Had Dempsey voted as originally instructed, the vote would have resulted with a 12–12 tie, and FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who favoured the South African bid, would have had to cast the deciding vote.
Dacă Dempsey ar fi votat cum a fost instructat inițial, rezultatul votingului ar fi fost 12–12, iar președintele FIFA Sepp Blatter, care favoriza candidatura Africii de Sud, urma să decidă soarta votingului.