SBNation.com - World Cup 2010 Full StoryStream™ Articles

World Cup 2010 Final, Spain Vs. Netherlands, Player Profiles

2010-07-11T09:44:01-04:00

Twenty-two players will start today's World Cup final in Johannesburg. SB Nation Soccer editor Richard Farley walks you through the Spanish and Dutch players who will define today's title match.

The World Cup final is one of the few events in sport that garner the willing attention of people who know little-to-nothing about the participants, if not the sport. The Super Bowl is another example, as are the Olympics, but for almost any other major sporting event you won’t get a question like "What happens next?" At various places around the world today, a new soccer fan will be asking the person seated TV-center what the players will do if somebody happens to touch the ball with their hand. It's the best day of the year to try and bring the Beautiful Game to a potential life-long addict. Go for it, enabler.

We here at SB Nation are neither qualified nor inclined to explain all the rules (being the evil kind people that would make-up stories about prison sentences for playing outside the lines), but where we can help you is with the main actors. Through the hours leading up to today's 2:30 p.m. Eastern kick-off, we will be releasing brief player profiles, the hope being that we can give you at least one piece of information that you latch onto about each key player, providing you with some context for his performance.

And for those people who already are world soccer addicts, we hope to give you a series of posts you’ll enjoy flipping through in those anxious moments before Howard Webb blows his whistle and drops his arm.

Return Of The Spanish Armada: Andres Iniesta's 116th-Minute Goal Brings First World Cup To Spain

2010-07-11T00:09:53-04:00

The drama that's captivated the sporting world for a month reaches its climax on Sunday, but for Spain, who will face the Netherlands in Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup, the journey has lasted over three years. That's how long the Spaniards have been the world's best, and while that's a status that wasn't affirmed until two summers past, the expectations that they would end Spain's World Cup void were cast upon them the second they were crowned Europe's champions.

Like Spain, the Netherlands have never won a World Cup--though they've been on the cusp, having reached the 1974 and 1978 finals. Unlike Spain, the Dutch don't carry two years' worth of expectations into Sunday's game. On the contrary, after the Dutch dominated group stage at Euro 2008 only to flame-out in the knockout round, there was a decided same ol' Dutch feel to it all. Those were the mixed expectations the Netherlands carried into South Africa, but thanks to an unanticipated change of style, those expectations quickly became inapplicable.

This year's Dutch team is consistent, stable, if stoic (relative to the days of Total Football), yet it's a style that's brought the Netherlands back to the finals, where this year's team will have a chance to succeed where their more romanticized predecessors failed.

It's difficult to imagine a better final.

Spain versus the Netherlands, Johannesburg (Soccer City), 2:30 p.m. Eastern, ABC

Where They Stand: The Netherlands come into Sunday’s match perfect, each of their last five wins by one goal, and although they are being criticized for their conservative play, the Dutch are averaging two goals per match, having scored multiple goals in each of their knockout phase games. Their defending, however, has not been as stellar, allowing five goals in six matches.

How They Got Here, Netherlands:

Group F

June 14: Netherlands 2-0 Denmark
46’ - Daniel Agger (o.g.)
85’ - Dirk Kuyt

June 19: Netherlands 1-0 Japan
53’ - Wesley Sneijder

June 24: Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands
36’ - Robin van Persie
65’ - Samuel Eto’o (pen.)
83’ - Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

Round of 16

June 28: Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia
18’ - Arjen Robben
84’ - Wesley Sneijder
94’ - Robert Vittek

Quarterfinals

July 2: Netherlands 2-1 Brazil
10’ - Robinho
53’ - Wesley Sneijder
68’ - Wesley Sneijder

Semifinals

July 6: Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands
18’ - Giovanni van Bronckhorst
41’ - Diego Forlan
70’ - Wesley Sneijder
73’ - Arjen Robben
92’ - Maxi Pereira

While that total’s not bad, consider the Netherlands’ counterparts: Spain. The Spanish have allowed only two goals in six matches and carry a scoreless streak of 313 minutes into the final. Spain, however, have shared the Netherlands’ habit of one goal wins, stringing together four in a row, the last three all 1-0 results where Spain was never ahead before the 63rd minute.

Both teams are expect the be at full health and strength for the final, with the Netherlands seeing the return to the lineup of Nigel de Jong and Gregory van der Weil, both of whom were suspended for the semifinal against Uruguay.

Player(s) To Watch, Netherlands: In the formation the Dutch are employing, the most important player is always the advanced midfielder: Wesley Sneijder. The 26-year-old attacker is having his second successive, eye-opening, major tournament. Sneijder’s five goals (tied for tournament lead) and his team’s performance make him one of the leading contenders for the Golden Ball.

Those accolades aside, the Netherlands’ best player is right wing Arjen Robben. He is the one Dutch player that can score when nothing else his working, his left foot the singularly most dangerous weapon in world football. As evidenced by his 18th minute goal against Slovakia in the Round of 16, sometimes all the Dutch need to generate goals is a 60 yard punt to Robben. His ability to turn the match at any moment enables coach Bert van Marwijk to play as conservatively as he has been.

