2010 FIFA World Cup Draw Results: U.S., England In Same Group

The general consensus in the early reaction to USA’s Group C draw is that the Americans received a favorable road to advance to the Round of 16. And USA coach Bob Bradley agrees.

Even the British seem nervous, with former England manager Terry Venables admitting that the U.S. could be a “banana skin.”

The complete results from today’s 2010 World Cup draw (via Yahoo! Sports):

The 2010 World Cup draws are finished, and the “Group of Death” is clear: it’s Group G.

Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire and Portugal. If you care about the Fifa World Rankings, Group G features the world’s No. 2, No. 5 and No. 16 teams.

The final draw isn’t complete, but Group C is, and the United States gets the following lineup: England, Algeria, and Slovenia, a group best called “the Group Of Minor Inconvenience.” Overall it is an extremely promising draw for the US and England, and you should have yourself a lunchtime frosty beverage if you like in celebration.

The United States was not drawn into Group A (with host country South Africa), but also avoided the likes of Spain, Italy and Brazil when they were drawn into Group C. The Americans will join England in Group C (the seeded team from Pot 1), meaning on June 12, the World Cup will feature the Revolutionary War, Pt. II.

The announcement ceremony of the World Cup Draw is taking place in the cavernous convention center in Cape Town, and the glossy set and pomp make the whole thing feel not unlike a round of the Eurovision Song Contest. If a Finnish death metal band walked on and began firing away at full blast it would not feel entirely out of place.

So you’re stuck at work and can’t watch the 2010 World Cup draw live? Not to worry, because the Internet is an amazing place, complete with live video streams.

ESPN360 is showing the live coverage from the Worldwide Leader.

The World Cup draw has not been kind to the American’s lately.

In 2002, they drew South Korea, the host, and Portugal. In 2006, in Germany, the U.S. was grouped with the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana. (“I remember a famous coach coming up to me,” then coach Bruce Arena recalled. “He said two words to me: ‘I’m sorry.”’)

There’s an argument to be made that today, Dec. 4, is the biggest sports day of the year (and not just because of the Ohio-Central Michigan game tonight). Today, millions of people will turn their focus toward Cape Town, South Africa, for the 2010 World Cup draw. It’s comparable to college basketball’s Selection Sunday, if it were hit by a gamma ray.

The announcement of the four pots from which the teams are selected came Wednesday, and since then, speculation and wild guesses have been the norm as everyone tries to accurately predict the eight groups for South Africa.