Jack Terry

Host

World Cup For Dummies!

Jun 17, 2014·11 visitors

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle

Cohost

Stage· 87 messages

Jun 17, 2014

Since it only happens once every four years, it's no surprise that many people don't know how nations qualify for the World Cup, and how the point system works once they start playing. Join Jack Terry and Jennifer Arbuckle as they cover the basic information to help you enjoy World Cup 2014 that much more.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:01 PM

Hey Jack!!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:01 PM

I am really glad to have this chance to clear up how the World Cup works...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:02 PM

I was mistaken in thinking that it is a single elimination

Jack Terry · 7:03 PM

Hey Jen!

Jack Terry · 7:04 PM

Hey Jen!

Jack Terry · 7:04 PM

hey Jen

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:04 PM

Hello? Jack are you there?

Jack Terry · 7:04 PM

Hey Jennifer!

Jack Terry · 7:05 PM

Hey Jennifer!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:05 PM

Hey Jack...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:05 PM

Little hic-up today, eh?

Jack Terry · 7:05 PM

Wow, sorry about that, caught up in the World Cup Fever!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:05 PM

I know that's right...I got very excited when the USA beat Ghana but I'm confused how eliminations work...please enlighten me Jack

Jack Terry · 7:06 PM

It's easiest to think about it as almost two separate tournaments.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:06 PM

so each group has its own tourney?

Jack Terry · 7:07 PM

Yes. Eight groups, four teams each, and they play a round robin tournament.

Jack Terry · 7:07 PM

The top two teams from each group advance.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:07 PM

Oh okay, like the Big 12 now that it's only 10 teams...

Jack Terry · 7:07 PM

Exactly!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:08 PM

Okay so now that we, THE USA is the #2 team in the group, they play the #4? have I got it?

Jack Terry · 7:08 PM

They actually will play all three teams in there group.

Jack Terry · 7:08 PM

their, not there.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:09 PM

What if say Germany wins 2 and the USA wins 2?

Jack Terry · 7:09 PM

Well, that depends on a few things. You get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:09 PM

I get it...only one team, duh can go 3-0 then the next best points is the second team to advance

Jack Terry · 7:10 PM

So if, Germany wins two and loses one, and the USA wins two and ties one, the USA would have 7 points to Germany's 6.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:10 PM

OKay, so the point system has nothing to do with points scored?

Jack Terry · 7:11 PM

No, but the points scored may come into play. If two teams tie for second place in a group, the first tiebreaker to see who advanced is the "goal differential."

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:12 PM

Oh, so it's a big deal that Germany scored 4 points the other day...that could help them advance

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:12 PM

Now, USA beat Ghana but if Ghana wins the next two games, they could advance but the USA might not...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:13 PM

If they don't win at least one of the two remaining games

Jack Terry · 7:13 PM

It is possible. Ghana could win their next two and end up with 6 points where the USA could lose both and only have 3.

Jack Terry · 7:13 PM

If USA wins one more they will most likely advance.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:14 PM

Is it generally unheard of for a team to "sweep" a group?

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:14 PM

Germany, USA, Ghana and what country is the 4th? I can't remember...

Jack Terry · 7:15 PM

Very much so. FIFA tries to place competitive teams against each other when seeding the World Cup.

Jack Terry · 7:15 PM

Portugal, who lost a player for their next game with a red card and two other players are injured. It doesn't look good for them.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:16 PM

That is my next question...I saw that guy get booted out of the game...he's gone for the whole World Cup?

Jack Terry · 7:16 PM

Just one game. When you receive a red card, you leave the game immediately and your team is not allowed to substitute for you. It's like a power play in hockey but goes on for the rest of the game.

Jack Terry · 7:17 PM

The next game that guy is not allowed to play but the team can field 11 players.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:17 PM

So his sorry bad sport ass will be playing against USA?

Jack Terry · 7:17 PM

No he won't be. Portugal can put 11 players out but he can't play.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:17 PM

OH, okay...I get it.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:17 PM

That's good the stupid head butter...what was he tinking?

