Reigning champions Spain will begin their defense of the World Cup with a rematch of the 2010 final against the Netherlands, while England were paired with Italy in Friday’s draw.
Spain, who won their first title in South Africa three years ago, start their Group B campaign against the three-time runners-up in Salvador on June 13.
They will also meet Chile, who they beat in the group stage in 2010, in Rio de Janeiro and Australia in Curitiba.
Photo: EPA
“I said to people this morning we were going to get Holland and we did, in the first game no less,” Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque said. “Holland will demand that we start at our highest level.”
Hosts and five-time champions Brazil were drawn to face Croatia in the opening game, scheduled for Sao Paulo on June 12 — assuming the venue is ready after a fatal accident last week delayed prospective completion until April.
Brazil will then take on Mexico and Cameroon in a Group A that appears unthreatening, if not easy.
“We must pay close attention to the opening phase,” Brazil’s 2002 title-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. “We must play every game as if it were the final right from the outset.”
England, meanwhile, will start off with a Group D meeting against four-time champions Italy in the heat of Amazonian venue Manaus on June 14 — though it is at least an evening kick-off.
That match is a repeat of the Euro quarter-final last year, which Italy won on penalties.
“It’s a tough group, there’s no doubt about that,” said England coach Roy Hodgson, whose team also face Uruguay, a third former champion in their group, and Costa Rica. “In Italy and Uruguay it’s almost as though we have got two number one seeds in our group.”
Italian opposite number Cesare Prandelli said the group looked a tough call.
“It is the Group of Death, a very difficult group. We are worried about the distances we shall have to cover. The game against England will be very important,” Prandelli said.
After the Italians, Hodgson’s side then take on Uruguay in Sao Paulo on June 19 and Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte on June 24.
A notable subplot will see Germany go up against the US, now coached by former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann in Recife on June 26 in their final pool match.
“That’s one of those crazy stories that football writes,” Klinsmann told German broadcaster ARD.
Germany, whose third and last title came in 1990, also drew Ghana and Portugal in Group G.
Klinsmann coached Germany to third at the 2006 World Cup with current German boss Joachim Loew his assistant at the time.
“So, we will be meeting old friends,” Loew said.
Argentina, champions in 1978 and 1986, meet sole newcomers Bosnia in Rio de Janeiro on June 15, and then will face Iran and Nigeria.
“I am pleased with the draw as we didn’t get into a group of death scenario and we also shan’t have to travel huge distances,” Argentina coach Alex Sabella said.
“It’s a good group for us,” Nigeria assistant coach Daniel Amokachi said. “Argentina are the world powers, but you cannot afford to underrate Iran or Bosnia. Overall, it’s a good draw.”
Former England boss Fabio Capello was happy after seeing his Russian side draw seeded Belgium, South Korea and Algeria in Group H.
“I’m pleased with the draw. Some of the other groups consist of much stronger teams,” Capello said, adding that “Belgium is currently one of the strongest European teams.”
France, champions in 1998, but forced to come through the playoffs, will meet Group E seeds Switzerland as well as Ecuador and Honduras in a mixed-bag group.
Japan, meanwhile, saw themselves lumped in with seeded Colombia, Ivory Coast and Greece in Group C.
After a poignant homage to the late Nelson Mandela, the draw began to the exhilarating sound of samba at the northeastern beach resort of Costa do Sauipe.
The draw build-up had been dominated by news of stadium delays and anti-World Cup campaigners threatening public protests.
Yet Mandela’s death changed the tone as participants remembered how he saw in sport a means of fostering social progress.
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
Former world No. 2 Paula Badosa has withdrawn from this week’s Wuhan Open, organizers said on Tuesday, amid a racism row over an online photograph. Tournament organizers said the Spaniard had pulled out of the WTA 1000 tournament, citing a gastrointestinal illness, hours before her first-round match against Australian Ajla Tomljanovic. News outlets including Britain’s the Telegraph earlier reported that Badosa had posted a photo on Instagram in which she appeared to imitate a Chinese face by placing chopsticks on the corners of her eyes. The photo was taken last week in a restaurant in Beijing, where she reached the semi-finals of the
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
RSS