Videos » er under FIFAs old system of seeding team

GENEVA -- Brazil vs. Italy. Twice a World Cup final, it could be the World Cup opening match in Sao Paulo on June 12. And the second match the next day could be a 2010 final repeat: Spain vs. the Netherlands. Thank the FIFA rankings that decide which teams are seeded if the World Cup receives such a blockbuster kickoff. The often-criticized rankings will surely be criticized on Thursday when they decide the eight top seeds in the World Cup groups being drawn on Dec. 6. The powerful Dutch, runners-up in 2010, and Italians, 2006 champions, should miss out despite going unbeaten through qualifying, according to unofficial calculations provided by FIFAs website. Belgium and Colombia are likely in, despite failing to qualify for the 2010 tournament. They will join Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina plus Uruguay, if it beats Jordan in a playoff. Also likely is Switzerland, which will spark questions about how FIFA grades national teams over a four-year results cycle. Indeed, Switzerlands surge up the rankings -- fueled by a 14-match unbeaten run in qualifying and friendlies -- might cast doubt on the value of being seeded. The intention of seeding is rewarding the best by ensuring they avoid the other strongest teams in the group stage. Host Brazil is automatically seeded in Group A. The decision to allocate the other seven seeds by the October rankings alone was agreed on by the FIFA executive committee only this month. That leaves the Netherlands, Italy and England -- all seeded at the 2010 World Cup when FIFA rankings were again decisive -- lurking as potential opponents for Argentina early in the tournament. England coach Roy Hodgson expects "two very, very good teams in every group," with FIFA set to allocate the other places by geographical spread rather than ranking. "Its pretty unnecessary to worry too much about whether we are the first or second out of the hat," Hodgson said on Wednesday. Still, Lionel Messi and Argentina might prefer to face Switzerland instead, after their 3-1 victory in a February 2012 friendly at Bern where the worlds best player scored all three. Switzerlands young team is certainly better since failing even to reach the 2012 European Championship. Euro 2012 was almost the perfect place to score ranking points in a FIFA system which gives greater weight to recent results, competitive matches, beating higher-ranked opponents, and wins against European and South American teams. So Italys slip beneath Switzerland is a little mystifying given its run to the Euro 2012 final, including beating Germany in the semifinals. However, Italy is penalized for drawing its final qualifiers 2-2, in Denmark last Friday and at home to 55th-ranked Armenia on Tuesday. Victory in either would have guaranteed a seeding in Brazil. "Im not disappointed. The goal was qualifying," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "At the European Championship we werent a top seed either and we finished second, so we shouldnt let it bother us. It doesnt worry me." Italy still carries an intimidation factor which the Swiss lack, and also comes with Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal and a Franck Ribery-inspired France. Both could join an illustrious group of unseeded European teams at the World Cup draw in Salvador de Bahia following an eight-team playoffs round next month. Portugal and France both could have fared better under FIFAs old system of seeding teams based on performances at recent World Cups. France being runner-up in 2006, when Portugal got to the semifinals, counts for nothing now. Though Portugal also reached the Euro 2012 semifinals and France was a quarterfinalist, both have dropped below a Swiss team which neither has played in the past four years. France has further gripes about FIFAs seeding by rankings, because it placed second to Spain in the only European qualifying group with five teams rather than six. Coach Didier Deschamps this week called it a "double punishment" that France had two fewer qualifiers to earn ranking points, and will likely be edged by Ukraine for seeding in the European playoffs being drawn on Monday. "From my point of view its not very logical," said Deschamps, whose route to Brazil could be directed through Portugal. The Netherlands, which took the top spot from Spain in the August 2011 rankings, did play Switzerland but drew 0-0 in Amsterdam in November 2011. The Dutch might yet be seeded if Uruguay slips up, but could have edged the Swiss by beating 88th-ranked Estonia in Tallinn last month. They needed a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2. Switzerland, however, can also suggest one key result which raised its ranking and perhaps justifies its top-seed status. In August, when so many teams treat their friendlies lightly, coach Ottmar Hitzfelds team beat Brazil 1-0. Greg Little Youth Jersey . Former two-time Olympic gold medallist Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle tested positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine in both her "A" and "B" samples, the German Olympic Committee said. Christian Miller Panthers Jersey . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panther...-blue-jersey/.D. Martinezs ninth-inning sacrifice fly scored Torii Hunter with the winning run and the Detroit Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 Sunday. Christian McCaffrey Youth Jersey . -- Masahiro Tanaka knows that first appearance in a spring training game for the New York Yankees will be scrutinized. Christian Miller Womens Jersey .Y. -- The Buffalo Bills will head into the regular season short on experience at quarterback after trimming the roster on Friday.CHUNGJU, South Korea -- Canada won silver in the womens quadruple sculls on Saturday at the world rowing championships. Antje Seydlitz-Kurzbach of Smithers, B.C., Carling Zeeman of Cambridge, Ont., Kate Goodfellow of Perth, Ont., and Emily Cameron of Summerside, P.E.I., finished second in six minutes 45.02 seconds. Germany won gold in 6:41.86. "We stuck to our race plan," said Goodfellow. "We knew we had contact with Germany early on, but in the end they were just too quick." Poland took the bronze in 6:46.27. "Winning our heat and going straight through to the final, we realized (we) had a really good shot at a medal," said Cameron. "We had five days off to train and practise, and we just stayed focused and we knew that when push came to shove we could have been first or second." Croatia won the mens quadruple sculls ahead of Germany and Britain. The Canadian crew of Matt Buie of Duntroon, Ont., Kevin Kowalyk of Winnipeg, David Wakulich of St. Catharines, Ont., and Mike Braithwaite of Duncan, B.C., were sixth in the B final to finish 12th overall. The womens four won silver on Friday for Canadas first medal at the competition. In other races Saturday, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray of New Zealand won the mens pair to claim their fifth straight title in the event.dddddddddddd. After a slow start, Bond and Murray moved into the lead at the 500-metre mark and finished comfortably ahead of Olympic silver medallists Germain Chardin and Dorian Mortelette of France. Rogier Blink and Mitchel Steenman of the Netherlands finished third. Helen Glover and Polly Swann of Britain won the womens pair event, finishing ahead of Roxana Cogianu and Nicoleta Albu of Romania. New Zealands Kayla Pratt and Rebecca Scown were third. Kristoffer Brun and Are Strandli of Norway won the mens lightweight double sculls, beating Simon Schuerch and Mario Gyr of Switzerland. Peter and Richard Chambers of Britain finished third. Laura Milani and Elisabetta Sancassani won the womens lightweight double sculls, claiming Italys first womens world title. Kristin Hedstrom and Kathleen Bertko of the United States were second, while Lena Mueller and Anja Noske of Germany finished third. The Netherlands claimed top honours in the mens four, surging ahead of Australia near the finish line. The United States won bronze. ' ' '