Worldcupsoccer2010.com

Spain crowned World Champs

Admin — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 23:31:34 +0000

Johannesburg – Andres Iniesta scored with four minutes of extra time remaining Sunday to give Spain a deserved 1-0 win over the Netherlands and a first World Cup title.

With the teams facing a penalty shootout in a game of few clear chances, Iniesta collected a sliding pass into the area from substitute Cesc Fabregas and smashed the ball across goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg and in at the far post.

The goal ended an often ill-tempered match and made Spain only the third team to be world and European champion at the same time.

The teams created few clear chances in normal time at Soccer City but the game opened up slightly after a cagey opening hour in which the Netherlands broke up Spain’s attempts to get its famous passing game going with physical play that brought the Dutch eight yellow cards.

Defender John Heitinga got a red card in the 19th minute of extra time to become only the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final.

With Spain also collecting five yellow cards, the final yellow card count beat the previous record of six in the 1986 final between Argentina and West Germany and made the final the dirtiest of all time.

Lineups:

Netherlands: Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Edson Braafheid, 105), Mark van Bommel, Nigel de Jong (Rafael van der Vaart, 99), Dirk Kuyt (Eljero Elia, 71), Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie.

Spain: Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso (Cesc Fabregas, 87), Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez (Jesus Navas, 60), David Villa (Fernando Torres, 106).

Germany edge Uruguay in PE

Admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 23:19:59 +0000

Port Elizabeth – Sami Khedira’s 82nd-minute header earned Germany a 3-2 victory in a rousing and rain-soaked World Cup third-place playoff match with Uruguay on Saturday.

The Stuttgart midfielder rose to nod the ball beyond Fernando Muslera after Uruguay failed to clear a late corner, while Diego Forlan was inches away from a dramatic equaliser with an injury-time free-kick that struck the crossbar.

Forlan rounded off an impressive individual showing at the tournament with a brilliantly-taken volley to give Uruguay a 2-1 lead early in the second period, only for Marcell Jansen to restore parity moments later.

Thomas Mueller had put Germany in front in the 19th minute, but Edinson Cavani drew Uruguay level in the 28th minute.

“Of course we had all hoped for something better, but this match for third place was also a final that we absolutely wanted to win,” said Khedira.

“At this World Cup we were a very young team and we’ve put down a marker. But we obviously want to win more in the future.”

Mueller and Forlan’s goals took them level with Spain’s David Villa and Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder in the race for the Golden Boot with five strikes apiece.

The young German will finish as the tournament’s official top scorer if Villa and Sneijder both fail to score in Sunday’s final, though, because assists are taken into account in case of a tie and he has supplied three to his rivals’ one each.

“Finishing among the top four teams is spectacular,” said Forlan.

“At the beginning we never thought we’d taste a moment like this. We wanted to finish third, but we’ll remember the positives.”

Miroslav Klose’s hopes of matching Ronaldo’s record of 15 World Cup finals goals were dashed after a back injury saw him relegated to the German bench by coach Joachim Loew alongside skipper Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Uruguay looked to take advantage of lethargy in the German ranks in the second period, with Germany goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt regularly called into action.

He pulled off a fine double save to repel Cavani and then Luis Suarez, but was then beaten by an acrobatic volley from Forlan that flew inside the right-hand post.

Jansen drew Germany level in the 56th minute when he capitalised on a rash charge from Muslera to nod in Jerome Boateng’s right-wing cross.

The livewire Suarez produced a flying save from Butt with an ambitious effort and the veteran also had to dash from his line to deny Forlan.

German substitute Stefan Kiessling smashed a shot straight at Muslera following a bewitching stepover on the edge of the box, before Khedira set the seal on a memorable tournament for Joachim Loew’s young team.

Kiessling could have made it 4-2 but he swept over from 12 yards after a flowing move.

Germany edged Uruguay 1-0 when the sides met in the third-place match at the 1970 World Cup and they came close to taking an early lead here when Arne Friedrich met Mesut Ozil’s deep corner with a header that bounced back off the crossbar.

Uruguay held out for just nine more minutes, with Mueller slotting in from close range after 19 minutes after Bastian Schweinsteiger’s swerving drive was pushed out by Muslera.

