Andres Iniesta Goal Wins World Cup For La Furia Roja: The Barcelona midfielder’s 116th-minute strike makes Spain the world champions for the first time.

Netherlands 0-1 Spain Highlights: 11/07/2010

Netherlands (4-2-3-1) : Stekelenburg, Van der Wiel, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst (c), De Jong, Van Bommel, Robben, Sneijder, Kuijt, Van Persie

Spain (4-2-2-2) : Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Capdevila, Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Pedro, David Villa.

Goal: Iniesta

Andres Iniesta

2010 World Cup Final – Spain Celebration Gallery

NETHERLANDS: Technical directors: Bert van Marwijk / Disable: None – SPAIN: Technical director: Vicente de Bosque / 2-Raul Albiol Disabled

Substitutional

NETHERLANDS: 12-Khalid Boulahrouz / 13-Andre Ooijer / 14-Demy de Zeeuw / 15-Edson Braafheid / 16-Michel Vorm / 17-Eljero Elia / 18-Stijn Schaars / 19-Ryan Babel / 20-Ibrahim Afellay / 21-Klaas-Jan Huntelaar / 22-Sander Boschker / 23-Rafael van der Vaart

SPAIN: 4-Carlos Marchena / 10-Cesc Fabregas / 12-Victor Valdes / 13-Juan Mata / 17-Alvaro Arbeloa / 9-Fernando Torres / 19-Fernando Llorente / 20-Javi Martinez / 21-David Silva / 22-Jesus Navas / 23-Pepe Reina

Spain are champions of the world after Andres Iniesta’s goal deep into extra-time gave them victory over Netherlands in the World Cup final at Soccer City after a goalless first 105 minutes.

Iniesta netted as Spain broke to punish 10-man Holland after John Heitinga’s sending-off seven minutes earlier.

Both sides lined up as expected. Netherlands continued with the 1 to 11 which has been Bert van Marwijk’s first choice line -up since Arjen Robben’s return from injury, while Vicente Del Bosque favoured Barcelona’s Pedro to Liverpool’s Fernando Torres just as he had for the semi-final victory over Germany.

At the renditions of the national anthems there were signs of nerves across the faces of players on each side, everyone concerned knowing that they could make history for their country by claiming the moniker of world champions for the first time.

The opening few minutes were notable mainly for the inability of either side to really string a significant series of passes together as every player looked to get a calming first touch of the ball. But in the fifth minute Spain created a real opportunity for themselves as they started to impress their authority on proceedings.

Xavi sent a free-kick in from the right to find the Sergio Ramos, who had gained half a yard on the flinching Robin van Persie, but the right-back’s header came from an awkward height and allowed Maarten Stekelenburg to make a full-length parry to keep the scores level.

Holland’s first shot at goal came when Dirk Kuyt scuffed a 30-yard effort after Sergio Busquets had failed to control a simple square pass, but the Liverpool wide man’s effort was easily gathered by Iker Casillas.

In the 11th minute Spain created a second decent opportunity, and again it was full-back Ramos who was the Johnny on the spot. Having run at Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he took a step to the right and saw a gap open up, but his right-footed effort was well blocked by Joris Mathijsen.

From the resulting corner Xavi Hernandez swung in a delicious far post ball for David Villa, but the striker’s volleyed effort hit the side-netting when he’d have hoped to do better.

The game was beginning to get a little scrappy as the Netherlands looked to find a way to earn more possession. Van Persie was the first player to enter referee Howard Webb’s notebook when he brought down Joan Capdevila with a nasty looking challenge, and moments later he was followed by Carles Puyol, booked for a tackle from behind on Arjen Robben.

Wesley Sneijder fired in a dangerous free-kick, but Casillas managed to collect before the ball took a potentially nasty bounce. Winger Robben was temporarily the centre of attention as within minutes he was running at Capdevila, eventually winning a corner as Xabi Alonso came in to cover.

The near-inevitable Mark van Bommel booking arrived in the 22nd minute, when he was late arriving for the ball and went right through Andres Iniesta. Seconds later it was 2-2 on the yellow card count after Ramos was slightly late sliding in on Kuyt wide on the Holland left.

Whilst Spain were still enjoying most of the possession, suddenly the Netherlands were managing to earn more territorial advantage, breaking up the rhythm of la Furia Roja’s passing temporarily. They did so by foul means rather than fair when Nigel de Jong’s high boot caught Alonso flush on the chest after the Real Madrid midfielder had nicked away a bouncing ball. The Oranje midfielder may have thought himself lucky only to become the fifth player cautioned, rather than the first man into the showers.

There was a much more pleasing piece of sportsmanship shown by the Dutch a few moments later. Iker Casillas had thrown the ball out after he’d collided with Puyol, allowing the Barcelona defender to receive treatment, but upon arrival of the long pass from a Dutchman at the restart, the keeper misread the flight and palm the ball away for a corner. However, Van Persie simply rolled the ball in from the flag to spare the Real Madrid man’s blushes and allow Spain to rebuild from the back.

The next Dutch corner nearly had a very different ending. Robben played the ball in low to the edge of the area, from where Van Bommel played a cross to the far post for Mathijsen, but the centre-back could only respond with a complete air shot.

Breaking up the other end, Spain could have had an opener when Pedro’s quickfire shot from range sailed just wide with Stekelenburg still to set himself.

Sneijder almost became the sixth name in the book when he caught Busquets just before the break as the game continued to flatter rather than thrill, but referee Webb saw fit to give the Inter midfielder a final warning.

On the stroke of half-time the Dutch created one of the best chances of the game so far when Robben cut inside to drill a low left foot shot which Casillas got down to and pushed wide.

Spain appeared to come out after the interval with a little bit more fire in their bellies as they looked to repeat their second half efforts against Germany. Within three minutes they’d forged an opening when Puyol got his head to a right wing corner and Capdevila failed to get anywhere near enough on his right foot effort and the ball ran harmlessly away.

Holland responded when Van Persie’s backheel sent Gregory van der Wiel in behind the Spanish defence, but his cross was met by no Oranje jerseys, though a nervous looking Casillas may have got a slight touch before the ball ran out and a goal kick was given.

