Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Spain 1-0 Portugal

Spain defeated Portugal 1-0 at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday night to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. A second half strike from David Villa was enough for the European champions to see off the challenge of their Iberian rivals in the last-16 encounter. Portugal's Ricardo Costa was sent off late in the game.

Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso recovered from an ankle problem to start against Portugal on Tuesday night. Coach Vicente del Bosque maintained his faith in striker Fernando Torres despite the Liverpool hitman failing to shine in the World Cup so far.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz deployed Pepe in a midfield role in front of the back four and Cristiano Ronaldo and Simao on the wings. Hugo Almeida was the central striker for the Euro 2004 finalists.

It was Spain who started the brighter of the two sides as they had their first shot on goal as early as the second minute.

Gerard Pique instigated the move on the right side as he played Xavi in the middle of the park. The Barcelona maestro spread the ball wide to Sergio Ramos, who then played in Torres but the Liverpool hitman’s shot on goal was palmed away by Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo.
A minute later David Villa attempted a long-range effort from a narrow angle on the left but once again Eduardo stood up to the challenge.

Villa tried to repeat his trick in the seventh minute when he collected a Xavi pass on the left, cut inside and took a low right-footed shot on the Portugal goal. But once again the newly signed Barcelona striker was thwarted by Eduardo.

Portugal had failed to make any meaningful forays into the Spanish half but on 10 minutes star player Cristiano Ronaldo did attempt to create an opening. The Real Madrid player ran down the right and floated in a cross, which, though, was too far away for Almeida.

Spain continued to dominate possession and territory with Portugal restricted to hopeful crosses. In the 19th minute la Furia Roja had their opponents in a fix when Ramos released Torres on the right and he swung in a quick cross. However, there was no one in a red shirt to head home the pass.

A couple of minutes later Portugal had their first shot on target and could have actually taken the lead. Tiago was afforded too much time and space on the ball outside the Spain penalty box and took a stinging shot on goal. Casillas could only push it upwards and barely scrambled the ball away as Almeida rushed in to head it home.

The Group H winners propelled themselves into another attack in the 24th minute when a marching Ramos passed the ball to Andres Iniesta just outside the box. But the midfielder’s through ball aimed to find Villa went out of play.

However, Portugal could have taken the lead against the run of play in the 28th minute when Ronaldo’s straightforward free kick was wobbled over by Casillas before being finally put to safety.

A minute later Villa went for a cross-shot from the left but saw the ball end on the roof of the Portugal net. Moments afterwards Xavi went for goal himself from around 20 yards but couldn’t keep his shot on target.

Spain kept on trying to breach the Portugal citadel but could not find the opening goal of the game. However, in the 39th minute it was Queiroz's side who could have taken the lead when Raul Meireles crafted a wonderfully floated ball into the Spain penalty area only for Almeida to head the ball wide despite outjumping Joan Capdevila.

Portugal had two quick chances after that. Simao was almost sent through on goal on a quick counter but Casillas came out of his area to clear the danger. Moments later Fabio Coentrao delivered a dangerous cross into the area that Tiago fiercely headed towards Casillas’s goal but couldn’t find the target.

In the dying seconds, Torres had a chance but he was foiled by Portugal centre-back Ricardo Carvalho.

Spain started the second half in attacking mode as Torres tried to march along the left side. However, he was tackled by Coentrao.

On 52 minutes Ramos galloped down the right and delivered a ball towards Xabi Alonso, who was however beaten to the header by Tiago. The move continued, though, as Xavi tried to find Torres only to see the ball reach Eduardo.

Portugal then launched a counter-attack as Almeida whipped in a cross that was almost put into his own net by Carles Puyol as he protruded his knee to block the cross.

It became end-to-end action after that as Ramos and Xavi tried to play a one-two but failed. At the other end Casillas was forced to punch out a ball.

Just before the hour mark Spain coach Vicente del Bosque brought on Fernando Llorente in place of Fernando Torres and the change almost paid instant dividends. Ramos swung in a brilliant cross from the right that Llorente stooped to head into the Portugal net, but his header went straight to Eduardo.

Spain were the side imposing the most pressure at this point of time and the World Cup favourites eventually scored in the 63rd minute. A neat interplay among the Spanish players in tight spaces saw David Villa receive the ball on the left side of the box. His first attempt on the Portugal goal was blocked by Eduardo but the former Valencia striker made no mistake from the rebound.

La Furia Roja were clearly the side looking more likely to score the second goal of the night as Xavi and Capdevila both ventured forward. Indeed, the Spaniards could have netted in the 70th minute when right-back Ramos cut inside from the right and took an attempt on the Portugal goal with his left foot. Eduardo did just enough to parry it away.

Villa, who had earlier scored his fourth goal of the World Cup in South Africa, could have added to his tally on 77 minutes when he went for an audacious 30-yard attempt on goal that Eduardo once again punched away.

Spain continued to suffocate Portugal of space and possession. Things turned from bad to worse for the Portuguese when Ricardo Costa was sent off for elbowing Capdevila in the face on 88 minutes. Deep into injury time Portugal came close to stealing the equaliser but the Spanish defenders stood strong as Spain deservedly reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Paraguay 5-3 Japan after penalties shootout

he first penalty shoot-out of the 2010 World Cup has seen Paraguay progress at the expense of Japan after a tense but ultimately tepid encounter in Pretoria.

There were few genuine chances over the course of the bland encounter. La Albirroja had the better of the play but struggled to create chances against a well disciplined Samurai Blue defence, while the Japanese were frequently found wanting for real imagination in attack. Lucas Barrios had a promising opening midway through the first half, which was quickly followed by a Daisuke Matsui shot off the bar at the opposite end of the field.

Extra-time was only equally tense, so it took penalties to decide the outcome in favour of la Albirroja.

Contrary to prior expectations, the game actually started out with a nice tempo. Both sides pushed on purposefully, but neither seriously threatened to score. Yuichi Komano drove meaningfully forward from his right-back role in the Japanese defence but fired wide from an ambitious range.

Roque Santa Cruz offered some kind of riposte from the South Americans, firing a dangerous high cross along the line of the six yard box that was narrowly too long for Edgar Benitez, who had taken Nelson Valdez’s spot in the starting XI.

This promising opening would not last the duration of the fixture, which quickly nosedived into the kind of tactical affair that few neutrals would relish. The pressing of Japan in the middle of the field was commendable, but only on a handful of occasions would either defence look like being punctured.

Paraguay were bossing the ball but largely lacked imagination in the final third. A cute pass gave Lucas Barrios the chance to spin away from the defence on the edge of the box, which was a skill he executed brilliantly, but faced with Eiji Kawashima, the Borussia Dortmund forward was thwarted.

Matsui quickly offered a reply, quickly reacting to a loose ball 25 yards out to bend and dip a fine effort against the top of the Paraguayan crossbar.

Set pieces had been tipped to pose the Japanese real problems, though the delivery of Claudio Morel was questionable in the early stages. When he did finally get a corner right, the ball dropped kindly to Santa Cruz, who smacked his shot marginally wide of goal.

Six minutes before the interval a strong break down the right from Matsui, who was arguably the best player on the park in the first half, created a clean shooting chance for Keisuke Honda. From the edge of the penalty box, the CSKA Moscow player slashed his shot just wide, though Justo Villar was scrambling desperately.

There were few signs in the early stages of the second half that things would improve. Nestor Ortigoza dallied a little too long when seemingly well placed to allow Yuto Nagatomo to make a good block, while similar hesitancy would also cost Benitez when usefully positioned.

Cristian Riveros’ influence would rise and it would be the midfielder who had the first meaningful Paraguayan effort on goal after the restart, thumping a header straight at Kawashima.

By this stage Nagatomo had already had a shot deflected into the gloves of Villar and soon afterwards Tulio would head wide from a corner kick.

During this brief period there was real life about the game, but once again it would deteriorate into an uninspiring slugfest. Edgar Barreto tried a desperate shot from distance after 75 minutes but it was easily stopped by Kawashima, who might have had an issue with the awkwardly bouncing ball.

There was life in the latter stages of the game, but neither side looked capable of finding a breakthrough against their cautious opponents. Extra-time was therefore the logical outcome.

The first five minutes of the additional period followed the same script as the original ninety, though Kengo Nakamura had an ambitious shot deflected wide for the Samurai Blue before the South Americans regained their dominance.

Barrios was thwarted by Kawashima, who would make an even better block from Valdez moments later after the forward had spun effectively at the edge of the box.

Once again this hopeful start proved to be little more than a false dawn as the fear of losing outweighed the desire to claim victory. Set pieces provided the likelier route to goal, but neither goalkeeper was tested in the closing 20 minutes of the additional half-hour

The best moment came through a Keiji Tamada break down the left. Though his initial spurt was arrested, a clever flick from Shinji Okazaki had the veteran through on goal, though his attempted pass from a difficult angle couldn’t pick out a team-mate.
After all of the first five penalties had been scored, Komano sent his kick against the top of the bar. Paraguay were thereafter flawless from the spot and progressed to the last eight of the competition for the first time.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Brazil 3-0 Chile

Two goals in the first half from Juan and Luis Fabiano gave Brazil a comfortable 2-0 lead over Chile in the last-16 clash, before Robinho sealed the win in style with a second half strike as the Selecao set up a tantalising quarter-final showdown with the Netherlands.

South American pride and bragging rights were at stake as both Chile and Brazil looked to avoid becoming the first nation from the continent to be knocked out of the 2010 World Cup.

Chile showed all the initiative in the opening exchanges as they pinned back Brazil, who were happy to absorb the pressure and pounce on the break.

Indeed, it was the Selecao who had the first real chance after four minutes when Robinho released Luis Fabiano through on goal in a counter-attack, but the Sevilla striker dragged his shot wide across goal.

