[Youngblood]

I'm not pretending it doesn't happen, but why should the US and Ghana, and not the Czechs, get the advantage of knowing what result they need?

[adiaireton8]

but why should the US and Ghana, and not the Czechs, get the advantage of knowing what result they need?

Here's why. When two teams play each other, and they can both advance if they collaborate, then it is to their advantage to do so. This is just basic game theory. That is the case for ITA and CZE. But it is not the case for the US-Ghana game. In the US-Ghana match, either the US can help Ghana, OR [exclusive or] Ghana can help the US. But they cannot collaborate for mutual advantage.

If the US and Ghana know that CZE wins, or ITA wins, or CZE-ITA draws, this gives no incentive to mutual collusion. But if the CZE and ITA know that US wins or draws, this gives an incentive to mutual collusion. Thus there is a good reason to put the US-Ghana game after the ITA-CZE game, and not the other way around.

-A8