Dutch skipper Van Bronckhorst was next in the book for pulling back Ramos as he went for a return pass in a dangerous position. From the set piece Xavi curled the ball just wide of the near post, but Stekelenburg had it well covered.

John Heitinga soon became the fifth Dutchman to have his name taken when he clattered into David Villa after Ramos had broken up a Holland attack and sent the forward on the run down the left.

Iniesta was perhaps lucky not to join them as the game once again threatened to deteriorate, his foul on Sneijder giving Robben the chance to swing in a free-kick towards Heitinga. The defender sent a header just across the face of goal, but had been flagged offside in any case.

Mathijsen did well to head away from a Capdevila cross as a game of football finally started to break out amongst the scrappy challenges.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque made the first change of the final on the hour by introducing Jesus Navas for the ineffective Pedro.

Suddenly, the best chance of the final was handed to Robben by a delicious through ball by Sneijder and a bad misjudgement on the part of Gerard Pique. The Bayern Munich winger found himself one-on-one with Casillas, but after delaying once too often, his shot sent the glovesman the wrong way, but was blocked by Casillas’ boot nonetheless.

Capdevila joined the ever-increasing list of numbers in Howard Webb’s notebook but again the Netherlands failed to make the most of the resulting free-kick as they continued to get half-chances to show up the favourites.

Substitute Navas did superbly to run at Van Bronckhorst and make space to cross for David Villa, but after Heitinga had slipped to open a really shooting opportunity for the Spaniard the centre-back recovered magnificently to block the shot that followed.

Dirk Kuyt was replaced after a hard-working performance in favour of speedy winger Eljero Elia as Van Marwijk looked to keep Spain guessing at the back.

Heitinga conceded a further free-kick, which Villa could only tun over, before Sneijder got a second final warning from Howard Webb as the referee looked to save his ink with just 15 minutes separating the World Cup decider from extra-time.

After an excellent exchange between Villa and Xavi, the former had a left foot shot well blocked by Heitinga, but from the corner Sergio Ramos was guilty of wasting a magnificent chance to settle the contest as he headed over from eight yards when completely unmarked.

There was a real flashpoint in the 78th minute when Van Bommel caught Iniesta as he retrieved the ball, but the Spanish midfielder decided to take his own retribution by lashing out at the Bayern Munich man. Again, Webb decided that leniency was the correct course of action and Iniesta got away with only a lecture.

Iniesta then came extremely close to opening the deadlock when he jinked past Heitinga inside the box, but Wesley Sneijder of all people was sweeping up behind the defence and made a magnificent last-ditch challenge to save the Dutch.

In the 83rd minute it was Holland’s Robben who could have struck as he left Puyol and Pique in his wake before Casillas smothered the ball. The Bayern Munich winger exaggerated his contact with the keeper having shrugged off a near rugby tackle from Puyol, but all he succeeded in doing was earning a yellow card for his fall and subsequent penalty claims.

Spain’s second substitution saw Xabi Alonso replaced by Cesc Fabregas in an attacking change with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

Wesley Sneijder looked to steal a glorious victory on the stroke of full-time, but his ambitious 45 yard effort went harmlessly wide.

Within two minutes of the extra 30 minutes resuming, Spain thought they should have had a penalty when Heitinga and Xavi collided, but it looked as though the midfielder made contact with the Dutchman rather than the other way around.

The European champions then forced a real save out of Stekelenburg for the first time since the early moments of normal time as Fabregas broke clear, but the big goalkeeper did superbly to block his right foot shot.

Within seconds they were nearly behind when Casillas came for a corner and collided with Fabregas, leaving Mathijsen to beat Ramos in the air but miss the open goal.

It then took a magnificent piece of defending from Van Bronckhorst to keep the scores level as the game became more stretched. Fabregas sent Iniesta through, but the Dutch skipper did brilliantly to send Iniesta onto his wrong foot and then snuff out the danger, winning a goal kick to boot.

Bert van Marwijk decided to increase the attacking intentions of his team by bringing on Rafael van der Vaart for defensive midfielder De Jong.

In a now very open game, Jesus Navas’ shot deflected off Van Bronckhorst and found the side-netting before the Netherlands cleared the corner with relative ease.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was then substituted into retirement, replaced by Edson Braafheid.

After spending over an hour warming up, Fernando Torres was finally introduced at the beginning of the second period of extra-time, surprisingly enough for the tournament’s joint top scorer David Villa in a like for like switch.

Elia went on his first attack at Ramos and beat the full-back with ease, but couldn’t reach his overhit touch before getting a cross in as Holland continued to look the more worried by the prospect of penalty kicks.

After so many yellow cards it appeared only a matter of time before a red would follow and with only 11 minutes remaining it finally came, though it did seem a little harsh on John Heitinga when he became the fifth player to be dismissed in a World Cup final.

The Dutch defender laid a soft hand on the shoulder of Andres Iniesta as the Barcelona man broke front and centre, but an exaggerated fall came after contact had been released. Nevertheless, Howard Webb saw fit to send off Heitinga for a second offence.

Moments later the 10 men were hit with another yellow when Van der Wiel took down the self same Iniesta.

Many Spain players asked for Holland to be reduced to nine when Robben turned in a left foot effort long after the whistle had gone for offside, but Webb, not for the first time tonight, showed leniency towards a man walking the tightrope.

With five minutes left a Wesley Sneijder free-kick was clearly met with a heavy deflection off Fabregas in the wall, but the referee’s rough night continued when he failed to spot the touch and gave a goal kick. There was then an apparent foul on Elia on the edge of the area overlooked as Holland looked for a winner.

And the decision was to be vital as Spain broke to the other end of the pitch and scored a 116th minute winner.

With the 10-man Dutch stretched, the Furia Roja used the extra man as Andres Iniesta got on the end of a crossfield ball at the far post to drill across Stekelenburg into the back of the net.

Spain’s only bad news of the night came when Torres pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the second minute of injury time, but he’ll be taking a World Cup winner’s medal to the treatment table with him.

In the third match played in Port Elizabeth Stadium for the Mexican referee Benito Archundia.

GERMANY:22-Hans-Joerg Butt, 2-Marcell Jansen, 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 20-Jerome Boateng, 13-Thomas Mueller, 6-Sami Khedira,4-Dennis Aogo, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 19 -Cacau, 8-Mesut Özil.

