Post by Salem6 on Dec 10, 2005 0:04:52 GMT
England have been drawn against Paraguay, Sweden and Trinidad & Tobago in the 2006 World Cup finals group stage next summer.
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson faces another meeting with fellow countrymen Sweden, who England have not beaten in 37 years, after the draw in Leipzig.
England's opening game will be against Paraguay in Frankfurt on 10 June.
There is a mouth-watering confrontation between two of the favourites, Holland and Argentina, in Group C.
England follow the game with Paraguay with a game against Trinidad and Tobago in Nuremberg on 15 June and then the final group game against Sweden five days later in Cologne.
Eriksson's side were the first to be drawn out after hosts Germany and holders Brazil in the draw.
And the game against Sweden is a repeat of their meeting in the 2002 World Cup in Saitama, Japan, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
England's opponents in the quarter-finals, if they were successful in the group stage, would come from Group A.
Germany are the favourites in Group A and open the tournament against Costa Rica in Munich on 9 June before facing Poland and Ecuador.
Brazil will kick off their defence of the World Cup against Croatia, and will also face Australia and 2002 hosts Japan in Group F.
Boss Eriksson was accompanied by Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick and executive director David Davies as part of the England delegation.
England World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst was also in a star-studded audience, which included Pele, Holland legend Johan Cruyff and former Cameroon striker Roger Milla.
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4511110.stm