Dunga’s men quickly wrestled control of the game after that and on eight minutes, Gilberto Silva unleashed a piledriver from 25 yards out, which Claudio Bravo was forced to dive at full stretch to palm the ball away. Kaka then fired wired from the ensuing corner as Chile suddenly found themselves chasing shadows.

But La Roja finally carved out their first shot at goal on 12 minutes when Humberto Suazo fired his half-volley straight at Julio Cesar after he got in between two defenders to meet Alexis Sanchez’s through pass.

It didn’t take long for the frantic pace of the early minutes of the game to dissipate and chances started to dry up as both teams settled into a normal rhythm. In fact, the fans at Ellis Park had to wait until the 34th minute before they were up on their feet. And it was the Brazilian half of the crowd that were celebrating as the Canarinha took the lead when Juan thumped a bullet header into the top corner from Maicon’s corner.

Just three minutes later, it became 2-0. Robinho squared the ball to the middle to Kaka, who touched it on to Luis Fabiano and the striker coolly rounded the on-rushing Bravo before slotting the ball into the empty net.

Five minutes from the break, Michel Bastos galloped down the left channel and drilled in a low drive which flashed just wide, before Fabiano came close to a second but he hammered his header over from 12-yards out from a Maicon cross.

Brazil continued to look the more threatening side as Chile struggled to hang on for the half-time whistle.

A desperate Marcelo Bielsa made two changes at the break in a bid to haul his Chile side back into the contest. Rodrigo Tello came on for Pablo Contreras while Jorge Valdivia replaced Mark Gonzalez, but it was the Selecao who came out firing again when Dani Alves’ free kick all the way on the left channel just floated over the bar.

La Roja managed to string together a number of half-decent attacks, but it was their final ball into the opposition box that let them down. That only resulted in Brazil taking advantage of the gaps at the back to launch counter-attacks. And that was precisely how they five-time world champions made it 3-0.

Ramires made an interception in the halfway line, darted forward all the way to the edge of the area before teeing up Robinho to curl a wonderful side-footed shot past a hapless Bravo. Minutes later, Dani Alves let rip a 30-yard rocket which swerved agonisingly wide.

Chile, to their credit, didn’t let their heads drop as they fought valiantly for a consolation goal. Valdivia came closest on 65 minutes when he flicked up an Alexis Sanchez squared ball and pummelled in a volley which flew just over.

Another lightning break for Brazil almost resulted in a fourth goal when Robinho chased down a through ball and arrowed in a low drive across goal but Bravo got down well to swat it away.

Straight to the other end, Julio Cesar was forced to make his first save of the game when he dived full stretch to deny a superb shot from Humberto Suazo. Minutes later, Suazo’s volley right off the ground dipped over Julio Cesar but it could only clip the top of the bar.

Jean Beausejour and Valdivia had the last clear-cut chances of the game for Chile when they both pulled their shots wide but Brazil’s commanding lead never looked in danger as they went on to secure an impressive 3-0 win and a date with the Netherlands in the quarter-finals.

Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia

The Dutch always seemed to hold this match in their hands, particularly after grabbing the initiative thanks to a trademark strike from Arjen Robben. Bert van Marwijk’s Oranje maintained their steady if unspectacular level for much of the remainder of the match, though the Repre enjoyed some threatening moments in the second half. In the dying stages of the match, Wesley Sneijder pounced on a glaring goalkeeping error to put the Dutch into the quarter-finals, though a late Robert Vittek penalty would take some of the shine from the result.

Long range shots from either side were very much the order of the day in the opening few minutes. Slovakia made their presence felt with strong efforts from Vladimir Weiss and Marek Hamsik but it was the Netherlands who ultimately took a hold on the match, despite the initial exchanges being finely balanced.

Wesley Sneijder was heavily involved for the Dutch, as his been his custom in the competition to date. His first contribution was a shot from distance that went over the top, and that was matched by Dirk Kuyt soon afterwards, though the Liverpool man dragged his ambitious strike from range wide.

There could be little doubt that the Oranje were beginning to get into their stride, even if some of their passing was a little sloppy at times. Better opportunities started to be created by Bert van Marwijk’s side, but Robin van Persie wasted a good headed chance from just outside the six yard box and Sneijder finished tamely after being rolled in by the Arsenal forward.

It was Robben, making his first start of the World Cup after injury, who broke the deadlock. Sneijder was the architect, launching a fine long pass for the Bayern Munich winger to scamper onto down the left. As he has done so many times this season, the Dutchman gathered possession 30 yards from goal, advanced to the corner of the box, cut inside and slid a low left-footed shot into the corner of the net.

Prior to the break the Netherlands seemed to ease their effort somewhat, simply content to keep their opponents at an arm’s length. Van Persie tried to inject some life into the Dutch attack after the Oranje had withstood several Slovakian set-plays but the striker’s somewhat mundane right-footed shot from 25 yards was comfortably fielded by Jan Mucha.

A couple of minutes before the half-time interval, Van Persie slid a firm shot by the near post after good work by Mark van Bommel getting down the right.

Having drifted in and out of the game in the first half, it was Robben who tried to make a significant early impact in the second. The Bayern Munich forward again jinked inside onto his left foot at the edge of the box but this time his low drive was superbly blocked by Mucha down to his right.

Moments later the goalkeeper produced an arguably better block. After the corner kick resulting from Robben’s shot had broken down, the 26-year-old broke into the left side of the box before delivering an intelligent centre that was turned goalwards by Joris Mathijsen. The big defender connected with the ball well, but Mucha spread himself well to block with his face.

On the rare occasions the Slovakians pushed forward meaningfully, the Dutch tended to counter their attacks forcefully. A swift break down the right was led by Robben, who picked out Sneijder on the opposite side of the pitch, though the Inter man’s shot was blocked by a retreating defender.

Midway through the second period, Maarten Stekelenburg in the Netherlands goal was suddenly employed after being a spectator for much of the previous 65 minutes. Miroslav Stoch had a fierce strike from the edge of the box brilliantly turned over the top by the Ajax goalkeeper. Robert Vittek seemingly had the freedom of the box seconds later, but after breaking the offside trap he was thwarted by the custodian.

Stirred into action, the Oranje began to push their way forward once again, with Kuyt having a long range effort parried by the post with little over quarter of an hour remaining.

Slovakia certainly did allow their levels to drop, though Vittek was again found wanting in front of goal when he pivoted to shoot over from the edge of the box after a fortunate ricochet fell at his feet.

The Netherlands had rarely looked like adding to their tally, but when Mucha badly misjudged a quickly taken free kick from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Kuyt was able to take his time and calmly pick out Sneijder on the penalty spot. With a whole goal to aim at, the Inter player didn’t waste his chance.

Play was spread in the remaining seconds, and Slovakia pulled a goal back with the very last kick - Vittek converting a penalty kick deep into stoppage time.

There can be few doubts the classier side progressed, but it is a source of debate whether it’s good for the Dutch to have progress to the quarter-finals without hitting their best level. Meanwhile, Slovakia can return home with their heads high after a World Cup debut to remember.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Argentina 3-1 Mexico

Argentina will face Germany in the World Cup quarter-finals after the South Americans overcame Mexico 3-1 in Johannesburg tonight.

Carlos Tevez headed home controversially after 26 minutes, appearing to do so from an offside position, before Gonzalo Higuain struck a second. Tevez hit a beautiful third in the second half before Javier Hernandez netted a consolation.

As expected, Juan Sebastian Veron and Jonas Gutierrez missed out as Diego Maradona switched largely back to the side which had started Argentina’s campaign rather than the rotated set-up of their last group game against Greece. With Walter Samuel injured, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Burdisso and Maxi Rodriguez retained their spots. There were three changes for Mexico, as Efrain Juarez, Adolfo Bautista and Hernandez replaced Guillermo Franco, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Hector Moreno, meaning a switch to centre-back for skipper Rafael Marquez.

After a largely Argentina dominated opening, Mexico had two great efforts in no time at all. First, Carlos Salcido cut inside and unleashed a speculative effort from 35 yards out which had Sergio Romero scrambling back to flick onto the bar. Before the Albiceleste could draw breath, Giovani dos Santos made a break down the right before pulling the ball back for Jose Guardado, whose left foot shot from 20 yards swung just wide of the far post with Romero beaten.

Although the South Americans slotted straight back into their smooth passing play, it was Mexico who once again forced the next decent opening, with Bautista and Hernandez combining well before the latter fired just wide.

El Tri were not having it all their own way though, as they were left resorting to kicks rather than tackles on Lionel Messi at times as they showed an early inability as to come to terms with the diminutive attacker’s threat. The No. 10 could even be found 30 yards from his own goal battling for the ball as he looked to find space wherever he could get it.

Eventually Messi was able to have a huge influence as Argentina took a highly controversial lead. He and Carlos Tevez ran in tandem at the heart of the Mexico defence and the Manchester City forward was able to squeeze the ball through for Messi to go one on one with Oscar Perez. After the keeper was able to foil him, Messi chipped the ball towards goal before Tevez, who appeared to be a metre or so offside, flicked home a header beyond two retreating defenders.

It momentarily appeared as though the strike was to be ruled out as referee Roberto Rosetti consulted his assistant at length, but despite protests from the Mexican players the goal was allowed to stand.

Within just seven minutes the Albiceleste rubbed salt into the open wounds by adding a second. Ricardo Osorio took his eye off a simple pass at the back, and the loose ball was pounced upon by Gonzalo Higuain, who charged forward before coolly rounding Perez and slotting into the empty net.

After their endeavour in the early stages and the injustice of the first goal, Mexico might have considered themselves unfortunate, but they now had to face up to the reality of chasing two goals.