URUGUAY: 1-Fernando Muslera, 2-Diego Lugano, 3-Diego Godin, 4-Jorge Fucile, 16-Maximiliano Pereira, 15-Diego Perez, 17-Egidio Arévalo, 7-Edinson Cavani, 22-Martin Caceres, 9-Luis Suarez, 10-Diego Forlán.

Goal – Thomas Müller (19 Min.) / Edinson Cavani (28 Min.) / Diego Forlán Corazo (51 Min) / Marcell Jansen (56 Min) / Sami Khedira (82 Min.)

Uruguay v Germany (Third place play-off)

A late header from Sami Khedira ensured Germany finished third in the World Cup with a 3-2 win over Uruguay.

The two beaten semi-finalists played out an entertaining game at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in the penultimate match of the finals.

Thomas Mueller became joint-top scorer as he opened the scoring on 18 minutes before Edinson Cavani levelled for Uruguay before the break.

The South Americans took the lead for the first time early in the second half through the impressive Diego Forlan but Marcell Jansen equalised for Germany within five minutes.

The open encounter seemed destined for extra-time before Stuttgart midfielder Khedira nodded Germany in front again with just eight minutes remaining to seal the bronze prize.
Fortunate

Germany made the brighter start but Dennis Aogo was fortunate to get away with just a yellow card for a reckless tackle on Uruguay’s Diego Perez with just five minutes on the clock.

Five minutes later, the three-time World Cup winners were almost ahead as Arne Friedrich’s header from a Mesut Ozil corner crashed against the crossbar.

It took Joachim Low’s side just 19 minutes to break the deadlock and it came courtesy of one of Germany’s key performers of an impressive tournament in Mueller.

A speculative long range shot from Bastian Schweinsteiger was carelessly parried by Fernando Muslera in the Uruguay goal, inviting Mueller to tap into an unguarded net from around 12 yards.

The goal put the Bayern Munich midfielder on five goals for the tournament and level with Spain’s David Villa and Holland’s Wesley Sneijder in the race for the golden boot.

The Germans, who have become renowned for clinically punishing opposition’s mistakes at this World Cup, were worthy of their lead and continued to dominate possession.

Despite seeing much of the ball, though, Germany found themselves pegged back on 28 minutes as Cavani levelled for Uruguay against the run of play.

A brilliantly timed, determined tackle from Perez dispossessed Schweinsteiger in the centre of the field and ignited a counter attack which saw Cavani slip through on goal.

The Palermo striker had just Hans-Jorg Butt to beat after collecting Luis Suarez’s pass and he duly tucked his effort into the bottom corner to even up the tie.

The goal reignited belief in the Uruguay team as they began to take the game to Germany, who reverted to their favoured counter-attacking tactics.

Suarez wasted a glorious chance to put Oscar Tabarez’s men into the lead three minutes before the break as he collected a through ball from Diego Forlan before dragging his shot wide of the far post.

Second-half

Uruguay started the second period with greater urgency and they almost took the lead just three minutes after the restart as Forlan set Cavani through on goal.

Cavani won a race to the ball with Butt in Germany’s goal, before cutting the ball back for Suarez, who could only steer his shot into the path of the grounded Butt, who tipped wide heroically.

Uruguay didn’t have long to wait for their second goal, however, and it came in the 51st minute through the inspirational Forlan, who volleyed an Egidio Arevalo cross into the ground and into the top corner.

The goal also moved Forlan onto five goals in the tournament in one of the closest battles for top scorer in recent World Cup history.

Germany ensured the third-place play-off lived up to its reputation as an entertaining, pre-final send off by levelling up the contest once more just five minutes after falling behind.

Jerome Boateng found space on the right flank and produced one of the crosses of the tournament to find Jansen in the centre, who won the header to nod past the committed Muslera.

The game remained an open affair and both sides threatened to score again in the aftermath of the Germany equaliser with Ozil and Suarez in the thick of the action for either side.

Butt was having an impressive game and coach Low had his keeper to thank for keeping Germany level as he denied Forlan a second goal when rushing off his line to deny the Atletico striker.

Eight minutes from time, the Germans found another way through and it came via the head of Khedira, who nodded home a kind bounce from an Ozil corner on 82 minutes.

Substitute Stefan Kiessling blew an opportunity to add gloss to Germany’s win as he lashed wide at the end of a fine passing move in 88th minute, but a fourth would have been harsh on the South Americans.

Diego Forlan almost took the game into extra-time as his injury-time free-kick struck the Germany crossbar with the last kick of the game in an exciting finale.

It was a cruel end to Uruguay’s eventful tournament but they will leave South Africa with an enhanced reputation while the German’s have finished third for the second successive World Cup.

Spain will set up a mouth-watering showdown with the Netherlands in the final of the 2010 World Cup after a solitary Carles Puyol goal was enough to squeeze out a 1-0 win over Germany.

Both teams made one change from their regular line-up: Piotr Trochowski replaced the suspended Thomas Mueller for the Germans while out-of-form Fernando Torres was dropped in favour of Pedro Rodriguez in the Spanish side.

Goal - Carles Puyol (72 Min.)

Germany kicked off but immediately and happily surrendered possession as they invited Spain to attack. The cagey opening was halted by an intruder streaking onto the pitch but it was the European champions who carved out the first real chance of the game on six minutes.

Spanish sports commentator: Sara Carbonero

Jul. 3 | Spanish sports commentator Sara Carbonero: Spanish sports commentator Sara Carbonero, 25 years old are fascinated with the beauty. Sara Carbonero provides sports news, a reporter is doing and football teams will participate in the campaign. Sara Carbonero…

Pedro slipped in a sublime through ball to David Villa, who just managed to get a touch to it but it wasn’t enough to trouble an alert Manuel Neuer.

La Furia Roja continued to camp out inside the German half as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Oezil provided glimpses of threat on the counter-attack for Die Mannschaft. But it was the Spaniards again who had the next chance after 13 minutes. From a short corner, Andres Iniesta drilled in a cross from the right flank and Carles Puyol stooped low to send a bullet header just over the bar.

