2014 World Cup Finals Draw Has Been Made!!

The draw for the World Cup Finals in 2014 has been made. It is as follows.

A - Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

B - Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

C - Colombia, Greece, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan

D - Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

E - Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

F - Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

G - Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States

H - Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea

KEY NOTES - 

The hosts and 5 times world champions, Brazil will play Croatia in the opening game of the World Cup Finals on 12 June in Sao Paulo.

Group B looks very tasty with the world champions, Spain, opening their tournament against the team they beat in the 2010 World Cup Final, the Netherlands.

England will open their tournament against Italy in what looks like one of the toughest groups of the World Cup Finals - Uruguay and Costa Rica are in the same group too.

France have hit the jackpot despite their poor qualifying form, drawn in the same group as Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras - a fairly straightforward group on paper.

Bosnia-Herzegovina will play their first ever World Cup Finals game against Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Germany will open their tournament against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in what is probably the toughest group of the World Cup Finals with Ghana and the United States also in the group - the Germans can look forward to a clash against their former coach, Jurgen Klinsmann in the final game of the group.

Belgium will play their first game of the Finals in 12 years against Algeria. They will take on Russia and South Korea - teams they have played in the past.

The good news appears to be that the so-called "romantic" fixtures, e.g. Spain v Netherlands, England v Italy, Germany v Portugal will be played on the opening weekend, meaning that this World Cup Finals is set to start on a cracking note - often when those games are played last, both sides often play for a draw meaning the spectacle is a shadow of what it could be.

Bring it on!!