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GENEVA -- Brazil vs. Italy. Twice a World Cup final, it could be the World Cup opening match in Sao Paulo on June 12. And the second match the next day could be a 2010 final repeat: Spain vs. the Netherlands. Thank the FIFA rankings that decide which teams are seeded if the World Cup receives such a blockbuster kickoff. The often-criticized rankings will surely be criticized on Thursday when they decide the eight top seeds in the World Cup groups being drawn on Dec. 6. The powerful Dutch, runners-up in 2010, and Italians, 2006 champions, should miss out despite going unbeaten through qualifying, according to unofficial calculations provided by FIFAs website. Belgium and Colombia are likely in, despite failing to qualify for the 2010 tournament. They will join Brazil, Spain, Germany, Argentina plus Uruguay, if it beats Jordan in a playoff. Also likely is Switzerland, which will spark questions about how FIFA grades national teams over a four-year results cycle. Indeed, Switzerlands surge up the rankings -- fueled by a 14-match unbeaten run in qualifying and friendlies -- might cast doubt on the value of being seeded. The intention of seeding is rewarding the best by ensuring they avoid the other strongest teams in the group stage. Host Brazil is automatically seeded in Group A. The decision to allocate the other seven seeds by the October rankings alone was agreed on by the FIFA executive committee only this month. That leaves the Netherlands, Italy and England -- all seeded at the 2010 World Cup when FIFA rankings were again decisive -- lurking as potential opponents for Argentina early in the tournament. England coach Roy Hodgson expects "two very, very good teams in every group," with FIFA set to allocate the other places by geographical spread rather than ranking. "Its pretty unnecessary to worry too much about whether we are the first or second out of the hat," Hodgson said on Wednesday. Still, Lionel Messi and Argentina might prefer to face Switzerland instead, after their 3-1 victory in a February 2012 friendly at Bern where the worlds best player scored all three. Switzerlands young team is certainly better since failing even to reach the 2012 European Championship. Euro 2012 was almost the perfect place to score ranking points in a FIFA system which gives greater weight to recent results, competitive matches, beating higher-ranked opponents, and wins against European and South American teams. So Italys slip beneath Switzerland is a little mystifying given its run to the Euro 2012 final, including beating Germany in the semifinals. However, Italy is penalized for drawing its final qualifiers 2-2, in Denmark last Friday and at home to 55th-ranked Armenia on Tuesday. Victory in either would have guaranteed a seeding in Brazil. "Im not disappointed. The goal was qualifying," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "At the European Championship we werent a top seed either and we finished second, so we shouldnt let it bother us. It doesnt worry me." Italy still carries an intimidation factor which the Swiss lack, and also comes with Cristiano Ronaldos Portugal and a Franck Ribery-inspired France. Both could join an illustrious group of unseeded European teams at the World Cup draw in Salvador de Bahia following an eight-team playoffs round next month. Portugal and France both could have fared better under FIFAs old system of seeding teams based on performances at recent World Cups. France being runner-up in 2006, when Portugal got to the semifinals, counts for nothing now. Though Portugal also reached the Euro 2012 semifinals and France was a quarterfinalist, both have dropped below a Swiss team which neither has played in the past four years. France has further gripes about FIFAs seeding by rankings, because it placed second to Spain in the only European qualifying group with five teams rather than six. Coach Didier Deschamps this week called it a "double punishment" that France had two fewer qualifiers to earn ranking points, and will likely be edged by Ukraine for seeding in the European playoffs being drawn on Monday. "From my point of view its not very logical," said Deschamps, whose route to Brazil could be directed through Portugal. The Netherlands, which took the top spot from Spain in the August 2011 rankings, did play Switzerland but drew 0-0 in Amsterdam in November 2011. The Dutch might yet be seeded if Uruguay slips up, but could have edged the Swiss by beating 88th-ranked Estonia in Tallinn last month. They needed a stoppage-time goal to draw 2-2. Switzerland, however, can also suggest one key result which raised its ranking and perhaps justifies its top-seed status. 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Cheap Wholesale Air Max Shoes .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Columbus Blue Jackets managed to greatly improve their standing in the Eastern Conference with a terrific December, but Todd Richards club still has a long way to go to prove itself playoff worthy in 2014-15. The Blue Jackets will shoot for their 11th win in 13 games when they visit the Arizona Coyotes for Saturdays battle at Gila River Arena. Columbus entered December with a 6-15-2 record on the season, but a 10-1-1 record in the final month of the 2014 calendar year has the club in much better shape in the East. Still, the Blue Jackets, who made the postseason for just the second time in club history last spring, are nine points out of a playoff spot. The Blue Jackets capped their stellar month on a five-game homestand, posting a 3-1-1 mark during the stay at Nationwide Arena. Columbus won the final two tests on the homestand, beating Boston and Minnesota by a combined score of 9-3. After slamming the Bruins, 6-2, last Saturday, the Blue Jackets recorded Wednesdays 3-1 decision over the Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 saves to earn the win over Minnesota, improving his record in December to 9-1-1. Bobrovsky also posted a 2.14 goals against average and .937 save percentage last month and was named the NHLs Third Star for December. The Blue Jackets got goals from Kevin Connauton, David Savard and Ryan Johansen in the New Years Eve victory over the Wild. Connauton also added an aassist, and Brandon Dubinsky was credited with two helpers.dddddddddddd Johansens empty-netter was his first goal since Nov. 29. He is still second on the team this season with 10 markers. It was a good pass over, and I just had to hit the net, said Johansen. That was good. Columbus hopes to stay hot on the road, where it will play its next four games. The Blue Jackets have won four in a row as the guest and are 7-7-1 away from the Buckeye State. Arizona is hoping to bounce back tonight after having a season high-tying three-game winning streak come to an abrupt end with Wednesdays 6-0 blowout loss in Dallas. The Stars received goals from six different players, while Devan Dubnyk surrendered all six goals on 31 shots. In the end, we didnt compete hard enough in coverage and gave up too many chances, Arizona head coach Dave Tippett said. Weve got to regroup. The 6-0 rout capped sweep of the three-game season series for Dallas. It had not swept the Coyotes franchise since 1991-92 when the Stars played in Minnesota and the Coyotes played in Winnipeg Arizona is hoping to extend another winning streak tonight, as it aims for a fourth consecutive victory on home ice. The Coyotes are 7-8-3 at Gila River Arena this season. The Blue Jackets have won three straight and six of the last nine meetings in this series overall, but the Coyotes have claimed eight of the past 11 encounters in the desert. ' ' '