Other players of note for Holland: goalkeeper Maarten Stenkelenburg, central defender John Heitinga and left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst must be more stalwart against Spain’s attack than they’ve shown throughout the knockout stage; the key to protecting them may be defensive midfielders Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel, the backbone to the team.

How They Got Here, Spain:

Group H

June 16: Spain 0-1 Switzerland
52’ - Gelson Fernandes

June 21: Spain 2-0 Honduras
17’ - David Villa
51’ - David Villa

June 25: Chile 1-2 Spain
24’ - David Villa
37’ - Andres Iniesta
47’ - Rodrigo Millar

Round of 16

June 29: Spain 1-0 Portugal
63’ - David Villa

Quarterfinals

July 3: Paraguay 0-1 Spain
83’ - David Villa

Semifinals

July 7: Germany 0-1 Spain
73’ - Carles Puyol

Player(s) To Watch, Spain: What Robben is to the Dutch, forward David Villa is to the Spanish, but whereas the Netherlands has advanced to the final without dominant play from Robben (who has supplied only two of their twelve goals), the Spanish are hapless without Villa. Of Spain’s seven goals in the tournament, Villa has scored five and assisted on one (he seventh was off a corner kick). Every open play goal Spain’s recorded in the tournament has had Villa at its center.

But if Villa is Spain’s most dangerous player, Xavi Hernandez is their most important. In some ways, he is to Spain and Barcelona’s variety of Total Football what Johan Cruyff was to the Clockwork Orange’s: the player around whom everything is build and all the success depends. Hernandez leads the tournament in completed passes (still ahead of Bastian Schweinsteiger despite the German having now played an extra match), and given the margin by which Spain has been winning their matches, it’s confoudning to think of where La Roja would be were Xavi not the tournament’s most prolific distributor. Over the last two years, both Spain and Barcelona have built their teams around him, with both Spain and Barcelona finding unprecedented success.

Other players of note for Spain: Deep-sitting midfielders Xabi Alonso and, particularly, Sergio Busquets can stifle the Dutch if they control Sneijder; right back Sergio Ramos has been key to providing Spain with width on the right side, but on Sunday will be marked by notoriously hard-worker Dirk Kuyt; goalkeeper Iker Casillas will have the pleasure of dealing with Robben-plus-Jabulani should Joan Capdevila give the Dutch winger the same room he afforded Piotr Trochowski in the first half of Spain’s semifinal.

Prediction: While it's true the Dutch are averaging two goals per match, that's a statistic that's been built on opportunism more than skillful play. Between the own goal(s), a goal off a goalkeeper's arms, a offside goal allowed and goals scored against sides chasing late, the Dutch have created very few goals of their own accord. Now, they face a team that's only allowing a goal everything three matches, one which, as exhibited against Portugal and Paraguay, have found ways to scored against the most ardent defenses. Having shown against Germany that they are capable of adapting to go around a pair of good central midfielders (albeit, a pair less defensively stalwart than the Dutch's), Spain should be able to avoid the Netherlands' strength.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the Spain's performance against Germany was their ability to raise their game with the quality of opposition. All the adoration adorned upon the Spanish since their semifinal has made many overlook how well Germany was playing coming into that match (and how much Spain struggled against Paraguay). Yet, Spain controlled what had been the best team in the tournament.

While the Dutch's talent combined with the lessons the Germans had to learn (the hard way) could see the Netherlands to their first World Cup, Spain have to be considered strong favorites, and if they show the same determination they exhibited at the onset of their semifinal, the Spanish could give us a Spain 2, Netherlands 0 final.

World Cup Perspectives: A Life With World Cup Finals

2010-07-10T17:32:20-04:00

Mark Kozek's perspectives on the World Cup have been available on SB Nation Soccer throughout the World Cup. Here, Mark walks us through a life of World Cup finals almost three decades long.

Mark Kozek has been contributing to SB Nation's Soccer pages throughout the World Cup. On the verge of this years final in South Africa, Mark shares his life with the quadrennial championship's ultimate match.

Tomorrow’s the big day. Four years of blood, sweat and tears, of angst and agony, of ups and downs have led up to the most watched event in the World… Where are YOU going to watch the Final?

Since it only happens once every four years, the World Cup Final is like a Super Bowl party times four. But really, it is so much more than that. Everyone in the World is watching it, which means wherever you are you can find a place close by to watch it and probably new (or old) friends with whom to watch it.

Also, given the four-year intervals between World Cups, many fans, myself included, use the World Cup to mark important events in our lives. Why that is is hard to explain. Reading Nick Hornby’s Fever Pitch might offer an insight into this phenomenon (though instead he uses his favorite team as the marker). I assure you that once you experience your first Final, you will get it. And the more Finals you live, the more each will stand out as a relevant moment your life – as a "life-mark", if you will.

