2010 FIFA World Cup Final Draw: Part 2 - 'French' connection and the 'Host' factor

In my previous post I talked about the formal procedure that could determine how FIFA would seed the teams before final draw happens on Dec 4. We saw the 8 lucky ones who would be seeded and therefore avoid each other at the group stage. Amongst the unseeded teams, Portugal could be feeling the most aggrieved because the 'French Connection' has cost them an entry to the elite group.

While 'Hand of Henry' has sunk Irish hearts the most it has also meant that Portugal have moved to the second tier of teams. If it was Ireland who had qualified, the points system would have meant a seed for Portugal and Ireland would have taken their place amongst the second rung.

Another aspect about the seeds and how they would impact the final draw is the host country. With none of the top 8 countries hosting, SA have been auto drafted into the elite group to make sure they play the opening fixture as part of Group A. This again means that another top nation has lost on the elite spot. This time Netherlands suffer as they miss out on the top tier and together with Portugal would pose the greatest threat to the top 8 teams.

If both these anomalies were eliminated, we could have had both Portugal and Netherlands in elite group thus making life much easier for the top teams - including England.