poptimists | The Pop World Cup: Group F

When the Pop World Cup draw was made, many pundits had it marked as a potential Group Of Death, which was likely to provide some of the most exciting and intriguing matches of the group stage. Will it live up to its billing? You decide, as pop giant Japan tries to fight its way through a group whose managers promise sexy football, silky skills and dazzling team play. I suspect this one will be very close...

You can find all PWC entries here. If you can't download or are having trouble let me know either in the comments box or at freakytrigger@gmail.com.

So are here the four Group E contenders, with exclusive team talks from their managers.

Australia

The Presets - "The Girl And The Sea (Cut Copy Remix)": Enthusiastic manager

catsgomiaow told us "Two of Australia's finest purveyors of laidback electronic pop come together to form a team whose silky and hypnotic style of play will, we hope, confuse and baffle their opponents. As team manager, I'm pleased to say that these lads have entirely eschewed the traditional Aussie indie tactics of crunching guitars and screaming vocals - effective in the past, but rather too predictable to stand out on this varied stage - in favour of something entirely more subtle and slow-burning; the tortoise, we're hoping, to Japan's hare."

Brazil

Cansei De Ser Sexy - "Let's Make Love And Listen Death From Above": Cultured boss

thenipper had this to say, "Just as, according to legend, all future Brazilian futebol stars are discovered playing on the beaches of Rio, easy-on-the-eye São Paolo avant-disco girl group Cansei de ser sexy ("Tired of being sexy") were discovered on the mp3 training grounds of Tramavirtual (http://www.tramavirtual.com.br). Their self-titled debut includes such classics as "Meeting Paris Hilton", "I wanna be your J-Lo" and "Alcohol" - but for the first round we have plumped for this awesome hymn to mad love, which will surely soon relegate the ropey rock duo to a curious footnote in the CSS story. Their pre-match preparations - "Wine, then bed, then more, then again!" - may raise eyebrows in the opposition camps, but we feel confident our girls will go all the way."

Croatia

Grupa 4'33" - "Ave Maria Laudata": Enigmatic gaffer

anatol_merklich let on that "The rumours that we have selected a squad named after a famous John Cage work (and a chorus possibly based on ancient plainchant) to pull in the all-important

sukrat vote are of course entirely unfounded. Rather, we have watched with bafflement other teams coming to the tournament with but a few, albeit renowned, participants, and decided that a full squad of twelve players with close to equal strength might have the depth for challenging the big names of our opponents.

Our style of play is partially inspired by that of the world-conquering, Michael Crétu-led German sides of the 80's and 90's, updated and complemented with a few of our own regional flourishes. They say knowing one's weaknesses is a strength -- we are confident our intricate midfield play will not only impress the casual spectator, but also dazzle our opponents enough to make up for a certain lack of firepower up front."

Japan

M-Flo Loves Crystal K - "Reeeewind!": Talented supremo

cis informed us "hey yo minna-san! 'Reeeewind!' was released in the hazy nostalgic days of 2003, one of a pair of collaborations between the wonderful Crystal Kay and the excellent m-flo. Despite what you might call a slow start, once it drops you'll recognise it as the perfect summer jam, a system-up-top-down smash that should breeze past any opposition with the classic m-flo combination of smooth charm and classy beats. DJ Taku on the decks, Verbal on the mic, and Crystal the new vocal: we like it!"

So how will matches be decided? HERE'S HOW.

You have 20 points to divide between the four teams, based on how much you enjoyed their tracks and on any other criteria you like.

No team can be given less than 1 point, no team can be given more than 10. If you fail to mark a team they will automatically get 5 points.

If that leaves a points total other than 20, or if you simply can't add up to 20, then the FIPA authorities will add or deduct points according to a highly complex system which can be explained in the pub by request.

Your votes should be in the following format:

"Australia - 5. Brazil - 5. Croatia - 5. Japan - 5."

With the "5"s replaced by the points you allot to each team.

You can submit votes in one of two ways. In the poll below, or by email to freakytrigger@gmail.com if you can't vote in LJ polls. Any votes in the comments box will be disqualified. Voting closes at midnight GMT on Monday.

The top two tracks, decided on total points, will go through to the next round. In the event of a tie the votes from the first 10 ballots received will be used to determine positions.

[Poll #677930]

Interim results up tomorrow - good luck one and all!