In my lifetime, there have been nine World Cups, not including South Africa. I was too young to remember the first two, but to this day, I can remember vividly where I watched the other seven Finals, the stories and people associated with each, and hence, where I was at that particular time in my life.

Spain 1982. This was my "first" World Cup. I was nine years old and had just completed fourth grade. My family had lived in South America for about five years by then, however, my parents booked a flight to Miami between the Third Place game and the Final. I was quite worried that the Final wound not be broadcast in the States and that I would miss it, ruining the entire World Cup for me, and thus ruining my life. (Yes, nine-year-old soccer fans can be a little melodramatic.) Fortunately, since Miami had Spanish language channels, I was able to watch my "first" Final at my Uncle’s house on Spanish language television.

Mexico 1986. I had just completed the eighth grade in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where we moved two years earlier. I missed my graduation because I came down with chicken pox. I don’t recall the World Cup being broadcast in English, but one of the Mexican pay-cable channels had it. Surprisingly, my father was willing to subscribe to this channel for the duration of the World Cup. My father even threw a Final party at our house and invited several of his co-workers, including a Panamanian and an Argentinean. Who knew my father was a closeted soccer fan? I wanted to invite my best friend Diego (an Argentinean) to this party, but he had tickets to the Final and flew to Mexico City with his parents. When he came back, not only did he frame the ticket stubs, but he also had them signed by Pelé. Needless to say, I was jealous.

Italy 1990. I had just graduated from high school, still in Puerto Rico. I had a couple friends over for the Final, not many, maybe five or ten. I don’t think any were soccer players or even soccer fans, but they came anyway. The Final was broadcast by one of the Turner networks, so at least I was able to get it in English. Naturally, I recorded the final on a VHS tape. The story is that I loaned the tape to one of my friends, Cirilo, who took a good three years to copy it and finally return it. I mean, seriously, you don’t hoard some else’s Final tape for three years! But it was returned safely… eventually.

USA 1994. I had just graduated from college. I had a summer job in Boston, but one of my roommates threw a graduation, weekend-long party at his parents’ house in Pittsburgh that also happened to fall on Final’s weekend. I flew in Friday night; my mother somehow was able to get me a ridiculously cheap plane ticket. I thought the deal was because Pittsburgh was a hub for USAir. No, I found out on Sunday that it was because my return flight to Boston was at practically the EXACT same time as the Final. (I had explicitly told my mother that I would play extra so long as I didn’t fly during the Final… as if parents ever listen!) So, I watched the first fifteen minutes or so at the airport in Pittsburgh, and the last few minutes of overtime and the PKs at Boston Logan Airport… NOT my favorite Final viewing experience. And believe me, every four years I remind my mother about this.

France 1998. I was living in Miami and had just finished my first year teaching high school and coaching soccer. My friend Jorge (from high school, who as at the 1990 Final party) invited me to his mother’s house in Coral Gables for Brazil’s World Cup victory celebration. Yes, you read correctly… their victory celebration. His parents were divorced and he was raised by his father in Puerto Rico, whereas his mother moved to Florida. The victory celebration started at noon, yet the Final started at around 2 pm. And well, you all might remember what happened. Still, the party continued past midnight.

Korea/Japan 2002. I had just completed my masters degree in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Jorge who by then was married and lived in suburban Washington DC converted is basement into World Cup Central. He rented a big-screen TV, and we both decorated the room with all of our soccer jerseys. I spent the first week or so of the World Cup at his house – including the amazing USA-Portugal game – before reporting for my summer job in Raleigh, North Carolina. Then, I drove back up to DC for the Final. Jorge and I stayed up to 2:00 am (or whatever time it was in the morning) and watched Brazil actually win this time; finally, a Brazil World Cup victory celebration that lived up to its name, even though it was just the two of us.

Germany 2006. I was in my fourth year of my PhD in Columbia, South Carolina. I was co-captain of an adult soccer team, and that spring we went undefeated in our division. Also, through one of my teammates, a Greek who also happened to be the president of the local amateur soccer association, I was able to get tickets to the USA games at the World Cup. My first World Cup as a spectator! I spent the first two rounds in Germany staying with German graduate school professors, the quarterfinals in France with master’s program roommate, a French exchange student, and returned to South Carolina for the semis and the Final. Our team captain, Charley, threw a World Cup party at his house, and the team watched it together on this new contraption he had called a "high definition television".

There you have it. Seven Finals, watched in six different cities and two airports, each with their own story, characters and subplots. Trust me, I just glanced over each.

Where will I be Sunday? Mostly likely at a local sandwich shop in Uptown Whittier, California, where I’ve lived for the past two years, and where I’ve assembled a new soccer-watching group that includes the shop’s owner, Peter, an American, ardent fan of Spain (I think there is a distant blood connection, but I’m not entirely sure about it).

This is the beauty of soccer and this is why the Final is an event like no other. Wherever you are in the World, you can find a place to watch the game and new (or old) friends with whom to watch it. The question is… Where are YOU watching the Final?

Please share your own Final stories below.

