FIFA WORLD CUP

[Plainview1981]

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In 13 days will start the soccer world cup where about 200 national teams started the road for it, and the USA team is one of the 32 national teams in the final round.

Soccer is the first sport world wide followed by basketball when the most of the nations of the globe are competing to achieve glory, and it seems that any of you cares about it.

It is really funny when i see the Baseball and they play the "WORLD SERIES" with teams only from USA, and then there are problems to play against other nations 'cause problems of visa.

Now USA are competing with the top players of the world in soccer and it seems that you are not interested.

For those who doesn't know, USA participated in the first world cup in 1930.

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I think Soccer is boring and I don't find the players interesting.

[Plainview1981]

I can't root for the USA team cause I try to pretend I don't even live here. So that kills alot of interest in the world cup for me.

[Lascar78]

France got robbed yesterday. Should have won 2-1 but somehow they didn't see the ball go in once. What a load of crap. Here's hoping we can still pull it out even without Zidane in game 3.

[drzachary]

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France got robbed yesterday. Should have won 2-1 but somehow they didn't see the ball go in once. What a load of crap. Here's hoping we can still pull it out even without Zidane in game 3.

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I thought the referreeing was bad in basketball, but in soccer they seem to actually take over the game.

[Lascar78]

Well in sports like soccer and hockey, one single mistake can be the whole game. That's why I laugh when people act like basketball is the only sport where referees screw up and that it's proof of a conspiracy.

As long as there are human refs, they will screw up. Having said that, I'm generally against replays because I think ref screw ups are a natural part of the game, and they add to the legends, rivalries and such.

[drzachary]

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Well in sports like soccer and hockey, one single mistake can be the whole game. That's why I laugh when people act like basketball is the only sport where referees screw up and that it's proof of a conspiracy.

As long as there are human refs, they will screw up. Having said that, I'm generally against replays because I think ref screw ups are a natural part of the game, and they add to the legends, rivalries and such.

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Especially if you're a crooked ref banned from the last World Cup due to 'irregularities.'

[cyman3]

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France got robbed yesterday.

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i was rooting for my home team but i have to admit... France was the better team for the first 80 minutes of the game. It seemed like we were scared/intimidated. but last 10 minutes or so, we played with more energy. we got lucky w/ that one ugly goal- that was nothing but pure hustle/luck. i was glad to come out of that game TIED 1-1.

you have to admit tho, France had multiple chances to score. they just couldnt convert and our goalkeeper played well.

2 tough TIES for france.

korea seems to be in good position. i didnt analyze it but it seems like a tie in the next game/win against next game (switz)/togo win and we advance.

[Lascar78]

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i was rooting for my home team but i have to admit... France was the better team for the first 80 minutes of the game. It seemed like we were scared/intimidated. but last 10 minutes or so, we played with more energy. we got lucky w/ that one ugly goal- that was nothing but pure hustle/luck. i was glad to come out of that game TIED 1-1.

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Yeah it was weird. We were dominating, and then for 5 minutes all of the sudden we stop attacking and give you guys chance after chance and sure enough you get one.

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you have to admit tho, France had multiple chances to score. they just couldnt convert and our goalkeeper played well.

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Actually they DID convert one, but the damn ref didn't give it!!!

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korea seems to be in good position. i didnt analyze it but it seems like a tie in the next game/win against next game (switz)/togo win and we advance.

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Yeah I did all that stuff this morning, took me like 20 minutes to figure this all out. If you guys tie or win, you're through. The only way you're out is if you lose and we win.

For France, we need to win. If we win, and you guys do not tie, we advance with whoever wins your game. But if you tie and we win, then it gets weird for us.

-if you guys (SK-SWI) tie 0-0, we advance

-if you guys tie 2-2, we're out

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 3 or more, we advance

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 1, we're out (this scares me)

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win 2-0, there's a playoff between us and switzerland

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 2 and score more than 2 goals (3-1, 4-2...) we advance

[BigDirty]

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For France, we need to win. If we win, and you guys do not tie, we advance with whoever wins your game. But if you tie and we win, then it gets weird for us.

-if you guys (SK-SWI) tie 0-0, we advance

-if you guys tie 2-2, we're out

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 3 or more, we advance

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 1, we're out (this scares me)

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win 2-0, there's a playoff between us and switzerland

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 2 and score more than 2 goals (3-1, 4-2...) we advance

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I believe that's wrong.

- if SK & SWI tie and FRA wins by a 2+ margin => FRA & SWI

- if SK & SWI tie 0-0 and FRA wins 1-0 => SWI & SK

- if SK & SWI tie 0-0 and FRA wins 2-1 => SWI & the winner of a drawing by the OK of the World Cup

- if SK & SWI tie 0-0 and FRA wins 3-2 => SWI & FRA

- if SK & SWI tie 1-1 and FRA wins 1-0 => SWI & SK

- if SK & SWI tie 1-1 and FRA wins 2-1 => SWI & SK

- if SK & SWI tie 1-1 and FRA wins 3-2 => SWI & winner of drawing

- if SK & SWI tie 1-1 and FRA wins 4-3 => SWI & FRA

- if SK & SWI tie 2-2, FRA has to score 4-3 to even get in the drawing

I'm pretty sure that's right.

[cyman3]

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For France, we need to win. If we win, and you guys do not tie, we advance with whoever wins your game. But if you tie and we win, then it gets weird for us.

-if you guys (SK-SWI) tie 0-0, we advance

-if you guys tie 2-2, we're out

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 3 or more, we advance

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 1, we're out (this scares me)

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win 2-0, there's a playoff between us and switzerland

-if you guys tie 1-1 and we win by 2 and score more than 2 goals (3-1, 4-2...) we advance

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yeh, it gets confusing. theres so many scenarios. lol.

might as well just cheer for ur team and hope for the best.

once half the teams advance, it gets REAL interesting.