Lightning counter-attacks have been Germany’s trademark at this tournament but they were dealt a taste of their own medicine in the 28th minute when Diego Perez quickly fed Suarez, whose pass was stabbed home by Cavani.

Scorers:

Uruguay:

Edinson Cavani 28, Diego Forlan 51

Germany:

Thomas Mueller 19, Marcell Jansen 56, Sami Khedira 82

Teams:

Uruguay:

1-Fernando Muslera; 4-Jorge Fucile, 2-Diego Lugano, 3-Diego Godin, 22-Martin Caceres; 16-Maximiliano Pereira, 15-Diego Perez (5-Walter Gargano 77), 17-Egidio Arevalo, 7-Edinson Cavani (13-Sebastian Abreu 88); 9-Luis Suarez, 10-Diego Forlan.

Germany:

22-Hans-Joerg Butt; 20-Jerome Boateng, 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 4-Dennis Aogo; 2-Marcell Jansen (18-Toni Kroos 81), 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 13-Thomas Mueller, 8-Mesut Ozil (5-Serdar Tasci 90+1); 19-Cacau (9-Stefan Kiessling 73).

Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Attendance: 36 254

Final has the makings for a classic

Admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:04:01 +0000

So now we know that a double dose of history will be made in Johannesburg on Sunday. Not only will a European team win the World Cup outside of its own continent for the first time, but the champion will be a first-timer.

A clash between the Netherlands and Spain seems heaven-sent for neutrals, pitting the ‘Brazilians of Europe’ and originators of Total Football against the team which swaggered to the Euro 2008 with a magnificent display of passing excellence. Add to the mix two of the European season’s star performers (and Ballon d’Or contenders) Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben on one side facing Barcelona’s newly signed hot-shot David Villa, and we have a beguiling matchup in front of us.

Yet there’s an element of doubt lingering, a little voice telling us we expected more from these two sides so far. The Dutch have employed the same 4-2-3-1 shape they used at Euro 2008 (anathema to Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff, as he has pointed out on more than one occasion), but it has been put to practice in a very different manner. Then-coach Marco van Basten’s side was wonderfully entertaining in the early stages in Switzerland, but was undone by its shaky backline in the quarterfinal with Russia.

Once bitten, twice shy it seems. At the World Cup, Nigel De Jong and the spiky veteran Mark Van Bommel have been placed in front of the defense to protect it and have done a very effective job. But this Dutch side has been more pragmatic than pretty. Sneijder has been outstanding, his visionary passing and late runs to the edge of the box reprising his day job with a functional Inter Milan side.

Spain has also taken a cautious approach. Coming into the World Cup with injury doubts surrounding a few key players, including Fernando Torres and Andres Iniesta, coach Vicente Del Bosque has fielded two deep-lying midfielders — Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso — in an effort to save the legs of a possibly weary team.

It’s working — and winning over critics, too. One Spanish morning daily proudly trumpeted its team’s best-ever defensive record at a World Cup — 313 minutes of playing time have elapsed since goalie Iker Casillas conceded a tally to Chile’s Rodrigo Millar, eclipsing the team’s previous best of 282 goalless minutes when it reached the 1950 quarterfinals. As pointed out by respected Spanish journalist Sid Lowe, among others, the famed “tiki-taka” passing style works as a defensive tactic. Barcelona showed this in ending the season with La Liga’s best defensive record. How can the opposition score if it can’t get the ball back from you?

Yet while a final of gung-ho attacking shouldn’t be expected, there is more than enough potential to keep us intrigued. While the Netherlands and Spain might have played it safe to get here, there are enough defensive doubts to encourage both camps that goals can be had.

Casillas, who has not always at his best in South Africa, came to his side’s rescue against Germany, making a crucial save from an alarmingly unmarked Toni Kroos with the game still goalless. Likewise, the ease with which Felipe Melo carved open the Dutch center backs for Robinho to put the Brazilians ahead in the quarterfinal should give Spain hope.

The Netherlands’ best moments of the tournament have been flashes of attacking inspiration, mainly involving Robben. His competition debut, against Cameroon in the Dutch’s third group game, was a sparkling cameo; he capped a tremendous run with a shot against the post, tapped in by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for the winner.