Straight to the other end, an Oezil corner forced Iker Casillas to flap the ball nervously away as Joachim Loew’s side started to enjoy a bit more of composure and possession on the ball. Spain regained control as quickly as they gave it away, although they failed to create any meaningful goalscoring chances.

In fact, the next opportunity didn’t arrive until the half-hour mark and even then, Xabi Alonso’s 25-yard screamer flew wide of Neuer’s left post. Trochowski then showed how it was done when his left-footed pliedriver from a similar distance forced Casillas to make a brilliant sprawling save.

Oezil managed to create more panic in the Spain box when he shimmed past two defenders but hesitated when he prepared to pull the trigger as Puyol pinched the ball off him. Vicente del Bosque’s troops finished the half the stronger with Sergio Ramos, Iniesta and Pedro creating openings, but it was Oezil who had a penalty shout turned down right before the whistle after a challenge from Ramos.

Neither coaches made any changes of personnel at the break but it was Germany who looked the more adventurous side in the start of the second period. And it was suddenly Spain who were playing on the counter attack. Pedro bombarded 50 yards down the right wing beating a number of German defenders before pulling the ball back to Xabi Alonso, who could only fire wide despite a clean view on goal.

Seconds later, Xabi rattles in another humdinger just outside the box after being teed up by Xavi, but again his effort flashed marginally wide.

La Roja should have taken the lead on 57 minutes when they were presented with a double chance. First, Pedro’s shot on the edge of the box was parried away by Neuer. From the follow up, Iniesta’s pull-back into the middle bounced too far infront of Villa at the backpost. Pedro then dragged his shot wide before Miroslav Klose pummelled an ambitious volley well over at the other end after a poor clearance from Sergio Ramos.

The flurry of chances sparked the game to life and on 63 minutes, Xabi Alonso curled in a cross to an over-lapping Ramos, who went down under a challenge from Lukas Podolski right infront of goal but the referee only pointed to a goal-kick. Five minutes later, Villa charged past Marcell Jansen on the right channel but his fierce drive from a tight angle was saved by Neuer.

Germany then came close when Toni Kroos connected with Podolski’s cross but his soft half volley at the far post was blocked by Casillas. The Nationalelf were on the ascendecy but on 72 minutes, they were stung when Spain rocketed into the lead. Xavi swung in a corner and Carles Puyol steamed in unmarked to thump an unstoppable header past Neuer into the top corner.

The Germans immediately started pushing forward and it was Spain’s turn to hit their opponents on the counter. With ten minutes to go, La Roja should have wrapped up the semi-final when Pedro was put clean through on goal but opted to dribble his way past Arne Friedrich instead of going for goal or squaring to an unattended Fernando Torres.

Torres himself then had a chance two minutes from the end but Friedrich robbed the ball off him just as he was about to pull the trigger. Spain were enjoying a nice spell of keep-ball possession inside the German half as the clock ticked down and it was enough for them to hold on for another 1-0 win, but one that secures them a passage into the final of the 2010 World Cup.

And for the Netherlands:  Stekelenburg - Boulahrouz, Heitinga, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst, Van Bommel, De Zeeuw – Robben, Sneijder, Kuyt, Van Persie

Oranje Make The Final Despite Late Celeste Flurry

At full-time in Cape Town, South Africa, the first of two semi-final clashes has ended 3-2 to the Netherlands. Gio van Bronckhorst’s early long-ranger was cancelled out just before half-time by a similar effort from Uruguay’s hero Diego Forlan. Second-half goals from Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and a late strike from Maxi Pereira made for a truly enthralling encounter.

Goal: Giovanni van Bronckhorst (18 Min.) / Diego Forlán Corazo (40 Min.) / Wesley Sneijder (71 Min.) / Arjen Robben (73 Min.) / Álvaro Pereira (90+2 Min.)

The South Americans were, of course, without the services of hand-ball hero/villain Luis Suarez and left-back Jorge Fucile through suspension. Nicolas Lodeiro would also miss out after injuring his foot against Ghana, while a knock picked up against Ghana meant Diego Lugano wouldn’t start. The Dutch had to play without right-back Gregory van der Wiel and holding midfielder Nigel de Jong.

The first chance came after Wesley Sneijder swung the ball into the box, having picked it up after Arjen Robben’s first attempt came off of Martin Caceres. Muslera’s punch wasn’t convincing, and the ball landed at the feet of Dirk Kuyt, about 15 yards from the back post. The Liverpool forward took a touch and struck straight for goal, but his shot sailed over the bar.

Both sides enjoyed some of the ball in the first 15 minutes, but it was certainly the Dutch who looked the more dangerous side with it. While Uruguay were adjudged to be offside on a few occasions and trying a couple shots from distance, pressure from the Oranje was causing the Celeste to look a little uncertain in their defending.

And the pressure would pay off. Sneijder passed the ball to his skipper, Gio van Brockhorst, who was skipping up from left-back. Who knows what possessed the captain to have a pop from 30-odd yards, but his sweetly struck shot drifted beautifully past Muslera, smacking off the inside of the woodwork before eventually ending up in the top corner of the Uruguayan goal. Holland had the advantage.

Caceres then became the villain just before the half-hour mark. His dangerous acrobatics on the edge of the area saw his boot come of the face of Demy de Zeeuw as he tried an audacious overhead kick. The Barca-owned full-back was shown a yellow card by the Uzbekistanian referee for dangerous play while de Zeeuw sent a search party out for his teeth.

Edinson Cavani, who was failing to really get himself into the game, found himself with the ball deep inside the Dutch box. The Palermo forward held onto the ball far too long, leaving an unmarked Alvaro Pereira fuming in the centre. Pereira was afforded a second chance through with just over five minutes left in the first half, but his tame shot was aimed straight at Stekelenberg.

Just as it looked as though the South Americans were destined for a plane home, none other than Diego Forlan stepped up to produce another little piece of Celeste magic. The Uruguayan talisman found the ball in a central position, at a similar distance to van Bronckhorst’s goal – and the outcome was the same. Beating Skekelenburg, the stinging shot shook the top corner of the net and Oscar Tabarez’s men found themselves back in the game just before half time.

