from the home continent advantage.

The World Cup expanded the field to 32 teams back in 1998.

The best attended World Cup ever occurred on American soil in 1994. The United States is currently one of the frontrunners to host the World Cup in 2018.

The World Cup will take place in South Africa between June 11 and July 11, 2010. The weather may be a major factor in the outcome, since it will be winter in South Africa. The average temperature in some of the host cities will be:

Johannesburg – Average High – 51 degrees with an Average Low of 42 degrees.
Manguang – Average High – 47 degrees with an Average Low of 33 degrees.
Capetown – Average High – 56 degrees with an Average Low of 48 degrees.

Any team representing a country with a tropical climate will be at a major disadvantage.

The current odds to win the 2010 World Cup:
Brazil – 9/2
Spain – 9/2
England – 7/1
Argentina – 9/1
Germany – 12/1
Holland – 14/1
Italy – 14/1
France – 16/1
Portugal – 18/1

First African team – Ivory Coast – 25/1. Considering that only one nation has ever won the tournament on a different continent, don’t you think we should all be laying the house on the Cote D’Ivoire?

The odds of the other African teams: Ghana – 66/1, Cameroon – 100/1, Nigeria – 100/1, and South Africa – 100/1. Why not put a $100 on each? History tells us that the host nation/continent has an excellent chance of producing the eventual winner.

The United States currently has the 11th best odds to win the World Cup at 40/1.

The Jack of All Sports will be hosting a live broadcast at Slainte Pub in Fells Point on Tuesday, December 8th from 6-8 pm. The entire show will be dedicated to discussing the brackets and themes looking ahead to World Cup 2010. We are going to try to get the “who’s who” of the American soccer media to weigh in on their first impressions of the groups. I am also going to try to get current U.S. National team coach Bob Bradley on the show as well.

Grant Wahl, Sports Illustrated writer and author of The Beckham Experiment, will sit in as a special guest co-host. D.C. United star, U.S. National Team midfielder, and Baltimore native Santino Quaranta will also join the live panel at Slainte.

Without seeing the groups and knowing who will have to play who, this is my Final Four prediction:

Brazil, Germany, England, and an African team.

I will be back posting once the World Cup draw is official. Who do you think will make some noise next summer in South Africa?

Woodman – Jack of All Sports futbol correspondent.

Filed under: Soccer Tagged: | african teams, brazil, grant wahl, santino quaranta, Soccer, south africa, world cup 2010