Mark Kozek just returned from South Africa where he attended six second and third round matches. His traveling party included old friends from South America, and he tried but was unable to meet up with an old friend from Miami. He already hears the distant echo of Brazil calling to him. (And if you want to read a soccer book set in Brazil, he recommends Mal Peet’s The Keeper.)

Germany Defeats Uruguay 3-2 For Second Consecutive Third-Place Finish

2010-07-10T13:52:13-04:00

If the history of the World Cup’s third place match didn’t motive you to tune in at 2:30 p.m. Eastern (ABC), perhaps we should focus on the present, where a number of story lines threaten to make Saturday’s match one of the most memorable in the history of the consolation game.

One player has a chance to go down as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer, while another can continue to make his case as this summer’s best player. A number of players will be making their last audition for the tournament’s All-Star team at the same time Germany is giving the world a further glimpse of what’s in store for 2014. We could see the return of a villain and a hero, both the same person, along with the last World Cup appearances of two of this competition’s best strikers.

If none of that’s movie, there will remain one, very basic reason to watch.

1. Miroslav Klose Goes For World Cup History: German striker Miroslav Klose has fourteen career goals in World Cup play, tying him with legend Gerd Müller for the German record, putting him one short of Brazil’s Ronaldo for the tournament mark. Still, it is unclear whether Klose will play, the modest striker and the German team possibly ambivalent toward the mark.

2. Quest For The Golden Ball: David Villa and Wesley Sneijder are considered the leading candidates for the award given to the tournament’s best player (and one of those things is not like the other, in this year’s tournament), but Diego Forlán has been the finals’ best player. If he has an exceptionally strong match on Saturday, he could force the award into his hands, should neither Villa nor Sneijder shine in Johannesburg.

3. Last Audition: We hope Forlán is already on the 23-man All-Star team, whether he plays or not. For others, this could be a day that cements that honor. Diego Pérez, Maxi Pereira, Diego Gódin and Diego Lugano have made strong tournaments for La Celeste, and while Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mesut Özil, Thomas Müller, and Manuel Neuer may have little to prove, spots could be clinched for Sami Khedira, Lukas Podolski and center back Arne Friedrich, who has had a tournament that may be falling victim to hyper-analysis of German weaknesses.

4. Young Germans Rolled-Out Like Volkswagons Off A Fließband: We’ve seen a lot of Özil, Müller, Khedira, Neuer and Jerome Boateng. We’ve seen good chunks of Holger Badstuber and Toni Kroos. But there are even more young Germans who could be impact players for Brazil 2014. Defenders Sadir Tasci and Dennis Aogo are each only 23. Winger Marko Marin, 21, is sure to be an impact, change-of-pace (at least) player in Brazil. We could see each of them today.

5. La Regresa de El Santo, El Diablo: Luis Suárez is eligible to return today. Should he? I don’t care, at this point (not that I ever did). Will he? I hope so. While I just said "Let the kids play," I’m never against seeing the best players play more often. With three goals in five games, Suárez has been one of the tournament’s better players, and at only 23, he also falls under the kid exception. Whether he’s a saint or a devil - actually, let’s just move-on.

6. Reascending Giant: Uruguay was the sport’s first true super power. They won the first two World Cups they entered, help make the Rio de la Plata estuary (for a time) the most important place on the footballing globe, and with only a population of three million people, maintained their soccer power into the 1970s. Since, they have slipped, but this year sees La Celeste reassert themselves. A win over a German team that is both a historic and modern power will allow Uruguay to rightfully carry their chins high into the 2011 Copa América.

7. Last Cup Performances: For a number of players, this is likely their last World Cup match. Miroslav Klose is 32, and Arne Friedrich is 31. They’re unlikely to factor into German’s 2014 plans. El Loco Abreu is 33, Andrés Scotti is 34, and one that’s snuck-up on us: Diego Forlán is 31. This may be his last appearance in on this stage.

8. It’s Soccer, And The Teams Have Five Combined Titles: And coming from opposite ends of the world, they don’t play often. Just watch already.

World Cup 2010, Germany Vs. Uruguay Third Place Preview: A Look-Back On Third Place Match's History

2010-07-10T12:45:41-04:00

Why watch a third place match? Four goal performances, at-the-whistle-winners, and the awakening of international soccer giants. Today, Germany and Uruguay look to replicate some of the third place match's history.

Third place matches may be as American as a veggie dog, so don’t be no surprised that this vegetarian wants to give you reason to watch today’s match between Germany and Uruguay (2:30 p.m. Eastern kick-off on ABC). If names like Lahm, Özil, Suárez, and Schweinsteiger don’t do it for you, than tale of Miroslav Klose’s quest for the all-time World Cup goals record or Diego Forlán’s golden ball candidacy aren’t going to move you.