Probably a little worse for wear, Demy de Zeeuw was hooked at half time and replaced by a more attacking figure in Real Madrid’s Rafael van der Vaart. Immediately the Dutch made it clear that they wanted an early second-half goal as they shot down the left. Some tense build-up would come to an abrupt end, though, as the linesman’s flag rose for offside.

The Netherlands were soon to suffer a scare of there own, however, as a pass played in for Cavani prompted Stekelenburg to run out and meet the ball. The Ajax ‘keeper misjudged the distance though, and Cavani was able to chip the ball over the goalie before hitting the ground from the challenge. Pereira was there to lap up the loose ball and strike towards goal, but van Bronckhorst added to his heroic reputation by heading the ball away from the otherwise empty goal.

There was certainly no clear winner in terms of game dictation midway through the second half. Pressure from Uruguay won a free kick in a similar position to where Forlan buried a dead ball against Ghana. The set-piece forced a wonderful save from Stekelenburg though, who was all to happy to receive the praises of his teammates. At the other end, Holland were carving out plenty of chances of their own.

It was only a matter of time before one of the sides took one of their many chances, and it was Wesley Sneijder who did so for the Dutch as he has done so often already. A strike from outside of the box seemed too fast for anyone to do anything about, and the ball rocketed low and hard into the bottom right corner of Muslera’s goal. There was a hint of controversy though as van Persie, who did swipe at the ball in vain, seemed to be in an offside position. The linesman let it stand though, and the Dutch went ahead again.

Just minutes later the Oranje struck again. A well worked piece of play saw Dirk Kuyt stretch the South American defence as he took off down the left. A perfectly weighted cross met the head of an onrushing Robben, whose simple nod was enough to put the ball past Muslera once more and take the score to 3-1.

In a game that really looked like it could have gone either way before the third goal was scored, the cushion of a brace truly handed the reins of the game over to the Dutch. They began to see the final few minutes of the game out in an incredibly relaxed fashion, and with the talismanic Forlan being subbed off for Sebastian Abreu, the match was all but over for their opponents.

In the first minute of an added three, Maxi Pereira clawed one back for the Celeste. Belting the ball goalwards after a Uruguayan free-kick hung around the box, the Benfica defender’s left-footed shot went past Stekelenburg and into the Dutch goalkeeper’s net. It was not enough for the South Americans though, as the referee blew the whistle for full-time soon afterwards, allowing the Netherlands safe passage into the 2010 World Cup final.

Uruguay v Holland preview

It would be fair to say that Tuesday night’s World Cup semi-final at Green Point Stadium follows the unpredictable nature of the summer as Uruguay and Holland prepare to meet in Cape Town.

For Oscar Tabarez’s Uruguay it places a return to the globe-conquering days of 1930 and 1950 within unexpected reach, while it can also be argued that Bert van Marwijk’s Holland have surpassed expectations.

Uruguay, surprisingly South America’s last remaining representation in the 2010 World Cup, may have won the maiden finals 80 years ago, before repeating the feat two decades later, but they are now in territory not chartered since finishing fourth in 1970.

Holland, famously finalists in 1974 and 1978, were the dark horse choice of many prior to the start of the tournament in South Africa, but it was also suspected that they would characteristically implode in a flash of in-house bickering that has undermined recent campaigns.

The fact that both sides have made it to the last four, along with Spain and Germany, therefore marks a significant achievement and sets an intriguing scene as fans get ready to gather close to Signal Hill.

Romance

There is perhaps a little more romance associated with underdog Uruguay’s presence in the semi-finals, but Tabarez, who guided the nation to a round-of-16 place at Italia 90 in a previous stint in charge, is refusing to get carried away.

He has pointed to a level of expectation surrounding two-time champions which has not been satisfied over the past 40 years and he does not want the pressure to impact upon his players against a Holland team who have not lost in 24 matches.

Uruguay have earned many plaudits for the style of their football in topping Group A before defeating South Korea in the second round prior to the dramatic and controversial quarter-final elimination of Ghana, but they are still outsiders.

Tabarez’s task has increased in difficulty due to the fact that influential striker Luis Suarez, having found his feet after a slow start to the competition, is suspended following his red card for the much-debated goalline handball that denied Ghana.

Defender Jorge Ciro Fucile is also ineligible, while captain Diego Lugano is an injury doubt and midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro has been ruled out of the finals due to a broken foot to place even more pressure on the shoulders of key man Diego Forlan.

Strain

Meanwhile, it is difficult to measure the strain on Van Marwijk. Is he now expected to deliver the World Cup or is he still earning praise for simply avoiding rows and bust-ups to get the Dutch to a first semi-final since 1998?

Van Marwijk’s side have been criticised for lacking the characteristic Oranje, Total Football style of Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, but it cannot be argued that they are not getting the job done.

After a 100 per cent record this summer, topping Group E and beating Slovakia before stunning favourites Brazil, Holland have still not lost since a friendly against Australia in September 2008 and they are expected to stretch that statistic.

The Dutch were boosted when main striker Robin van Persie was declared fit to play against Uruguay after a scan revealed his left elbow injury was not as bad as first feared.

With defender Joris Mathijsen also available again after a knee problem, Holland no longer have any injury worries, but midfielder Nigel de Jong and defender Gregory van der Wiel are out of the game due to suspension.

Paraguay (4-1-3-2): Villar, Veron, Alcaraz, Da Silva, Morel, Caceres, Barreto, Riveros, Santana, Valdez, Cardozo

Spain (4-3-3): Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Puyol, Pique, Capdevila, Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Iniesta, Torres, David Villa

Goal - David Villa (82 Min.)

Missing Penalties

Spain’s magnificent match. Spain, where the escape of two penalties in the World Cup quarter-final match with one goal through Paraguay in the semi-final was Germany’s opponents.

Spain edged past Paraguay on a cool, damp evening in Johannesburg. After either side missed a penalty early in the second half, David Villa netted a late winner for the Spaniards, who for the first time, have advanced to the semifinals.

Having scraped by Japan in penalties just four days ago, Paraguay entered tonight’s match fatigued and in need of a few changes. Coach Geraldo Martino swapped six members of his previous starting XI, notably replacing forwards Roque Santa Cruz, Edgar Benitez, and Lucas Barrios with Nelson Valdez and Oscar Cardozo, who started as attackers in a 4-4-2 formation.

