Huh.

[tielan]

I wake up and discover that our Deputy PM is challenging our Prime Minister for the job.

Gee, Australian politics, why do you do this to me? I had been so carefully avoiding you for the last couple of months because you make me want to headdesk. At least fandom makes me headdesk because there are stupid people, not because everyon'es stupid.

I didn't have to worry about a new leader until the next fed election, when Abbot the Rabbit took his Speedos to the polls to decide if Kevin '07 would be Kevin '11. *sigh*

--

And Australia won against Serbia, but Germany beat Ghana, so we're out of the World Cup.

At least, I think Germany beat Ghana, and goes on to the next level.

This article in the SMH is bloody confusing in sentence structure and grammar:

Unfortunately for Australia, which finished the group phase on four points, Ghana managed to keep the Germans at bay in Johannesburg sufficiently to only lose 1-0, ensuring that they, not Australia, would go forward on goal difference.

Now, from this sentence, would you say Ghana or Germany wins the group draw?

Later, again, it talks about Germany having 6 pts, Ghana and Australia having 4 pts each; but Ghana having a goal diff of 0, while Australia has one of -3. Yet Ghana, not Germany is playing the US?

I don't get it.

Comments

saw this via the latets page

[yvi]

(I am German, hence I have to know this stuff)

Later, again, it talks about Germany having 6 pts, Ghana and Australia having 4 pts each; but Ghana having a goal diff of 0, while Australia has one of -3. Yet Ghana, not Germany is playing the US?

The first winner of one group always plays the second winner of the next group, so Germany as winner of group D plays the second of group C, England, while Ghana as second winner of group D plays the first winner of group C, the US.

Unfortunately for Australia, which finished the group phase on four points, Ghana managed to keep the Germans at bay in Johannesburg sufficiently to only lose 1-0, ensuring that they, not Australia, would go forward on goal difference.

I would read that as Germany, but then I grew up in soccer country ;) If Ghana only managed to go forward instead of Australia because they had a better goal difference, they would be second (point-tied with Australia) and Germany first.

Re: saw this via the latets page

[tielan]

Okay, now that makes more sense.

So you have to be in the top two of a group to get even a chance at going into the...semifinals or finals or whatever they are?

I just read that article and felt like I was seriously Not Getting It.

*sigh* That game we lost against Germany was BAD.

Re: saw this via the latets page

[yvi]

I have no idea how it's called in English, actually - eight-finals? One step before the quarterfinals. There were 32 teams in 8 groups, after the group round there will be 16 teams left.

Re: saw this via the latets page

[tielan]

Semi-finals is the usual term. Then quarter-finals, then finals, then grand finals...

Or something. Depends which sport we're talking about.

[rhianona]

The world cup can be confusing. That's all I have to say. Though I've been listening with great amusement/disbelief at the whole hullabaloo with France.

I also heard about your new PM. Was a bit surprised to see it happen. I'll be curious to see the fallout, if there is any.