# 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677 "2010-06-10T17:32:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 67
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1321 "2010-06-23T20:13:21Z")
Now Serbia pull one back… 2-1, and if they make it 2-2 then they would take second place above Ghana on goals scored, I think… ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1322 "2010-06-23T20:14:22Z")
Yep, that’s right. If Serbia draw 2-2 and Ghana lose 1-0, Serbia will go through. I hope the Aussies hang on to win, because, apart from being an Aussie, i’d like to see Ghana go through. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1323 "2010-06-23T20:19:17Z")
Just watching the last seconds of the Serbia match - decent chance for Serbia missed. Edit: and that’s FT. 2-1 Australia. ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1324 "2010-06-23T20:20:20Z")
Game Over! So… Australia 2-1 Serbia, Germany 1-0 Ghana… Who ends up going through? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1325 "2010-06-23T20:21:00Z")
Both games ended, Germany and Ghana to the next round, England-Germany to play against each other? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1326 "2010-06-23T20:22:06Z")
Good to see at least one African side in the knock-out stages. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1327 "2010-06-23T20:22:28Z")
> [@JoseB](#): > > Game Over! So… Australia 2-1 Serbia, Germany 1-0 Ghana… Who ends up going through? Germany and Ghana. Ghana to play the US, Germany gets England in a match destined to go to penalties… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1328 "2010-06-23T20:24:05Z")
I’m still new-ish to the World Cup. In a situation like Australia’s, where they know only a ridiculous number of goals in their favor will put them through, is it acceptable for them to play for the 2-1 win, considering the near impossibility of scoring 3 additional goals? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1329 "2010-06-23T20:24:19Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Both games ended, Germany and Ghana to the next round, England-Germany to play against each other? Correct: final standings in Group D are as follows: ```auto P W D L F A GD Pts Germany 3 2 0 1 5 1 +4 6 Ghana 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4 Australia 3 1 1 1 3 6 -3 4 Serbia 3 1 0 2 2 3 -1 3 ``` USA v Ghana, June 26, 8.30pm local time Germany v England, June 27, 4pm local time ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1330 "2010-06-23T20:28:04Z")
The USA will play Ghana in the next round and the winner will play the winner of Uruguay-South Korea. A golden opportunity for any of these teams to make it to the semis. But man, these double games to finish the group can be exciting ; any of the four teams could have made it and Serbia came so close. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1331 "2010-06-23T20:28:43Z")
Well Germany wins 1-0 and Australia 2-1 but Ghana go through on goal difference. So It’s England v Germany and USA v Ghana in the round of 16. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1332 "2010-06-23T20:30:59Z")
Anyway I am really glad an African team made it and I will definitely root for Ghana to be the first African team to reach the semis. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1333 "2010-06-23T20:36:11Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > The USA will play Ghana in the next round and the winner will play the winner of Uruguay-South Korea. A golden opportunity for any of these teams to make it to the semis. Yes, and what a missed opportunity for England. Those dropped points in games that we really ought to have won mean that instead of facing Ghana and then probably Uruguay, we get Germany and then probably Argentina. Rob Green’s fumble is looking more expensive than ever. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1334 "2010-06-23T20:36:44Z")
So is it USA - Ghana and England - Germany? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1335 "2010-06-23T20:37:31Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Good to see at least one African side in the knock-out stages. Yeah, i’m sort of torn now. I like the American team, but i’d also like an African team to move on even further. If it had turned out US-Germany and Ghana-England, i could root for both the US and Ghana. But now i have to choose between two relative underdogs. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1336 "2010-06-23T20:41:52Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > I was referring to Campbell’s disallowed goal against Argentina in 1998. Sorry bout that, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1337 "2010-06-23T20:59:41Z")
> [@Ximenean](#): > > FWIW, I’ve now seen a replay from an overhead angle and agree that it looks to me like the US player’s left leg was maybe offside, but not the rest of him. I don’t think that counts, so I now think that the goal should have stood. For the record the offside rule states that: > [@](#): > > “nearer to his opponents’ goal line” means that any part of a player’s > head, body or feet is nearer to his opponents’ goal line than both the > ball and the second-last opponent. The arms are not included in this > definition So the left leg being offside means that the player is offside and the goal shouldn’t stand. From what I recall the referee’s assistant was on the correct side so he was looking at the Ghanaian player with the American behind him, this makes the call much easier as he can call offside if he sees any part of the American (except the arm) to the right of the Ghanaian. As for referees making bad calls, it happens all the time and does not indicate any conspiracy, just human nature. It’s a damn hard job and people disagree on calls after seeing 10 replays in slow motion so imagine how hard it is to make a snap judgement having seen play just once from a pitch level angle at full speed. If it makes those Americans feeling disgruntled feel any better the free-kick leading to the disallowed goal against Slovenia should never have been given in the first place, it wasn’t a foul. Also, USA should have had a player sent off in the first minute for leading with the elbow when challenging for a header. It is a sign of a true football fan to be able to focus on those decisions which went against you whilst ignoring all the times the referee saved your ass 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1338 "2010-06-23T21:05:00Z")
No, it’s the sign of a true **team** supporter. A neutral is obviously not going to have the same grievances as a fan of either team that is playing. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1339 "2010-06-23T21:12:52Z")
Phew. Germany looked sharper this time, though Podolski didn’t make me feel any better about him. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677/1340 "2010-06-23T21:20:21Z")
Technically, wasn’t Dempsey offside on Donovan’s goal? He was in the goal, behind the keeper. I know that he was not involved in the play when Donovan made the goal and that it wouldn’t be called in that situation (correctly), but he was in an offside position, yes? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677.md?page=66) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2010-fifa-world-cup-south-africa/542677.md?page=68)