In his first start he went one better, cutting in from the right to strike past Jan Mucha, giving his team the lead against Slovakia. Perhaps the best was the clincher against Uruguay, as Robben stretched to power home a fine header.

Spain, meanwhile, has relied on Villa, its sharpest weapon. His tidy finish against Portugal brought a denouement to a growing spell of pressure in the second period of the fourth round. He did the same thing, as a tense quarterfinal with Paraguay approached its climax. Iniesta played a key role in creating both these goals with his sharp eye for a killer pass.

So fear not. Both the Netherlands and Spain might have arrived in the final on the back of a careful approach, but they know where their real strengths lie. They also know that it will probably take a moment of sublime quality — probably from Villa, Iniesta, Robben or Sneijder — to make the crucial difference. The tension in wondering when it’s going to arrive could make for a classic.

Courtesy of Bleacher Report

Andy Brassell is a freelance soccer writer for ESPN.com.

Splendid Spain dump Germany

Admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:42:21 +0000

Durban – Carles Puyol scored the only goal of the game to send Spain into the World Cup final against the Netherlands following a 1-0 victory against Germany on Wednesday.

The Barcelona centre-back powered home a header from 10 yards from Xavi’s corner 17 minutes from time to send the reigning European champions into their first ever World Cup final.

Holland reached the title game by beating Uruguay 3-2 in Cape Town on Tuesday.

It means there will be a new name on the trophy for the first time since France claimed victory on home soil in 1998.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque had sprung a surprise before kick-off by dropping out-of-form Liverpool forward Fernando Torres and replacing him with Barcelona youngster Pedro.

That move allowed tournament top scorer David Villa to play through the middle and the switch almost paid dividends six minutes into the game.

Pedro came in off his wing and slipped a delightful ball in behind the Germany defence which Villa ran on to but he had to slide in to shoot before Manuel Neuer arrived and he succeeded only in prodding the ball into the goalkeeper’s chest.

Spain should have gone ahead on 14 minutes after a cleverly-worked corner routine left Andres Iniesta free to cross from the right, but Puyol got too much purchase on his diving header and sent the ball over the bar.

Germany were stretched again on 19 minutes as a great crossfield ball from Xabi Alonso found the marauding Sergio Ramos but after an exquisite piece of control his shot was wild and high.

Germany finally threatened on 32 minutes when Piotr Trochowski, in for the suspended Thomas Mueller, shot from distance and forced Iker Casillas into a sprawling save low to his left.

Mesut Ozil thought he should have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time when he went down under a challenge from Ramos but his appeals were waved away by referee Viktor Kassai.

For all their pretty approach play, Spain were struggling to get into the box and started hitting pot shots from distance with Alonso, twice, and Villa shooting wide.

Neuer then saved from Pedro, who moments later shot wide while Villa was inches away from a tap-in after Iniesta jinked into the box and squared the ball across goal.

Up the other end substitute Marcell Jansen’s cross was flicked on by a Spanish head, but on the turn Miroslav Klose could only volley high.

And on 69 minutes Germany created possibly their best chance of the match as substitute Toni Kroos arrived unmarked at the back post onto Lukas Podolski’s cross but his finish was weak and straight at Casillas.

But then came Puyol’s great leap to propel Spain into the final.

Spain had several chances on the counter attack late on but Pedro wasted the best of those as he tried to turn Arne Friedrich once too often instead of squaring to the unmarked substitute Torres.

Dutch fly into World Cup final

Admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:27:06 +0000

Cape Town – The Netherlands stormed into their first World Cup final since 1978 on Tuesday, beating Uruguay 3-2 to set up a title clash against either Germany or Spain.

Two goals inside three second-half minutes, from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, steered the Dutch into the decider and shattered South American hopes.

Veteran Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave his side the lead on 18 minutes with a stunning 35-yard strike before Diego Forlan produced an equally memorable goal four minutes before half-time to keep Uruguay alive.

Maxi Pereira got one back for Uruguay in injury time but it was too little too late.

The last time Holland made it this far was 32 years ago when they fell at the last hurdle to hosts Argentina 3-1 after extra-time.

Coach Bert van Marwijk will be desperate to avoid a similar fate in the final on Sunday as the Dutch bid to lift the World Cup for the first time in their history.

