World Cup South Africa 2010 - Unofficial fan site

Spain win the World Cup 2010

2010-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Andres Iniesta scored the most important goal of his life, and his country reached the glory for the first time in history. There's no doubt that this game will never be forgotten in Spain. Del Bosque's team defeated the Netherlands in the Final of South Africa 2010 and lifted the Cup.

Iker Casillas not only saved two dangerous attacks from Arjen Robben. He also kissed the Cup, and his girlfriend Sara Carbonero, who tried to get an interview with the goalkeeper after the game.

And even though it was not a beautiful match, the excitement and happiness of a whole nation are completely well-grounded. Spain was by far the best team of the tournament, and had the best players as well. They never gave up their style, even in the toughest moments.

A new era in football begins with this result. Spain is no longer a "king without a crown". They are now the best team in the World.

Semifinals: Carles Puyol scores and takes Spain to the final in South Africa

2010-10-11T12:36:00.001-07:00

Germany proved to be a serious team with enough talent to beat Spain. But at the Durban Stadium, the Germans betrayed their style and assumed the game with an extremely defensive strategy. Spain was patient enough to attack and attack until the goal finally happened.

Barcelona's defender Carles Puyol netted a long pass by Xavi Hernandez and helped Spain make history. It is the first time that the "Red Fury" reach this stage and a unique opportunity to reach the glory of football. Now Casillas and his teammates will have to battle the Netherlands in the most important game of their lives.

Semifinals: Netherlands beat Uruguay and reach the final for the third time in history

2010-10-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

The first semifinal played at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town was a really good match and delivered some of the best goals in the tournament. Indeed, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's superb opener scored in the first half is a perfect example of it. In the end, the Orange team defeated Uruguay 3-2 but things were really equilibrated until the very last minute.

After the first goal, Diego Forlán netted the equalizer for the South American team. In the second half, Wesley Sneijder (70') and Arjen Robben (73') scored the winning goals. But Tabarez' side would not give up for their dream, and scored their last goal thanks to Maxi Pereira.

Quarterfinals: Germany was too much for Maradona's side

2010-10-10T23:19:00.000-07:00

Maradona was convinced that his team would win the Cup but his dream ended at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. Germany, with Klose and Müller commanding a powerful attack, crushed Argentina 4-0.

The goals were scored by Thomas Müller (3'), Miroslav Klose (68'), Arne Friedrich (74') and Klose again (89'). The South American team had Messi on the field but they were no rival for a solid German team.

Many newspapers in Argentina criticized that a team with players like Messi, Milito and Tevez should have reach at least the semifinals and the main reason for the fail was Maradona's lack of experience as a coach.

Quarterfinals: Electrifying win of Uruguay over Ghana in penalty shootout

2010-10-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

People from Uruguay will never forget this victory. And the people from Ghana and in all Africa will not forget the pain of their defeat. The Soccer City Stadium held one of the most breathtaking games of all times. Uruguay beat Ghana 4-2 in penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in extended time.

Sulley Muntari socored the opener for Ghana, the only African team alive so far, but Diego Forlan netted the equalizer for Uruguay. And when it was all over, South American striker Luis Suarez touch the ball with the hand in his own area to keep it from entering the goal. It was a penalty and a red card for him, but it was not a goal for Ghana because Asamoah Gyan missed the shot in the very last minute of the game.

After that, the penalty shootout began. And in the end the glory was for Uruguay, who reach the semis after more than 40 years.

Quarterfinals: Netherlands beat Brazil with Wesley Sneijder's double

2010-10-10T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth was the scenario for one of the most expected games in the last ten years. Superfavorite Brazil needed to beat a really talented Netherlands to reach the semifinals, but just like in Germany, it was not possible for the "verde-amarela"to reach that stage. The orange playmaker Wesley Sneijder scored twice and lead his country one step closer to the glory.

Brazil was a solid team with a furious attack in the first minutes, and the effort lead them to score first. Robinho finished a brilliant move and netted the opener, but Netherlands were patient enough to recover the ball and control the game. And the second part was completely different: the orange side became stronger and ended winning the match.

A millionaire team with players like Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano or Dani Alves, to name a few, is now out of South Africa, but they can have their revenge in 2014: The World Cup will be played in Brazil.

Quarterfinals: Casillas and Villa lead Spain to the Semis

2010-10-10T22:47:00.001-07:00

Spain proved to be a serious candidate but Paraguay was one of the strongest teams still alive in the Cup. Del Bosque's side even needed Iker Casillas to stop a penalty shot by Oscar Cardozo to have a chance of winning this game.

