Pre-Draw Rankings

Since the draw takes place THIS FRIDAY, I'll update the rankings.

This is to give you an idea of how difficult it will be to get out of the pools once they are drawn. Only a couple teams have rolled out their actual team for the tournament, so I'll say it again, it's tough to judge teams based on exhibition games they play. The top 4 remain at the top, simply because no one else has proven they completely deserve the spot, and the top 4 haven't done enough to lose the spot.

The previous ranking is in brackets.

1(1). Republic of Ireland- Everyone knows how good their team is. They don't need to play exhibition games to prove themselves. They're still the favorite.

2(2). Norway- Though they have lost to Ukraine, they were missing a couple key players. No other team has proven enough to move into the #2 spot yet, so Norway remains.

3(3). England- When this team comes together, they will be very tough to beat. But whether they can play well together remains to be seen. Based on pure talent alone, they hold onto #3.

4(4). Laos-Laos has been together for awhile now, and they practice hard. Once the tournament comes around, their teamwork should be top notch.

5(7). Ukraine- Ukraine has been playing a lot of exhibition games, beating very good teams. They've done enough to warrant moving up a couple spots, but can't yet be put into the top 4.

6(5). Greece- They will have a couple new players that will be able to make an impact once the tournament starts.

7(6). Jamaica- Jamaica's player losses have made this team seem weaker, but never count out a team put together by Kevin Holness.

8(8). Germany- Germany has some very skilled players, and they will be very dangerous. They will make you pay for any mistakes. Eugene Seckler will have this team looking good.

9(9). Portugal- Portugal has played together for quite a while, but they don't have players that can make an impact the way other players can for other teams.

10(10). Scotland- Their team is set and ready to go, but there are still too many holes in the lineup to be considered an elite team.

11(18). Chile- It appears to be true that Chile now has most of the El Salvador players. This gives them some playmakers on a team that still needs to prove themselves. It will be interesting to see if Chile can be a serious contender.

12(11). Canada- This seems to be exactly what Canada wants in terms of ranking. Though they've been practicing together, they haven't played anyone yet. This lack of game experience could hurt them in the tournament.

13(16). Northern Ireland- I know what you're thinking...and NO, it's not because of him. They have played well as a team so far and have proven they can play with good teams.

14(12). Nigeria- Poor showings in exhibition games have led to this drop. Nigeria needs to communicate and play like a team if they want to build on their performance last year. They showed a lot of heart and determination last year, so hopefully they can replicate that.

15(13). Italy- The loss of their best players from last year will hurt them. They are flying low under the radar, so it's tough to say what their team looks like.

16(16). Colombia- Colombia has shown good stuff in their exhibition games, even beating Ukraine. With one or two more good showings with their actual team to prove they aren't a fluke, they will jump quite a few spots, possibly into the top 12.

17(17). Serbia- Serbia is tough to judge this year. They have changed quite a bit and added a couple playmakers, so it's tough to say what kind of team they will roll out.

18(19). Austria- They beat a top team in England, all while England didn't have their entire team out, that's still quite a feat. They move up a spot for now. Like Colombia, if they can prove their victory wasn't a fluke, they will also jump in the rankings.

19(14). Botswana- There hasn't been anything going on with Botswana. Lower ranked teams such as Austria and Serbia have at least organized their team and are playing exhibition games to get themselves ready, but until they show a sign of life, they drop to 19.

20(20). Poland- There has been rumor they've picked up much better players, but they also haven't shown any activity so they stay where they are.

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On another note, the WCP Cup website has taken down the link to this site. In the future, if someone has a problem or complaint, please e-mail me and let me know. We can discuss the situation and come up with a solution. I don't appreciate people going behind my back to complain to the organizers. It shows a lack of respect and class. If there's problem, talk to me first. You have my e-mail.

WCP Cup Draw

The Placement Draw takes place on April 4th at the Italian Club. Should be a fun time. That is all.

BLOG OFF-TOPIC- WCP Cup Cook-Off

Which country has the best food?

There's the heavyweights of the group: Greece, Ukraine, Germany, Laos, and Italy.
There's some contenders like Chile, Jamaica, and Poland. Maybe a couple sleepers in there somewhere? If you're a part of a country with an outstanding food dish, let us know. It's a tough contest, and the winner won't be easy to determine.

WHO YA GOT?