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Iniesta fires Spain to extra time glory: The name of Andrés INIESTA will be remembered forever in red and yellow hearts, as his 116th minute goal secured Spain’s first world title as they defeated the Netherlands 1-0 in the final of the 2010 Men’s World Cup in extra time at Soccer City in Johannesburg. The match was hotly contested throughout; the old record of six yellow cards in the 1986 final was shattered as referee Howard WEBB issued fourteen bookings, including a second to the Netherlands’ Johnny HEITINGA in the 109th minute. With the resulting man advantage, substitute Cesc FÀBREGAS found Iniesta in the middle of the area, who powered his famous shot past goalkeeper Maarten STEKELENBURG. Spain are now the eighth nation to have won the Men’s World Cup, and the Netherlands have now lost all three of their appearances in the final match.
[posted MON 12 JUL 2010 – 01:23:00 UTC]

Golden Ball to Forlán, Golden Boot and youth award to Müller: According to a media vote, Diego FORLÁN of Uruguay has won the Golden Ball as the top player of the 2010 Men’s World Cup in South Africa. His five goals and one assist propelled la Celeste to a shock fourth place. Two participants in the final, Wesley SNEIJDER of the Netherlands and David VILLA of Spain, won the Silver and Bronze Balls respectively. At the age of 20, Thomas MÜLLER of Germany was the runaway winner of the Best Young Player award, not least because his five goals and three assists at the tournament also earned him the Golden Boot. Villa and Sneijder, also with five goals and an assist, edged Forlán for the Silver and Bronze Boots respectively owing to their fewer minutes played. Spain claimed two more awards as Iker CASILLAS won the Golden Glove Award as the best goalkeeper, and the Spanish side as a whole earned the Fair Play award with only eight bookings, fewest amongst teams that advanced to the elimination phase.
[posted MON 12 JUL 2010 – 01:19:25 UTC]

Germany fight past Uruguay for third: Sami KHEDRA scored the winner in a back and forth encounter in Port Elizabeth in which Germany secured third place at the 2010 Men’s World Cup with a 3-2 win over Uruguay. Both teams did well to reach the semifinals, but it was Germany who ended up with bronze medals after taking an early lead from Thomas MÜLLER. Edinson CAVANI then equalised, and six minutes into the second half, a stunner of a goal from Diego FORLÁN put la Celeste in front. Marcell JANSEN pulled Germany level again with a header five minutes later. Finally, in the 82nd minute, Khedra’s header secured third place, but Forlán nearly sent the match to extra time with a thunderous free kick off the bar seconds before the final whistle. Germany finish in third place for the second tournament in a row as Müller, with five goals and three assists, moves atop the Golden Boot table.
[posted SUN 11 JUL 2010 – 01:24:14 UTC]

Golden Boot leaders to go head to head: The Golden Boot award at the 2010 Men’s World Cup will be decided on the last day, as the joint leaders after the semifinals, Spain’s David VILLA and the Netherlands’ Wesley SNEIJDER, are expected to compete in the final match. Both have scored five goals and have one assist, but Villa is the current leader, having reached his mark in just 529 minutes played compared with Sneijder’s 532. Nonetheless, the possibility exists of another player passing both, as Germany’s Thomas MÜLLER and Miroslav KLOSE and Uruguay’s Diego FORLÁN and Luis SUÁREZ are all expected to play in the third place match. Suárez has scored three goals, whilst Müller, Klose, and Forlán have each scored four. Müller has also recorded three assists, Klose and Suárez one. In case of a tie in goals scored, preference is given to the player with more assists, and then to the player who recorded fewer minutes. [Sneijder’s total includes both goals in the Netherlands’ 2-1 quarterfinal win over Brazil; his first goal was initially ruled an own goal.]
[posted THU 08 JUL 2010 – 02:32:57 UTC]

New champion to be crowned at Soccer City: The champion of the 2010 Men’s World Cup will be a first time winner after the Netherlands and Spain won their respective semifinals. The Netherlands continued their perfect record at South Africa 2010 by defeating Uruguay 3-2 in Cape Town, whilst Spain won 1-0 against Germany to reach the final and potentially become the first Men’s World Cup champion that lost its first match of the tournament. For the Dutch, it will be their third appearance in the final match, whilst the Spanish have never previously reached this plateau.
» Third place match: Uruguay-Germany, SAT 10 JUL 2010, Nelson Mandela Bay/​Port Elizabeth
» Final: Netherlands-Spain, SUN 11 JUL 2010, Johannesburg [Soccer City]
[posted THU 08 JUL 2010 – 02:12:34 UTC]