It could so easily have been three after Messi’s throw was flicked on by Higuain and Tevez went on the rampage towards the Mexico goal, but el Tri managed to block his effort and then cleared Maxi Rodriguez’s cross soon after.

A further chance was wasted as Argentina really began to turn the screw. Otamendi did superbly to reach the bye-line before crossing for Higuain, who was unable to get enough contact onto his header and glanced wide from five yards.

There was a scuffle between the two sets of players as they went in at the break and when they all came back out Mexico did so without Bautista, who was replaced by Pablo Barrera.

After an initial period of cat and mouse at the start of the second half the result was put beyond doubt by a moment of Argentine magic.

Forced onto his left foot with seemingly nothing on, Carlos Tevez ducked back onto his right, getting a break off a Mexican defender as he did so, before unleashing an unstoppable effort from 25 yards.

It was a killer blow for el Tri, a side who could quite rightly have claimed to be Argentina’s equal for long spells in the game. They were left reduced to aiming speculative efforts at Sergio Romero, with Guardado closest to catching out the AZ goalkeeper.

Guardado was then replaced by Guillermo Franco as Javier Aguirre tried to come up with something that would get his team back into the running. Within seconds they’d fashioned an opportunity, but Hernandez could only head over from close range when unmarked.

With question marks over officiating continuing today, there was another flashpoint when Mexico appeared to have pulled a goal back when Pablo Barrera knocked the ball beyond Romero but Gabriel Heinze raced back to clear. Initially the ball seemed to have crossed the line, but video replays were in short supply.

But within seconds Mexico had their lifeline as Javier Hernandez beautifully turned a static Martin Demichelis before firing a neat left foot finish high into the net at Romero’s near post.

Far from signalling a late Mexican rally, the goal seemed to just fire up the Albiceleste further, as they continued to knock the ball around with ease, knowing that continued possession would make it very difficult for el Tri to regain any more ground on the scoreboard.

There was one opportunity for Mexico as a dangerous cross was swung over from the left but Gabriel Heinze superbly flung himself at the ball to clear at the far post ahead of Marquez.

Messi could have finally got his World Cup account ticking in stoppage time when unleashing a superb left foot strike, but Perez did well to tip over. But it was too little too late for the keeper as Mexico crashed out.

Germany 4-1 England

England have been knocked out of World Cup 2010 after losing 4-1 to Germany in their last 16 clash in Bloemfontein.

Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski benefited from poor defending in the first half to give the Germans a 2-0 lead before Matthew Upson headed past Manuel Neuer to pull a goal back for the Three Lions. Frank Lampard then saw his superb chip from the edge of the area cross the line but a goal was wrongly not given by referee Jorge Larrionda.

Fabio Capello’s side began the second half well but were undone by two German counter attacks as Thomas Mueller fired home twice to send England out of the tournament.

Germany made just one change from their 1-0 win over Ghana on Wednesday. Miroslav Klose returned from suspension to lead the line, replacing the injured Cacau, while Jerome Boateng and Bastian Schweinsteiger started despite concerns over their fitness.

Despite hinting in his pre-match press conference that he may make one change, Fabio Capello stuck with the same starting line-up in successive matches for the first time during his reign as England boss, with Matthew Upson keeping his place at centre-back ahead of Jamie Carragher and Ledley King.

Oezil has been one of the stars of the World Cup so far, and he had the game’s first major chance. The Werder Bremen playmaker managed to race in front of Ashley Cole to latch onto a looping pass forward before trying to beat James at his near post with a sharp right-footed strike at goal, but the England 'keeper made himself big and turned the ball away.

Capello has been criticised for persistently selecting Gerrard to play on the left side of midfield, but he was at the heart of England’s attacks early on. He continued to come deep to receive the ball, dictate the tempo of the game and look to pick out Rooney and Defoe, who was almost found one-on-one with Neuer before the keeper raced out of his goal to claim the ball.

There were very little opportunities for either side in the opening 20 minutes but Khedira and Lampard both had half-chances to open the scoring. Khedira cut inside from the right past Barry and attempted an ambitious left-footed shot but it flew high and wide before Lampard was presented with a free-kick 25 yards out, but could only smash the ball into the wall.

England had conceded just one goal in the tournament before the game, but that tally was doubled on 20 minutes. Neuer’s long goal-kick downfield caused unnecessary problems for England’s defence and neither Terry or Upson attacked the ball, leaving Klose to shrug off the challenge of Upson before sliding the ball into the bottom right-hand corner past the onrushing James.

Barry looked to get his side straight back into the game a couple of minutes after going behind. The Manchester City midfielder received a pass 25 yards out from goal and tested the palms of Neuer, who was able to catch the ball under pressure from Gerrard and Rooney looking to convert the follow up.

Poor defending from England was the tale of the first half and they were undone again minutes later. Klose played a terrific chip down the right wing to find Muller who benefited from slack defending once again to pick out the unmarked Podolski at the far post. The Cologne forward then fired the ball left-footed underneath James into the far corner.

Upson played a part in both of Germany’s goals but managed to pull a goal back for Capello’s men moments later. Gerrard was found in space on the edge of the area following a short corner to deliver a right-footed cross into the box and Upson climbed above everybody to head past a stranded Neuer into an empty net.

Goal-line technology has been the talk of football for years now and England should have benefited from it on 37 minutes. Lampard was left with plenty of space on the edge of the area to superbly chip the ball over Neuer, who had come off his line. The ball struck the crossbar and clearly crossed the line but the referee wrongly decided not to allow the goal, meaning the Germans reached half-time with their lead intact.

Lampard should have had a goal allowed in the first half, and he came close to equalising for England after 53 minutes. The Three Lions won a free-kick around 25 yards out and Lampard smashed the ball over the three-man wall, rattling the crossbar once again - only the ball bounced back into play this time.

Shocking defending from England proved to their downfall in the first half, but it was Germany who almost gifted Capello’s side a goal as the hour mark approached. Lahm’s short back-pass presented Defoe with a chance to go through on goal but Neuer rushed out of his area to smash the ball away.

Both sides were then given opportunities to add to their tallies. Mueller skipped past Terry far too easily before trying to find the bottom right-hand corner with precision but the shot took a deflection off Ashley Cole and sailed wide of the post. Rooney then picked out Milner unmarked on the right side of the German area but his snapshot was blocked by new Manchester City recruit Boateng.

England were the better team in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but Fabio Capello decided to change things. Fans favourite Joe Cole replaced Milner on the right wing and looked sharp on arrival, earning cheers from the Three Lions faithful with his first few touches.

Lampard had another chance from a free-kick shortly after, but, this time, the result was not what England were hoping for. His shot at goal was blocked by the wall and Germany quickly broke on the counter attack with Schweinsteiger. The Bayern Munich man raced forward and played in Mueller in space on the right-hand side of the area who beat James at his near post with a fierce strike.

Just a couple of minutes after Mueller’s goal, he was at it again. Another counter attack saw Oezil break with pace down the left wing, and after skipping past Barry with ease, he rolled the ball across the face of goal for Mueller to tap home from close range.

Changes were then made from both managers. Fabio Capello brought on Heskey for Defoe, while Joachim Loew was able to rest players and bring on Gomez and Trochowski for Klose and two-goal hero Mueller.

Germany were able to keep possession with ease for the next five minutes before Gerrard had a chance to pull a goal back. After a neat passing move, the England skipper picked up the ball on the edge of the area and jinked past a defender before firing towards the far corner and forcing Neuer into a decent save.

Wright Phillips was brought on late on for Johnson, who seemed to be struggling with a knock, but England couldn’t find a way back as they suffered their worst ever World Cup final defeat.

USA 1-2 Ghana

Asamoah Gyan has rifled Ghana into the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup after striking early in the first half of extra-time. The game was locked at 1-1 after 90 minutes when a Landon Donavon penalty cancelled out Kevin-Prince Boateng’s opening goal.

With a quarter-final showdown with Uruguay awaiting either nation, both teams went on an early charge to find the go-ahead goal in what was an open, free-flowing contest.

It was Clint Dempsey who had the first shot on target for the US after four minutes when he rifled in an ambitious 25-yard shot straight to Richard Kingson. But 60 seconds further up the field, Ghana surged into the lead against the run of play.

Ricardo Clark lost possession for the Americans right on the halfway line and Kevin-Prince Boateng darted forward almost unchallenged before drilling a low shot right on the edge of the area into the bottom corner past Tim Howard.

Ghana immediately grew in confidence as they completely dominated proceedings after the goal. Andre Ayew and Samuel Inkoom were constantly presented with acres of space down both wings on numerous occasions as the US struggled to close down their opponents.

The Black Stars had their next chance on 18 minutes when Asamoah Gyan curled in a freekick from 20 yards out but Tim Howard was equal to the task with a clean punch.

The USA finally caused some real panic in the opposition goal on 22 minutes when Landon Donovan released Michael Bradley through on goal down the left channel, but his cross-cum-shot was easily saved by Kingson.

The Stars And Stripes continued to struggle to find any meaningful rhythm and coach Bob Bradley was forced to make a tactical change just half an hour into the match as Maurice Edu came on for Ricardo Clark.

The change seemed to work a treat as the US carved out their best chance of the game just four minutes later. Dempsey slipped in a through ball to Robbie Findley who tried to stroke it in at the near post, but Kingson made a superb kick-save.

Straight to the other end, Ghana had an identical chance. Jay DeMeritt allowed a long clearance from the back to bounce over him and Kwadwo Asamoah latched onto it, but his low drive was smothered by Howard at his near post.

Asamoah then blazed wildly over after being teed up by a clever backheel from Boateng but Ghana were still able to head into the break with the advantage.

The US, sensing a need to change the complexion of the game, sent on Benny Feilhaber to replace Robbie Findley for the start of the second half and just two minutes in, the substitute almost equalised for the Americans.

