World Cup Group stage rules - what happens if all criteria don't help?

Yesterday I had a very odd situation in the 2010 WC.

I was managing Ivory Coast and was handed a very tough group with Argentina, Mexico and Czech Republic.

The Czechs and I both won 3-0 against Mexico and both lost 2-3 against Argentina. After in the final group match my 2-1 lead was equalised in stoppage time, I started wondering what would happen now.

The rules screen said we would be sorted by

- goal difference

- goals scored

- result between teams

All of those were exactly the same and no further hint was given.

After the game I found out that I was through to the second round and the Czechs were left to go home.

I would really love to know why though. I just checked the official FIFA rules and indeed irl there would be a drawing of lots.

Did that happen in FM too? Or is there maybe a default advantage for human users in such situations?

Does anybody actually know how FM handles this?

Cheers

It is going to be draw for sure, but what happen in the game no one know until some one from SI help us and inform us how the system go on here!

That would indeed be greatly appreciated

They decide by coin flip nice isn't it, but in the game i think it's programed to favor us, I remember progressing from group stages in cups or CL on this same criteria in earlier FM's

They decide by coin flip nice isn't it, but in the game i think it's programed to favor us, I remember progressing from group stages in cups or CL on this same criteria in earlier FM's

How awful would it be to crash out of the WC by a coinflip XD

I remember back on CM 01-02 all the matches in my wc group were boring 0-0 draws at the group was sorted by Alphabetical order... Must suck if Zimbabwe were in such a situation... Doesn't appear to be sorted like that anymore, although it might be true if all the teams were comp controlled?

I thought it was by world ranking tbh.

Wow... do you people not read the question? The guy asks if anyone specifically KNOWS and you guys all post conjecture. Frustrating.

Wow... do you people not read the question? The guy asks if anyone specifically KNOWS and you guys all post conjecture. Frustrating.

You don't even post anything relevant.

Wow... do you people not read the question? The guy asks if anyone specifically KNOWS and you guys all post conjecture. Frustrating.

Somebody doesn't quite get the point of forums. They are for debate and discussion, so we can post conjecture all we bloody like.

Wow... do you people not read the question? The guy asks if anyone specifically KNOWS and you guys all post conjecture. Frustrating.

I agree!! Clearly a topic like this should not be posted on unless you know for sure. We should not post despite our curiousity and interest and simply let the topic slip to the second page and into obscurity.

Actually it's:

The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as follows:

a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;

b) goal difference in all group matches;

c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,

their rankings will be determined as follows:

d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between

the teams concerned;

e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the

teams concerned;

f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the

teams concerned;

g) drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.

This is a direct qoute from the rule-book for the WC in S. Africa to be found here

Wow... do you people not read the question? The guy asks if anyone specifically KNOWS and you guys all post conjecture. Frustrating.

Sorry, I missed the bit where you said what you KNOW:rolleyes:

Coin flop i think.

Coin flop i think.

No offence, or blowing my trumpet either but read post 11

I thought before the coin flip, the team with the least number of yellow cards went through? Maybe this is for the Euro Championships?

I just checked the official FIFA rules and indeed irl there would be a drawing of lots.

Actually it's:

The ranking of each team in each group will be determined as follows:

a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;

b) goal difference in all group matches;

c) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches.

If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above three criteria,

their rankings will be determined as follows:

d) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between

the teams concerned;

e) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the

teams concerned;

f) greater number of goals scored in all group matches between the

teams concerned;

g) drawing of lots by the FIFA Organising Committee.

This is a direct qoute from the rule-book for the WC in S. Africa to be found here

As I have stated in the opening post, that's what I checked before and know already.

So here it would be a drawing of lots. My question was how it works in the game.

Obviously, it's not alphabetical, as otherwise the Czechs should have been 2nd. I still wonder if I just got lucky on a 50/50 chance or whether this is hard-coded to favour a human user, maybe parallel to penalty shoot-outs. My impression with them is also that human users tend to win quite a majority of the penalty shoot-outs, at least I win around 80% of them.

Actually the Ivory Coast's official name is Cote d' Ivoire

Actually the Ivory Coast's official name is Cote d' Ivoire

True

But the last thing I'd expect FM to take into account is the home language name of a nation there

Actually the Ivory Coast's official name is Cote d' Ivoire

If we're being pedantic it's actually Côte d'Ivoire

True

But the last thing I'd expect FM to take into account is the home language name of a nation there

If SI doesn't answer the question we can go with this

Or if anybody got the time they might take over 4 national teams and play the same result let's say 0-0 or 1-1 so we can test this theory

Who's up for it ?