Draw places Brazil, Portugal into Group of Death: The draw for the final tournament of the 2010 Men’s World Cup was kind to the defending finalists, but not the losing semifinalists. 2006 champions Italy face Paraguay, New Zealand, and first time qualifiers Slovakia in Group F, whilst France, who fell to the Azzurri in the 2006 final, were drawn against hosts South Africa, Mexico, and Uruguay in Group A. The Group of Death is widely considered to be Group G, which contains Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire, and Portugal. The tournament’s opening match will be South Africa-Mexico at Johannesburg’s new Soccer City stadium on FRI 11 JUN 2010.
» Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
» Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Rep, Greece
» Group C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
» Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
» Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
» Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
» Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d’Ivoire, Portugal
» Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
[posted SAT 05 DEC 2009 – 00:58:11 UTC]

Pots decided for South Africa 2010 draw: FIFA have settled on the pots, seedings, and draw procedure for the 2010 Men’s World Cup final tournament. The top seeds include hosts South Africa and the top seven teams in the FIFA world rankings of OCT 2009, who occupy Pot 1. Pot 2 contains the teams from the AFC, CONCACAF, and the OFC. Pot 3 holds the remaining teams from CAF and CONMEBOL, whilst Pot 4 contains the remaining UEFA teams. Each group will receive one team from each pot, and no group may contain more than two UEFA teams or more than one team from any other confederation. The draw begins at 17:00 UTC on FRI 04 DEC 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
» Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina, England
» Pot 2: Australia, Honduras, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Rep, Mexico, New Zealand, United States
» Pot 3: Algeria, Cameroon, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Paraguay, Uruguay
» Pot 4: Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland
[posted THU 03 DEC 2009 – 02:54:28 UTC]

Uruguay see off Costa Rica to qualify: Uruguay have appeared in playoffs for places in the last three Men’s World Cups. They have now won two of them, as they defeated Costa Rica 2-1 on aggregate in the CONCACAF/​CONMEBOL playoff. Diego LUGANO scored for la Celeste in the first leg, and the teams were greeted by heavy rains for the return leg in Montevideo. Sebastián ABREU gave Uruguay a 2-0 aggregate lead in the 69th minute, but Walter CENTENO responded with a goal just four minutes later. Costa Rica, though, could not find the all important second goal, and Uruguay will appear at their eleventh Men’s World Cup.
[posted FRI 20 NOV 2009 – 05:51:48 UTC]

UEFA matchday 18 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA playoffs on WED 18 NOV 2009.
» Ukraine 00-01 Greece: Greece reach the Men’s World Cup for the first time in sixteen years as Dimitris SALPIGIDAS scored the critical away goal in the first half, leading to a 1-0 aggregate win.
» Bosnia-Herzegovina 00-01 Portugal: Portugal won 2-0 on aggregate thanks to RAÚL MEIREILES’s second half goal.
» Slovenia 01-00 Russia: Nejc PEČNIK’s late goal in the first leg proved critical as Zlatko DEDIČ levelled the series 2-2 on aggregate at the end of the first half. That put the Slovenians up 1-0 on away goals, and Russia’s hopes of coming back diminished as first Aleksandr KERZHAKOV and then Yuri ZHIRKOV were sent off.
» France 01-01 Ireland Rep [F/OT]: But the most dramatic and contentious match was in Saint-Denis, where Robbie KEANE scored in the first half. Together with Nicolas ANELKA’s goal in the first leg, the series was level at 1-1, both goals away. When the match went to overtime, William GALLAS headed in France’s winning goal after a Thierry HENRY handball – which he admitted to postmatch – was missed by referee Martin HANSSON. France held on to win 2-1 on aggregate, but certainly Irish bitterness will not dwindle when South Africa 2010 kicks off without them.
¤ Qualified: France, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia
[posted THU 19 NOV 2009 – 09:04:15 UTC]

Algeria qualify with playoff win: The Desert Foxes of Algeria are in the Men’s World Cup for the first time since 1986 as they defeated Egypt 1-0 in a playoff for the CAF Group C title. Antar YAHIA scored the spectacular winner in the 39th minute when he volleyed in a lob from Karim ZIANI off the underside of the bar. The match, played at Sudan’s National Stadium in Omdurman, was necessitated when the Pharaohs defeated Algeria 2-0 on the last day of Group C action, leaving the teams deadlocked atop the group on all tiebreaking criteria.
[posted THU 19 NOV 2009 – 08:25:15 UTC]

