"I'm looking for a Mr Capello?"

No World Cup is complete without a media-appointed Group of Death, the sort of quartet that makes you wince just thinking about it.

Here are seven of the most memorable GoDs in World Cup history:

1. ARGENTINA, BRAZIL, ITALY
(Group C, second phase, 1982 World Cup)
Who made it out alive?

Combing through the news wires, here is the immediate reaction from the English press and pundits to being drawn in the same group as the United States:

"We can't argue with that draw and that's as good as we could have expected," said Terry Venables, who enjoyed a two-year spell as England national coach in the mid-1990s.

We take a look at the coaches salaries from World Cup 2010 qualifying teams, thanks to FutebolFinance a portuguese site. Coach Annual Salary Coach Annual Salary 1 Fabio Capello ENG 8,800,000 € 17 Marcelo Bielsa CHI 575.000 € 2 Marcelo Lippi ITA 3,000,000 € 18 Raymond Domenech FRA 560.

"I'm getting the words 'Group of Death'..."

It's time for you to look into your Sepp Blatter-shaped crystal ball and predict which group England will land in tomorrow's World Cup draw in Cape Town. Exciting stuff, eh.

These are the four pots:

POT 1 (Seeds):
Argentina, Brazil, ENGLAND, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Holland

POT 2 (Asia, Oceania and North/Central America):
Australia, New Zealand, Honduras, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Mexico, United States.

As FIFA notes on their website, Draw ignites FIFA World Cup fever, it was an early Xmas present for the US Men's National Team today as the final draw was completed.

While South Africans smiled upon learning that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the outcome of Group D which caused the biggest stir.

The World Cup draw shocked some folks with the US's group. (Getty Images)

As the dust has started to settle the last two weeks, the build up will get ever more intense between now and June when the world's biggest sporting event kicks off in Soccer City, Johannesburg. While much analyzing of all the groups and match-ups will take place to the point where it may drive all of us insane the next few months and much will change between now and then, we can all at least give our first reactions to the draw itself.

With World Cup fever catching the nation after a very favorable draw, I thought this week should be dedicated to 2010 in some way. I thought long and hard (that's what she said....) about what to do, but i settled on picking ten players that are on the fringes of a place on Capello's bench.

A comeback like this can build belief which seems to be in short supply at Goodison Park nowadays. Louis Saha had a great game off the bench and Tim Cahill once again proved a big time goal scorer. Saha almost pulled off goal of the year with a bicycle kick. 21 year old Seamus Coleman a £150,000 summer arrival from Irish side Sligo Rovers had a hand in both goals.

Six of the best from this week's bunch on dangerhere.com.

1. No wonder Arsene Wenger wouldn't shake hands with Mark Hughes after Phil Thompson blew the lid off the carnival of love he's presiding over at Eastlands:

"You see some people who are just having it off and taking it easy and other people are putting in a shift.

Podcast regulars Adrian Clarke and Iain Spragg present a World Cup special, excitedly plotting the thrills and spills we've all got to look forward to next summer.

Can Capello's England go all the way? Will France get their comeuppance? Is this the year when an African side makes it to the final?

Wolfsburg 1-3 Manchester United

It was vintage Michael Owen, a magical hat-trick in which the striker had scored with his had, his left foot and his right foot. Fabio Capello is probably sitting in his living room right now scratching his head, probably telling himself that this never happened.

So, news today was that EPL side Manchester City have fired Mark Hughes and have hired Roberto Mancini as manager. Mancini, who had finally rescinded his Inter contract a few months ago, was free since he was replaced by Jose Mourinho at Inter in 2008. Since then he was still receiving paychecks from Mr.

Rudolph, you loveable reindeer, you. No list of Christmas characters would be complete without a mention of Rudolph and it was slightly tricky picking who would represent him in this list.

None of Santa's other reindeer (all playing monopoly) take a liking to Rudolph because of his rosy nose, but Santa (in his underwear of course) picks him anyways to lead the pack on Christmas eve, and lead the pack he does.

The match between Chelsea and Birmingham today not only acted as a good antidote for the after Christmas blues, but it also drew attention to the fact that Joe Hart is looking good.

In the first half Joe make a string of fantastic saves, denying Lampard and Sturridge from close range.

A dry run for Friday's World Cup draw in Cape Town [Photo: PA]

PHEW. England are one of the eight seeds for the 2010 World Cup, despite only being ranked ninth in the world. Fabio Capello, fix yourself a drink.

The list of eight seeds in full:

South Africa (hosts), Spain, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England, Netherlands

Portugal and France, both ranked above England by FIFA, miss out, despite strong records in recent major tournaments – many people will feel that it's a big plate of karma for the French (and I doubt they'll dare to kick up a fuss given what happened in Paris last month), but C-Ron's Portugal can count themselves a bit unlucky not to be seeded, even if they did make it to South Africa via the play-offs.

It's here! It's here! It's here!
It feels a bit like Christmas morning. The excitement. The mystery. The intrigue.
I don't have much to add, so I'm gonna let the pros to the talking.
ESPN has seven pre-draw notes to read, plus a team-by-team breakdown. SI has a guide to the draw from Luis Bueno and Grant Wahl's travel guide for the World Cup.

