With just one game remaining for every country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, many teams are relying on certain scenarios in order to advance to the knockout stage. While many of these scenarios don’t resemble the complexities of NFL playoff scenarios on Week 17, it’s still interesting to see what teams need to do to advance.
Because most of the remaining games have qualification implications, FIFA has scheduled group games to run concurrently over the next four days, so teams won’t get the chance to collude like West Germany and Austria did at the 1982 World Cup.
Fortunately for fans, many of the groups have not been settled yet, which means there will be high drama over the next four days.
Here are the scenarios for each group:
Group A:
Brazil advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Cameroon
– Loss + Mexico win
– Loss + Croatia win + Win tiebreaker against Mexico
Mexico advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Croatia
– Loss + Brazil loss + Win tiebreaker against Brazil
Croatia advances with:
– Win vs. Mexico
– Draw vs. Mexico + Brazil loss + Win tiebreaker against Brazil
Cameroon is eliminated.
Group B:
Netherlands and Chile have both advanced and will play for seeding.
Spain and Australia are both eliminated.
Group C:
Colombia has advanced and will win group with:
– Win or draw vs. Japan
– Ivory Coast loss or draw vs. Greece
– Loss vs. Japan + Ivory Coast win + Win tiebreaker against Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast advances with:
– Win vs. Greece
– Draw vs. Greece + Japan loss or draw
– Draw vs. Greece + Japan win + Win tiebreaker against Japan
Japan advances with:
– Win vs. Colombia + Ivory Coast loss vs. Greece + Win tiebreaker against Greece
– Win vs. Colombia + Ivory Coast draw vs. Greece + Win tiebreaker against Ivory Coast
Greece advances with:
– Win vs. Ivory Coast + Japan loss or draw vs. Colombia
– Win vs. Ivory Coast + Japan win + Win tiebreaker against Japan
Group D:
Costa Rica has advanced and will win group with:
– Win or draw vs. England
– Loss vs. England + Win tiebreaker against Italy/Uruguay winner
Italy advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Uruguay
Uruguay advances with:
– Win vs. Italy
England is eliminated.
Group E:
France advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Ecuador
– Loss vs. Ecuador + Switzerland draw vs. Honduras
– Loss vs. Ecuador + Switzerland win vs. Honduras + Win tiebreaker against Switzerland or Ecuador
Ecuador advances with:
– Win vs. France + Switzerland loss or draw vs. Honduras
– Win vs. France + Win tiebreaker against Switzerland or France
– Draw vs. France + Switzerland draw vs. Honduras
– Loss vs. France + Switzerland loss + Win tiebreakers against Switzerland AND Honduras
Switzerland advances with:
– Win vs. Honduras + Ecuador loss or draw vs. France
– Win vs. Honduras + Ecuador win + Win tiebreaker against Ecuador or France
– Draw vs. Honduras + Ecuador loss vs. France
– Loss vs. Honduras + Ecuador loss vs. France + Win tiebreaker against Ecuador AND Honduras
Honduras advances with:
– Win vs. Switzerland (by at least three goals) + Ecuador loss vs. France + Win tiebreaker against Ecuador
Group F:
Argentina has advanced and will win group with:
– Win or draw vs. Nigeria.
Nigeria advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Argentina
– Iran loss or draw vs. Bosnia
– Loss vs. Argentina + Iran win vs. Bosnia + Win tiebreaker against Iran
Iran advances with:
– Win vs. Bosnia + Nigeria loss vs. Argentina + Win tiebreaker against Nigeria
Bosnia is eliminated.
Group G:
Germany advances with:
– Win or draw vs. United States
– Ghana vs. Portugal draw
– Loss vs. United States + Win tiebreaker against Ghana/Portugal winner
United States advances with:
– Win or draw vs. Germany
– Ghana vs. Portugal draw
– Loss vs. Germany + Win tiebreaker against Ghana/Portugal winner
Ghana advances with:
– Win vs. Portugal + Win tiebreaker against Germany/United States loser
Portugal advances with:
– Win vs. Ghana + Win tiebreaker against Germany/United States loser
Group H:
Belgium has advanced and will win group with:
– Win or draw vs. Korea
– Algeria loss or draw vs. Russia
– Loss vs. Korea + Algeria win vs. Russia + Win tiebreaker against Algeria
Algeria advances with:
– Win vs. Russia
– Draw vs. Russia + Korea loss or draw vs. Belgium
– Draw vs. Russia + Korea win vs. Belgium + Win tiebreaker against Korea
Russia advances with:
– Win vs. Algeria + Korea loss or draw vs. Belgium
– Win vs. Algeria + Korea win + Win tiebreaker against Korea
Korea advances with:
– Win vs. Belgium + Algeria draw vs. Russia + Win tiebreaker against Algeria
– Win vs. Belgium + Russia win vs. Algeria + Win tiebreaker against Russia
