The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is fast approaching. So far, only 10 of the 32 qualifying spots have been filled, and Team USA is one of those 10.
s the final matches – or fixtures, as they are referred to in soccer jargon – are played, the teams that have yet to qualify will be under immense pressure as they strive to reach the most important competition of the world's most popular and most-watched sport.
The qualification system is quite complex and divided into multiple groups within each of the world's continents. For example, there are 53 teams from Europe attempting to qualify for 13 of the 32 available spots in Brazil.
These teams were split into 9 World Groups, and within each Group, every team plays each other. The winner of each Group will gain automatic qualification to the World Cup, and each runner-up will participate in a playoff with the runner-up from another Group to determine the remaining four qualifiers.
Earlier this month, a series of qualifiers were held. Australia, Japan, Iran and the Korea Republic have already filled Asia's four qualifying positions. New Zealand, the winner of the Oceania Group, will participate in a playoff against the fourth-placed team from the North, Central American and Caribbean Groups, from which the top three teams will automatically qualify.
Things get more complicated in Africa and South America, but this process will eventually result in 32 teams qualifying to play in Brazil. Argentina, Italy, the Netherlands, Costa Rica and the United States all qualified on Sept. 10. Brazil will participate in the World Cup, but as the host nation, it didn't have to qualify. The USA qualified after securing a 2-0 win in Columbus, Ohio against arch rivals Mexico, who surprisingly are no yet guaranteed a spot.
In Europe there are nine Groups. Italy has already won Group B, and the Netherlands have secured the top spot in Group D. There are still seven automatic qualification spots up for grabs, and I predict the teams that will clinch those berths are: Belgium (Group A), Germany (Group C), Switzerland (Group E), Russia (Group F), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group G), England (Group H) and Spain (Group I). Some of these Group winners are traditional powers such as Germany, England, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, while others are teams on the rise. The teams I expect to participate in a play off for the final four spots are Croatia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Turkey, Iceland, Portugal, Greece, Montenegro and France.
In Africa, the situation is more complicated, as the winners of the 10 Groups advance to a final round, during which 10 teams play for the five World Cup qualification spots. Predictions are difficult to make at this point, as these final matchups have yet to be determined.
In Asia, four of the qualification slots have been filled, as mentioned previously. Jordan beat Uzbekistan in a penalty kick shootout for the opportunity to play the fifth-placed team from South America in a playoff game to reach Brazil.
In South America, there are nine teams competing for four direct qualification places and a playoff against the fifth-placed team from Asia, Jordan. Argentina has clinched one of the top four places and currently sits in first position in its Group. Columbia, Chile, Uruguay and Ecuador are likely to round out the top five places.
Lastly, the North American region has one more automatic qualification spot and a playoff spot available. Honduras will likely secure third place, leaving Mexico and Panama to fight for the playoff bid. Mexico should pull ahead of Panama and win its eventual playoff, as "El Tri" is too talented to miss out on Brazil.
The next round of World Cup Qualifiers begins in November and will see all of the automatic qualification spots filled, and the playoff matches will occur shortly after. This will enable all 32 teams to have qualified before the final draw occurs on Dec. 6 to determine the paths one of those teams will have to take to be crowned the "world's best."
– By Oliver Rockman