Landon Donavon’s pull-back from the right trickled to Jozy Altidore, who laid it off for Feilhaber to attempt a toe-poke right infront of goal, but Kingson spread himself wide and successfully swatted the shot away.

Boateng and Gyan then had two attempts at goal fly just wide for the Ghanaians as both teams started trading blows from one end to the other. And right on the hour mark, the Americans were given a lifeline when Jonathan Mensah brought down Dempsey and the referee pointed to the spot.

Donavan stepped up and coolly slotted his penalty in off the post, sending Kingson the wrong way as USA restored parity.

Six minutes later, they were presented with a chance to take the lead. Donovan released Altidore with a lovely through pass but Kingson was quick off his line to make a superb sliding tackle. With 15 minutes left on the clock, the US should have given taken the lead. A slick build-up passing move saw Altidore release Bradley clean through on goal but he could only shoot low and meekly at Kingson. Moments later, Altidore had a glorious chance himself when he wrestled John Mensah off the ball inside the box but off-balance, he could only pull his shot agonisingly wide. The Black Stars suddenly looked out of steam and out of ideas as they pummelled multiple crosses into the box which was unable to be finished off. They did look the more dangerous side, however, as the Americans looked the more cautious as the game approached the end of regulation time and neither managed to find a winning goal. The first period of extra-time saw the Africans picking up where they left off after 90 minutes and they were rewarded for their adventure just three minutes in. Ayew’s speculative lobbed clearance found Gyan, who stayed firm despite Carlos Bocanegra’s shoulder charge before rifling in a stinging half-volley past Howard from 12 yards out. Shortly after, Feilhaber cannoned in a shot which just bounced wide after going through a crowd of defenders before Edu’s glancing header from a corner just flashed marginally off the mark. Ghana wisely retreated at the start of the second period of extra-time as a place in the quarter-finals beckoned. Chances were understandably few and far between as the legs started to go but to the credit of both teams, neither stopped running and the Africans even ventured forward occasionally to find a third goal. Herculez Gomez pulled a shot narrowly wide for the Americans late on and DeMeritt's overhead attempt just sailed over but there would be no more last minute heroics by the Stars And Stripes as the Black Stars hung on to claim a 2-1 victory to secure a berth in the quarter-finals to face Uruguay.

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea

Uruguay will enjoy their first World Cup quarter-final in 40 years after defeating South Korea 2-1 on a wet early evening in Port Elizabeth.

Having survived a fright in the opening five minutes when the Taegeuk Warriors hit the post, the Celeste moved into the ascendancy courtesy of Luis Suarez.

After opening the scoring, Uruguay dropped deeper and invited pressure. Ultimately the South Koreans found a deserved equaliser via a scrappy goal from Lee Chung-Yong, but a stunner from Suarez with 80 minutes on the clock proved decisive.

Both sides started the game brightly, looking to push forward when in possession. It was the South Koreans who were a little more adept in the early stages though, and after only five minutes came six inches from taking the lead.

Hovering over a free-kick on the left side of the box, Park Chu-Young delivered a fine shot up and over the wall, only to watch the ball rebound off the post and away from danger.

Diego Forlan quickly replied with a relatively tame effort that was direct at Jung Sung-Ryong, though the Atletico Madrid striker would moments later have a significant hand in the opening goal.

Having hared onto a clever cross-field pass from the active Edison Cavani, Forlan created space to roll a low delivery across the face of the six-yard box. Almost in slow motion, the defence and goalkeeper left the ball for each other, but Suarez wasn’t having any of the niceties, slamming unchecked into the net from an awkward angle at the back post.

Early defensive nerves on either side seemed to be dissipated by the opening goal, and though both sides passed the ball about in a largely cohesive manner, their play started to break down in the final third.

Suarez was denied a clear run on goal when Lee Jung-Soo coughed up possession as the last man and was lucky to see the assistant referee’s flag raise when the decision was marginal.

Park Chu-Young remained the main threat but his radar was marginally out when he tried his luck from 25-yards. His drive drifted by the post with Fernando Muslera scrambling a little.

South Korea were largely on the front foot, but they didn’t have the guile to break down the South Americans, with the decision making of Lee Chung-Yong especially questionable. Cha Du-Ri had a speculative effort as he advanced from his right-back position, but his strike dipped viciously over the bar.

On the break Uruguay looked a threat, though they were employing a rather sedate tempo to much of their play. Suarez nodded a Forlan free-kick into the arms of Jung Sung-Ryong when he probably should have been a little more forceful as he had escaped all hints of marking.

Great play from Maxi Pereira might have resulted in his penalty as his shot after a great piece of skill seemed to be blocked inadvertently by the arms of Ki Sung-Yong.

After the interval the flow of the game became more obviously towards the Uruguayan goal. The full-backs became increasingly involved in an attacking capacity, with a cross from Lee Young-Pyon smuggled behind at the near post by Diego Lugano after a clear Park Chu-Young dummy.

The Monaco striker had an opportunity to strike at goal himself around five minutes later as a ball bounced invitingly for the forward inside the box. Faced with a difficult angle, he elected to go for power, blasting the ball over the top.

Fernando Muslera finally had a shot to save just before the half hour mark. Cha Du-Ri delivered well from the right but Park Ji-Sung’s header lacked the venom to test the goalkeeper, despite being sent towards the corner of the net.

When offered his first serious test, Muslera wasn’t up to scratch. A free-kick into the box from the left was only half headed clear by Mauricio Victorino. The custodian crucially dallied under the high ball, allowing Lee Chung-Yong a rather routine equalising header from six-yards.

The Bolton Wanderers player wasted a great chance to make it 2-1 only moments later. Park Ji-Sung released a deft reverse pass to the 21-year-old, who shot straight at Muslera.

Uruguay now decided to show more attacking intent and twice in quick succession Suarez broke the offside trap. On the first occasion he was denied by the South Korean goalkeeper after trying his luck from a tight angle, but on the second occasion he elected to have a head straight at goal when he easily had time to control on his chest deep inside the box.

With ten minutes remaining, the Ajax forward scored a stunning goal to push the Celeste to the verge of the quarter-finals. A corner from Forlan looked too long, but the Asians failed to clear properly and the ball broke to Suarez, who cut inside and from the left hand corner of the box bent a sumptuous shot into the far corner.

It was a goal fit to win any game, but Uruguay had to survive a major scare late on when Lee Dong-Gook was released. The striker had a clean sight of goal but scuffed his shot, allowing Muslera to get enough on the ball to prevent it crossing the line before the defence cleared up.

Uruguay’s defensive approach might have been punished on another day, but Oscar Tabarez’s side will take their place in the last eight at the expense of a somewhat under-rated Korean unit. The Celeste will face either the USA or Ghana and will believe a berth in the semi-finals is a real possibility.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Spain 2-1 Chile

Spain netted twice in the first half through David Villa and Andres Iniesta against ten men Chile to secure passage to the last-16.
Vicente del Bosque’s side needed a victory to guarantee passage to the knockout phase while Chile only needed a draw to go through as group winners. But both sides started with a typically attacking formation and it was the Europeans who had the first look at goal after just three minutes when Xavi’s free-kick found Fernando Torres, who stayed onside but couldn’t keep his effort down.

Just a minute later, a long ball from Joan Capdevila bounced over Gonzalo Jara and allowed Torres to sneak in behind but El Nino’s shot blazed over after taking a deflection.

La Furia continued to dominate the early exchanges as they camped out inside the Chilean half but the South Americans sprang their first attack on nine minutes when Jean Beausejour’s pull-back found Mark Gonzales but he ballooned his shot high and wide after losing his footing.

Marco Estrada then tested Iker Casillas with a stinging shot from 20-yards out, before Alexis Sanchez attempted an audacious chip from the right channel which Casillas had to flap away with uncertainty. Marcelo Bielsa’s men were now in control of proceedings as Spain were forced into making sloppy passing errors.

Chances were few and far between despite the vibrant start as both teams battled for possession in midfield. But a moment of recklessness from Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo handed Spain the lead on 24 minutes. The shot-stopper came a long way out to intercept Xabi Alonso’s long ball from the back, but his poor sliding clearance sailed straight to David Villa, who dinked a sensational chip into the back of the net from 30-yards out.

Chile came charging forward immediately to look for a quick reply but it was the European champions who had the next big chance when Gerard Pique’s header from a Xavi’s corner looped just over the bar. La Roja then launched a rapid-fire counter-attack as Beausejour burst clean through on goal but his shot was blocked by a back-pedalling Pique.

As the Chileans continued to push forward, they left gaps at the back and Spain duly pounced when they made it 2-0 on 36 minutes. Iniesta spread the ball out to the left for Villa, who pulled it back to his new Barcelona team-mate and the midfielder coolly side-footed his shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner. In the build-up to the goal, Estrada tripped Torres on the edge of the box and he was subsequently sent off by the referee for a second yellow card.

With a comfortable lead and an extra man advantage, the Spaniards were able to impose themselves and control the rest of the half comfortably, although Xabi Alonso had to limp off injured.

Bielsa made two changes at the break, sending in forward Esteban Paredes and midfielder Rodrigo Millar, while Xabi Alonso returned to the pitch after shrugging off his ankle blow.

And the change immediately paid off for Chile as they pulled a goal back two minutes into the restart. Millar was unchallenged on the edge of the box as he checked onto his right foot and curled in a shot which took a wicked deflection off Pique to wrong-foot Casillas.

Spain looked rattled as the South Americans showed more urgency by pressing forward. Del Bosque decided to withdraw an anonymous and unfit Torres for Cesc Fabregas and La Furia immediately restore control in midfield.

