Oranje in World Cup Pot 4

The Netherlands is in pot 4 with eight other European countries for the draw for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Friday, announced the FIFA Tuesday at a news conference.Earlier it was announced that Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Switzerland, and Uruguay, would be the group heads in pot 1. The Dutch team missed that status on October 17, when they had been ranked eighth in the FIFA rankings.

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Despite ranking tenth, Brazil automatically leads a pool as the Cup's host nation.

France was initially expected in pot 2 with Chile, Côte d' Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, and Cameroon, but FIFA placed the country in pot 4 because it wants to avoid playing countries from the same continent together in the group stages.

One country will be drawn from pot 4 to join Chile, Côte d' Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, and Cameroon in pot 2. If the Netherlands moves to pot 2, it will meet Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Uruguay as group heads.

FIFA has a rule that no more than two countries from Europe may be in the same group, because Europe sends thirteen countries and there are only eight pools. Because pot 4 consists only of European countries, the Netherlands (if it moves to pot 2) can not play a European country from pot 1.

Pot 3 consists of the weakest countries, on paper, with the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Japan, Iran, South Korea, and Australia.

To prevent the South American countries from playing against each other in the group stage games, the FIFA introduced pot X, containing Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, and Uruguay. Chile and Ecuador can not end up in that group.

Four years ago, at the World Cup in South Africa, the Netherlands played against Japan, Denmark, and Cameroon. At the time, the team of former coach Bert van Marwijk was a group head.

Pot 1 (group head): Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Uruguay, Switzerland.
Pot 2: Chile, Cote d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria, Cameroon.
Pot 3: United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Australia.
Pot 4: Netherlands, Italy, England, Portugal, Greece, Bosnia, Croatia, Russia, France.

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