And that was because the talented Xavi Alonso miss a penalty for Spain too, in one of the moust exciting matches of South Africa 2010. This clash took place at the Ellis Park Stadium, in Johannesburg, and the winner goal was netted by David Villa only at the minute 83. It was the end of the story for Paraguay and the beginning of the dream for the "Red Fury".

Round of 16: Spain beat Portugal but... where was Cristiano Ronaldo?

2010-07-01T23:14:00.000-07:00

David Villa is the name of the impressive striker that beat Portugal out of the World Cup. In this match, Villa did everything that Cristiano Ronaldo was supposed to do: score, win, being the main atraction of the game, take his country to the next level.

Spain beat Portugal only 1-0 but we could say that it was the best match of Del Bosque's side so far. If Xavi, Iniesta, Ramos and Villa keep playing like this, this may be the Cup of Spain after all.

As for Ronaldo, it seems like the curse of the last Nike advert touched him too: all footballers that took part of the spot had a sad participation in this World Cup (Rooney, Cannavaro, Ribery, Drogba, Ronaldo) or could not even take part of it (Ronaldinho). In the end, Portugal did not respond to the high expectations they came with, and Cristiano was not the same player that scored more than 30 goal in the last season with Real Madrid.

Spain will face now Paraguay, and this is the perfect chance to make history and finally win the World crown for the "Red Fury". If they beat Paraguay and reach the semis, nothing will stop them.

Round of 16: Paraguay reach quarterfinals for the first time in history after defeating Japan

2010-07-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

At the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, Paraguay had a hard time trying to defeat a really strong Japanese team. The 0-0 tie between both sides did not move, not even in overtime, so the winner of the game would have to be know after a penalty shoot-out.

All Paraguayan shooters scored in the penalty shoot-out: Edgar Barreto, Lucas Barrios, Cristian Riveros, Haedo Valdez and Oscar Cardozo. Japan scored through Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe and Keisuke Honda, but Yuichi Komano hit the bar and missed the chance of booking a place for his country in quarterfinals.

Thousands of fans in Paraguay came out to the streets to celebrate this historical moment for the "albirroja", even the famous model Larissa Riquelme, who has been named as the "Bride of the World Cup".

Now the South American squad will face the powerful Spain, who beat Portugal and is a clear favorite to advance to the final stage. However, "Tata" Martino's side knows that from now on, everything is possible.

Round of 16: Slovakia was no rival for the Netherlands

2010-07-01T22:27:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands came to South Africa with enormous expectation, and they have done it right so far. Bert van Marwijk's side beat Slovakia 2-1 at the Durban stadium and advanced to the quarterfinals. Now they are set for a dramatic encounter with Brazil on friday.

Arjen Robben is once again the playmaker of the Netherlands, and he scored the first goal of his team at minute 18. Wesley Sneijder netted the second one at 84', but Slovakia managed to score the goal of honor in the very last minute of the match.

Mabye the Netherlands are not displaying their famous "Total Football" but they have enough talent to beat Brazil and even reach the Final Game in this tournament. The world will know the answer on Friday.

Round of 16: Brazil beat Chile 3-0 and aim for the title

2010-07-01T00:42:00.000-07:00

Dunga's team has been critiziced for not showing the "jogo bonito" (beautiful game) that is traditionaly linked to Brazil. But at the Ellis Park Stadium, the "canarinha" displayed their best arguments to win 3-0 and prove to be the strongest candidate to win the World Cup 2010.

The first goal was scored by Juan after a corner kick, and only four minutes later striker Luis Fabiano would score the second one. After this, Chile desperately tried to move their lines ahead but could never find the ball. The extremely talented midfielders that Dunga put on the pitch - notice big names like Kaka, Robinho or Dani Alves - completely dominated the game.

Bielsa's efforts to change the destiny of his team were futile. Valdivia, Rodrigo Tello and Millar entered in the second half to help Chile score at least one goal, but it never happened.

The last brazilian goal was scored by Robinho, and that was it. Chile is the only South American team eliminated of the tournament, and Brazil advanced to quarterfinals of the Cup.

Dunga's squad will face the Netherlands, a really dangerous team that will use excellent footballers such as Arjen Robben, Van Persie and Sneijder. The orange side is just as talented, and that promise to be one of the best games of South Africa 2010.

Round of 16: Argentina beat Mexico... again

2010-07-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

It was the perfect opportunity for Mexico to take revenge on Argentina for their last encounter in Germany 2006, but South Africa 2010 would have just the same exit door for Aguirre's team. Argentina defeated Mexico 3-1 with two goals of Carlos Tevez and another one scored by Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuaín.