Fabregas twice slotted in a sumptuous pass to Villa, but ‘El Guaje’ just couldn’t control to get a shot in. Xavi then dinked a superb through ball to Villa, but Waldo Ponce just got ahead of the Spain striker to smother the danger.

More careless defending by La Roja constantly allowed the Spanish Armada room to exploit but despite some delicious passing build-up, the likes of Villa, Sergio Ramos, Iniesta and Xavi failed to trouble Bravo in goal.

Chile’s fiery spirit started to wane as Spain were allowed to coast to the finish line with their usual possession football. Two offside calls against the South Americans were the only occasions the fans at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium were up on their feet as neither side over-committed having ensured qualification to the second round with this result. Fabregas had the last chance of the game after being teed up by Sergio Ramos’ cut-back but the Arsenal skipper miscued right infront of goal.

The victory is enough for Spain to top Group H and set up a tantalising showdown with Portugal in the last-16. Chile, despite the loss, will also advance to the knockout round by finishing second after Switzerland could only draw 0-0 with Honduras in the other game, but Bielsa’s side will have to face-off against continental neighbours, Brazil.

Switzerland 0-0 Honduras

A World Cup that started so brightly for Switzerland has come to a tame end as Ottmar Hitzfeld's side failed to find a way past an industrious Honduras, who probably deserved all three points on their second half showing at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

The pattern of the game proved unfamiliar territory for Hitzfeld's side at this World Cup, dictating the pace of the game instead of sitting and opting to hit the opposition on the counterattack.

Indeed as they upped their attacking effort in the second half, the Swiss were fortunate not to succumb to a sucker punch from Reinaldo Rueda's plucky outfit who frustratingly lacked the finishing touch to find their first goal of the finals despite some excellent attacking play, particularly in the second half.

The Swiss dominated a largely forgettable first half and captain Gokhan Inler, the heartbeat of Hitzfeld's team and the fulcrum of their creative impetus in midfield, could have provided them with a lead ten minutes in after a neat one-two with Tranquillo Barnetta presented him with a chance on the edge of the box but he dragged his effort wide of Noel Valladares left hand upright.

While the Swiss were in control they failed to seize the initiative early on and when Stephan Lichsteiner found himself in space inside the Honduras rearguard his excellent low cross into the penalty box went unrewarded as no team-mate was within ten yards of what would surely have been a simple tap-in.

Barnetta switched wings to great effect and regularly had los Catrachos on the back foot and provided Eren Derdiyok with a wonderful opportunity to head the Swiss in front but his downward header at the back post was marginally wide.

As the half evolved the Central American outfit grew in confidence as they continued to frustrate and although much of their counterattacking endeavour was halted by the assistant referee's offside flag, there were signs that the pace of their attack could trouble the Swiss.

Blaise Nkufo finished the half with two glorious chances to head Switzerland in front. Firstly with three minutes remaining he bizarrely opted to chest Derdiyok's well delivered back post cross and then another back post delivery gave him a free header which he failed to put on target.


After the interval the game opened up considerably as both sides showed an improved attacking intent yet, crucially, the quality in the final third was still lacking as neither 'keeper was really stretched.

Hitzfeld signalled Switzerland's intent with the introduction of mercurial veteran Hakan Yakin at the interval and he made an immediate difference as the Honduran's failed to deal with his dribbling ability without conceding free-kicks.


Switzerland's attacking policy left space at the for their opponent to exploit yet the Honduran's failed to take advantage of a number of gilt-edged counterattacking chances as they produced the better quality in attack in the latter stages.

David Suazo had a glorious chance to give Honduras a lead but somehow managed to direct his eight yard header off target with the goal at his mercy after a marvellous cross from Edgar Alvarez.

Then midway through the half Suazo returned the favour playing Alvarez in and from 15 yards, the 30-year-old did everything right but Diego Benaglio tipped over with a stunning close range reflex save.

Both sides went in search of the goal that would surely have won it leaving acres of space at the back and although the Hondurans did roll the ball home Alvarez had frustratingly and needlessly strayed into offside position.

Switzerland continued to probe but without really troubling Valladares and then in the dying minutes substitute Danilo Turcios produced a glaring close range gaffe failing to get even the slightest touch on a ball that would have given his side a deserved three points.

In the end a disappointing early exit for the Swiss after beating Spain in the opener and they join Honduras on their way home from South Africa while Spain and Chile fulfil Group H expectations.

Portugal 0-0 Brazil

Portugal held Brazil to a 0-0 draw in Durban to ensure both sides qualified from Group G in the World Cup.

It was a largely scrappy game, with the best chance falling to Portugal's Raul Meireles on the hour mark, who had his effort tipped wide by Julio Cesar.

As expected, Brazil made changes to their side in light of their already-assured place in the last 16. Dani Alves, Julio Baptista and Nilmar came in for Elano, Robinho and the suspended Kaka. Portugal made four changes, bringing in Danny, Duda, Costa and the fit-again Pepe.

Brazil attacked from the start, forcing a corner within the opening moments and seeing more of the possession than the Portuguese. But the early stages were beset by mistakes as the game lacked any real fluency.

Dani Alves had one effort from 25 yards which just went wide, while Portugal could have had the lead in the 18th minute. Raul Meireles made good progress down the left and crossed inch perfectly for Tiago, whose volley from outside the box flew just wide of goal.

Luis Fabiano was the first player to enter referee Benito Archundia’s notebook when he was booked for a late foul on Pepe. The same player was then brought down by Felipe Melo, but he escaped with a warning from the man in the middle.

A second yellow card followed in controversial circumstances, as Juan clearly raised his arm to stop a high ball reaching the path of Cristiano Ronaldo. The referee saw fit to show leniency rather than send of the defender, whilst also booking Duda for his protestations.

Suddenly, some end-to-end action followed as Nilmar’s left-foot shot was superbly parried onto the woodwork by Eduardo, before Portugal broke and Tiago fell to the ground after an apparent push in the back. Rather than award a penalty though, the referee penalised the Atletico Madrid midfielder for a dive and showed him a yellow card.

A Ronaldo free-kick flew well over the bar as Portugal started to cause Dunga’s sides further trouble down the middle.

Nilmar had another effort which he sent just wide as Brazil continued to threaten on the break and then Pepe became the latest man into the referee’s bad books when he committed a late tackle in midfield, before a Ronaldo pot-shot from 25 yards was easily collected by Julio Cesar.

Felipe Melo again fouled Pepe and this time received a booking, before getting a dressing down from team-mate Gilberto Silva for his cocky behaviour towards the referee on receiving his caution. Within seconds the midfielder was replaced by Josue in an attempt by Dunga to keep his side up to 11 men.

Neither coach made further changes at the break, and it was Portugal who threatened first in the second half as Ronaldo broke clear down the left, but his awkward low cross was easily cut out by Lucio. But when he ran at the Brazil skipper a second time moments later it took a diving header from Juan to bail out the big number three after Ronaldo had managed to get a cross in behind him.

Simao was introduced into the fray at the expense of Duda as Queiroz looked to get more width out of his side.

The five-time winners continued to try to work the ball around Portugal and a decent passing move led to Dani Alves crossing from the right for Luis Fabiano, but the striker had to arch backwards to get a header on target, making it easy for Eduardo to collect.

Substitute Simao then countered that effort with a speculative long-range strike which Julio Cesar collected at the second attempt as the game continued to lack the spark which many had expected to see.

It very nearly arrived on the hour mark when Ronaldo got free of Lucio on the right, and the defender’s cover tackle ran perfectly for Raul Meireles, but he chose to shoot with the outside of his right foot and Julio Cesar was able to tip the ball wide. The keeper picked up a heavy knock to his back as the two collided and had to be given treatment on the pitch before continuing.

When the corner finally came in, Ricardo Carvalho’s header was dealt with by two Brazilian defenders.

Danny appeared well set to test Julio Cesar as he found himself clear down the Portugal right, but a very late flag foiled him. The replays also suggested it was an erroneous flag.

Still the majority of shots seemed to be coming from long range, with Dani Alves attempting another speculative effort which failed to make Eduardo work — and one had to begin wondering whether the two sides would begin to settle for what was a mutually beneficial scoreline.

Ronaldo failed to reach a low cross at one end, whilst Fabiano overhit a ball looking for Dani Alves for the other as the game increasingly threatened to peter out. An excellent tackle by Carvalho foiled Julio Baptista just 20 yards from goal, but injured both players in the process before Michel Bastos brought down Simao, but Portugal wasted the free-kick.

Ronaldo thought he should have had another free-kick when he was brought down by Gilberto Silva, but the ball had already fallen Portugal’s way, only to be wasted by a high shot from Simao.

Brazil coach Dunga appeared to still be waving his men forward when they were on the ball, but for the most part the players seemed content to stroke the ball around as the clock ran down.

They did carve out an opening in the second minute of stoppages though as Ramires unleashed a stinging effort that Eduardo kept out with a brilliant one-handed leap.

North Korea 0-3 Cote d' Ivoire

Cote d' Ivoire have been eliminated from the World Cup as they failed to achieve the eight-goal swing against North Korea that would have put Portugal under threat, winning only 3-0.

The first half was entirely monopolised by the Elephants, but despite creating a stream of chances, they would only strike twice, with goals from Yaya Toure and Koffi Romaric. Such profligacy would be regretted after the break, as the Africans weren’t nearly so sharp and would only add to their tally late on from substitute Salomon Kalou.

Needing an avalanche of goals to stand any chance of going through, Cote d' Ivoire threatened on at least four occasions in the opening ten minutes. Less than 60 seconds were on the clock when Kader Keita raced onto a fine through pass from Yaya Toure but saw his shot blocked by Ri Myong-Guk.

