Sweden 3 - Nigeria 0 This result means the US is through to the second round as long as they don't lose by 5 goals (due to goal differential). And it also means that North Korea is through to the 2nd round with any win. What this means is that if the US and North Korea got together and decided to rig the game NK 1:0 US, they are free to do so. This allows both teams to save their players for the quarterfinals, and still keeps the US in 1st place. Essentially giving both teams a game off, and still allowing them to continue on to the next round. Now, I'm not saying that this scenario is likely. In fact, I doubt that it would happen, but you just never know. It has happened before in the Men's World Cup, so it is not inconceivable. This whole tournament has big rigged to give the US the best chance to win from the very start. First, it was moved from China and now this. When is FIFA gonna learn?
FIFA will never learn, it's an organisation where corruption reaches right through to the top. Money is everything to them. It would be a financial disaster for the US not to progress deep into the tournament. China are also critical.
If this tournament was rigged from the start, USA would not have had about the toughest draw possible. USA also has the toughest travel schedule leading up the finals. They travel every game and go from the East Coast to the West Coast for the Semi-Finals. China had the easiest draw of the top seeds and the easiest travel schedule as they stay on the West Coast. I didn't like the final group games not being played simultaneously, but I attribute that more to putting together the schedule at the last minute with the various restraints (TV time, stadium availability, etc.) then trying to rig the WWC for USA.
why would it be a financial disaster ? all the money from tickets sales & comercial ads are already in
To answer the question posed by the thread: They were the previous day. That's the way it should be. As for Sunday, I have one word for you. Timezones.