So, I’ll go with something more basic: a look back at the history of the World Cup’s third place match. Amongst the sixteen matches, there’s been only one lop-sided affair, and while there have been some dispirited contests, there have also been some proverbial moments of magic. After all, how often can you start a historical recounting with a four-goal performance:

1. Sweden 1958: France 6, West Germany 3 - Just Fontaine completed the most prolific tournament in World Cup history with his 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th goals of the competition (a record), the last two coming in the the match’s final 12 minutes. If anybody can pull a Just Fontaine today in Port Elizabeth, it would be the highlight of the 2010 finals and possibly give Lebron James some competition at the coffee cart on Monday morning.

2. England 1966, Portugal 2, Soviet Union 1 - Eusebio opened the match with his ninth goal of the tournament (from the spot in the 12th minute), with Minsk striker Eduard Malofeyev equalizing just before half time. José Torres’s 89th minute goal gave the Selecção the nation’s best ever-finish (in their first World Cup) and the third-place match one of its most dramatic finishes. The result is the best World Cup placing for each side, one the Soviets may never replicate.

3. France 1938: Brazil 4, Sweden 2 - Arne Nyberg’s 38th minute goal, giving Sweden a 2-0 lead, may have awakened a slumbering soccer giant. Brazil would pull one back in the 44th minute before a brace from Leonidas da Silva gave the Brazilians the lead (and the striker the tournament’s scoring title). Brazil would finish second in the first finals after the war’s break and ... and I guess they didn’t win their first world title until Sweden 1958. But this is a third place match. Can’t we jazz it up and pretend it had a greater historical significance?

4. Italy 1990: Italy 2, England 1 - After each team was eliminated via shootout in the semifinals, a Salvatore Schillaci 86th minute penalty kick broke a 1-1 tie that saw all three goals scored in the match’s last twenty minutes, giving the 51,000 in Bari consolation for the Azzurri’s near miss.

5. Germany 2006: Germany 3, Portugal 1 - A young Bastian Schweinsteiger took over the match in the second half, with two goals and the dead ball that led to a third, own goal. Portugal would get a late tally to prevent the clean sheet in a match that allowed a German team that exceeded its low expectations to say thank you to a home crowd that provided for a great tournament.

6. France 1998: Croatia 2, Netherlands 1 - Croatia’s first World Cup as an independent nation ends with a third place finish, defeating one of the world’s iconic soccer nations. Davor Suker’s tiebreaking goal in the 35th minute gave Croatia their medals and Davor Suker the Golden Shoe. The Dutch would go on to miss the 2002 World Cup.

7. Italy 1934: Germany 3, Austria 2 - An anticipated highpoint for Hugo Meisl’s Wunderteam was undone first in the semifinals by an Italy bulldozer (not considered a metaphor by all, given the only goal came after the Austrian goalkeeper was physically pushed over his line) and then by Germany, who got a brace from Ernst Lehner in defeating the pre-tournament favorites. Three years later, Meisl had passed away, and the following year, Austria was annexed by Germany, ending the Wunderteam era.

8. Argentina 1978: Brazil 2, Italy 1 - Brazil controversially finished in third place despite not losing a match all tournament, having lost the tiebreaker at the top of Group B to eventual champion Argentina. Goals by Nelinho and Dirceu reversed an early Italy lead to maintain Brazil’s loose claim to another world title. To this day controversy surrounding start-time gamesmanship and a Peruvian goalkeeper’s allegiance smudge Argentina’s first World Cup victory.

9. Korea-Japan 2002: Turkey 3, South Korea 2 - The co-hosts were down 11 seconds into the match but managed to equalize before falling behind by two goals. They pulled one back late, but if there’s something more quixotic than a third place match, it may be a third place match where 63,000 people leave disappointed.

10. Chile 1966: Chile 1, Yugoslavia 0 - Eliado Rojas’s second goal of the tournament win the hosts bronze right before the final whistle, a win that would be Chile’s last in the World Cup for 44 years. As dramatic as Portugal’s 1966 win over the Soviet Union was, a match-winning goal at the whistle tops it.

11. Mexico 1970: West Germany 1, Uruguay 0 - More than other third place matches, this match was a let down for each team, Uruguay coming off a loss to Brazil that conclusively made Brazil South America’s dynasty, West Germany similarly losing to Italy in one of the best matches ever. A 26th minute goal by Wolfgang Overath made for an understandably anti-climatic result.

12. West Germany 1974: Poland 1, Brazil 0 - The most successful team in Polish soccer history went undefeated through first group stage and missed their first World Cup final after a 1-0 loss to the hosts to finish the second group stage. Golden Shoe winner Grzegorz Lato scored his seventh goal of the tournament in the 76th minute, giving Poland their first medal.

13. Mexico 1986: France 4, Belgium 2 (a.e.t.) - A dramatic match with a 73rd minute equalizer and two extra time goals would have been near the top of this list had it not taken place in front of a less-than-half-capacity crowd in Puebla. France would build-on their third place finish by missing Italia 1990.

14. Switzerland 1954: Austria 3, Uruguay 1 - Uruguay had just been denied their third world title, being beaten by Hungary’s Golden Team in the semifinals, the first time somebody had eliminated the Uruguayans from a World Cup. Austria had just been beaten by West Germany, 6-1. The teams traded early goals to go into halftime at one, with a Luis Cruz own goal in the second half separating the sides before Ernst Ocwirk provided Austria its final margin.

