by Matt Groom
FIFA RANKINGS
1. Spain 2. Germany 3. Argentina 4. Croatia 5. Portugal 6. Columbia 7. England 8. Italy 9. Netherlands 10. Ecuador 11. Russia 12. Cote D'Ivoire 13. Greece 14. Switzerland 15. Belgium 16. MEXICO 17. Uruguay 18. France 19. Brazil 20. Denmark 21. Bosnia-Herzegovina 22. Ghana 23. Chile 24. Sweden 25. Czech Republic. (Note: USA is 29. Top Asian team, Japan, is 30. Top OFC team, New Zealand is 87).
IF I WAS KING OF SPORTS
Many people do not know that the World Hockey Championships are held every year. Even fewer people know that there are several divisions of the championship, so that both powers like: Canada, the United States, Sweden and those not known in the hockey world: Mexico, Israel, and Mongolia can all play in some form of the tournament. I would like to see soccer do something similar. Internally, I orignially wanted to see the top 64 teams in the world play a single-elimination tournament (a loser's bracket could also be played if teams want to be guaranteed at least 3 games). I would like to add to that and have lower-division tournaments of 16 teams each until every nation has been selected. Like the hockey tournaments, the lower-divisions would play first. (For those who care, all the lower-division hockey tournaments have been played. The main one is going on right now). Unlike hockey, this would not be played every year. I'd have it played on even years. During World Cup years, I would have just the tournament of the 64 best teams who did not qualify for the World Cup (the exception is that each confederation would be guaranteed at least one team, with the OFC guaranteed two, because I think it's crap that they are not guaranteed one team in the World Cup). On non-World Cup years, the June rankings would be used to determine the teams. The main tournament would begin in November in order not to conflict with the World Club Cup. The tournaments are on the bottom of the blog.
GOOD SONGS NEVER TO BE RELEASED
- This month's song is "Hold Me For A While" by Rednex. Rednex liked to take old American folk songs and make a pop version of them. I found it ironic considering they were from Sweden. One song became a big hit, which was "Cotton Eye Joe". In the United States, that was their only hit. However, "Hold Me For A While" was a big hit in Europe, particularly in Germany where it reached #1. If the song was released anywhere in the U.S., it didn't chart. This song is the exception to their style of music. The lead singer in "Hold Me For A While" was Mia Lofgren (not the normal lead singer).
Song: "Hold Me For A While"
Artist: Rednex
CD: Farm Out (2000)
To listen to "Hold Me For A While"
R.I.P (In alphabetical order)
-Jack Butler (former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback) (November 12, 1927-May 11, 2013) age 85
- Rick Camp (former Atlanta Braves pitcher) (June 10, 1953-April 25, 2013) age 59
- Jeanne Cooper (actress-played on "Young and the Restless") (October 25, 1928-May 8, 2013) age 84
- Jeff Hannenman (guitarist/vocals for the metal band, Slayer) (January 31, 1964-May 2, 2013) age 49
- George Jones (country singer) (September 12, 1931-April 26, 2013) age 81
- Chris Kelly (member of the rap duo, Kriss Kross) (June 11, 1978-May 1, 2013) age 34
- Ray Manzarek (founding member of The Doors) (February 12, 1939-May 20, 2013) age 74
- Stephen Martin, Sr. (First black athlete in SEC, CF for Tulane) (?-May 14, 2013) age 66
- Chuck Muncie (former NFL player) (March 17, 1953-May 14, 2013) age 60
MOCK TOURNAMENTS
Mock Soccer Touranment
Main (final 4 and final at Madrid, Spain) (Would take place in November)
Group 1 (@ Madrid, Spain)
(16) Central African Republic vs. (1) Spain
(9) Hungary vs. (8) Peru
(12) Albania vs. (5) Uruguay
(13) Wales vs. (4) Belgium
(11) Tunisia vs. (6) Sweden
(14) Iran vs. (3) Netherlands
(10) Serbia vs. (7) Czech Republic
(15) Bolivia vs. (2) Italy
Group 2 (@ Berlin, Germany)
(16) Poland vs. (1) Germany
(9) Romania vs. (8) Nigeria
(12) COSTA RICA vs. (5) France
(13) Burkina Faso vs. (4) Switzerland
(11) South Korea vs. (6) Chile
(14) Slovenia vs. (3) Ecuador
(10) Ireland vs. (7) Mail
(15) Israel vs. (2) England
Group 3 (@ Buenos Aires, Argentina)
(16) South Africa vs. (1) Argentina
(9) Algeria vs. (8) Norway
(12) Australia vs. (5) Brazil
(13) Bulgaria vs. (4) MEXICO
(11) Paraguay vs. (6) Ghana
(14) Slovakia vs. (3) Russia
(10) PANAMA vs. (7) Montenegro
(15) Equatorial Guinea vs. (2) Columbia
Group 4 (@ Zagreb, Croatia)
(16) HAITI vs. (1) Croatia
(9) Venezuela vs. (8) Japan
(12) Zambia vs. (5) Denmark
(13) HONDURAS vs. (4) Greece
(11) Turkey vs. (6) Bosnia-Herzegovina
(14) JAMAICA vs. (3) Cote D'Ivoire
(10) Ukraine vs. (7) UNITED STATES
(15) Cameroon vs. (2) Portugal
Semi-Final (@ Madrid, Spain)
Group 4 winner vs. Group 1 winner
Group 3 winner vs. Group 2 winner
Final (@ Madrid, Spain)
Two semi-final winners
Division II (@ Tashkent, Uzbekistan) (Would take place the last 2 weeks in October)
Play-in game (Wednesday in week 2 of October)
(17) TRINIDAD & TOBAGO @ (16) Gabon
1st round
TRI/GAB vs. (1) Libya
(9) Iceland vs. (8) Togo
(12) Jordan vs. (5) Belarus
(13) Congo vs. (4) Egypt
(11) Cape Verde vs. (6) Guinea
(14) Scotland vs. (3) SIerra Leone
(10) Morocco vs. (7) Austria
(15) CANADA vs. (2) Uzbekistan
Note: Becuase of the unrest in Libya, this tournament would move to Uzbekistan.
