“The fortunes of the 32 teams competing in the World Cup will begin to take shape Friday when the draw for the 2010 tournament takes place in Cape Town, six months before the first ball is kicked in South Africa. Eight of the teams will be seeded and drawn into groups of four teams for the first round of play scheduled to begin June 11 in Johannesburg. In the past, earning a seed meant a team would avoid facing another seeded team in the first round of the tournament. But the rules and procedures can change from tournament to tournament.” (NYT)