From: Hildegaard Beauregard [ljlife@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 12, 2002 7:08 AM
To: Lee Jerome Life
Subject: That's why they play the games -- and at the same time

Reporting from World Cup Watch Central.

Here's news:  Spain did NOT win 3-1. Paraguay did.
Spain instead won 3-2.

In case you don't get the joke, Spain won each of its
first two matches by the score of 3-1. But the
significance of the numbers this time is that it
changed the order of the group, a dramatic turnaround
for South Africa and Paraguay. South Africa has been
eliminated and Paraguay has incredibly salvaged an
advance by winning by that score of 3-1.

When the last set of games for this group began,
simultaneously, South Africa had 4 points in the group
and a goal difference of +1 with 3 goals scored.
Paraguay had 1 point and a goal difference of -2 with
3 goals scored. With a swing of 3 needed in goal
difference in a Paraguay win and a South Africa loss,
and considering the typical scores in the tournament,
the matches in this group appeared to be academic.

In that context, the first half of the South Africa v.
Spain match was a sporting affair and a thriller,
unlike for example the England v. Nigeria match
earlier, in which both teams seemed more concerned
with not losing. Spain and especially South Africa
were playing at a blazing pace, rivalling the Costa
Rica v. Turkey match for movement and excitement.
Spain certainly didn't have to win, and South Africa
was not in a desperate situation either. But both
teams were playing furiously to win it. Slovenia,
meanwhile, went up 1-0 on Paraguay, and that was the
score the at the half, making Paraguay's fate even
less a factor.

Spain had scored an early goal on South Africa, Raul
alone in front of goal after South Africa keeper
Arendse dove to cover and bobbled the ball to him, but
South Africa answered with a great goal by McCarthy
off a corner. Just before half, Spain's Mendieta
rifled in a free kick from well outside the box. But
in the second half South Africa again tied it off a
corner kick with a Radebe header just into the side of
goal past Spain keeper Iker Casillas. Both teams were
intent on winning, though a draw would do neither
harm. Within 3 minutes of South Africa catching up a
second time, however, Spain's Raul headed in a perfect
cross, and Spain had 3 goals for their 3rd straight
match, and the lead again, insisting on sweeping the
group.

Still, the great effort from South Africa and a 1-goal
loss were enough, right? They were to learn of worse
consequences at the end of the match. Paraguay had
incredibly scored those 3 goals and kept Slovenia at
1. Paraguay and South Africa each ended with a goal
difference of 0, but Paraguay had scored 6 goals to
South Africa's 5. Paraguay had overtaken South Africa
to advance, and South Africa was out.

Incidentally, when Paraguay and South Africa met in
the first match for them, Paraguay went up 2-0, only
to have South Africa come back to draw 2-2. South
Africa then beat Slovenia to rally into second in the
group while Paraguay lost to Spain.

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