The whirlwind start became a veritable tempest around the ten minute mark. A Koffi Romaric free kick was uncomfortably held by the Chollima goalkeeper before Gervinho rolled a square ball right along the goal line. Didier Drogba thumped a header into the net after 11 minutes but had his effort correctly disallowed for a marginal offside, moments before Gervinho span to shoot into the arms of Ri Myong-Guk.

A breakthrough was coming, and it arrived on 12 minutes when Yaya Toure cleverly planted a placed shot from the outside of the box into the very corner of the net.

The deluge of shots continued. Romaric’s shot-cum-cross moments later hit the post with a drive from the edge of the box, and the same player was on hand to make it 2-0 with less than 20 minutes played. Drogba showed exemplary control to pull down a difficult cross, turning away from his marker in one fluid movement. The Chelsea forward unleashed a thunderbolt that cannoned off the underside of the bar and bounced kindly back for the Sevilla midfielder to head home.

Hong Yong-Jo nearly pulled a goal back with a free kick that wrong-footed Boubacar Barry, but to the Ivorian goalkeeper’s relief, the effort dropped wide of his goal.

Just for a short period the Ivoirians were resisted, but there was always an underlying threat from the Africans, who were maintaining possession easily. Keita sent a fierce reminder of the Elephants’ threat by sending a stunning volley just by the top corner of the net and eight minutes before the interval a Gervinho toe-poke skimmed the far post when the Lille player should really have scored from a very good position.

Kolo Toure and Gervinho would complete the half with good efforts, though neither was a massive threat to their Asian opponents.

There was no relenting in the Elephants’ pressure after the break, initially at least. In the first five minutes after the restart the Ivorians again crawled all over the North Korean defence but, despite creating a couple of good situations, could not find a third goal that would have given the team some real momentum.

Drogba had the best chance in the early moments of the second half, but his diving header to connect with a loose ball in the box missed the top corner from six yards.

Increasingly the Ivorians’ play became fraught, and as a result the chances dried up. North Korea coincidentally increased in confidence and became a threat on the break, with Jong Tae-Se shooting on sight.

World Cup progression was growing an increasingly distant prospect for the Africans, and that was reflected in their attacks. Romaric had a powerful drive from distance well pushed away and substitute Kalou shot straight at Ri Myong-Guk, but the realisation of elimination was dawning on the green and white clad side.

Kalou had another wonderful chance 18 minutes from time, but he shot well over the top from close range after finding good space in the box.

An afternoon that had promised much at one stage was petering out in a disappointing fashion for the Africans. Their attacks were by now limp and their decision making poor.

At the other end of the field, great play from Pak Nam-Chol released Jong Tae-Se in the box. The North Korean could only prod at Boubacar Barry and the rebound wouldn’t fall kindly for the striker.

Cote d' Ivoire were swiftly breaking to add a third goal. Boka broke impressively down the left side and delivered a delicious early centre that was turned home by Kalou.

Aruna Dindane thought he had added a fourth on 85 minutes, but his scrambled finish after a Drogba free kick was disallowed due to offside, as the African side continued to push forward relentlessly to the death.

In the event, Portugal’s tie against Brazil would have eliminated Cote d' Ivoire no matter their tally, perhaps softening the blow of all the first half opportunities that were squandered in a game that really could have been a rout.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Denmark 1-3 Japan

A stunning brace of free kicks and a well-worked team goal gave Japan a richly deserved victory over Denmark as they progressed to the knockout stages for the first time outside their home country.

They join South Korea in the last sixteen with Asia securing two places in the second round also for the first time outside of the continent, the last time being in 2002.

The Samurai Blues landed their first knockout blow just after the quarter-hour. From 35 yards out on the right hand side of the pitch, Keisuke Honda fizzed the ball over the wall and impossibly beyond Sorensen. Though the keeper could be faulted for his footwork, it would be an injustice to take anything away from the CSKA star whose technique was reminiscent of the former Lyon midfielder Juninho Pernambucano.

When Japan won a free kick on the half-hour, everyone expected Honda to try and repeat the trick. However this is a real cohesive unit without stars and Asian Player of the Year Yaushito Endo stepped up and curled the ball beautifully into the net beyond a despairing Sorensen.

There had been a few butterflies for the Japanese fans early on when Simon Poulsen's cross took a deflection and fooled the Japanese defence, however Jon-Dahl Tomasson missed his attempt at an acrobatic volley and the ball skipped behind for a corner.

Then out of nothing, the East Asian side almost produced a goal. Yoshito Okubo delivered a wicked ball into the box, which enticed Sorensen from his goal. Daisuke Matsui attacked the pass but could only flick the ball against a somewhat fortunate Danish goalkeeper. Captain Makoto Hasebe then fired wide from a smart through ball with Agger caught hopelessly out of position.

In the second half, Endo almost made it three goals from free-kicks. Sensing a Danish keeper devoid of confidence, he tested out the Stoke keeper who was leaden-footed and lazily tipped the ball onto the post.

Tomasson took it upon himself to attempt to haul the Danes back into the game. Latching on to a rare Bendtner flick-on , the ball ran away from the Feyenoord striker by which time Kawashima was able to smother the angle and parry the ball behind.

The Danes looked more likely to salvage their World Cup once Christian Eriksen had been introduced. After a bright start, he showed excellent technique volleying narrowly over from well outside the area. However his sharp running was not enough and was indeed wasted against the backdrop of a neanderthal Danish style of football that is surely outdated at this level.

Tomasson was presented with a good chance to get on the scoresheet but after enduring a frustrating 70 minutes, he completely scuffed his shot and the opportunity evaporated. His fellow striker Soren Larsen looked the most likely to score and he rattled the crossbar with a terrific left-foot volley.

The Danes received an undeserved lifeline when Hasebe pushed Agger over in the box. Tomasson stepped up to equal the Danish goalscoring record and was fortunate to score the rebound after Kawashima saved a poor spot kick. Just as Denmark had a glimpse of hope, a moment of brilliance from Honda when he left Rommedahl for dead set up substitute Shinji Okazaki who tapped the ball into the empty net.

Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands

Netherlands recorded a 2-1 win against Cameroon and progress to the next round of the World Cup with nine points from three games, while the Africans go home with zero points.

The first chance of the match was for Cameroon after about five minutes of play. The Dutch defence allowed Aurelien Chedjou too much space about 25 yards out and the defender opted to try his luck with a powerful long range shot. Maarten Stekelenburg was alert though and picked up the shot with ease.

The Dutch then finally created a good chance halfway the first half. Rafael van der Vaart found Robin van Persie in the centre of the pitch and the Arsenal striker controlled the ball well. However, his shot was too weak to trouble the Cameroonian goalie.

Oranje came close again only minutes later. Van der Vaart found Sneijder inside the area with a brilliant back-heel, but the Inter star hesitated too long and his shot was blocked by a defender.

The referee had no other choice but to award Netherlands a free kick after Stephane M'Bia climbed all over Van der Vaart at the edge of the box. The Real Madrid playmaker stepped up to take it himself, but his low shot past the wall was saved by Hamidou.

The Netherlands then cut through the Cameroon defence without doing anything particularly special down the right. Nevertheless, Dirk Kuyt tugged his shot across goal as he tried to score on the turn.

Holland broke the deadlock after 36 minutes of play. Van Persie exchanged a one-two with Van der Vaart deep in Cameroon's half and the Arsenal striker coolly slotted home with a low shot at the far post.

Geremi caused the Dutch defence all kinds of trouble with a dangerous cross from the right minutes before the interval. Heitinga missed the header, allowing Samuel Eto'o to control the ball. However, the prolific hitman's first touch let him down and Stekelenburg picked up the loose ball.

Again Eto'o was close to levelling the score after a superb through pass from Landry N'Guemo, but Stekelenburg was once again alert and rushed off his line to intercept the pass.

Netherlands came close to doubling their lead minutes after the break. A great angled pass from Sneijder found Van Persie in a dangerous position. The Arsenal star unleashed a shot from 20 yards out, but Hamidou saved the right footed shot with ease.

Wonderful play from Eto'o led to a chance for the Africans at the hour mark. From nothing he accelerated through a couple of challenges, bulldozed his way by one more in the box but had his shot blocked behind by a defender. The resulting corner found N'Guemo, but he midfielder aimed his shot wide of the target.

Jean Makoun then really should have levelled the score after great work from Aboubakar. The youngster went by several opponents before setting up the Olympique Lyon star, but Stekelenburg pulled off a superb save to deny Makoun.

Eto'o did score the equalizer in the 66th minute. The referee pointed to the spot after Van der Vaart touched the ball with his arm inside the area and Eto'o calmly slotted home from twelve yards.

A great delivery from Van der Vaart invited Nigel de Jong to attack it minutes after the equalizer, but he couldn't connect properly with the ball, which went out for a goal kick.

Netherlands got a free kick in a dangerous position about ten minutes before the final whistle. Sneijder whipped in a low cross, but Rigobert Song cleared it for a corner before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar got to it.

Oranje were not giving up that easy though and Huntelaar restored his side's lead in the 84th minute. Sneijder found Arjen Robben with an intelligent through pass and the Bayern Munich star hit the upright with a placed shot. The rebound fell to Huntelaar and the Milan hitman calmly slotted home.

Oranje should have had a penalty of their own in the dying minutes of the match. Robben's through ball picked out Huntelaar, who's the victim of a clumsy challenge from Mbia. The referee waved play on though.

Slovakia 3-2 Italy

World champions Italy suffered an embarrassing exit at the first hurdle thanks to Slovakia's pulsating 3-2 World Cup Group F victory at Ellis Park.

Robert Vittek struck either side of the break before Antonio Di Natale's goal gave Italy hope. Kamil Kopunek made the game safe for Slovakia in the 89th minute, before a further consolation from Fabio Quagliarella.
The 2006 winners knew before the game that a win would definitely be enough for them to progress to the next round, while a draw may prove just enough. Slovakia needed nothing less than a win, and would need to do so by a couple of goals if New Zealand beat Paraguay.