Vicente Del Bosque’s Spain also narrowly qualified for the quarter-finals, but the coach opted to retain the entire starting line-up that featured in a 1-0 win over Portugal. Despite having a good run-out in the second half, Fernando Llorente failed to earn a starting role ahead of faltering striker Fernando Torres.

From the opening kick-off, Paraguay pressed their opponents high up the pitch. Jonathan Santana first tested Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas after 50 seconds, but his shot was rather weak and lacked enough accuracy to beat the Real Madrid man.

Paraguay played with a downright frenetic work rate, and for the most part, kept la Furia Roja from playing in the centre of the park. Strikers Torres, and in particular, David Villa, were forced to play out wide in order to receive service.

Much of the opening half hour was marked by poor distribution, poorer individual defending, and even worse finishing. The normally precise distributors Gerard Pique and Xabi Alonso were uncharacteristically wayward in their passing, and Paraguayan midfielders Cristian Riveros and Paulo da Silva made a pair of howlers.

Eventually, Del Bosque’s men settled into their smooth passing game, and while the likes of Torres and Villa were able to beat their markers on the flanks, they had no options available in the penalty area. Their best chance of the first half was a looping volley from Xavi that missed over the bar.

To their benefit, the Spaniards were able to keep the opponents on their heels. After Santana’s initial effort, Paraguay managed to break forward only once, but Claudio Morel’s cross was just too strong to fall to Santana’s head.

Five minutes before the half-time break, Paraguay should have taken the lead. Following a cross from the right side, Nelson Valdez chested the ball down and finished well, but was ruled offside. Replays showed that the Dortmund forward was kept onside by Pique, but the whistle came to Spain’s rescue.

At the end of the first half, Paraguay were surely disappointed not to have taken the lead, but could be pleased with the result. Spain, by contrast, were surely let down by their lack of clear chances on goal.

At the start of the second half, play resumed as it had ended in the first half. No changes were made, and the relentless defensive work of Paraguay forced giveaways.

Del Bosque responded by bringing in Cesc Fabregas in place of Torres, in an attempt to pack the midfield. Seconds later, referee Carlos Batres made a game-changing decision. Following a corner kick, the referee awarded Paraguay a penalty after Pique dragged down Cardozo. The Paraguayan striker stepped up to the spot, but had his kick saved by Casillas in the lower-right corner of goal.

Moments later, Villa was played through on goal, and earned a penalty as Antolin Alcaraz pulled him down. Xabi Alonso netted from the spot kick, but the referee signaled a re-take due to encroachment. On take two, goalkeeper Justo Villar parried to his left and appeared to foul Cesc Fabregas before Sergio Ramos’ follow-up was cleared off the line.

Towards the end of regulation, Spain finally began to attack with width, but appeared more sluggish than before. The game seemed destined for extra time before, all of a sudden, Villa netted his fifth goal of the tournament. Andres Iniesta burst to the edge of the penalty area before teeing up substitute Pedro, whose shot beat Villar, but clanged off the left post. Villa was first to the rebound, and curled his follow-up off the inside of the right post.

Paraguay were uninterested in exiting the tournament without a fight. Striker Lucas Barrios came off the bench to inject a sense of urgnecy into the Paraguayan attack, and with two minutes left, the Dortmund striker fired a blast that Casillas could only bobble. Substitute Roque Santa Cruz was first to the ball, but Casillas heroically blocked his effort.

At the other end, Villa had a chance to put the game to rest, but Villar made a terrific save to preserve a chance for Paraguay, but it was all in vain. Spain maintained possession exceptionally throughout injury time, and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in their history.

Goal – Thomas Müller (3 Min.) / Miroslav Klose (68 – 89 Min.) / Arne Friedrich (73 Min.)

Die Mannschaft Comprehensively Outclass Maradona’s Men

Germany hammered Argentina in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup on a gorgeous afternoon in Cape Town. Thomas Mueller opened the scoring for die Mannschaft after just three minutes, and Germany took second half goals from Miroslav Klose (68, 89), and Arne Friedrich (74) to round off their comprehensive victory.

Following emphatic wins in the Round of 16, coaches Diego Maradona and Joachim Loew named unchanged lineups. There had been fitness concerns for Argentine forward Lionel Messi and German winger Lukas Podolski, but the pair were declared ready to play from the start.

For Argentina, Gabriel Heinze and Javier Mascherano entered the game just a yellow card away from missing out on a possible semifinal berth. The Germans had to be more careful, with Arne Friedrich, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Oezil, Thomas Mueller, Philipp Lahm, and substitute Cacau all set to earn suspensions in the event of a booking.

Argentina kicked off the match and were faced by a high-intesity, pressing German machine that could not have started the match better. After just three minutes, Lukas Podolski won a free kick from Nicolas Otamendi. Schweinsteiger delivered a gorgeous cross to Mueller, who beat Otamendi to the ball and nodded home the opening goal, his fourth of the tournament.

After the opener, Argentina found it difficult to move fluently forward. The entire German team dropped back to deny their opponents space to pass, and were quick to exploit a rather exposed Argentine defense. With Mascherano the only buffer for his team’s centre halves, the Germans created and used space in the centre of the park.

After spending the majority of the opening ten minutes on their heels, the Argentines settled in. Their pace and runs up front were difficult to cover, and Messi, Carlos Tevez, and Gonzalo Higuain linked well in the build-up.

Still, the Germans seemed to always have the ability to recover and make the necessary, last-minute intervention. In the opening half hour, the best chance the Albiceleste created was a through ball from Messi that goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was able to collect just ahead of Tevez.

While Argentina had trouble creating goal-scoring opportunities, the Germans were next to threaten to score. In the 24th minute, Mueller pounced on a deflected ball, and burst into the penalty area before squaring for Miroslav Klose, who looped his first-time effort over the bar. Six minutes later, Podolski unleashed a long-ranged effort that flashed just wide of the right post.

Late in the first half, Argentina finally began to look a threat in front of goal. Angel di Maria, who began the game as a left winger, found space to attack on the right side, but had his low shot saved by Neuer. Not long thereafter, Higuain had a similar effort stopped.

