[xzins]

It’s all a matter of point margin in any sport, and soccer would be no different. If there’s a minute left and you’re down 1 score, then you’ll work hard to even the score.

If you’re down by 4 scores, then it will be different.

[wideawake]

There is no differential in the NFL - if a team is getting blown out, they more or less give up since they have no motivation to lose 35-14 rather than 35-7 and they have strong motivation to avoid injuries.

In the EPL, where the differential can be the difference for a weaker team between staying in the league and relegation, the losing side will fight hard just to get one more goal.

[manc]

I’ve watched games where a team had 30 seconds left on the clock. The other team thought they had won it and were trying to play the clock out. Extra time came, 2 minutes and that team losing got two goals.

That is the excitement which it creates

[dfwgator]

But think how much different shape Portugal would have been had they just gotten one goal against Germany....They would have had a fighting chance to still make it out of the group.