Is there any difference between "to open" and "to open up" in the two following sentences, besides the emphasis expressed by "up" (reference: What is the difference between "open" and "open up")?
- A goal at the beginning would open the game/match.
- A goal at the beginning would open up the game/match.
The intended meaning is that, in a soccer game, if someone scores a goal early, then the opposing team is more likely to attack than defend in order to score an equalising goal. Thus, there is more space on the field, there could be more opportunities of scoring additional goals and the game becomes more interesting.