Group Of Death - Based on Fifa World Rankings

Hi folks, I have calculated the group of death based on the sum total of the rankings of each team in the groups. The group with the lowest points equals the toughest group, since it will contain the highest ranked teams.

Group: Teams(ranking) = Total (Group Difficulty Ranking)

GroupA: SouthAfrica(86) Mexico(15) Uruguay(19) France(7) = 127 (7)
GroupB: Argentina(8) SouthKorea(52) Nigeria(22) Greece(12) = 94 (5)
GroupC: England(9) USA(14) Algeria(28) Slovenia(33) = 84 (3)
GroupD: Germany(6) Australia(21) Ghana(37) Serbia(20) = 84 (3)
GroupE: Netherlands(3) Japan(43) Cameroon(11) Denmark(26) = 83 (2)
GroupF: Italy(4) NewZealand(77) Paraguay(30) Slovakia(34) = 145 (8)
GroupG: Brazil(2) NorthKorea(84) IvoryCost(16) Portugal(5) = 107 (6)
GroupH: Spain(1) Honduras(38) Chile(17) Switzerland(18) = 74 (1)

It seems that Group H is the toughest group since it contains the average highest ranked teams.
I find that this is quite misleading as Honduras is one of the weakest teams but has a higher ranking than than say S. Korea(52) or Japan(43), and just below Ghana(37).

Another way to find the Group of Death is to Rank the teams from 1 to 32, based on their Fifa world Ranking, and then calculate the group with the lowest points, which i feel is more accurate.

1-32 Team (Fifa Ranking)

1 Spain(1)
2 Brazil(2)
3 Netherlands(3)
4 Italy(4)
5 Portugal(5)
6 Germany(6)
7 France(7)
8 Argentina(8)
9 England(9)
10 Cameroon(11)
11 Greece(12)
12 USA(14)
13 Mexico(15)
14 IvoryCost(16)
15 Chile(17)
16 Switzerland(18)
17 Uruguay(19)
18 Serbia(20)
19 Australia(21)
20 Nigeria(22)
21 Denmark(26)
22 Algeria(28)
23 Paraguay(30)
24 Slovenia(33)
25 Slovakia(34)
26 Ghana(37)
27 Honduras(38)
28 Japan(43)
29 SouthKorea(52)
30 NewZealand(77)
31 NorthKorea(84)
32 SouthAfrica(86)

Ranking the teams from 1 to 32 based on the above, we can once again find the total group points. The tables have been turned

GroupA: SouthAfrica(32) Mexico(13) Uruguay(17) France(7) = 69 (6)
GroupB: Argentina(8) SouthKorea(29) Nigeria(20) Greece(11) = 68 (5)
GroupC: England(9) USA(12) Algeria(22) Slovenia(24) = 67 (4)
GroupD: Germany(6) Australia(19) Ghana(26) Serbia(18) = 69 (6)
GroupE: Netherlands(3) Japan(28) Cameroon(10) Denmark(21) = 62 (3)
GroupF: Italy(4) NewZealand(30) Paraguay(23) Slovakia(25) = 82 (8)
GroupG: Brazil(2) NorthKorea(31) IvoryCost(14) Portugal(5) = 52 (1)
GroupH: Spain(1) Honduras(27) Chile(15) Switzerland(16) = 59 (2)

Now this is leaning more towards public opinion as Group G of Brazil is the group with the lowest points and therefore the most difficult. Group H containing Spain is the second toughest group.

The surprise here is that Group D of Germany is only the 6th toughest, although it looks the most difficult. The Germans can take a lot of heart from this.

Not so easy for the Dutchies though.

By the way, in case you are thinking who the hell is this guy, this is my first post in this board.

You lost your lurkginity now Hope it was as good for you as it was for me!

ice_on_a_high wrote:Hi folks, I have calculated the group of death based on the sum total of the rankings of each team in the groups. The group with the lowest points equals the toughest group, since it will contain the highest ranked teams.

