FIFA World Cup 2010 - Predictions/Discussions/Updates

[DP McCoy]

Can't believe it's Final day already,how quickly did the last four weeks go?

Anyway,I will pick Spain to become champions Today,I expect their fluent passing game will be too much for the Dutch to deal with.It will be interesting to see if Torres is in the starting line up,I personally would leave him on the bench and continue with David Villa up front with Iniesta and Pedro wide.One stat that is against the Spanish is that no team has won the tournament after losing their opening game,but there are Lies, damned lies, and statistics as they say.

Hope it's a great game.

[_____V_____]

FULL TIME - Match #63 (3RD PLACE PLAY-OFF) -

URUGUAY - 2
(Cavani 28')
(Forlan 51')


GERMANY - 3
(Muller 19')
(Jansen 56')
(Khedira 82')

Apologies for getting cut off right in the middle of the match last night. My computer's power unit decided to go kaput, and had to get it fixed all morning and afternoon.

It was a fantastic match. Both teams shed off any sort of lacklustre stuff everyone thought they would bring to the table, and they fought tooth and nail for the 3rd spot honor. Germany started the scoring through Muller, when Schweinsteiger's long ranger was parried straight to him in front of the goal by the Uruguayan GK, and Muller made no mistake. Cavani equalised for the Uruguayans in the next 9 minutes through Suarez who fed him easily in front of Butt, the German GK.
And that was the half-time score. 1 - 1, honors even.
The second half started as brightly as the first. The Germans looked menacing and relentless, but it was Forlan who broke through their defenses when a superb curler by Rios came straight to him and he blasted it acrobatically past a wrong-footed Butt who was caught napping. 2 - 1, Uruguay in the lead. But the celebrations lasted for the next 5 minutes only, because Boateng's superb kick sent the ball inside the box which the GK failed to collect and Jansen headed it right into the goal. 2 - 2, scores level again. Then both teams played some really attacking football but couldn't break through either's halves till the 82nd minute when a corner kick by Ozil was tamely cleared out by Lugano only to Khedira who headbutted the ball straight past the Uruguayan GK into the goal. 3 - 2, Germany in the lead.
The final chance of the match came in the dying seconds of extra time, when Uruguay won a fantastic free-kick right at the edge of the box, on the semi-circle. Forlan came forward to take it, and his fantastic hit beat the German wall and the GK fair and square, but hit the top post and flew outside. That was when the final whistle blew.
A great end to an equally wonderful match. Germany won rightfully, but they were stretched to the final limit by a great Uruguayan team who should be proud of their showing in WC 2010. Germany get the medals, Uruguay get the ovation.


And onwards, to the final match of WC 2010 tonight, the BIG FINAL - SPAIN takes on THE NETHERLANDS.

Till then...

[zwoti]

Originally Posted by zwoti

henry - passed it. ribery has been playing well for bayern so he might have a good tournament. france will probably be undermined by their manager domenech again.

kaka - not been playing well, absent from the real team recently. but brazil have so many good players that they should progress.

forlan - not expectin anything from him, not expecting anything from uruguay.

lampard - how many deflections and penalties can 1 man get. rooney is the main man for england.

klose - does he play anymore, can't get into the bayern team anymore, like gomes.

robben - been playing very well, holland if they click will do well.

japan, paraguay, cameroon - not expecting anything.

drogba - class player (pains me to say this).

ronaldo - very good player, but the rest of the team not enough to progress far.

italy - too old

spain - the team to beat, class players.

argentina - brilliant individuals, but a team? i'd say no, and maradona doesn't help any.

seems like i was pretty close :cool:

[_____V_____]

Originally Posted by zwoti

seems like i was pretty close :cool:

Except for Forlan, Rooney, Klose, Paraguay, and Japan. :D

[_____V_____]

ARE...YOU...READYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY HDC?!


We kick off the FINAL in 35 minutes!

And damn am I EXCITED or WHAT!

[zwoti]

Originally Posted by _____V_____

Except for Forlan, Rooney, Klose, Paraguay, and Japan. :D

forlan, klose and paraguay i'll admit.

someone had to qualify from group E with the dutch, and it wasn't going to be the danes :p

as for rooney, i said he'd be the main man for england..as he was. he was shit and so were england :mad:

[_____V_____]

10 minutes into the big Final...

0 - 0 so far.

One SUPERB save by Stekelenburg, the Dutch goalkeeper, in the 5th minute.

Spain holding more possession, and looking more attacking.

[_____V_____]

20 minutes into the big Final...

Its still 0 - 0.

2 Yellow cards, one of them to Puyol. Just the 4th for a Spanish player in WC 2010.

Just as I say this, 2 more Yellows given within 2 minutes. Game is getting pacy and rough!

[_____V_____]

30 minutes in...

0 - 0 so far.

Lots of midfield play, no breaks. Honors even.

Although De Jong was lucky to get away with a Yellow for his very blatant high boot to Xavi Alonso's chest.

[_____V_____]

40 minutes in...

Still 0 - 0.

One very cheeky corner kick taken by the Dutch could have resulted in a lot of trouble for Casillas if the final pass was dealt with more effectively.

And one nice run by Pedro resulted in him hitting wide of the Dutch goal.

Fouls are being committed left and right. Expecting more Yellows, and possibly a resultant Red, maybe in the second half.