Por Miguel Bujalance
La prensa ha publicado los nombres de siete de los jugadores investigados por el Comité de Competición de la RFEF que están presuntamente involucrados en el escándalo de las apuestas ilegales. El portero del Real Zaragoza, Javier López Vallejo, es uno de ellos. Su trayectoria deportiva es una de las más enigmáticas del fútbol nacional.

As FIFA notes on their website, Draw ignites FIFA World Cup fever, it was an early Xmas present for the US Men's National Team today as the final draw was completed.

While South Africans smiled upon learning that the host nation's Opening Match on 11 June would be played against Mexico at Soccer City, it was the outcome of Group D which caused the biggest stir.

And then some...But the big news is the long-awaited draw and we have all the reaction, starting with USMNT boss Bob Bradley and star man Landon Donovan.We go back to ESPN for Harkesy's take.Of course, we also check in on Fab Capello's 3 Lions reaction.Finally, representing the "and then some" guild, MLS Insider takes us behind the scenes at MLS Cup.

With World Cup fever catching the nation after a very favorable draw, I thought this week should be dedicated to 2010 in some way. I thought long and hard (that's what she said....) about what to do, but i settled on picking ten players that are on the fringes of a place on Capello's bench.

England got the draw of dreams on Friday facing off with three weaker sides, and avoiding any Sub-Saharan Africa or South American competition at least at the Group Stage. The Three Lions who under the seeding criteria were close to being knocked off in favor of France, now is an overwhelming favorite to win the group.

International football doesn't normally excite me. But my football initiation was through the 1994 World Cup and this tournament has a special spot in my heart. I am looking forward to South Africa 2010, even at the risk of irritating Arsene

The draw was held last Friday and I believe most of you will have seen that by now.

Michael Owen once again demonstrated class is permanent in his clinical performance away at Wolfsburg. Three well taken goals will have no doubt helped stake his claim for a regular place in the United line-up and will have done his confidence a world of good.

Seeing Owen in that form was like rolling the years back and made me wonder if I'd rather see Defoe or Owen come off the bench in an attempt to save England in the last 20 minutes of a WC quarter final.

At the time of writing 79% of voters in the Guardian's "Should Michael Owen go to South Africa?" poll says Yes. I don't know how many people have voted so far but a mere two comments suggests the topic is hardly catching the public's imagination.
That said, 22% of voters in a similar Telegraph poll want an England recall for Owen, up 10% from last month.

Green Fields of England was written in support of England at the World Cup in 2010. In the lyrics we hoped to capture and celebrate, the pride that an Englishman has for England, its character, and its football team.
This song is for England, not the UK or GB. My late Grandfather did serve in both world wars, and that line is for him.

Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal
Richard Jolly:
Liverpool left to look at what they lost
Richard Williams:
Benítez powerless to halt slide
Chelsea 3 - 3 Everton
Kevin Palmer: Reality Cech for Chelsea
Manchester United 0 - 1 Aston Villa
James Ducker:
Villa quartet give Capello cause for optimism

All the stuff being covered outside the unfriendly confines of the award winning Dirty Tackle...

Edin Dzeko tells a heckling fan who's boss after Bosnia lost to Portugal in the World Cup qualifying playoffs last month. And he does it sideways. [Bild]

Capello says Hargreaves has a chance at World Cup squad.

England manager's dream opponent would be the Azzurri
England manager Fabio Capello hopes to lead the Three Lions to the final of next year's World Cup in South Africa, and there's one team in particular he would love to face: Italy.
The Italian, who took over as manager of the English national team in 2007, admitted he would love nothing more if his home country would be England's opponent in the final in Johannesburg on July 11.

O zagueiro Carragher, do Liverpool, recusou voltar seleção da Inglaterra após uma abordagem do técnico italiano Fábio Capello.
"Eu tinha um encontro marcado com o Franco Baldini, adjunto do comandante do time inglês, mas acabei cancelando a reunião", disse o zagueiro ao jornal inglês The Times.

No England football fixtures for a while, but our next game has just been announced. It is:

England vs Egypt
March 3rd, 2010 at Wembley.

Egypt aren't going to World Cup 2010 as they narrowly missed out after losing the specially arranged playoff to their North African rivals (and our Group C opponents) Algeria.

No England football fixtures for a while, but our next game has just been announced. It is:

England vs Egypt
March 3rd, 2010 at Wembley.

Egypt aren't going to World Cup 2010 as they narrowly missed out after losing the specially arranged playoff to their North African rivals (and our Group C opponents) Algeria.

by Steve Candy
Standing in an ex Kwik Save turned oversized hostelry with my father being two among four hundred revelers swilling from plastic beverage conveyances. One of my top five players of all time had looped in an equalising header, only for the opposing side to take a lead again.

Just where he belongs...European soccer, playing in front of fans who actually know what kind of player he is!David Beckham started training this week with AC Milan after players returned from their Christmas break. He'll give them the extra boost they need to stay on top in the Serie A and advance in the Champions League.