World Cup Draw

I'll give you fair warning now; soccer will be blogged here. I'm a soccer nut, and for soccer nuts, 2006 is a very big year. This summer Germany will host the World Cup, and the United States will be there. The draw was today, and the U.S. managed to land itself in a "group of death" consisting of Italy (three-time WC champions), the Czech Republic (presently ranked #2 in the world) and Ghana, a rising African soccer power not to be taken lightly. Thanks to the oddball system FIFA uses to determine the top seeds Mexico-2nd in WC qualifying after the United States-ended up a top seed, in a relatively light group which they should take with no problem. The US on the other hand, will have to defeat either Italy or the Czech Republic and Ghana to advance. It's going to be a long, long season of speculation...