[Lascar78]

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- if SK & SWI tie 0-0 and FRA wins 1-0 => SWI & SK

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I'll take this scenario as an example since we disagree on it.

I'm going by the rules in

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/fifaworldcup.yahoo...fwc_2006_en.pdf

On pages 11/12, it lists the criteria as:

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(a) greater number of points obtained in all the group matches;

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above criterion, their ranking shall be determined as follows:

(b) greater number of points obtained in the

group matches between the teams concerned

;

© goal difference resulting from the

group matches between the teams concerned

;

(d) greater number of goals scored in the group matches

between the teams concerned

;

(e) goal difference in

all the group matches

;

(f) greater number of goals scored in

all the group matches

;

(g) a play-off on neutral ground.

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So the way I saw it:

(a) FRA, SK, SWI all have 5 pts with 1 win and 2 ties

(b) Games between teams concerned:

FRA 0-0 SWI

FRA 1-1 SK

SK 0-0 SWI

All teams got 2 points in those matches

© Goal difference is zero for all 3 teams in games between teams concerned

(d) FRA, SK scored 1 goal each, SWI scored 0, so FRA and SK advance

Am I missing something here? Can you show me how you got that SWI&SK advance? Is it because you thought OVERALL goal difference and goals scored came before the goal difference and goals scored JUST BETWEEN THOSE TEAMS?

I'm really curious because I read a french article earlier that disagreed with me, but I'm pretty sure I have it right.

[AHF]

Lascar - I think you aren't parsing the wording of the exception correctly.

I think "© goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned;" is a little unclear but is understood to mean the goal difference from ALL the group matches between the teams concerned.

I can see your reading of it, but the "between the teams concerned" clause just means that you compare the teams concerned (since there could be 2 or 3 of them you can't use a lot of clearer language that would apply to a mono a mono situation).

My understanding it that it is goal difference for all the games - not just the games the two teams played head to head or the three teams played against eachother.

[BigDirty]

I'm using the rules from the german FIFA site and there it says:

1. number of points

2. goal difference

3. number of goals scored

and if all these 3 things are equal among the teams then it goes to things like goals against each other and so on.

And I never heard of a playoff game on neutral ground during a tournament, that sounds kinda silly, they don't have any time for things like that.

I think I figured it out, the rules you used are the rules for the World Cup qualification only, then the playoff game makes sense, but for the World Cup itself it uses different rules.

What does puzzle me is that in the pdf you gave, it says on page 32

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(a) greater number of points obtained in all the group matches;

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above criterion,

their ranking shall be determined as follows:

(b) greater number of points obtained in the group matches

between the teams concerned;

© goal difference resulting from the group matches between the

teams concerned;

(d) greater number of goals scored in the group matches between

the teams concerned;

(e) goal difference in all the group matches;

(f) greater number of goals scored in all the group matches;

(g) drawing lots by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World

CupTM.

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But on the this document from the official FIFA site (http://www.fifa.com/documents/static/regul...ulations_EN.pdf) & the World Cup site (http://eur.i1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/i/eu/fifa/regen.pdf), it says for World Cup 06 on page 40

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The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as

follows:

a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;

b) goal difference in all group matches;

c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,

their rankings will be determined as follows:

d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between

the teams concerned;

e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the

teams concerned;

f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the

teams concerned;

g) drawing of lots by the Organising Committee for the FIFA World

Cup™.

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That's strange, why do they have two different rule sets out there for the same competition? Well guess we both could be right.

[Lascar78]

I don't think so because in the case that it is what you are saying, what would be the difference between © and (e) for instance??

© goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned ;

(e) goal difference in all the group matches ;

I think it has to be the way I interpreted it.

[Lascar78]

Haha, ok, now we're onto something. So the question is which one applies??

It still doesn't make sense, but I think that the one that you posted definitely is for THIS world cup whereas the one I posted is in general for a world cup??? I know it doesn't make sense but I'm going to guess that the one that you posted is the right one, so thanks!

edit: I think you're right about it being for qualification I suppose. And there is no time for a playoff. MAN that would be hard to lose on a drawing. Us Hawks fans don't do well with drawings...

[mdawg]

Spain looks good, like they may actually live up to their potential. Is France the new Spain? They should be dominating these teams. And I agree, the officiating has been horrible. They've made the EPL refs look good, and the Italians look honest.

[Lascar78]

this third game is going to be huge for us for a number of reasons. With the suspensions (zidane), we're going to have to go younger, and possibly put a second striker in (trezeguet). If we do that and we dominate, it will be REALLY interesting to see who we line up for the next game. Of course we'll probably blow it and end up losing 1-0 to Togo. It's like winning the cup cursed us

[mdawg]

Why hasn't Trezeguet been playing more? Is he in the dog house with the coach? I know Henry is great, but he hasn't gotten it done, and France has to get out of this group. In the 1st game, Saha was put in ahead of Trez. Saha is good, but come on.

[Lascar78]

I don't really know, the coach has been really weird and pretty much has all of france pissed at him. He wants just one true striker in there. Trezeguet has been publically complaining, saying that they should be more like Brazil and not afraid to play a bunch of strikers. I agree.

That's why it's interesting with our two suspensions. I'm curious to see who he'll start.

[Plainview1981]

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You'll never walk alone.

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Sami Hyypiä - one of the best defenders in the world ( and finnish )

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dang. The USa team only scored one goal. What a crappy team they have. They'd been better off to not even show up.