Beck - Strange Apparition
The teams in Group A of the 2010 World Cup are in an interesting position for next week, specifically Uruguay and Mexico. In order to understand what I'm talking about you'll need to understand how the World Cup works, so here is an abbreviated breakdown:
The 32 teams that qualify for the World Cup are divided into 8 groups of 4 labeled "A" through "H" (the US is in Group C). Each of the teams in these groups plays 3 games in the opening round of the Cup against the other 3 teams in the group. So, for example, France is in Group A so they will play Mexico, Uruguay, and South Africa (the other teams in Group A). Depending on the outcomes of these games, each team is given a certain number of points: a win is worth 3, a tie is worth 1, and a loss is worth nothing. The top two teams of each group then advance on to the knockout round (single elimination, bracket format). In the case of a tie in points, the team with the better Goal Difference (goals scored minus goals allowed) is the winner of the tiebreaker.
Currently, Group A looks like this:
1. Uruguay (4 pts)
2. Mexico (4 pts)
3. France (1 pt)
4. South Africa (1 pt)
Uruguay is ahead based on GD (Goal Difference).
All of the teams in the group have played 2 games, leaving just one left in the round. Mexico pulled a huge upset over France, putting them in second. The interesting aspect here is that the finals games are Mexico v Uruguay and France v South Africa.
France should beat South Africa. France is a Soccer world power, whereas South Africa only qualified for the Cup because they are the Host Country and are considered one of the worst sides in the tournament right now. This will give France 3 points, bringing their total up to 4.
Enter the prisoner's dilemma for Uruguay and Mexico. If one side were to win the game, that team would qualify while the other would go into a GD tiebreaker with France (which is impossible to predict). However, if they tie, both teams get a point and both teams automatically qualify for the next round.
Do you play to win (rat them out)? If you do, they will too. If you win you're in. If you lose, depending on France's performance, you're out.
Do you play to tie (stay quiet)? If you do, and they do too, you're both in guaranteed. For one, however, this is terrible sportsmanship. Secondly, you're trusting another team. Now you run the risk of betrayal with a late-game goal.
An age-old question reincarnated and ready to be answered. The game is June 22 at 10am.
