FIFA World Cup 2014

[Smokeeye123]

Soooooo what is the point of Germany and the US even playing? They can just kick it back and forth 90 minutes and both move on...In the grand scheme of things Germany would probably want the US to move on as theyre an easier out than a healthy Portugal or Ghana.

[rondoallaturca]

A U.S. win over Germany would guarantee that the Americans move forward in the tournament.

A U.S. tie with Germany would mean that both Germany and the U.S. would have 5 points, and both teams would advance.

If the U.S. loses to Germany, then it would all depend on what happened in the Ghana-Portugal game, and the Americans would have to rely on goal difference. As of right now, the U.S. have a +1 goal difference, two better than Ghana?s -1 and five better than Portugal?s -4.

If the U.S. loses to Germany, they will be hoping that Portugal beats Ghana by a small margin, with the Americans not giving up too many goals to Germany.

If, by some chance, the U.S. loses to Germany and is tied with Ghana or Portugal in goal difference, the next tiebreaker is total goals scored. The U.S. scored 4 goals in the first two games. Ghana has scored 3; Portugal has scored 2.

If a winner somehow still isn?t found after that, it comes down to head-to-head. After that, goals scored in the head-to-head. After that, a FIFA lottery. Let?s hope it doesn?t get to that.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/usmnt-tie-moving-forward

[Casperian]

If I'm not mistaken it's even better than that. 

If we lose to Germany, and Ghana wins by 2 goals, we're done right?

Correct. Since Portugal also has a miniscule chance of advancing, it will be a hard fought battle between them and Ghana, though.

Btw, a german reporter (jokingly) asked Jermaine Jones after the game how he would feel about a potential draw with Germany, and JJ couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. 

[Moranis]

If I'm not mistaken it's even better than that. 

If we lose to Germany, and Ghana wins by 2 goals, we're done right?

Correct. Since Portugal also has a miniscule chance of advancing, it will be a hard fought battle between them and Ghana, though.

Btw, a german reporter (jokingly) asked Jermaine Jones after the game how he would feel about a potential draw with Germany, and JJ couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. 

Of course a draw with Germany would be good especially for a half German like Jones.

[Kane3387]

Ties are trash. There's a reason this sport is an afterthought in this nation and that's it. The end.

Will take the first round of these playoffs in the NBA with all the OTs ANY DAY over this.

Take this somewhere else. You came into a World Cup thread to hate on soccer. What's the point of that?

I actually like soccer. I was definitely venting a bit after watching us blow the win. I wasn't hating on soccer either as much as the fact games can end in ties. I do honestly believe that if they would consistently do sudden death ot/penalty kicks it be way better and soccer would be much more popular here in the US.

[D.o.s.]

Ties are trash. There's a reason this sport is an afterthought in this nation and that's it. The end.

Will take the first round of these playoffs in the NBA with all the OTs ANY DAY over this.

Take this somewhere else. You came into a World Cup thread to hate on soccer. What's the point of that?

I actually like soccer. I was definitely venting a bit after watching us blow the win. I wasn't hating on soccer either as much as the fact games can end in ties. I do honestly believe that if they would consistently do sudden death ot/penalty kicks it be way better and soccer would be much more popular here in the US.

Because fans wouldn't have to deal with anything beyond simple mathematics?

[Moranis]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie or cap NBA OT to two.

[Donoghus]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie.

The NFL has a 15 minutes overtime after regulation not just a couple of minutes or so of stoppage time following regulation with no overtime.   Make ties a lot less common in the NFL.

[Moranis]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie.

The NFL has a 15 minutes overtime after regulation not just a couple of minutes or so of stoppage time following regulation with no overtime.   Make ties a lot less common in the NFL.

well sure, but you can still tie and they happen every couple of seasons.

[D.o.s.]

And, also, if you're willing to put in the cursory amount of legwork you can see how ties affect a team's standings in a situation like the World Cup.

[Moranis]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie.

