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Group Play
FIFA has a draw to devide the 32 participating teams into eight groups of four. Quite simply, the draw is one of the most important factors of the entire tournament, especially for fringe contenders hoping to make a deep run. Landing in a favorable group can bolster a team's chances in a major way, while some poor draw luck would have the opposite effect.
"The luck of the draw" is a major concern as some groups are more difficult than others. The most difficult one is called the "group of death", where the team considered the weakest draws three powerful opponents. In World Cup 2014, the United States was unfortunate to draw Ghana, Portugal and Germany, in that order. Ghana had eliminated the Unioted States in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Portugal and Germany are two of the four countries favored to win the cup.
Two teams move on from each group into the Round of Sixteen. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has named his picks to qualify from each of the World Cup groups.
Three points are awarded for a win and 1 point for a tie. There is no overtime or shootout in group play. Normally, teams can advance with a win and a tie. If there is a tie for second place, then performance relative to each other, or if l differental if necessary, determine who moves on. If all of a group's games ended in ties, thus giving each team three points, than goal differental would be used.
Tie Breakers: There is a sequence of tie-breakers if it is not clear who are the first and second place teams in each group.
Three points are awarded for a win and 1 point for a tie. There is no overtime or shootout in group play. Normally, teams can advance with a win and a tie. If there is a tie for second place, then performance relative to each other, or if l differental if necessary, determine who moves on. If all of a group's games ended in ties, thus giving each team three points, than goal differental would be used.
Tie Breakers: There is a sequence of tie-breakers if it is not clear who are the first and second place teams in each group.