15. Spain 1982: Poland 3, France 2 - Three goals in a six minute span surrounding half-time gave Poland a 3-1 lead in the nation’s only appearance in the last four. For France, it was the second of five appearances in the semifinals.

16. United States 1994: Sweden 4, Bulgaria 0 - A match-up between teams playing half-way across the world who have limited international followings saw the Swedes score four goals in the first 40 minutes of the most lop-sided third place match in the competition's history.

2:00 P.M.: Germany, Uruguay Square Off In Third-Place Match

2010-07-10T12:29:17-04:00

Preview courtesy of Sports Network.

Miroslav Klose can become the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history Saturday when Germany plays Uruguay in the third-place match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

Klose scored five goals in both the 2002 and 2006 tournaments, and has scored four so far in five games in South Africa to move within one goal of Brazil's Ronaldo, who established the record of 15 goals four years ago.

The 32-year-old striker scored in Germany's World Cup opener, a 4-0 win over Australia, but played just 37 minutes in the last two group matches following a red card against Serbia.

Klose returned in the knockout round and had the first goal in a 4-1 win over England, and added two goals in a 4-0 win over Argentina in a quarterfinal to move within one goal of the record.

Germany's oldest starter in South Africa, Klose is currently tied with German legend Gerd Muller on the all-time scoring list with 14 goals. His pursuit may be in jeopardy, however, as he is reportedly battling a back injury that could keep him out of Saturday's match.

The Germans have advanced to the semifinals in the last three World Cups, beating South Korea in 2002 before losing to Italy in 2006 and now Spain this year.

Germany will try to end the tournament on a positive note with another win in the third-place match. Germany beat Portugal 3-1 in the consolation game four years ago. Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has been the midfield leader in South Africa, scored two goals in that match and created an own goal.

The Germans will definitely look to get Klose at least one goal, but 20-year- old Thomas Muller is also in the hunt for the Golden Boot as the tournament's top scorer.

Klose led the World Cup with five goals in 2006, and both he and Muller enter the match on four goals - one behind Spain's David Villa and the Netherlands' Wesley Sneijder.

Uruguay striker Diego Forlan also enters the match on four goals, but he left the 3-2 semifinal loss to the Netherlands with an apparent injury and may not play this weekend.

Forlan's strike partner, Luis Suarez, will return from his one-game ban after he saved Uruguay in its quarterfinal. Suarez used his hands to prevent Ghana from scoring late in extra time. Ghana missed the ensuing penalty and Uruguay won in a shootout, 4-2, to break a 1-1 tie.

Suarez also has a shot at the Golden Boot, or at least a share of the award. He has three goals, including two in the knockout stage.

Uruguay and Germany have combined for five World Cup titles. The Netherlands and Spain will battle for their first crown Sunday.

Lessons From South Africa: A Soccer Novice Reports Back From World Cup 2010

2010-07-09T10:53:24-04:00

Your correspondent came back from the World Cup with a renewed appreciation for soccer's biggest stage, and much, much more.

I've had the privilege of attending numerous big-time sporting events and visiting over 30 countries in my lifetime. But nothing compares to my first World Cup and my first visit to Africa.

My trip began in mid-June in Cape Town, South Africa, where the Dutch first started settling in Southern Africa en masse over 300 years ago and, like much of Africa, brought modernization to the continent along with decades of oppression and division that has led to many of Africa's problems to this day. The World Cup, of course, masks many of these issues and like its only competitor on the international sports stage - the Olympics - brings a sense of international unity to countries that may be adversaries otherwise.

Not being a soccer fan myself, I had the typical preconceived notions of what to expect from soccer's preeminent showcase. I envisioned gangs of soccer hooligans rampaging through the streets of Cape Town, wreaking havoc on the local population as well as those in attendance at the games. I expected to see flaming bags of garbage flying onto the field and brawls breaking out in the stands.

Instead, I found World Cup fans to be the most civil and gentleman-like of any sports fans I've ever encountered. Sure, they rooted boisterously for their respective teams and countries and wore costumes that could only be rivaled at Comic-Con. But remarkably, no one openly rooted against their opponents or for their opposing countries to fail (it should be noted that I wasn't at the Portugal vs. Spain game, I assume the crowd was a bit feisty towards each other there). For example, while attending England vs. Algeria during Group competition, a number of English fans I spoke with commended me on the US team's outing against Slovenia and took it in good humor when I chided that Robert Green was my favorite soccer player.

In particular, I was startled at the conclusion of the England vs. Algeria game by how ecstatic the Algerians were at the game's outcome. In one of the most boring athletic events I've ever attended in person, the game concluded with a 0-0 (nil-nil) tie, with Algeria playing much of the second half to secure the tie (more on that shortly). But in spite of tying, you'd think the Algerians had just won the Super Bowl based on their celebratory nature after the game was over. For them, merely tying England was the greatest of accomplishments. And while a tie may not be good enough for us, seeing the joy on their faces brought a wide smile to my own.

