World Cup Draw Brings Certainty. Now Comes the Hard Part.

However the group stage draw will not be actually a draw only for the group stage: It’s a street map for your entire event, too. If England is to win — because it believes it might probably, this time, with moderately extra logic than that of the stopped clock — the incline grows instantly steeper as soon as the knockout stage begins. Senegal, essentially the most full group Africa has despatched to a event for greater than a decade, could lie in wait within the final 16. Then it may very well be France, the reigning champion, within the quarterfinals. No matter lies past that will not be instantly related.

There’ll, after all, be some groups who’re happy with their fates: France, definitely, ought to have little bother with Denmark and Tunisia and considered one of Peru, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The 2 South American contenders, Brazil and Argentina, will probably be assured, too.

Even the US shouldn’t be too displeased. “We’ve got the youngest squad on the World Cup,” Berhalter stated. “For us, that’s a profit. The fellows are fearless.” England could be snug favorites to win their group, however there isn’t a cause to imagine the US — returning after an eight-year absence — can’t end second.

And there’ll, after all, be groups who’re left to rue their lot. Canada, for instance, gracing this stage for the primary time since 1986, has a gaggle with out a true heavyweight however in some way tougher for it: Croatia and Belgium completed second and third 4 years in the past, whereas Morocco sailed by way of the arduous strategy of African qualifying.

Finally, although, Van Gaal was proper: There isn’t a manner of figuring out, eight months prematurely, who has been fortunate and who has not, of which is the sleek draw and which the tough. After all of the pomp and the circumstance, the video montages and the advertising and marketing spiel dressed up as mission statements, all you may say with any certainty is that it’s going to, when it comes, be colourful.