CAF matchday 14 recap: A quick summary of action around the CAF second group phase on the weekend of SAT 14-SUN 15 NOV 2009.
» Mozambique 01-00 Tunisia: Tunisia had a two point lead in Group B when the weekend began, but a win would guarantee qualification. The deadlock was finally broken in the 83rd minute when DARIO scored for the home side...
» Kenya 02-03 Nigeria: ...at which point Allan WETENDE equalised for Kenya. Just minutes later, Obafemi MARTINS scored his second goal of the day to put the Super Eagles through.
» Morocco 00-02 Cameroon: Cameroon win Group A and return to the Men’s World Cup as Achille WEBO and Samuel ETO’O were the goalscorers.
» Egypt 02-00 Algeria: The runup to the match was marred by an attack on the Desert Foxes’ team bus when they arrived in Cairo. When the match began, it immediately turned as Amr ZAKI pounced on a Mohamed ABOUTRIKA shot that struck the post. That gave Egypt the lead in the second minute, but no more goals were forthcoming as the tension mounted. With seconds remaining in stoppage time, though, Zaki’s replacement, Emad METEAB headed in the critical second goal. The teams are now dead even atop Group C, each with 13 points, nine goals scored, and four conceded. Each team won their home match by two goals, forcing a single match playoff in Sudan on WED 18 NOV 2009.
¤ Qualified: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria
» Playoff required: Algeria-Egypt [Group C]
[posted SUN 15 NOV 2009 – 19:00:19 UTC]

Germany goalkeeper Enke dead at 32: Germany goalkeeper Robert ENKE, widely considered one of the frontrunners to start for his national side at the 2010 Men’s World Cup, died on TUE 10 NOV 2009 at the age of 32. Lower Saxony police confirmed Enke’s death in an apparent suicide at a train crossing near Hannover, where he played for Hannover 96 and won Bundesliga goalkeeper of the year honours for the 2008-9 season. Enke is survived by his wife, Teresa, and his adopted daughter, Leila; their biological daughter, Lara, died at the age of two in 2006 of a rare heart condition.
[posted SUN 15 NOV 2009 – 09:23:27 UTC]

UEFA matchday 17 recap: A quick summary of action around the UEFA playoffs on SAT 14 NOV 2009.
» Russia 02-01 Slovenia: Diniyar BILYATDINOV was Russia’s hero with two goals, but Slovenia managed to keep themselves in the tie with a late goal by Nejc PEČNIK. Marko ŠULER nearly earned a stunning equaliser in stoppage time, but Russia keeper Igor AKINFEEV was able to make the diving save.
» Greece 00-00 Ukraine: There will be no daylight between the teams when they return to Donetsk, but Greece had two chances to take the lead late. Georgios SAMARAS sent a shot over the bar with ten minutes left, and Sotiris KYRGIAKOS headed a cross just wide of the post in stoppage time.
» Ireland Rep 00-01 France: Ireland Rep’s luck may have finally run out, as France won the first leg on a deflection. In the 72nd minute, Nicolas ANELKA’s shot from the top of the area rebounded off home defender Sean ST LEDGER, off the post, and into Shay GIVEN’s goal.
» Portugal 01-00 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Portugal scored the day’s only goal in the 31st minute, when BRUNO ALVES headed in a cross by NANI. Bosnia-Herz responded well after the setback and had a dual opportunity to earn a 90th minute equaliser: Edin DŽEKO sent a header off the crossbar, and the rebound, falling to Zlatan MUSLIMOVIĆ, went off the post.
[posted SUN 15 NOV 2009 – 05:44:53 UTC]

All Whites qualify with win over Bahrain: New Zealand qualified for the 2010 Men’s World Cup with a 1-0 win over Bahrain in the second leg of the AFC/​OFC playoff final. The first leg in Manama had ended goalless, giving Bahrain a slight advantage as the teams entered Wellington. But Rory FALLON put the All Whites in front with a header from Leo BERTOS’s corner just before halftime. Five minutes after the break, Bahrain’s Abdulla OMAR was pulled down in the area – the resulting penalty by Sayed ADNAN was saved by Mark PASTON. New Zealand held on to win 1-0 on aggregate and reach the Men’s World Cup for the second time in their history, having previously qualified in 1982.
[posted SUN 15 NOV 2009 – 01:00:10 UTC]

Ireland Rep to meet France in UEFA playoffs: The draw for the UEFA playoffs put massive challenges in the way of two recent champions. France, 1998 Men’s World Cup and Euro 2000 champions, must face Ireland Rep, whilst Euro 2004 champions Greece will play Ukraine. Each two leg series is played SAT 14-WED 18 NOV 2009.
» Playoff 1: Ireland Rep v France
» Playoff 2: Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina
» Playoff 3: Greece v Ukraine
» Playoff 4: Russia v Slovenia
[posted TUE 20 OCT 2009 – 02:34:45 UTC]

France lead UEFA playoff seeds: France, Portugal, Russia, and Greece have been announced as the four seeded teams for the UEFA playoffs. As the four leading teams in the OCT 2009 FIFA rankings, they will each be drawn against one of the unseeded teams: Ukraine, Ireland Rep, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Slovenia. The playoff draw takes place at 12:00 UTC on MON 19 OCT 2009 in Zürich, Switzerland.
» Seeded teams: France [9th], Portugal [10th], Russia [12th], Greece [16th]
» Unseeded teams: Ukraine [22nd], Ireland Rep [34th], Bosnia-Herz [42nd], Slovenia [49th]
[posted SUN 18 OCT 2009 – 19:30:59 UTC]

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