Group: Teams(ranking) = Total (Group Difficulty Ranking)

GroupA: SouthAfrica(86) Mexico(15) Uruguay(19) France(7) = 127 (7)
GroupB: Argentina( SouthKorea(52) Nigeria(22) Greece(12) = 94 (5)
GroupC: England(9) USA(14) Algeria(28) Slovenia(33) = 84 (3)
GroupD: Germany(6) Australia(21) Ghana(37) Serbia(20) = 84 (3)
GroupE: Netherlands(3) Japan(43) Cameroon(11) Denmark(26) = 83 (2)
GroupF: Italy(4) NewZealand(77) Paraguay(30) Slovakia(34) = 145 (
GroupG: Brazil(2) NorthKorea(84) IvoryCost(16) Portugal(5) = 107 (6)
GroupH: Spain(1) Honduras(38) Chile(17) Switzerland(18) = 74 (1)

It seems that Group H is the toughest group since it contains the average highest ranked teams.
I find that this is quite misleading as Honduras is one of the weakest teams but has a higher ranking than than say S. Korea(52) or Japan(43), and just below Ghana(37).

Another way to find the Group of Death is to Rank the teams from 1 to 32, based on their Fifa world Ranking, and then calculate the group with the lowest points, which i feel is more accurate.

1-32 Team (Fifa Ranking)

1 Spain(1)
2 Brazil(2)
3 Netherlands(3)
4 Italy(4)
5 Portugal(5)
6 Germany(6)
7 France(7)
8 Argentina(
9 England(9)
10 Cameroon(11)
11 Greece(12)
12 USA(14)
13 Mexico(15)
14 IvoryCost(16)
15 Chile(17)
16 Switzerland(18)
17 Uruguay(19)
18 Serbia(20)
19 Australia(21)
20 Nigeria(22)
21 Denmark(26)
22 Algeria(28)
23 Paraguay(30)
24 Slovenia(33)
25 Slovakia(34)
26 Ghana(37)
27 Honduras(38)
28 Japan(43)
29 SouthKorea(52)
30 NewZealand(77)
31 NorthKorea(84)
32 SouthAfrica(86)

Ranking the teams from 1 to 32 based on the above, we can once again find the total group points. The tables have been turned

GroupA: SouthAfrica(32) Mexico(13) Uruguay(17) France(7) = 69 (6)
GroupB: Argentina( SouthKorea(29) Nigeria(20) Greece(11) = 68 (5)
GroupC: England(9) USA(12) Algeria(22) Slovenia(24) = 67 (4)
GroupD: Germany(6) Australia(19) Ghana(26) Serbia(18) = 69 (6)
GroupE: Netherlands(3) Japan(28) Cameroon(10) Denmark(21) = 62 (3)
GroupF: Italy(4) NewZealand(30) Paraguay(23) Slovakia(25) = 82 (
GroupG: Brazil(2) NorthKorea(31) IvoryCost(14) Portugal(5) = 52 (1)
GroupH: Spain(1) Honduras(27) Chile(15) Switzerland(16) = 59 (2)

Now this is leaning more towards public opinion as Group G of Brazil is the group with the lowest points and therefore the most difficult. Group H containing Spain is the second toughest group.

The surprise here is that Group D of Germany is only the 6th toughest, although it looks the most difficult. The Germans can take a lot of heart from this.

Not so easy for the Dutchies though.

By the way, in case you are thinking who the hell is this guy, this is my first post in this board.

Welcome Ice. Thanks for your hard work. Just a little thing, the rankings for the draw were the rankings from November and not December, therefore France were 9th and not 7th for example and were put in the 4th group. I think the second method is better and more accurate.

Fey wrote:You lost your lurkginity now Hope it was as good for you as it was for me!

Hope I don't miss it.. Oh the pressure!!!

Ice. indeed the second method would be a more realistic one.

You did a good job.