Despite losing, Uruguay did their small nation proud with coach Oscar Tabarez guiding them to their first semi-final in 40 years.

It was a massive achievement for a country with a population of just 3.4 million, and they must now put their disappointment behind them for a third-place play-off on Saturday.

The Netherlands came into the match as overwhelming favourites after winning all their games in South Africa to go with the eight wins out of eight notched up in qualifying.

Both teams were forced to make changes with players suspended and in chilly conditions at Green Point Stadium it was the Dutch who adapted the best.

They had a decent chance as early as the third minute when Robben whipped in a teasing cross which Fernando Muslera punched straight to Dirk Kuyt on the edge of the box, but the Liverpool winger skied his shot.

The dangerous pair created another opportunity soon after when Kuyt sent in a cross that the Bayern Munich star headed at the keeper.

With the pressure on, it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken and it was their hugely experienced captain who did it with a contender for goal of the tournament.

The 35-year-old van Bronckhorst picked up the ball some 35 yards out and let rip with a stunning drive that tore into the top corner of the net past the outstretched fingertips of Muslera.

It should have been 2-0 on the half-hour when Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie made an excellent turn to pick out Robben on the edge of the box, but Martin Caceres made a timely intervention.

Uruguay were struggling to create openings before Forlan produced his own piece of magic with a left-foot screamer that swerved past keeper Maarten Stekelenburg, who should have done better.

Holland looked to up the tempo in the second half but it was Uruguay who nearly took the lead when Khalid Boulahrouz’s back-pass fell short and Edinson Cavani challenged the keeper.

Stekelenburg’s clearance hit Cavani and he teed up Alvaro Pereira, but his floated effort was headed away from danger.

The match was finely poised with both sides creating chances but it was Sneijder who did the damage with his fifth goal of the tournament.

The Inter Milan star unleashed a low right foot drive that took a deflection to put his team in front on 70 minutes.

Uruguay were stunned and Robben took advantage of their guard being dropped with another goal three minutes later with a fabulous header from a Kuyt cross.

The South Americans threw everything they had at Holland as the clock ticked down and got their reward with Pereira’s goal in the second minute of injury time but by then the match was over.

The Final Four: Full Schedule and Game Reviews

Admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:44:39 +0000

Europe dominates semifinal lineup

So much for South Americans dominating this World Cup. Three sides from the continent were eliminated in the quarterfinals, leaving Uruguay, the last team to qualify for the competition after a playoff win over Costa Rica, as its only representative. In similar fashion, the demise of the European nations appears to have been exaggerated, with Germany, Spain and the Netherlands advancing to the final four. Here’s a quick look at the semifinals:

Uruguay vs. Netherlands, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. ET

Uruguay takes on the role of outsiders in the last four — villains in the eyes of the hosts after Luis Suarez’s last-minute handball against Ghana helped deny Africa a first-ever semifinalist. However, it’s also the romantics’ choice given its history, as winner in 1930 and 1950, and now in a semifinal for the first time since 1970. By beating Ghana, this Uruguay side has also conquered its recent fear of penalties, after losing the last two Copa America semifinals in shootouts to Brazil, and missing out on the 2006 World Cup after defeat on penalty kicks to Australia.

FIFA showed sense in sticking to its rules and suspending Suarez for one game for his handball, but his absence could be costly against Holland. Diego Forlan might replace his goals and move into the No. 9 position, but that reduces the impact of his link-play. Sebastien Fernandez, a left winger, is a more likely replacement than Sebastien Abreu, whose “Panenka-style” game-winning penalty dink against Ghana, befitting of the player’s “El Loco” nickname, might prove the memorable swan song to his international career. The excellent Jorge Fucile is also suspended, and captain Diego Lugano is an injury doubt.

The Netherlands’ missing list is far less worrying. Demy de Zeeuw and Khalid Boulahrouz will come in for the suspended Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Wiel, respectively, while Robin van Persie and Joris Mathijsen have recovered from knocks to play. Holland¹s biggest problem will be reining in its euphoria following the win over Brazil, but coach Bert van Marwijk was quick to remind the players of the 1992 European Championships, when Holland beat Germany 3-1 in the quarterfinals, only to lose on penalties to unfancied Denmark in the semifinals.

