World Cup Pots

So, FIFA announced the 4 "pots" of next year's world cup. The 8 pools will be decided this Friday with one team coming from each “Pot”.

Pot 1 (seeds): South Africa (Group A), Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain
SA, because they are the hosts are in Pot 1. Obviously, they are the weakest in Pot 1. Everyone else looks strong except Italy.

Brazil and Argentina, with their South American flair and also histroy/mathematics favoring them. For the last 40 odd years, the world cups have been won alternately by a South American and a European Nation. (Italy 06, Brazil 02, France 98, Brazil 94, Germany 90, Argentina 86, Italy 82, Brazil 78, Some european nation 74, Brazil 70, ENGLAND!! 66, Brazil 62). So, will it be Argentina or Brazil this time? I dont like Maradona. So no Argentina please.

England is everyone's favorite. Because of all this EPL broadcast. But, now there is a growing sense of feeling that English players among people are over rated. OR are they?

My favorite--Italy looks bad on paper. But they looked worse in 06 and yet won it. And also, they brought back the coach who won them the 06 world cup, Marcello Lippi.


Pot 2: Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Honduras, Mexico, USA, New Zealand
The Socceroos and the USA look the strongest here with Tim Cahill, Mark Schwarzer and Dempsey, Tim Howard, Donnavan etc.
Weakest would be NK and Honduras.

Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
Wouldn't we love to see an African Nation going all they way?
IVory coast with Drogba, Toure Brothers, Aruna Dindane, Salomon Kalou, Eboue look really strong.
Algeria looks the weakest here.

Pot 4: Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland.
France-strongest
Slovakia, Slovenia- Weakest.


There is every chance that we could have a pool with Argentina, USA, Ivory Coast and France in one pool. Or England, Australia, Ghana and Portugal in another.

Countries and players to miss out on WC 2010:
Bulgaria (Berbatov), Sweden (Zlatan), Togo(Adebayor), Russia(Arshavin and GUUS HIDDINK!!), Ireland(Given and Roobbie Keane).


Don’t miss the draw. Its on Friday 8:30 pm India time.

Sachin Tid Bits (1)

Sachin was the first overseas player to be contracted by Yorkshire. Before he was signed in 1992, Yorshire had this policy of not allowing 'outsiders' in their team. There were claims that the Yorks were Racists. But, seeing the plight of Yorshire cricket, Geoffery Boycott, who was in the Yorkshire's cricket council, desperately wanted Sachin in the team. So, it was not easy for Sachin to play in the team, as there were lot of oppositions to his contract-signing at Yorkshire. But, the great man won the hearts of the Yorks. Even though, his performance was not as outstanding (a mere average of 46!!), he was commended by the Yorks for the way he carried himself on and off the field.

For some people, who might blame me for copying or plagiarism (LOL)!!!, I will be on the safe side. I got this info from a book which I was reading the other day,

Sachin: The Story Of The World's Greatest Batsman(Paperback - Nov 2003)
by Gulu Ezekiel (Author)Write a Review

खेल,इन्टरनेट और हम

कुछ बाराह साल का था मैं, जब मैंने पहली बार भगवान् को देखा, वो नीले रंग का मुकुट पहेनता था अपने घुंघराले बालो के ऊपर, और एक भारी लकड़ी की गदा थी उसके पास, और अपने चमत्कार से वोह दुनिया के सबसे महान गेंदबाजों का नाश कर रहा था. उस साल था विश्व कप के उपलक्ष पर उसने दौड़ो की झड़ी लगा दी थी, और शेन वारने नमक गेंदबाज़ को तो उस महान ने नेस्तनाबूद ही कर दिया था.

पर फिर वोह दिन भी आया, जब कलकत्ता की रणभूमि पर ९१/२ के स्कोर पर वोह आउट हुआ, और उसके बाद कलकत्ता की जनता ने उस देवता के अभाव मैं मैदान को भस्म कर दिया, लोग कहते है वोह शिवजी का दुःख था की उस नन्हे भगवान् के आउट होने पर उन्होंने उस दिन कलकत्ता पर आग बरसाई. पर उस रात मैं सो नहीं पाया, और उन आँखों मैं कही कुछ पानी की बूँदें ज़रूर थी.

