Attempting to Predict the 32-Team 2010 World Cup Field

“Six games, 18 points. We’re glad we’ve booked our ticket.” — Netherlands team captian/defender Giovanni van Bronckhorst, after Holland became the first European country to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.

A busy weekend of World Cup qualifying netted the first teams to qualify for the 2010 event via continental competitions.

Inspired by said events, Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff will attempt to predict the entire 32-team field for the 2010 World Cup. This will be fun to look back at when the actual, real-life field is set. For the time being, please be kind.

Oh boy, here goes …

 

Host country (automatic qualifier): South Africa

Already qualified: Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea

AFC (4)

Australia, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea—South Korea is the only Asian team to ever advance as far as the World Cup semifinals, doing so in the 2002 World Cup, which was held in Japan/Korea. If North Korea makes it to South Africa, it would be the first time both North and South Korea advanced to the World Cup.

Playoff team: North Korea v. New Zealand

CAF (5, plus 1)

Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Tunisia—total shot in the dark here. Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff feels pretty confident Tunisia will be playing in South Africa next June. Same for the Ivory Coast, which features a number of players people have heard of, including Didier Drogba, a lethal striker who plays for Chelsea FC in the heralded English Premiership.

CONCACAF (3)

Costa Rica, Mexico, United States—While Costa Rica is cruising, perennial powerhouse Mexico—coming off a loss to El Salvador—is struggling something fierce. Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff thinks it’s a bit premature to count out Mexico, which is just two points shy of third place in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings, and hosts Trinidad and Tobago and the U.S. of A. in upcoming matches. The U.S. of A. game will be held at Estadio Azteca, where the U.S. team has never won.

Playoff team: Honduras (plays South America’s fifth-place team)

CONMEBOL (4)

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay—Argentina and Brazil will be among the favorites in South Africa next summer, there is no doubt. And if you do have doubts, you’re silly.

Playoff team: Chile (plays CONCACAF’s fourth-place team)

UEFA (13)

Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland (Republic of), Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain—Of the nine groups in UEFA qualifying, Groups 1 and 3 are the most befuddling. Two teams that one would figure to be in the 32-team World Cup field—Portugal (Group 1) and Czech Republic (Group 3)—sit in third place.

At least one of these two teams should make the eight-team playoff field that follows group play, and that team should make it to South Africa. At the moment, Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff likes Portugal’s chances more than Czech Republic’s, mainly because a certain fella by the name of Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Portugal.

Playoff winners (2)

Honduras, New Zealand—Greatest Pro Bowls of all time, and other stuff would like to see a fourth CONCACAF team make it to South Africa.

OK, so for your convenience, here are the teams in alphabetical order …

Argentina
Australia
Brazil
Cameroon
Costa Rica
Denmark
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Honduras
Ireland (Republic of)
Italy
Ivory Coast
Japan
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Paraguay
Portugal
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Slovakia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Tunisia
United States
Uruguay