Italy made two changes as expected, bringing in Gennaro Gattuso and Di Natale for Claudio Marchisio and Alberto Gilardino. Slovakia made twice as many changes, with Radoslav Zabavnik, Juraj Kucka, Miroslav Stoch and Erik Jendrisek replacing Kornel Sakata, Jan Kozak, Stanislav Sestak and Vladimir Weiss after the defeat to Paraguay.

One of the new starters, Di Natale, was clearly looking to make an immediate impact as he attempted a speculative lob from distance inside the first 20 seconds, but it failed to trouble Jan Mucha in the Slovakia goal.

There was a glorious opportunity for Marek Hamsik to give Slovakia the lead in the sixth minute when Robert Vittek flicked the ball backwards into the Napoli star’s path, but he scuffed his left foot volleyed attempt wide of Federico Marchetti’s goal from 12 yards.

It was a rather nervy start to the game, with stakes extremely high for both countries. There was little in the way of creative midfield play in the opening exchanges, as the two sides looked to hassle and harry each other into a crucial early mistake.

The first yellow card was always going to be chalked up reasonably early, and Zdeno Strba was the recipient for a foul on the spinning Gattuso. Moments later Simone Pepe attempted to catch out Mucha from distance, ignoring the back post run of Di Natale in the process, but the keeper managed to get down and smother than swinging Jabulani ball.
As Italy were beginning to get into their stride, Slovakia continued to cause problems with long passes into the channels, with Jendrisek causing Giorgio Chiellini to concede a corner. But when the set piece was delivered from the right, just cleared Hamsik at the back post.

Martin Skrtel then made a magnificent run through the middle of the Azzurri engine room, before eventually being denied by Gattuso inside the Italy box when he’d just been unable to tee himself up on his left foot.

But Slovakia’s period of pressure came to fruition on 25 minutes when Daniele De Rossi gave the ball away too easily in midfield and the ball was quickly fed to Robert Vittek, who slid a perfect right foot shot low to Marchetti’s right to give the eastern Europeans a surprise lead.

The tension in the world champions’ camp was suddenly right on the surface, with several quick concessions of the ball allowing Slovakia to settle over the next few minutes after the delirium of taking the lead. Fabio Cannavaro was cautioned by referee Howard Webb as Italy continued to find only frustration under the now pressing circumstances they found themselves in.

It could so easily have been 2-0 on 35 minutes when Strba unleashed a thunderbolt from over 30 yards which Marchetti had to tip two-handed around the post. After the corner had come to nothing, Italy broke well, but Vincenzo Iaquinta just failed to get on the end of a promising throughball and it was allowed to run harmlessly out of play.

Iaquinta did then connect with a header which could have brought the Azzurri level, but it was deflected just over the bar and the resulting corner was easily dealt with.

Strba received a nasty looking deep gash on the shin when he and Gattuso had a coming together late in the half. Coach Vladimir Weiss was ready to bring on Kamil Kopunek in his place until he was strapped up and courageously made the decision to continue.

There was almost further trouble for Italy when Kucka struck a superb volley just wide of Marchetti’s near post, but Italy held on to a single-goal deficit at the break.

Not for the first time in this tournament, Marcello Lippi needed to make half-time changes in a bid to get his side back into the game. On came Cristian Maggio and Fabio Quagliarella for Gattuso and the lively Domenico Criscito.

Despite their poor first half showing, Italy were still only one goal from potential qualification for the last 16, and Pepe’s cross gave Iaquinta half a chance to put them back in second spot, but he could only graze a glancing header wide.

The struggles were continuing in the early stages of the second half, with Slovakia looking more than comfortable until Maggio played a neat ball through to Di Natale, but his scuffed shot on the turn went aimlessly wide.

This prompted a final change for the champions, with the fit-again Andrea Pirlo replacing the ineffective Riccardo Montolivo.

The Slovaks continued to look dangerous on the break, with Italy appearing weak at the back whenever attacked and Kucka and Vittek both had half-chances to double the advantage.

At the other end, a weak shot from 20 yards by Di Natale, after Gianluca Zambrotta had done well down the left, was about the best the Nazionale could offer.

Slovakia broke again on 65 minutes when Miroslav Stoch went chasing onto a superb throughball, but Maggio chased back well to cut out the danger and Stoch was penalised for a foul.

Immediately Italy should have been level. Pepe and Pirlo made smart work down the right, and when the ball escaped Mucha, Quagliarella fire in a right foot shot which was superbly blocked by the retreating Skrtel right on the goal line.

Once more Slovakia proved a threat on the break though after that lucky escape, and Stoch cut inside Maggio to send in a shot from 20 yards, but it was always swinging wide of Marchetti’s goal. Giorgio Chiellini then had to be alert to cover the onrushing Hamsik. And after Cannavaro had averted the danger from the first corner, Slovakia struck again.

The second corner was half cleared, but when Hamsik delivered low from the right nobody in blue reacted as quickly as Vittek, who calmly slotted home his second at the near post with Chiellini left in his wake and Marchetti slow to cover his near post.

With just 17 minutes remaining, it was game over for Italy. The players’ faces told the story as they came to terms with an Azzurri exit at the first hurdle for the first time in 36 years.

Slovakia’s supporters were in buoyant mood by now, and their side continued to cause Italy problems. However, the Azzurri hit back with just nine minutes remaining.

An excellent one-two involving Quagliarella and Iaquinta saw Mucha parry the Napoli man’s shot straight into the path of Antonio Di Natale, who had the easiest of tasks to side-foot home.

The lifeline sparked a momentary melee in the back of the Slovakia net, with Mucha twice striking Quagliarella in the face, though the Italy forward did rather theatrically fall to the floor.

When play eventually restarted there was finally some real urgency in Italy’s play. Di Natale had a shot from 20 yards blocked, before he collected Pepe’s cross to tee up Quagliarella to slot home from 10 yards, but the referee’s assistant’s flag was up. Replays suggested the decision was very close.

Slovakia then made the game safe after more sloppy defending in the 89th minute. De Rossi failed to track the onrushing Kamil Kopunek from a simple throw-in and the substitute had the easiest of tasks in chipping the advancing Marchetti to confirm Italy’s misery.

The Azzurri struck back again though in the first minute of stoppages, Quagliarella chipping the ball into the top corner from 25 yards in a fine moment of individual skill.

But it wasn’t to be enough as the champions were eliminated; Pepe ultimately missing a late chance to save his side.

Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand

A goalless draw with New Zealand was enough to seal Paraguay’s path to the round of 16; but while they undoubtedly showed the most endeavour, Gerardo Martino’s side never really got going.

It was all a bit flat from the South Americans while Kiwis coach Ricki Herbert was clearly happy for his side to go as long as they can without conceding before taking stock of events elsewhere in the closing moments.

Martino’s Group F leader’s Paraguay knew that a result over the World Cup’s surprise package New Zealand would secure their position as group winners, and the draw means they avoid the prospect of facing the Netherlands in the second round.

Martino went with three out-and-out strikers in his side’s victory over Slovakia following criticism that he was too conservative in their opener with Italy and, despite the impressive left-back Claudio Morel Rodriguez and midfielder Enrique Vera rushing from deep, Paraguay struggled to find their rhythm in the early stages.

The age-old gap between the front three and the midfield was again causing a problem. Their first half-chance arrived from a set-piece after 13 minutes but Denis Caniza couldn’t control his volley and his shot sailed harmlessly wide of Mark Paston’s goal.

Caniza hit another speculative volley moments later, with similar results, but was finding his range and almost opened the scoring after 20 minutes but narrowly missed the top corner of Paston’s goal from outside the box; the skipper hit another 30-yarder after half an hour that swerved just over, leaving many wondering whether he had chucked a few bob on himself to open the scoring.

For New Zealand, two surprise draws with Slovakia and Italy meant Ricki Herbert’s All Whites would seal a sensational round-of-16 berth for themselves if they could get the bag their first win of the tournament. A draw could also take them through, if they drew scoring more goals than Italy did in a draw with Slovakia.

Herbert elected to stick with the eleven that earned a heroic, and well deserved, point against Italy at the weekend and set out their stall to contain their opponents from the off. With impressive teenager Chris Woods remaining on the bench, former AFC Wimbledon striker Shane Smeltz retained his place up front showed bright sparks in the early stages, cutting inside from the left, he fired an early tester at Justo Villar but could only send his shot high into the stands.

Martino then showed his fury with holding midfielder Victor Caceres, as he picked up a yellow card after ten minutes for a tackle from behind on Roroy Fallon. Scraping his studs down the back of the Plymouth striker’s ankle, it was as cynical as it was stupid and means he will now miss his side’s second round clash.

Despite banging in 38 goals for Benfica this season, Oscar Cardozo came into the tournament as Paraguay’s fourth choice striker following the naturalisation of Argentinian Lucas Barrios; but he got the nod today, as Barrios dropped to the bench after failing to find the net in La Albirroja’s first two matches.

With midfielder Christian Riveros failing to impose himself on the match, Paraguay offered their front men little service in the first-half and Cardozo’s only glimpse of goal came from a speculative long range effort five minutes before half-time.

Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz also retained his place in the starting line-up but offered as little as Cardozo in the first period. His only meaningful contribution came in the form of a booking for a late tackle just before the break as his increasing frustration got the better of him.

In the absence of the infamously unavailable Salvador Cabanas, Nelson Valdez shouldered the responsibility of plugging the gap and showed intent when he skipped around three defenders before his cross evaded Cardozo and Roque Santa Cruz after quarter of an hour. His first half-chance arrived on the half-hour mark, striking a low shot from 25-yards. Though while it had purpose, it was straight at Paston and caused the Kiwi ‘keeper little trouble.