I next attended North Korea vs. Portugal, a bizarre game by any measure. First off, the crowd was littered with Portuguese fans compared to only a handful of North Korean fans (rumored to be from China, more bizarrely). After playing a gutty first half and keeping the score to just 1-0, the North Koreans couldn't handle the Portuguese in the second half and ended up losing 7-0, which is like losing by 100 points in an NBA game. Having fought to stay awake through England vs. Algeria's 0-0 snoozer, I appreciated the goal onslaught but felt awful for the North Korean players, a classy bunch playing for an anything-but-classy regime. At the game's conclusion, the North Koreans were cheered warmly by the crowd and by their fellow competitors on the field. I just hoped - for their sake - that Kim Jong Il wasn't watching.

For my final World Cup game I found myself sitting in a sea of orange when I watched the Netherlands take on Cameroon, a game that meant little to either team but was fun nonetheless. Among the fan bases I got to see up-close, the Netherlands fans took the cake for most creative costuming and in many ways it reminded me of a Denver Broncos game, with fans (male and female) wearing puffy orange legwarmers, orange cowboy hats, riding orange stuffed animals, painting their faces with elaborate orange-infused designs and so on. But while they may have looked obnoxious, their behavior was anything but. When Cameroon made a few good plays during the game, the Dutch would commend them with a round of applause.

Upon reflection, I think the World Cup brings out a classier fan base because the cost of being there is so high. Especially when it's in a country like South Africa requiring ample travel time and expense. And as far as the raging sound of the oft-condemned vuvuzelas are concerned, I miss their sound already. Those who have slammed them (like Rick Reilly ignorantly did in a recent ESPN.com column) either didn't attend a single game in person or, if they did, miss the point. Distinct to the culture of South Africa, the vuvuzelas were embraced by fans from every country, with the Dutch tooting on orange ones, the English with red and white ones, the Algerians with green ones, etc. I even brought four back for myself with the flags of all the World Cup participants painted on the side. Having sat through three World Cup games, the never-ending noise of the vuvuzelas not only didn't bother me, but gave the games a special feel when fans across the stadium synced their "vuvuzela-ing" to coincide with certain moments of the game. Bottom line is the vuvuzelas gave the 2010 World Cup a little extra character, and I don't see why that's a bad thing.

After spending weeks following soccer closer than I ever have before, I can't say I'm a fully converted soccer fan but certainly have a renewed appreciation for the sport and it's loyal followers. Maybe I'm just a scoring junkie, but seeing teams play for a tie doesn't do it for me. I wish FIFA would change the Group round rules to include penalty kicks, thereby forcing teams to play for the win. I have to believe that it would make this exciting spectacle even more so.

As far as South Africa itself is concerned, I was only in Cape Town and its surrounding areas but it seems to me that 16 years after electing Nelson Mandela to the presidency the country offers great promise. South Africa still has a number of problems to overcome left over from the apartheid era and its aftermath, but its leadership deserves credit for preventing it from becoming another Zimbabwe or devolving into civil war (as almost happened preceding those elections 16 years ago). And even though Cape Town was undoubtedly "dressed up" for the Cup, it was one of the most beautiful cities I've ever visited and I'll be sure to return.

After spending a week neck deep in soccer in South Africa, I moved on with my group to Kenya and then capped off the trip in Rwanda. Kenya - two years removed from political violence that threatened to divide the country - appears to be on the right path. Nairobi - the country's capital - is bursting with energy, evident by English-speaking young people conducting business (and pleasure) on their cell phones on every street corner. The new government is delivering on (many of the) promises made to the people, all 42 tribes worth of them, and you just get the feeling being there that its future is bright.

My African journey concluded in Rwanda. After gorilla-trekking for two days our trip ended at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre which commemorates and educates visitors about the 1994 Rwandan genocide - a mass killing that cost over 1,000,000 people their lives in just 90 days while the international community sat on the sidelines - and the other notable genocides from the 20th century, including the Holocaust and the genocides that occurred to the people of Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Namibia and elsewhere around the world. Being at the memorial, just weeks removed from seeing the world united around soccer, was a powerfully somber reminder of how brutal, violent and barbaric we can still be to each other. But in spite of the unspeakable brutality that happened in Rwanda, just 16 years removed from genocide the economy is growing, the people are healthy and optimistic about their future and, like Kenya, everyone is yakking away on their cell phones.

Like Kenya and South Africa, Rwanda has great promise and potential - as I suspect much of Africa does from Algeria down to South Africa, and from Liberia across to Kenya. Should you get the opportunity to visit any country in Africa, I wholeheartedly say do so. It can be expensive and cumbersome time-wise to get there, but its well worth the journey.

The great people of these countries deserve our attention, support and investment dollars, and it shouldn't take a big time sporting event to get more Westerners to visit. I'm most grateful and thankful that the World Cup brought me to Africa for the first time, but I won't need a big sporting event to bring me back.