“We have to keep our focus as we haven¹t won anything yet,” he said.

His team is unbeaten in 24 games and has won its last 13 competitive matches. Which makes it strange that only the Brazil result has united supporters struggling to embrace its pragmatic approach.

“Holland is winning by displaying the very things they always affected to despise,” David Winner, author of Brilliant Orange: The Neurotic Genius of Dutch Football, told SI.com.

World Cup semifinal preview
Grant Wahl, Ralph Honigstein and Gabriele Marcotti discuss the matchup between Uruguay and the Netherlands.

There is also a mental strength to this group. It did not panic after conceding an early goal to Brazil (unlike the Brazilians after the equalizer, or, indeed, Argentina against Germany) and clawed its way back into the game, admittedly with some assistance from its opponent.

“This current Oranje squad has an arrogance, a confidence, with guys like Sneijder, [Robin] Van Persie, [Mark] Van Bommel and also unflappable players like [Arjen] Robben and [Dirk] Kuyt,” former Holland winger Marc Overmars said. “And that’s why they all really believe they can win it.”

They might just be right.

PREDICTED WINNER: Netherlands

Germany vs. Spain, Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET

If you need a bit of luck to win a World Cup, Spain might have used up its portion already. First the draw looked to be opening up when the Netherlands upset Brazil, the only team the Spaniards were concerned about facing; then Oscar Cardozo missed Paraguay’s penalty in its quarterfinal as the referee ignored Spanish players’ encroachment into the area (he was not so generous at the other end); and the ball somehow hit the post three times before going in for David Villa’s late winning goal.

So now Spain faces Germany, whom it beat in the 2008 European Championship final. Back then, Spain changed from the Villa-Fernando Torres strike force to just one up front at the semifinal stage, and its chances on Wednesday could depend on a similar switch. It was injury that forced Villa out two years ago, and injury has restricted Torres so far in South Africa. No matter how much his teammates talk up his value, it cannot be coincidence that Spain’s last two winning goals have come after Torres had been replaced (by Fernando Llorente against Portgal, and Cesc Fabregas against Paraguay).

The big decision for coach Vicente del Bosque will be whether to keep faith with Torres or start with Fabregas or even Pedro Rodriguez against Germany. Whatever the decision, German coach Joachim Löw will have a strategy for it.

For all the talk that Germany is the most entertaining side still in the competition, it is also the best prepared, from a tactical and fitness perspective. Against England in the round of 16, Löw told his players to lure John Terry out of central defense to create space behind him, while against Argentina in the quarterfinals, Löw targeted Diego Maradona’s decision to play two center backs in the fullback positions. Right back Nicolas Otamendi, in particular, had a rough time and three of Germany’s four goals came from his flank.

“You plan for success with hard work,” Low said.

He will have to put in some extra planning given the suspension of Thomas Mueller, one of the revelations of the tournament. Such is Germany’s confidence that Mueller’s suspension barely received a mention after the drubbing of Argentina, while Mueller said he hopes to play one more match in the tournament.

He might get his wish if one omen is anything to go by: At least one defender for the last six World Cup winners has scored in the tournament (Argentina’s Jose Luis Brown in 1986, West Germany’s Andreas Brehme in 1990, Brazil’s Branco in 1994, France’s Laurent Blanc/Lilian Thuram in 1998, Brazil’s Edmilson in 2002 and Italy’s Fabio Grosso/Gianluca Zambrotta 2006). There is still time for that to change, but so far, thanks to Arne Friedrich’s goal against Argentina, Germany is the only side left to tick that box.

“Something kicks in when we play a tournament. We just know how to do it,” injured captain Michael Ballack said before the World Cup.

It helps to have a superb coach, a group of players working as a team (easier said than done, if some big nations are any indicator) and bags of confidence. This is Germany’s perfect opportunity to avenge the 2008 defeat.

PREDICTED WINNER: Germany

FIFA name refs for SWC semis

Admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:26:47 +0000

Johannesburg – World football governing body FIFA has announced that Ravshan Irmatov will referee the World Cup semi-final between Uruguay and the Netherlands on Tuesday, with Viktor Kassai in charge of the semi-final between Germany and Spain the following day.