It was a cold night at the Soccer City Stadium, and the referee made the first mistake of the night by validating Tevez's goal in offside. But defender Ricardo Osorio's mistake was just as big, when he lost the ball and let Higuain score the second for Argentina.

The third goal of Maradona's side was netted with a superb shot blasted by Carlos Tevez, who had his best World Cup match in his career. Mexico found their only goal thanks to young Hernandez, but that would not change the destiny for the "Tri".

Argentina will have and even harder exam now against Germany, who has excellent players such as Klose, Ozil, Schweinsteiger or Muller, to name a few. But if Messi is inspired, they have great chances to advance to semifinals.

Round of 16: Germany take revenge of World Cup 66 by eliminating England

2010-06-30T23:51:00.000-07:00

Germany booked a place in the quarterfinals with a stunning 4-1 win over England. And it was stunning because England was still a strong favorite, even after their disappointing performance in their group. The British team had mega stars such as Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard, but that was not enough. Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski put Germany 2-0 up early on the match, and Thomas Muller scored twice in the second half to assure the result.

Upson scored the only valid goal for England, but the most controversial moment of the game happened when referee Jorge Larrionda ruled out Frank Lampard's goal, after the ball hit the bar and bounced behind the goal line. That move was similar to England's third goal against Germany in World Cup 66, but there was an important difference: in that World Cup, the ball did not cross the line, but was considered a valid goal. This time, the ball did cross the line, but the referee said the opposite thing.

Despite that goal, Germany was a fair winner and will now face Argentina in quarterfinals. With playmakers like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mezut Ozil, they know that reaching the semifinals is perfectly possible for them. The only man that could keep them from reaching their goal is called Lionel Messi.

Round of 16: Game over for the USA, Ghana still alive in the Cup

2010-06-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

This time the United States were favorite to win the clash and advance to the quarterfinals, but Ghana was far more difficult than anybody expected. In the end, the match went to extra-time and the African squad beat the U.S. 2-1. Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the opener only with 5 minutes after the start, but Landon Donovan netted the equalizer at 63'. In overtime, Asamoah Gyan proved his class by blasting an impressive shot to score the winner.

Surprisingly, Bill Clinton - former president of tehe U.S. - showed up at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and sat to Rolling Stone Mick Jagger to cheer up Bradley's team.

The game was intense and tough for the United States, since Ghana had the extra motivation of remaining as the only African Team still alive in the competition. And once again, they beat the U.S. just like in Germany four years ago.

Coach Bob Bradley expressed his feelings after the game: "I really felt when we got to 1-1 there were some chances for us to win this match. But early in the overtime we go down again. At that point, with everything we put into the game early, we didn't have enough to equalize again. But we have a great squad, and we should work hard to make it better in the next World Cup."

Round of 16: Uruguay beat South Korea and reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 40 years

2010-06-27T10:57:00.001-07:00

Uruguay was not far superior than South Korea but they had Luis Suarez to score at crucial moments. That was enough for the South Americans to win the game 2-1 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth. Lee Chung-Yong scored the equalizer for Korea.

Suarez, the main star of Ajax in Netherlands, curled home a brilliant goal almost 10 minutes from time to confirm Tabarez's team as the first nation to book a place in the quarterfinals. At his young age, Suarez is already part of the history of Uruguay.

Uruguay will now face Ghana in the next stage for a place in the semifinals, and that game will be extremely tough for the "Celeste". But coach Oscar Tabarez won't give up on their dream: "I'm really proud of my players. We are among the best eight teams in the world, and even though it's real, it still sounds incredible. Let's see how far we can go now. We are not building castles in the air, but I don't see why we should think this is it. We don't have to renounce anything before playing the next games."

Group H Results: Spain and Chile advanced as Switzerland went from surprise to disappointment

2010-06-27T00:58:00.000-07:00

Group H was supossed to be easy for Spain. With players like David Villa, Xavi, Torres or Iniesta, they were the strongest favorites not only to win the group but to win the World Cup, but maybe nobody told that to the Swiss players. Surprisingly, Switzerland defeated Spain 1-0 in the first game, and that changed everything. Spain defeated Chile 2-1 in their last game and only then the European Champions could breath with ease.

Marcelo Bielsa's side won their first two games, but even with six points, Chile could end up eliminated in the first stage. Indeed, Spain defeated the South American team, but Switzerland - yes, the same squad that beat Spain in the first game - only got a 0-0 draw with Honduras, and they were the ones going back home early.