World Cup Perspectives: For Whom Are South Africans Rooting?

2010-07-08T11:32:54-04:00

With South Africa eliminated for the World Cup at grop stage, concern arose regarding the host nation's interest in the event. As one traveling writer notes, thought-provoking trends have emerged as South Africans chose countries to support in the tournament's final rounds.

Mark Kozek is a contributing writer for SB Nation Soccer. Having recently returned from a trip to South Africa, Mark shared his thoughts on his experiences at the 2010 World Cup. The following was written prior to the tournament's semifinals.

Whereas modern South Africa has a sense of continental pride, its cultural ties to Western Europe remain strong. Observing whom locals support for a World Cup match gives us an unfiltered glimpse into the current state of racial affairs.

During my return flight from South Africa where I attended six matches including half of the quarterfinals, I watched a documentary about the 2006 World Cup in Germany. One of the things that caught my attention, both from the film and from my visit to Germany four years ago, was that the stadiums seemed to be filled almost completely with people from the two countries on the field and not so much with local soccer fans unless of course, Germany was playing.

This World Cup was quite the opposite. Almost all of the fans at all the matches I attended were South Africans (and white South Africans for that matter). On the one hand, they showed great zeal. For casual fans, they all made the effort to dress like they were from whichever of the two countries they chose to support. This usually included a team jersey, a scarf, a vuvuzela in the appropriate team colors, a wig or beanie, and face paint. I give them credit for going “all out” in this respect. However, during the quarterfinals, the teams they chose to support offers a rather interesting perspective on the state of South African racial relations.

First Quarterfinal Match: Brazil vs. Holland This was the most interesting of the four quarterfinals in terms of local fan support. I watched this match at the Fan Park in a casino/mall complex called Monte Casino (not to be confused with the FIFA Fan Fests). Brazil has a large and loyal fan base that follows them around the world. In addition, Brazil almost always gets a lot of local fan support, no matter where they play. For example, I attended the Brazil-Chile second round match at Ellis Park. Everyone in my section was Brazilian, and not only were there a lot of Brazilians at the stadium, Brazil had most of the local support too. However, against Netherlands, at the Monte Casino Fan Park, the fan support amongst locals was divided amongst color lines… white South Africans overwhelmingly supported Netherlands, while non-white South Africans overwhelmingly supported Brazil. Needless to say, at Monte Casino, most of the people were thrilled by the outcome.

Second Quarterfinal Match: Ghana vs. Uruguay On the other hand, practically everyone I saw either at the stadium or around Johannesburg was rooting for Ghana, independent of their ethnic background. I was at Soccer City, and easily 90% of the stadium wanted Ghana to win. This is probably the only match of the elimination round where the fans had a true emotional connection with one of the teams on the field. The stadium’s silence and utter disbelief when Gyan missed the penalty at the very end was overwhelming. Of the six matches I attended, this one had the largest proportion of non-white South Africans in the stands.

Third Quarterfinal Match: Argentina vs. Germany. Again, I watched this match at Monte Casino Fan Park, and almost all of the locals there (most of whom were white that day) wanted Germany to win. Our driver brought his wife and even she was decked out in Germany paraphernalia. I was with a group of South Americans (who on principle support South American countries first). We were all dressed in Argentina colors, and this was the first time that fans actually made snotty comments after the outcome of the game. I heard snips like “Don’t cry for me Argentina” as I walked to the restroom or as we walked towards the vans to drive to Ellis Park.

Fourth Quarterfinal Match: Paraguay vs. Spain Following the previous trends, Spain had the overwhelming support of fans at the Ellis Park Saturday night, although since Germany played on the same day, most of the fans I saw outside Ellis Park were decked in Germany gear. In Spain’s defense, I noticed visible, Spanish, cheering sections at the stadium. Whereas Spain had most of the local backing, I couldn’t say how disappointed the fans would have been had Paraguay emerged victorious.

So what does this all mean? Based on the games I attended and some of the people I spoke to during my visit to South Africa, I can make the following observations about fan support.

1. Non-white South Africans will probably support teams in the following order: South Africa, other African countries, Brazil, or not show up.

2. White South Africans will support teams in the following order: South Africa, other African countries, the “big” Anglo/Germanic Western European countries. [I’d love to get comments from anyone who went to the Germany-Ghana first round match.]

3. The Americas and Asia, sorry, but you won’t get much love in South Africa, unless you’re Brazil.

As we look forward to the semi-finals today, since most of the locals in attendance probably will be white South Africans, we can expect most of the fans in Green Point Stadium and Durban Stadium cheer for Holland in the first match and Germany in the second. From a soccer perspective, this would make an exciting World Cup Final. But sociologically, it begs the question, how far have things truly come since 1994?

Mark Kozek just returned from South Africa where he kept a personal travel journal but didn’t have the internet access to upload it as frequently as he wanted to. He is thrilled that he didn’t have to go in for jury duty today and is invoking voodoo witchcraft so that he doesn’t get called in until after the semi-finals at the earliest.