It will be the fifth match of the tournament for Irmatov, a 32- year-old Uzbek school football instructor, who became the youngest man since 1934 to referee the opening match of a FIFA World Cup when South Africa played Mexico on June 11.

He also officiated the quarter-final between Argentina and Germany and took charge of the FIFA Club World Cup final in 2008. He refereed his first international in March 2004.

Kassai, a 35-year-old Hungarian sales manager, has already refereed three matches at the current World Cup and was at the whistle for the first leg of the South Africa 2010 play-off between Bahrain and New Zealand. His first international was in August 2004.

Of the eight referees available for the final on July 11, Ireland’s largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, said highly respected Englishman Howard Webb was the odds-on favourite to get the nod.

But it has been speculated that Webb would be ruled out if Uruguay reach the final because he would be under undue pressure and scrutiny.

Uruguayan officials failed to see that a shot by England’s Frank Lampard crossed the line in the team’s 4-1 round of 16 defeat to Germany.

Villa sends Spain into semis

Admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 23:59:46 +0000

David Villa scored the only goal as European champions Spain beat Paraguay 1-0 at Ellis Park on Saturday to set up a World Cup semi-final against Germany.

Villa struck the winner seven minutes from the end of what had been a disjointed quarter-final performance from the fancied Spaniards in a game that saw both goalkeepers save second-half penalties.

Germany, who lost to Spain in the Euro 2008 final, had earlier thumped Argentina 4-0 in Cape Town.

Paraguay made a good start to the match and created two chances in the first 10 minutes.

Jonathan Santana shot too close to goalkeeper Iker Casillas from 20 yards and then Cristian Riveros failed to hit the target with a header from Victor Caceres’s pinpoint cross.

Spain were out of sorts with even Barcelona playmaker Xavi uncharacteristically wasteful with his passing.

However, he finally brought a spark to the European champions’ play when he hit a dipping volley from 25 yards just over the bar.

Four minutes from the break Paraguay had the ball in the net as Nelson Valdez latched onto a long ball and slotted home into the bottom corner but his strike was ruled out for offside.

Out-of-form Liverpool forward Fernando Torres remained an isolated figure up front and it was not surprising that Spain coach Vicente del Bosque replaced him with Cesc Fabregas.

The game burst into life around the hour mark.

Paraguay had a golden opportunity to take the lead on 59 minutes when Gerard Pique was penalised for hauling down Oscar Cardozo in the box.

But Cardozo missed the resulting penalty with Spain captain Casillas guessing the right way to make the save.

Spain then went straight up the other end and Antolin Alcaraz was adjudged to have tripped new Barcelona signing Villa in the area.

Xabi Alonso stepped up to bury the penalty but was ordered to retake it as Spanish players had encroached.

Second time around he changed sides but Justo Villar then guessed right and saved before Sergio Ramos’s follow up was blocked on the line.

Spain, though, felt they should have had another penalty immediately as Fabregas tumbled under Villar’s dive.

Villar then parried a curling effort from Andres Iniesta before del Bosque threw on a forward Pedro for defensive midfielder Alonso as he went searching for the win.

Spain finally got the breakthrough on 83 minutes after a typically swift passing move through the heart of Paraguay’s defence.

Iniesta laid the ball to Pedro on the right and although his shot came back off the far post, it fell kindly to Villa whose own curled effort nestled in the net after coming off the woodwork.

In a frantic finale Casillas dived at the feet of Roaque Santa Cruz to prevent an equaliser while Villar then stopped Villa from making the game safe.

Johannesburg – David Villa fired Spain into the World Cup semi-finals on Saturday after a 1-0 win over Paraguay.

Villa scored his fifth goal of the tournament with just seven minutes remaining to book the Spaniards a semi-final against Germany, 4-0 conquerors of Argentina, in what will be a repeat of the Euro 2008 final won by Spain.

In an extraordinary second half, both sides saw penalties saved in quick succession.

Gerard Pique fouled Paraguayan forward Oscar Cardozo, who then saw Iker Casillas save his kick.

Two minutes later Justo Villar saved a twice-taken kick from Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso after Antolin Alcaraz had fouled Villa.

But Villa had the last laugh as Andres Iniesta found Pedro and although the youngster’s effort hit the post, the tournament’s top scorer bundled in the rebound.