While Ryan Nelson and co. had defended resolutely against Slovakia and the Italians, they were yet to be tested with any real dynamism from their opponents; Martino’s decision to drop Barrios in favour of two big centre-forwards in Cardozo and Santa Cruz seemed untimely, as the Kiwis were rarely tested at the back.

Paraguay’s first real chance came from a corner on the hour mark. Taken short, Caniza clipped the ball across for Riveros to head straight at Paston from 10 yards, before New Zealand frantically scrambled the ball wide for a corner.

Martino was becoming visibly frustrated with his side’s insipid display and re-introduced Barrios five minutes later along with the super-sub of their qualification campaign, Edgar Benitez. Cardozo and Valdez departed and the subs made an instant impact, combining with Santa Cruz before Barrios’ shot flashed wide. It was the first time the Paraguayans had pushed the New Zealand defence onto the back-foot and the Kiwis were visibly unsettled by the pace with which their opponents broke.

Barrios should have won the game for his side after Benitez worked enough space for himself inside the box to curl a shot for the far corner; but Paston got down well to save and, first to the rebound, Barrios should have tucked the ball into the empty net but seemed to get it caught under his feet, giving Paston enough time to smother his weak effort.

he two subs again combined with ten minutes left when Benitez crossed for Barrios to head wide at the far post.

Woods did eventually arrive for the Kiwis and it was he who came closest to grabbing the goal that would take them through. Playing right on the shoulder of Julio Cesar Caceres, there was brief moment of excitement for the minnows as the youngster broke free of his marker to come within inch es of converting a Smeltz cross; however, the offside flag quickly restored the gloom.

Most disappointingly, the Kiwis, fully aware that victory would take them through to the second round, never really showed any endeavour. Even in the closing stages, only Woods really seemed interested in pushing forward. However, Herbert will be proud of his men, bank clerks and all. They can take pride in not only remaining unbeaten, but finishing above the world champions.

For Martino, things will have to improve if his side wish to make the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Ghana 0-1 Germany

Germany will face Fabio Capello's England in the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup, after narrowly defeating Ghana 1-0 in Johannesburg, thanks to a Mesut Oezil's wonder strike.

The European side played a very aggressive attacking nature, allowing the Ghanaians to respond with swift counterattacks. Neither side managed to score before the half, but playmaker Mesut Oezil struck on the hour mark to lift the Germans to victory and a first place finish in Group D. Following Australia's defeat of Serbia, Ghana took second.

Having lost to Serbia in their second group match, the Germans faced a must-win scenario against Ghana. Nonetheless, coach Joachim Loew opted not to take a more aggressive stance than in previous matches, preferring his 4-2-3-1 shape rather over a multi-striker system. For the Germans, Cacau replaced suspended striker Miroslav Klose Loew replaced unimpressive left back Holger Badstuber with Jerome Boateng.


Ghana, by contrast, needed just a single point to advance to the Round of 16, and coach Milovan Rajevac chose his starting line-up accordingly. The Serbia native retained his conservative 4-2-3-1 formation, and made just one change to his starting XI: John Mensah replaced Lee Addy, joining his namesake, Jonathan Mensah, in central defence.

Ghana kicked off the match and took a direct path for goal, but Asamoah Ayew mis-hit his strike, which looped off target. That would prove to be a rare venture forward for the Black Stars, who played like group leaders: tentative in attack, and content to defend their point.

Early in the game, Germany controlled the lion's share of possession, with holding midfielder Sami Khedira and playmaker Mesut Oezil freely moving forward to join Cacau. Ghana were superbly organized in their defence, however, and the Germans found it extremely difficult to earn clear chances. Cacau often drifted wide, and with Ghana playing deep and Germany lacking a true center forward in the penalty area, were starved for scoring opportunities.

The Ghanaians used their pace to counterattack their overcommitting opponents, and instead it was they who earned the better chances on goal. The Ghanaian midfield was superbly industrious, and Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, and Kwadwo Asamoah all did very well pressure the Germans deep and force counterattacks.

Only a heavy touch by Asamoah Gyan, misplaced ball from Kevin-Prince Boateng, solid defending from Arne Friedrich and aggressive goalkeeping from Manuel Neuer prevented the Black Stars from taking an early lead.

Germany were nearly gifted an own goal inside ten minutes, but goalkeeper Richard Kingson reacted quickly to parry Lukas Podolski's deflected cross out for a corner. In the 25th minute, the increasingly influential Mesut Oezil was played through on goal, but the 21-year old was unable to finish as Kingson made a comfortable save.

Moments later, Ghana should have had a goal following a corner. Andre Ayew headed the set piece past goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, but Germany skipper Philipp Lahm cleared the shot off the goal line.

Midway through the first half, Ghana found their feet in midfield, and began to attack Germany more willingly, but like their opponents, were unable to make the final ball to produce a goal.

At the break, Loew was left to ponder his options to produce a goal, whereas Rajevac could be content with the result, though perhaps slightly disappointed his team could not have netted the opener.

As the second half began, the two sides took to the pitch unchanged, and Germany resumed their uncompromising attacking style, while Ghana defended and looked stellar on the break. The first five minutes of the second half were played almost entirely in Ghana's defending half, but the Africans were first to create a clear scoring opportunity. Asamoah was first to a through ball, but Neuer was quick off his line and blocked the midfielder's effort.

In the second half, Lahm into a permanent midfield position, and Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, and Jerome Boateng formed a three-man defence. The Germans looked strong on the right channel, but as was the case earlier, never had a reliable target in the penalty box.

As events would unfold, such a player was unnecessary. On the hour mark, Oezil finally broke his scoring duck with a gorgeous volley from the edge of the D. His shot sliced just enough to beat Kingson at the left post, sending the Germans temporarily atop their group.

Ghana responded immediately with a strong spell in attack. Ayew first delivered an exquisite cross to Tagoe, but the attacker's close-ranged header was cleared off the line by Jerome Boateng. Next, Gyan played a perfect back-heel to set up Ayew, but Lahm intervened at the last moment to deflect the resulting shot over the bar.

The Germans eventually solidified at the back as Lahm moved back into his normal role on the right side of defence. Finally able to drop back to a less aggressive stance, the Europeans looked much more stable at the back, and like Ghana before, looked to score on the counterattack.

Ghana earned a good spell of possession, but were unable to get behind their opponents' back line. Despite being dangerously close to crashing out of the tournament, the Ghanaians seemed to lose their desire to score. It was a thin line that Ghana toed between facing the United States in the Round of 16 and finishing third in their group.

In the end, that gamble paid off. Both sides played to a rather lacklustre conclusion, with Germany finishing first, and Ghana second in group D. The two teams now advance to the Round of 16 to face England and the United States, respectively.

Australia 2-1 Serbia

Australia's World Cup dream has come to an end, despite beating Serbia 2-1 in Nelspruit. Both teams are out of the tournament following Germany's 1-0 win against Ghana.

The Europeans dominated play in the first half, but failed to convert one of the chances they created. Australia then took over the initiative after the break and eventually cruised to a 2-1 victory.

Serbia started the match the better side of the two and Milos Krasic came close to opening the score after only six minutes of play. The tricky winger went by his opponent down the right wing before firing in a powerful shot at the near post. Mark Schwarzer was alert though and tapped the ball wide for a corner kick.

Again Krasic should have broken the deadlock after a quick counter attack through the centre. Nikola Zigic reached Krasic inside the area and the CSKA Moscow star got past the Australian goalie, but eventually blasted the ball wide from a narrow angle.

Beli Orlovi continued to dominate and holding midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic opted to test Schwarzer with a shot from inside the area after an intelligent run forward without the ball. Nevertheless, his shot sailed wide at the far post.

Chelsea star Branislav Ivanovic surprised the Australian defence halfway the first half when he burst into the Socceroos' area and unleashed a powerful shot from six yards out, only to see Schwarzer pull off a magnificent save to keep the score level.

Australia created their first good chance minutes after the half hour mark. Mark Bresciano floated in a perfect cross from the left and Tim Cahill beat his marker to the ball before heading the ball just wide.

Kuzmanovic got some time and space to send in a cross from the right wing and the Stuttgart starlet found Zigic at the penalty spot with his precise pass. However, the former Valencia star aimed his header wide of the Australian target.

The first good chance of the second half was for Beli Orlovi. Jovanovic found Zigic inside the Australian box, but the towering striker aimed too high and blasted the ball over the bar.

A cleared set piece ended up in the feet of Jason Culina at 25-yards out and the former PSV star tried his luck with an ambitious long range strike, which went just wide of the target.

Bresciano then almost opened the score at the hour mark. The attacking midfielder unleashed a ferocious long range strike from a free kick, but Stojkovic deflected the ball wide for a corner kick.

Again Bresciano tested Stojkovic with a powerful shot from the edge of the area, but the Serbian goalkeeper made a superb save to deny the gifted midfielder.

The Socceroos took the lead after 69 minutes of play. An outstanding cross from the right found the head of the jumping Tim Cahill and the Everton star found the net with a superb trademark header.

Substiture Brett Holman doubled the Socceroos' lead only minutes after the opener. The AZ star picked up a loose ball in midfield before starting a surging run from midfield. The Serbian defence allowed Holman too much space and the attacking midfielder fired home from 25 yards out.

The Serbians didn't give up though and pegged one back in the 84th minute. Schwarzer failed to hold on to Zoran Tosic's long range strike and Ajax star Marko Pantelic was alert to tap home the rebound.

Pantelic then thought to have drawn things level again, but goal was disallowed for offside. Kennedy then got the chance to restore Australia's two-goal difference after great work, but the towering striker placed the ball just wide of the Serbian goal.