After 36 minutes, Maradona’s men thought they had equalized, but the play was called back. After Mueller was carded for a hand ball, Higuain slotted home from a through ball, but was adjudged to have done so from an offside position.

The game began to stretch in the final moments of the first half, and while Messi regularly found the ball at the top of the German penalty area, he was always closed down and never had a clear view of goal. Mueller had a chance to double the Germans’ advantage late in the half, but had his close-ranged effort blocked.

At the end of a rousing first half, Germany entered the tunnel with a well-deserved, albeit slim, advantage. Argentina looked good in spells, but needed much more in order to advance to the semifinals.

The second half began with both teams unchanged, and Argentina pinning their oponents back in their own half. Di Maria struck a scorcher wide of the left post early on, but it did not take long for play to stretch over the length of the pitch.

As in the first half, Messi found himself having to drop very deep to retrieve the ball, and Germany used a very high offside trap. Argentina managed to breach their opponents’ back line on multiple occasions, but a timely intervention from Per Mertesacker’s face denied Tevez a shot on goal.

Towards the hour mark, the game shifted into a new gear of pace. Back and forth the teams sprinted, but neither could create a clear goal-scoring opportunity. The sheer pace left both sides visibly fatigued, but favored the seemingly fitter Germans, who bested their opponents in transition.

Whereas Argentina often had to settle for shots from outside the box, the Germans showed enough mettle to double their advantage. Once again, the impressive Mueller was at the centre of the play. As he appeared to be felled by Martin Demichelis, the 20-year old attacker managed to turn and pass through to the wide-open Podolski. With just goalkeeper Sergio Romero to beat, the Koeln striker squared for Klose, who tapped his 13th World Cup goal into an open net.

After going two goals behind, Maradona had to roll the dice, and opted to bring on attacking midfielder Javier Pastore to replace Otamendi, who by the time of his substitution, was on his final warning.

Unfortunately for the Albiceleste, they had no time to develop a comeback before Germany struck yet again. After a short corner kick, Schweinsteiger was given a free path to the byline, wherefrom he centered for Friedrich, who scored his first international goal with a tap-in.

With the score 3-0 and a quarter hour left, the game was effectively ended as a contest. Argentina sought a consolation goal, but were fatigued and had to be more concerned with the prospect of giving up a fourth goal. Loew brought on substitutes Toni Kroos and Piotr Trochowski to protect the card-bearing Mueller and Khedira, and still, the Germans were able to use team defending to thwart their opponents.

As icing on the cake, Klose completed his brace in the 89th minute, finishing coolly from Oezil’s cross.

The final result sends Argentina home on a bitter note, while Germany head into their semifinals task sans the suspended Mueller, but with a massive confidence boost.

Uruguay break Ghanaian hearts in penalty shoot-out

Uruguay progressed to the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup by beating Ghana in a penalty shoot-out. Asamoah Gyan had a chance to be the hero for the Black Stars in the final minute of the second half of extra-time but sent his spot-kick crashing off the crossbar after Luis Suarez was shown a red card for using his hands to stop Stephen Appiah’s header off the goal-line.

Gyan’s miss set up a tense penalty shoot-out where Sebastian Abreu’s cheeky chip sent Uruguay into the semi-finals after both John Mensah and Dominic Adiyiah missed from 12-yards away.

Sulley Muntari gave the Africans a well worked lead late in the first half, but Diego Forlan equalised soon after the break with a wonderfully struck free-kick from just outside the area.

Three of Uruguay’s back four went into the game with yellow cards. Ghana, meanwhile, were without midfielder Andre Ayew and Udinese defender Jonathan Mensah. Anthony Annan and Isaac Vorsah both entered the clash with cautions from previous games.

Ghana got kicked off proceedings, shooting right to left, but it was Uruguay who started to put the passes together in the first few minutes of the game. A speculative long-ball from Jorge Fucile nearly found Luis Suarez, but the little striker was ruled offside. A dangerous cross and two corner kicks then peppered Richard Kingson’s goal, but the Black Stars did well to defend.

The first Ghana chance came when Uruguayan defender Mauricio Victorino conceded a foul on Asamoah Gyan just before the 10 minute mark. However, despite a decent delivery from Inter’s Sulley Muntari, the final ball wasn’t enough to trouble Fernando Muslera and Uruguay were soon on the prowl again.

Suarez found himself with space to run at the Black Stars after poor control in the centre of the pitch by Annan gifted him the ball. He cut inside from the left, but his goal-bound strike was well stopped by the capable hands of Kingson. Uruguay were certainly looking like the side most likely to score at this point

A wonderful delivery from yet another Diego Forlan corner saw the ball come off the head of Edinson Cavani, before bouncing off John Mensah, and finally smacking Kingson right on the forehead. It was a well worked set piece that could have given the South Americans a deserved advantage, but the big ‘keeper’s face saved the day.

Ghana finally perked up after 20 minutes, putting some passes together and eventually winning a set-piece in the final third. Muntari stood over the ball for a second time, delivering expertly, but none of the Black Stars registered enough interest, leaving the ball to fly past the back post and out for a goal kick.

Annan lost the ball once again midway through the first half, gifting Diego Forlan a free shot from just outside the area. The shot was high and wide of the mark, but it served to highlight a possible weak spot in the Ghanaian defence. Uruguay then took a quick throw in on the left and Suarez was able to roll Vorsah and let one fly. Again, Kingson made a wonderful save to keep the scores level.

Vorsah quickly made up for his mistake at the other end, finding enough space on a Ghanaian corner to direct the ball almost into the top corner of Muslera’s net. It was not to be though, as the headed attempt went just wide of the post.

The Africans sustained the burst of pressure they had just created with Kevin-Prince Boateng rounding his way towards the box, beating man after man, before squaring the ball to Gyan. It was a great pass, but the ball bobbled as it reached the striker, meaning he could only direct it past the post.

Having picked up a knock earlier in the game, Uruguay skipper Diego Lugano was forced to come off. Andres Scotti replaced the Fenerbahce defender during a troublesome time for the Uruguayans – Ghana were continuing to push forward in numbers. More alarmingly, Fucile lay on the ground with his eyes shut after an awkward fall in a challenge with Samuel Inkoom. He eventually got back to his feet, but the Celeste were well and truly rocked at the back.

