Okay, here’s a very simple, and maybe witless question: have a look at this from the FIFA site. In the Match Detail section, I see the following, between the names of the two teams: 4:0 (2:0). Now, I know what the 4:0 is – the final score – and I’m gathering that the 2:0 is the score from the first half. But why is the first half score reported here? Does it have any special significance?
Not really, apart from an indication as to how the game went, whether the goals were scored early or late, etc. The more relevant statistic is the times the goals were scored, as written underneath. So, for instance, you can see that Germany won last night in the last couple of minutes of the game, whereas England won their first match, scoring very early but then not getting another goal all game.
Another possible reason for providing this data is that certain people like to bet on the half-time/full-time outcomes.