Now Chile will have to play with Brazil in the round of 16, just like in France 98. Spain will battle Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, and the winner of that game could tell us who will be in the final. For now, lets take a look a the positions in Group H:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Spain	3	2	0	1	4	2	6
Chile	3	2	0	1	3	2	6
Switzerland	3	1	1	1	1	1	4
Honduras	3	0	1	2	0	3	1

Group G Results: Brazil and Portugal, same language, same football

2010-06-27T00:43:00.001-07:00

Brazil got a 0-0 draw in their game against Portugal, and this tie let both teams qualify for the round of 16. Ivory Coast defeated North Korea 3-0 but that was simply not enough for Drogba and his teammates to reach the next stage.

Dunga's team proved to be a real candidate to win this Cup, even when their first victory was not that impressive (2-1 over North Korea). But with the talent of Maicon, Kaka, Elano and Luis Fabiano, they defeated Ivory Coast 3-1 to assure their ticket for the next round.

As for Portugal, we can say that the key victory of Cristiano Ronaldo's team over Korea (an amazing 7-0) helped them a lot. But now they will have to face Spain in the second stage, and that match could change the history of the entire World Cup 2010.

Group G will be remembered for the image of Didier Drogba playing with a broken bone, and for the quality football of Portugal and Brazil when they decided to use all their potential. The final positions in this zone were:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Brazil	3	2	1	0	5	2	7
Portugal	3	1	2	0	7	0	5
Ivory Coast	3	1	1	1	4	3	4
North Korea	3	0	0	3	1	12	0

Group F Results: Italy say "Arrivederci" and Paraguay begin to make history

2010-06-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Current champion Italy just lost to Slovakia 3-2 and finished their worst World Cup performance in 36 years. Even with superstars like Fabio Cannavaro and Andrea Pirlo, the Italian squad could not achieve a single victory in South Africa and was eliminated in the first round.

The Italian disaster begun with a 1-1 draw with Paraguay, and it grow bigger with another draw with New Zealand. In the other side, the Paraguayan squad got three vital points against Slovakia, so their draws against the "Azurris" and the "All Whites" were enough to win the zone.

Even though Marcelo Lippi's team were strong favorites, they will be remembered for this incredible fail. This group also let us see an almost amateur team playing like pros - New Zealand - and proving that there is no "small team" anymore. The Group F positions are:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Paraguay	3	1	2	0	3	1	5
Slovakia	3	1	1	1	4	5	4
New Zealand	3	0	3	0	2	2	3
Italy	3	0	2	1	4	5	2

Group E Results: Celebration with orange juice and sake after wins of Netherlands and Japan

2010-06-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

The Netherlands beat Cameroon 2-1 with great goals scored by Robin Van Persie and Klaas Jan Huntelaar at the Green Point Stadium of Cape Town. With this triumph, the Orange got the first place of Group E and will now face Slovakia in the round of 16.

Japan is the surprise of this zone. The "Blue Samurais" got two superb wins over Cameroon (1-0) and Denmark (3-1) to reach the round of 16, just like in 2002, and with good chances of getting a great result ahead.

This group let us see a promising star in Keisuke Honda and confirmed the strenght of the powerful Orange team. We will also remember the disappointing performance of Cameroon and the previous words of Samuel Eto'o, who said that the "Indomitable Lions" were going to be World Champions. The final positions in Group E were:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Netherlands	3	3	0	0	5	1	9
Japan	3	2	0	1	4	2	6
Denmark	3	1	0	2	3	6	3
Cameroon	3	0	0	3	2	5	0

Group D Results: Germany and Ghana made it to the last 16 in a very tough group

2010-06-23T21:06:00.001-07:00

Germany started the group like a powerful panzer but ended like a plane on fire. The European team could not use their most important striker - Miroslav Klose - against Ghana and they suffered to beat the African squad 1-0. However, both teams advanced to the round of 16.

Australia defeated Serbia 2-1 in the last game, which was a surprising result considering previous games. The socceroos eliminated Serbia and helped Africa have at least one team in the next stage.

