I realise that the penalty shoot outs in the group stage will always produce a winner and a loser, however I don't think FIFA have understood that the concept of a three team group is inherently flawed.
The team that plays in both the first two group matches is at a distinct disadvantage, because the two teams contesting the final group match will know exactly where they stand. With only three group matches goal difference could be crucial.
The proof of this argument is the final group match between Germany and Austria in the 1982 World Cup:
'The 3-2 victory still meant Algeria would become the first African team to reach the second round unless the group's final game, to be played the following day, ended in a one- or two-goal win for West Germany over Austria, in which case both the European teams would progress at Algeria's expense. In the 10th minute of that match Horst Hrubesch put the Germans in front. Then … nothing happened. Realising the scoreline suited both of them, Germany and Austria effectively stopped playing. In the ensuing 80 minutes there were no shots, and barely any tackles, crosses or sprints. The game was no longer a contest, it was a conspiracy. The teams' cynicism provoked universal scorn.'