१९९६ का वोह साल और मायनों मैं भी ऐतिहासिक था, जब इन्टरनेट नामक तकनीक मेरी दुनिया मैं आई. एक घर्र्र घर्र करते संगणक के सामने बैठ कर आप दुनिया मैं कही भी चिट्ठी लिख सकते थे. हॉट मेल , याहू, और मेरे आज के नाम से जुडी एक पोर्टल काफी प्रसिद्ध हुए.

पर मुझे क्या पता था, की कुछ १० सालो बाद, इन्टरनेट के जरिये मैं उन महान खेल के क्षणों को संभाल के रख पाऊंगा, जिनका इतिहास मैं कोई सानी नहीं, और जो मेरे दिल के बेहद करीब रहेंगे. इसी का प्रयास करते हुए हम कुछ मित्रो ने मिल कर "पेन द गेम" की स्थापना की. इसके पहले ही वर्ष मैं इसने indibloggies पुरस्कार समारोह मैं भारत के सबसे बेहतरीन खेल ब्लॉग होने का गौरव प्राप्त किया.

इस वर्ष भी हम इस सम्मान के लिए नामांकित हुए है, कृपया इन संदेशो का पलान करे, और हमें विजयी बनाने मैं मदद करे..

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जय सचिन,
आपके प्रिय ब्लॉग बंधू

Small God of All Things

Readers might find this post biased, hindered by favoritism, but what I would like to believe is that I am pinning down facts accompanied by my perceptions. Yes, I am talking about Sachin Tendulkar, the much talked about, favourites of all (cricket lovers, spectators and all others). Moreso, where I want to draw everyone's attention are the statistics (numbers as called by people in Sales). For starts, a quick one, by the time I started walking properly, the Great Man started playing. Now, I am still nobody and the Master has achieved everything. A total of more than 30,000 runs in International Cricket, 12877 in Tests and 17178 in ODIs. The other day I was looking for definitions of 'infinite' and what I started believing in was that we should have some such concept in Cricket as well. I think Sachin's scores should be marked infinite. Why? First, I don't think its possible to touch this mark because they are way too huge! Secondly, like everyone was excited on him scoring 17000 runs in ODIs and then 30000 runs in International Cricket, what one of my friends rightly pointed out was, with every single run that he scores now, he is creating milestone after another - 30,001, 30,002, 30,003, and so on. Simply because its anyways too huge, so a run more or 10 runs more are taking an already huge number further down.

Moving on to a different track, a part 2 of this post. When I play cricket with friends I feel how good a feeling it would be for players like Yuvraj, Dhoni, Gambhir, Sehwag and others to share the dressing room with Sachin. To be on the crease with Sachin on the other end. And then I was wondering, his son would be so proud that his father is Sachin Tendulkar, all his relatives proud and happy of being related to Sachin, his friends for being friends with Sachin, in fact everyone related to him in one or the other way would be willing to proudly flaunt the fact of being related to Sachin Tendulkar! And this was precisely what I was discussing with another friend (yes, I tend to discuss Sachin 'n' number of times with 'x' number of people and the fact is everyone is willing to participate in the conversation, because as I said, he is a favourite of all!) and my friend said, back in college when any of us would top a course and be very confident of knowing all concepts and the fact that others would definitely come for help, there was a sense of pride, and more than that, an attitude that somewhat had a tint of arrogance, but look at this man, Sachin Tendulkar, the name is in itself so BIG but yet so down to earth, calm, composed! And who can debate this being as one of the key factors behind his success?

In this part 3 of my post what I want to say is what I had in the beginning of this post - You may find it biased, but then there is this another man named Tony Greig and what I feel is, if Sachin's Greatness is to be marked 9.9 on a scale of 10, Tony Greig makes it 10 on 10. His description of events while commentating when the Master is batting, his pitch modulation, flow of excitement in words, it can make even a dead man sit up and watch! Putting one of the many videos of the great combo - Sachin in Full Form and Tony Greig describing it in his own words :) (Take special note of the video at around 7:55, this in desh's words is called 'orgasmic commentary').
Enjoy. Have Fun. Good Bye :)

Fastest Gol

Records are meant to be broken......but will this one ever be?

Nawaf Al Abed, the number 24 from Al Hilal, saw Al Sholah gol keeper (ironically also a number 24) off the line and unleashed a bekhamesque curling ball, which the gol keeper could only watch sail into his net.

This gol, which took only 2 seconds, is claimed to be the fastest gol in profesional futbol.

Well done Nawaf!!

For videos of the link, please visit the following website

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=goal-videoalhilalstrikernawafala&prov=goal&type=lgns