Error in FIFA WC? Or did they do it right?

[ZeekLTK]

In FIFA World Cup 2006... after the World Cup group stage in my game one of the groups (that I wasn't in) looked like this:

Group F
1. Brazil - 4 pts +0 GD 2 GF 2 GA
2. Denmark - 4 pts +0 GD 2 GF 2 GA
3. Russia - 4 pts +1 GD 3 GF 2 GA
4. Mali - 4 pts -1 GD 2 GF 3 GA

Brazil 1 - 0 Denmark
Mali 0 - 2 Russia
Brazil 1 - 2 Mali
Russia 1 - 2 Denmark
Russia 0 - 0 Brazil
Denmark 0 - 0 Mali

It advanced Brazil and Denmark into the second round...

... which I found odd because Russia had superior goal difference. I would think it *should* have been Russia advancing as group winners, and then Brazil as runners up (since they beat Denmark head to head and were tied on everything else). Is this yet another programming error by EA or did they actually do this right? If it is right, what tiebreaker is used for such a situation that wouldn't see the team with superior goal difference move on?

[DiscoWarrior11]

In the league system, the ranking in each group is determined as follows:
a) greatest number of points obtained in all group matches;
If two or more teams are equal on the basis of the above criterion,
their ranking shall be determined as follows:
b) greatest number of points obtained in the group matches between
the teams concerned;
c) goal difference resulting from the group matches between the
teams concerned;
d) greatest number of goals scored in the group matches between the
teams concerned;
e) goal difference in all group matches;
f) greatest number of goals scored in all group matches;
g) a play-off on neutral ground.

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/doc.html

From the regulation PDF at the official WC site.

I'm trying to figure out the difference between C and E... if I'm correct, then C may be the result of the game between the two teams with equal points... a.k.a. head-to-head. Denmark won the head-to-head matchup.

So, if C is what I assume it is, then EA is correct with the tie-breaking rule.

[ZeekLTK]

Every team had 4 points though. C means if there is a situation like, say, 3 teams with 6 points and another team with 0 points or something... like this:

Team A - 6 pts
Team B - 6 pts
Team C - 6 pts
Team D - 0 pts

Then for C (as well as B and D) it only factors in games between Teams A, B, and C... no Team D. Then if that is still tied it goes to E where it factors in goal difference from ALL GAMES.

Since every team in the group had 4 points then EA did it wrong. Looking at what you posted, this is how it should have been:

A) All teams have 4 points

B) All teams that are tied have 4 points against each other

C) Russia had +1 GD, Brazil/Denmark had +0, Mali had -1.... Russia wins the group, Mali eliminated... need to break tie between Denmark/Brazil

D) Brazil scored 1, Denmark scored 0... Brazil wins tiebreaker as 2nd place

Like I thought, Russia and Brazil should have advanced... so EA did it wrong. :(