Fans celebrate German victory

Admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 20:17:28 +0000

Port Elizabeth – Football fans were dancing on the benches at the German Club in Port Elizabeth on Saturday after their country’s third goal against Argentina.

The fourth shot into the net sent them into ecstasy.

“It’s nice watching with the Germans, they go crazy,” city local Jana van Rooyen said after the match, which had been shown on several large television screens at the venue.

Over 600 partisan patrons at the 60-year-old club greeted each goal scored in their team’s four-nil drubbing of Argentina with screams, cheers and high-fives. Many leaped up and started dancing.

“It’s like taking candy from a baby,” club manager Thomas Fuchs told Sapa at half time, at which point Germany was leading one-nil.

After the final whistle, he laughingly said it was “because we’re so sweet man” that his team had taken so much of the candy.

His hard-working assistant, Peter Allan, said he hadn’t had a chance to see much of the match, “but four-nil will do nicely”.

Fuchs’ wife, Sharon, predicted that Germany – which now goes through to the semi-final of the World Cup – would play in the final against Holland.

Few at the venue shed a tear for Argentina. “The plane was waiting for them,” said Friendly City resident Jenny Symington.

Screen shots of a despairing Argentina coach, Diego Maradona, were greeted with hoots of derision, while the club’s sound system broadcast snatches from the hit-musical song “Don’t Cry for me Argentina” through its speakers.

Fuchs said he’d served over 1 000 litres of draught beer to members. A young blonde woman, Celine Derbyshire, helped keep supporters spirits up by serving members “Frost Shots” in small foil sachets.

“It’s 8% alcohol, mixed with caffeine and some Colombian herb,” she said, adding that she’d already sold 60 sachets.

“People are just drinking them,” she said with a smile.

One woman received an unexpected 40th birthday present. Sporting a pair of bunny ears and with a set of pink handcuffs dangling from her left wrist, Mande Bage’s birthday attire stood out strikingly against the red, yellow and black background of the fervent German supporters.

“Absolutely fantastic,” she said, when asked what she thought of Germany’s goal tally.

Ghana’s SWC dream over

Admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 23:08:28 +0000

Johannesburg – Uruguay claimed their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 40 years after a pulsating 4-2 penalty shootout win over heartbroken Ghana at Soccer City on Friday.

Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved skipper John Mensah and Dominic Adiyah’s attempts after the quarter-final had been locked at 1-1 after extra time.

Two-time World Cup winners Uruguay will now play the Netherlands in the semi-finals in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Ghana could have won the match in the last minute of extra-time but leading scorer Asamoah Gyan sent a penalty crashing off the crossbar after Luis Suarez had been sent off for deliberate handball on the goal-line.

Ghana were bidding to become the first African team to win through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) had fallen in the last eight.

The Ghanaians scored first through Sulley Muntari two minutes into first-half stoppage time before Diego Forlan equalised with a brilliant free kick in the 55th minute.

In a pulsating quarter-final before 84,017 fans, Ghana led after Inter Milan midfielder Muntari let fly with a 30-yard effort which swerved and beat the diving Muslera into the bottom-left corner.

Muntari was having his first start of the tournament after coming in for the suspended Andre Ayew after being close to being sent home.

Muntari, who has a history of clashes with the management of his national side, had a dressing-room bust-up with Ghana’s Serbian coach Milovan Rajevac earlier in the tournament.

Man-of-the-match Forlan equalised with a spectacular direct free-kick 10 minutes after the resumption.

The influential Atletico Madrid star sent his free kick over the three-man defensive wall and beyond Richard Kingson’s reach into the top of the net after Ghana had threatened to take the game away from the Uruguayans.

Both teams went at each other in pulsating end-to-end action with fierce tackles and plenty of goalmouth action before the quarter-final went into extra time.

Uruguay, who last reached the semi-finals in 1970, will be without defender Jorge Fucile for the game after his second yellow card with Suarez also sitting out the game.

Just before half-time Uruguay also lost their skipper and key defender Diego Lugano with an injured right knee and he was replaced by Andres Scotti.

Worldcupsoccer2010.com

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Uruguay vs. Netherlands, Tuesday, 2:30 p.m. ET

Germany vs. Spain, Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET

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