After a flurry of attempts harangued Muslera’s goal, including an ambitious but close overhead kick attempt from Boateng, a venomous, swerving, long range shot from Sulley Muntari caught the goalie off guard giving Ghana the lead at half time. At the break, it was 1-0 for Ghana.

Uruguay looked to recover quickly from the late first-half goal, with Forlan whipping the ball into the box for an onrushing Cavani. The Palermo striker looked to be fouled just on the edge of the box, but the referee waved play on, much to the attacker’s disbelief. Soon after, Ajax’s Nicolas Lodeiro, who replaced Alvaro Fernandez at the break, seemed to block a Muntari free kick with his hands. Again though, the ref motioned to get on with it.

Some great work from Fucile down the left won the South Americans a free kick on the edge of Ghana’s box after John Pantsil scythed down the left-back. Diego Forlan opted to strike straight at goal and the speed of the shot saw it move in the air, fooling Kingson and finally ending up in the top corner. Uruguay were back in the game.

Boateng kept his head up after the goal, almost offering an instant reply as he played in Gyan. The striker seemed to take a little longer than he perhaps should have with the shot, but he troubled Muslera nonetheless. A good save from the Lazio goalie saw the ball out for a harmless corner kick.

Kingson was almost made to feel like the second Ghanaian left ruing a mistake as his handling of an easy take gave away a free corner. However Forlan’s delivery was uncharacteristically poor this time, and the ‘keeper breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t long until he was under pressure from Forlan again though, as the clever forward broke forward before squaring the ball to Suarez at the back post. It was an extremely tight angle, even for the most seasoned striker, but the 23-year-old held his head in his hands, clearly unhappy with his attempt.

There was then a decent penalty shout as Boateng went down the box after some muscling from Arevalo Rios and Maxi Pereira. The referee, for the third time, was still having none of it, unwilling to give anything other than a stonewall spot-kick. Ghana soon won a free kick from 25-yards to make up for it, but Gyan’s strike was off-target.

Shots at both ends meant the game was explosive throughout the second period. Inkoom was hooked for the more experienced Stephen Appiah just as Forlan was allowed to strike another set piece at goal. The strike was a good one, forcing Kingson to scramble, but it only shaved the outside of the goal netting. Sebastian Abreu then took to the pitch in place of Cavani, heading straight to the front of the attacking line in a bold move by coach Oscar Tabarez.

Forlan almost added a second to his tally as the game edged into the last 10 minutes. A well timed ball in from the right found the Atletico Madrid striker, and he managed to get a foot to it. However, the touch from his heavily outstretched leg wasn’t enough to tame the pass, and Kingson was able to wipe the sweat from his brow once more.

Muntari was hooked with minutes to go, A.C. Milan’s Dominic Adiyiah taking to the stage in his place. With three minutes of injury time to play, both sides were scrambling to find that late goal that would avoid extra time. However, it was not to be, as the teams were too hurried in their actions to really create anything dangerous enough to trouble the ‘keepers. After 90 minutes, the scores were even.

Ghana were the first to threaten as the first half of extra time commenced, winning an early corner. It didn’t end well for Mensah though, as he was booked for dissent after claiming the referee should have done more about Fucile’s heavy-handed defending of the set-piece.

Kwadwo Asamoah took it upon himself to rocket one towards goal from distance, and it was on target until it began to rise, but it would end up in the stands behind Muslera’s goal.

Gyan looked like he might be in with a chance after Rios made a mistake in his own box to gift the striker the ball. The rest of the Uruguayan backline managed to get back and rescue their chances of a long overdue quarter-final though.

At the other end, Pantsil looked to have fouled Abreu in the box. To most it looked like a penalty kick, but the referee’s positioning dictated that he would wave for the lofty striker to get back on his feet.

Ghana threatened again in the second half of extra time through a decent set-piece delivery from Pantsil. The initial attack was a bit scrappy, but the Ghanaians kept the ball well. The build-up saw the ball come back into Muslera’s box and Gyan managed to get a decent header away, however the striker’s nod went wide of the mark.

It was becoming increasingly more evident that the players were getting tired, both sides making silly mistakes through fatigue. It’s worth mentioning that Ghana had already been through extra time against the USA on their path to this fixture.

A great ball in from the right saw Forlan free at the back post, but he foolishly opted to go for the strike with his left foot, forcing the ball wide of its intended target.

Ghana then began to push hard again. Appiah found space on the right to cross for Gyan who took the ball down well considering the pace on the pass. He turned his marker, but could only poke the ball towards Muslera who made a decent save.

A late flurry from Ghana saw a great flurry of chances heading straight for the net. A double goal-line clearance meant the chances were kept out, but Suarez’s second defence of the goal mouth was with his hands, prompting a penalty kick and a sending off.

It should have been curtains for Uruguay at that point, but Asamoah Gyan, who had already scored twice from the spot for Ghana, hit the bar with his penalty. The ball flicked over the bar and the ref blew his whistle. Penalties lay in store…

Uruguay were the first to take a penalty, Diego Forlan charged with the task of stepping up first. It was a cool finish, sending Kingson the wrong way and leading by example. Asamoah Gyan, who had just missed a penalty, then stepped up to match Forlan’s strike. An absolutely perfect spot-kick, right into the top corner saw the scores tied.

Victorino was the second of the South Americans to shoot from the spot. Another expertly struck set-piece meant it was 2-1, but a similar strike from Stephen Appiah bought it level once again.

Scotti was next in line. It was low and central, but it was hard enough to beat Kingson. John Mensah was the Black Star to next take the long walk. The defender stood over the ball arrogantly, not taking much of a run up at all. After taking one step towards the ball, he struck it tamely and Muslera made an easy low save.

Pressure evidently got to Maxi Pereira, as the full-back raced towards his penalty, skying the ball way over the bar having put too much power in the strike. Adiyiah failed to take advantage of the gift from Pereira, sidefooting the ball slow and low, easy enough for Muslera to make another save.

It was up to now Kingson to save the Black Stars. Abreu took to the box, sauntering up the ball in cool fashion, chipping the ball straight down the middle as he watched Kingson flop to his left.

After a penalty shoot-out and a hugely exciting match, Uruguay have progressed to the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.