The NFL has a 15 minutes overtime after regulation not just a couple of minutes or so of stoppage time following regulation with no overtime.   Make ties a lot less common in the NFL.

stoppage time isn't overtime.  It is part of the 45 minutes of the half.

the next round has actual overtime and then penalty kicks if still no winner.  You know when someone has to win.

I just really don't get what the problem with ties is.  I would much prefer a tie than the craptastic system that college football uses where it isn't real football.

[ederson]

Ties are not a problem..  But fixing it is. Although I understand the motive, although it is perfectly legal to not attack I find it a bit annoying.

A few years ago there was a similar group of Death with Italy Denmark and sweeden fighting for 2spots. At the last game a score 2 2 between the Scandinavians allowed them both to qualify in the expense of Italy. That is not fair play

[Donoghus]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie.

The NFL has a 15 minutes overtime after regulation not just a couple of minutes or so of stoppage time following regulation with no overtime.   Make ties a lot less common in the NFL.

stoppage time isn't overtime.  It is part of the 45 minutes of the half.

the next round has actual overtime and then penalty kicks if still no winner.  You know when someone has to win.

I just really don't get what the problem with ties is.  I would much prefer a tie than the craptastic system that college football uses where it isn't real football.

I understand the difference between stoppage time & overtime. 

In an NFL regular season game, you're getting an overtime.  In world cup group play, you're not even getting that.  If you're tied after an overtime period, I'm fine with that.  The fact they don't even get an overtime is the part that slightly irks me but, then again, its a world sport so to each, their own.

[kozlodoev]

Ties are trash. There's a reason this sport is an afterthought in this nation and that's it. The end.

Will take the first round of these playoffs in the NBA with all the OTs ANY DAY over this.

Take this somewhere else. You came into a World Cup thread to hate on soccer. What's the point of that?

I actually like soccer. I was definitely venting a bit after watching us blow the win. I wasn't hating on soccer either as much as the fact games can end in ties. I do honestly believe that if they would consistently do sudden death ot/penalty kicks it be way better and soccer would be much more popular here in the US.

There is no particular need to do overtime in every game, and they do so just fine when needed. The problem with soccer in the US (other than the fact that the national formation is still pretty average) is that even 20 years after the USA'94, the average fan has absolutely zero perspective about the game. Which, I guess, is fine -- to use a baseball analogy, it's easy to figure out whether a .260 batting average is good or bad, harder to have a concept about whats a "pitch to hit", or what the nuances are of getting the barrel of the bat on the ball.

The most pathetic of the lot though must be the talking heads that really want to bash soccer ("boring" and "nothing happening", in the country that invented baseball and the TV timeout, really?) but clearly don't have enough knowledge of the game to do so effectively.

[Moranis]

I just don't get why a tie is a problem.  Sure it is a problem in a game where you have to have a winner, but I just don't see what the issue is with ties.  I mean after all you can still tie in the NFL and that is the most popular sport in the United States.  Frankly, I think you could make an argument that baseball would be better with ties as extra inning games (especially the really long ones) often screws up pitching staffs for weeks (same thing in the NBA with those multiple OT games though to a lesser extent).  I see nothing wrong with extra innings, but cap them at 12 or something and then just call it a tie.

The NFL has a 15 minutes overtime after regulation not just a couple of minutes or so of stoppage time following regulation with no overtime.   Make ties a lot less common in the NFL.

stoppage time isn't overtime.  It is part of the 45 minutes of the half.

the next round has actual overtime and then penalty kicks if still no winner.  You know when someone has to win.

I just really don't get what the problem with ties is.  I would much prefer a tie than the craptastic system that college football uses where it isn't real football.

I understand the difference between stoppage time & overtime. 

In an NFL regular season game, you're getting an overtime.  In world cup group play, you're not even getting that.  If you're tied after an overtime period, I'm fine with that.  The fact they don't even get an overtime is the part that slightly irks me but, then again, its a world sport so to each, their own.

but why do you need extra time?  The game is 90 minutes, why does it need to be 120 minutes?