Division III (@ Helsinki, Finland) (Would take place the first 2 weeks in October)
(16) Iraq vs. (1) Finland
(9) Armenia vs. (8) United Arab Emirates
(12) Estonia vs. (5) CUBA
(13) Angola vs. (4) Congo DR
(11) Uganda vs. (6) New Zealand
(14) GUATEMALA vs. (3) EL SALVADOR
(10) Georgiavs.(7) Senegal
(15) DOMINICAN REPUBLIC vs. (2) Macedonia
DIvision IV (@ Beijing, China) (Would take place first 2 weeks of October)
(16) Kuwait vs. (1) China
(9) Mozambique vs. (8) New Caledonia
(12) Malawi vs. (5) Qatar
(13) Latvia vs. (4) Zimbabwe
(11) Saudi Arabia vs. (6) Oman
(14) Lithuania vs. (3) Niger
(10) Ethiopia vs. (7) Liberia
(15) Tajikistan vs. (2) Benin
Division V (@ Paramaribo, Suriname) (Would take place the last 2 weeks of September)
(16) Lebanon vs. (1) Suriname
(9) Kenya vs. (8) ST. VINCENT AND THE GREANDINES
(12) Botswana vs. (5) ANTIGUA & BARBUBA
(13) Namibia vs. (4) Bahrain
(11) Burundi vs. (6) Northern Ireland
(14) PUERTO RICO vs. (3) Tanzania
(10) Cyprus vs. (7) Azerbaijan
(15) Guyana vs. (2) North Korea
Division VI (@ Belmopan, Belize) (Would take place the last two weeks of September)
(16) BARBADOS vs. (1) BELIZE
(9) Moldova vs. (8) Syria
(12) GRENADA vs. (5) Tahiti
(13) Kyrgyzstan vs. (4) Sudan
(11) Thailand vs. (6) Rwanda
(14) Phillippines vs. (3) Vietnam
(10) Afghanistan vs. (7) ST. KITTS & NEVIS
(15) Kazakhstan vs. (2) Turkmenistan
Division VII (@ Banjul, Gambia) (Would take place the first 2 weeks of September)
(16) Faroe Islands vs. (1) Gambia
(9) Bangladesh vs. (8) ARUBA
(12) Malta vs. (5) Hong Kong
(13) Maldives vs. (4) India
(11) Lesotho vs. (6) Palestine
(14) NICARAGUA vs. (3) Luxembourg
(10) Myanmar vs. (7) ST. LUCIA
(15) Sao Tome & Principe vs. (2) Liechtenstein
Division VII (@ Honiara, Solomon Islands) (Would take place the first 2 weeks of September)
(16) Fiji vs. (1) Solomon Islands
(9) Indonesia vs. (8) Pakistan
(12) Vanuatu vs. (5) Chad
(13) Yemen vs. (4) Singapore
(11) Sri Lanka vs. (6) DOMINICA
(14) Mauritania vs. (3) BERMUDA
(10) Nepal vs. (7) Laos
(15) Taiwan vs. (2) Malaysia
Division IX (@ Apia, Samoa) (Would take place the last 2 weeks of August)
(16) U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS vs. (1) Samoa
(9) Brunei vs. (8) Swaziland
(12) Cambodia vs. (5) MONTSERRAT
(13) Mauritius vs. (4) Guinea-Bissau
(11) Madagascar vs. (6) CURACAO
(14) Tonga vs. (3) BAHAMAS
(10) Timor-Leste vs. (7) Guam
(15) Comoros vs. (2) Mongolia
Division X (@ Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea) (Would take place last 2 weeks of August)
(16) Turks and Caicos Islands vs. (1) Papua New Guinea
(9) Macau vs. (8) Cook Islands
(12) Andorra vs. (5) Eritrea
(13) ANGUILLA vs. (4) American Samoa
(11) Djibouti vs. (6) Seychelles
(14) Bhutan vs. (3) CAYMAN ISLANDS
(10) Somalia vs. (7) South Sudan
(15) San Marino vs. (2) BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