Jack Terry · 7:18 PM

And apparently he's known for having a bad attitude.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:18 PM

He head butted the guy...wow

Jack Terry · 7:18 PM

8 years ago? 12 maybe? Zidane, a French player, headbutted a guy in the chest in the Final (!!!) got red carded and France lost the game!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:19 PM

I know how passionate athletes can be...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:19 PM

but fair play is fair play

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:20 PM

I broke a girls collar bone in a b-ball game in high school...missed 3 games because of it. I learned my lesson

Jack Terry · 7:20 PM

Very much so. What I like is that in some cases, when it's more a miscommunication and not simple bad sportsmanship, the ref will take the two players away from everyone else and just let them calm down and talk it out. Diffuses a lot of situations.

Jack Terry · 7:20 PM

!!! You gonna have to tell me later how you did that!! But back to the World Cup...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:20 PM

This is at an international level, the athlete's should have discipline to control themselves

Jack Terry · 7:21 PM

Especially like that. This wasn't the heat of the moment. They were separated, he had a moment to think about it, and then he was just stupid.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:22 PM

I have seen the play, the other player did hit him but it was incidental...no reason to head butt him

Jack Terry · 7:22 PM

For fans of Team USA, on Sunday they should be rooting for a big victory over Portugal and Germany to squeak by Ghana with a score of like 1-0.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:22 PM

That would set us up to move on, even with a loss to Germany, right?

Jack Terry · 7:23 PM

Yes. At worst Team USA would end up 2-1-0 in group play, and at best Ghana or Portugal would be 1-2-0 and the other 0-3-0.

Jack Terry · 7:24 PM

Right now our goal differential is 1 and Germany's gd is 4.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:24 PM

so does the standing in each of the eight groups effect the overall seeding of the remainder of the World Cup?

Jack Terry · 7:25 PM

Yes. This is the most confusing part. 1st place group A plays 2nd place group B, and 1st place group B plays 2nd place group A

Jack Terry · 7:25 PM

The same happens groups c&D, E&F and G&H. And then the confusing part...

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:26 PM

does the World Cup ever become single elimination? ONce you lose you're out once the groups have advanced?

Jack Terry · 7:26 PM

Yes. After group play is over, it is single elimination.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:26 PM

That will be so much easier to keep track of...

Jack Terry · 7:26 PM

It really is!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:27 PM

Now, for the last two World Cup's USA was knocked out of the tourney by Ghana...so we had made it past the group eliminations, right?

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:28 PM

They must not have been in our group for the last two World Cups...

Jack Terry · 7:28 PM

We did last time. But I think 8 years ago we were in a group with Ghana and needed to beat them in the last game of group play to advance and we didn't do it.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:28 PM

So international play over the season determines the groups...by FIFA

Jack Terry · 7:29 PM

I was impressed with Team USA's victory over Ghana this year in the World Cup, but with an injury to Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, I'm still a little nervous for how far we can go.

Jack Terry · 7:29 PM

Yes. There are six conferences around the world. Do you know that over 200 teams tried to qualify?

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:29 PM

That winning point was amazing!!! From the corner like that...I loved it!!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:29 PM

And 48 got in?

Jack Terry · 7:30 PM

32.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:30 PM

I'm a writer not an accountant...lol

Jack Terry · 7:30 PM

The guy who scored it, Justin Brooks? 21 years old playing his first World Cup game.

Jack Terry · 7:30 PM

Ha! That's what calculators are for.

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:31 PM

kI hear them say that it was the first goal of the World Cup to be scored from the bench...not a starter

Jack Terry · 7:31 PM

John Brooks. Justin Brooks is my cousin, and no soccer player, let me tell you!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:31 PM

WEll, thank you for clearing up a lot of things for me, Jack

Jack Terry · 7:32 PM

That's what I'm here for! Hope you enjoy some more of the group play. You going to be watching Team USA on Sunday?

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:32 PM

Now I can watch the FIFA World Cup and know what I'm watching...a little more so anyway

Jack Terry · 7:32 PM

Yeah. The trick is to remember all this knowledge four years from now at the next World Cup!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:32 PM

OH you know it!! World Cup Fever and all !!

Jack Terry · 7:33 PM

I think they have a shot for that! Thanks as always Jennifer! "Tawk" to you soon!!

Jennifer "JD" Arbuckle · 7:33 PM

Have a super great afternoon, Jack...we'll tawk again soon!