This group was a constant surprise for everyone, and we cannot say that Germany or Ghana are clear favorites against England or the US. But at least some newbies at World Cups like Cacau, Ozil or Muller proved that there is still class in German football. The final table of Group D was:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Germany	3	2	0	1	5	1	6
Ghana	3	1	1	1	2	2	4
Australia	3	1	1	1	3	6	4
Serbia	3	1	0	2	2	3	3

Group C Results: United States got a last minute victory to go from eliminated to group leader, England suffered to be second place

2010-06-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

It was a 0-0 draw between the USA and Algeria, and with that score both teams were eliminated. Knowing this, England and Slovenia were playing the other game with a smile in their face. But Landon Donovan, the most talented American footballer nowadays, netted the winner goal in the very last minute of the game. USA got the tickets for the next stage and reached the top position of Group C.

England started the Cup with two disappointing draws: 1-1 against USA, with the infamous mistake of goalkeeper Robert Green, and 0-0 against Algeria. Despite Rooney, Lampard, Gerard and many other superstars, the European powerhouse didn't show enough quality to reach the final game.

The World will remember this group for the terrible mistake of Robert Green against the American squad, and for the excellent game between the USA and Slovenia. Group C finished like this:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
USA	3	1	2	0	4	3	5
England	3	1	2	0	2	1	5
Slovenia	3	1	1	1	3	3	4
Algeria	3	0	1	2	0	2	1

Group B Results: Messi helped an unstoppable Argentina shine over Nigeria, Korea and Greece

2010-06-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

Diego Maradona aproved his most difficult test, by taking Argentina to the top spot of Group B. The South American powerhouse defeated Nigeria (1-0), Korea (4-1) and Greece (2-0) to prove that they are serious candidates. And the main reason for this initial success has a name: Lionel Messi.

Tonight's win of Argentina over Greece was achieved thanks to a pair of goals netted by Demichelis and Martin Palermo, a veteran striker who is close to retirement and got to score his first World Cup goal.

The Republic of Korea got an important win over Greece in the first match and that result helped them move to the next stage, eliminating the European team and Nigeria. As for the "Super Eagles", they had a super-disappointing performance in this World Cup.

Argentina will have to face Mexico just like in Germany 2006. But this time, with players like Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Tevez and Veron, to name a few, they clearly are favorites to reach the final and win the Cup. The final table of Group B is:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Argentina	3	3	0	0	7	1	9
Korea	3	1	1	1	5	6	4
Greece	3	1	0	2	2	5	3
Nigeria	3	0	1	2	3	5	1

Group A Results: Uruguay and Mexico got the tickets, France was eliminated

2010-06-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Luis Suarez scored the only goal that helped Uruguay beat Mexico 1-0. Despite the loss suffered by the "Tri", both latin nations qualified for the next stage. South Africa save their honor by defeating a really sad French team 2-1, but that could not keep the host squad from elimination.

Considering the initial results - Mexico and South Africa started the Cup with a really strong proposition and ended their game with a 1-1 draw, while France tied with Uruguay 0-0 - we can conclude that the difference was made in the second round, where the South American team crushed the hosts 3-0 with a superb Diego Forlan, and Mexico upset France 2-0, goals scored by Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

There was very few surprises at the Group A, and many disappointing performances. But above all, this group will be remembered for the internal rebelion in the French team. That included Chelsea's striker Nicolas Anelka blasting against his coach, and the entire French squad on strike after Anelka's departure. In the end, the final positions in Group A are:

Teams	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Uruguay	3	2	1	0	4	0	7
Mexico	3	1	1	1	3	2	4
South Africa	3	1	1	1	3	5	4
France	3	0	1	2	1	4	1

Arjen Robben: "I will go to South Africa"

2010-06-07T23:26:00.001-07:00

The talented midfielder said that he is "happy that the coach counts on him and didn't call a substitute. I'm pretty sure I will travel to South Africa, I'm just not sure when".

The Bayern Munich's footballer is pleased with Bert van Marwijk´s decision of waiting for him to heal. As we know, Robben tore his left hamstring in the friendly game against Hungary, which ended 6-1 for the Netherlands.

"I will do all I can to play in the World Cup. I'm confident that it will happen but I can't rush the medical process. I know I will be there, maybe in four days, maybe in ten." he concluded.

Brazil beat Tanzania 5-1 and proved to be a serious candidate

2010-06-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

Brazil was just too much for a weak Tanzania in their last friendly game before the World Cup opener. Robinho and Ramires scored twice, but maybe the best news are the great performance of Kaka, who is recovering from a long time away from the pitch due to an injury.

The south american team took this game almost as a training session since the rival was not a serious challenge in terms of football quality.

Coach Dunga had the chance to use all his players in order to prove his entire squad and define the starting team for the first game in South Africa.

Brazil will kick off their campaign against North Korea on June 15, and the team is stronger than ever, even without world class stars such as Ronaldinho, Pato or Adriano.