Posts for 'World Cup 2010' Category

England  managed only one win and two draws during the group stages and then suffered a humiliating 4-1 World Cup exit at the hands of Germany  in the knockout round. But Fabio Capello's men have risen to seventh place in the rankings. World and European champions Spain top the rankings ahead of Holland, Brazil, Germany, Argentina  and Uruguay.

Portugal, who lost to eventual winners Spain in the knockout round, have dropped five places to eighth. Italy, world champions in 2006, have dropped six places to 11th. Egypt are ninth and the top 10 is completed by Chile. The Republic of Ireland are up five places to 36th and Scotland are up two spots to 41st. Northern Ireland have dropped three places to 59th and Wales have slipped seven spots to 84th. New Zealand, who were unbeaten in their three group matches in South Africa, have climbed 24 places to 54th.

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The Barcelona midfielder scored the winning goal in extra time of an aggressive, bad-tempered game in which seven Holland  players were booked and John Heitinga was sent off. “I had the opportunity to score the goal that was so important for my team, and it’s incredible,” he said. I’ve made a small contribution in a very tough game, a very rough game - there were all sorts of things happening on the pitch - but Spain  deserved to win this World Cup.

"It’s something we have to remember and enjoy, and should feel very proud of everyone in this squad.” Iniesta was himself booked for taking off his shirt in celebrating his goal, revealing a t-shirt with “Dani Jarque - always with us” written on it. Jarque, an Espanyol player, died of a heart attack during pre-season training in Italy last year, aged 26.

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Holland will contest the World Cup final with Germany or Spain on Sunday. The victors have pursued the prize with more illustrious line-ups in days gone by.

But this one showed resilience in responding to an equaliser with goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben in the second-half.

The 3-1 lead was trimmed by Maxi Pereira's curling effort in the 90th minute, but the Dutch were not to be denied.

The semi-final reeked of history as it pitted South Americans who had won the trophy twice against opponents beaten in two finals. Few anticipated that they would both be in the last four.

There was no risk of anyone in either squad being star-struck by the wonder of it all. The problems that had to be dealt with were instead to the fore in the minds of both sides.

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It was a rematch of the 2008 European championship. And it was a repeat result of the 2008 European championship.Spain upended Germany 1-0 on a second-half Carles Puyol goal to put La Roja just one win away from raising its first World Cup trophy. Spain dictated the pace of this match from the opening kickoff, starving the Germans of possession and tiring their opponents with their textbook tika-taka soccer, a fast-paced, pass-and-move style of game.

Germany, playing without breakout star Thomas Mueller, who was forced to sit out this match because of a suspension, didn't look like the same high-flying team that scored a tournament-leading 13 goals in five games. Instead of Germany's magnificent midfield of Mesut Oezil, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira taking control of this match as they have in so many games in the tournament, it was their opponents in red who gladly grabbed the reins.

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Lionel Messi came into the World Cup with the expectation that he would light up the tournament.

But the Barcelona superstar left empty-handed, without a goal and in floods of tears. It is not somethin.

The world footballer of the year and Argentina's talisman is used to. Despite being just 23, Messi has won almost every accolade there is and already has.

An impressive medal collection that few other players, if any, can match.Sitting in his personal trophy cabinet is already.

A World Cup winner's medal, but from 2005 at junior level. The one still missing is the one he wants the most - a World Cup winner as a senior.

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Except the 2010 versions of Brazil and Holland are very different from previous incarnations as both coaches admitted on Thursday evening. Football, they said, had moved on from 1974 and 1978 (the high spots for the Dutch) and 1982 (for Brazil); that great team that promised so much but failed to win in the final. And winning is all that matters to Carlos Dunga and Bert van Marwijk. Pragmatism first; everything else a distant second. Both are achieving that aim.

“Total Football was 1974,” Van Marwijk stated on Thursday night. “That’s a long time ago and I know there was the 'samba football’ of Brazil. But football changes. "Everyone is getting fitter and better organised. So when you play now it is more difficult to win the World Cup. “I can understand why the Brazilians have changed also. But they can win the World Cup and so can we. In the past we’ve won a couple of matches and thought we’d made it and then were sent home.”

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Never buy a player at the World Cup so the maxim goes, because what you see might not be what you get. Here is a top 10 of established performers who have reversed that wisdom at this World Cup, players who came with huge reputations and left diminished.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal): A frustrated figure in a Portugal side that tried to eke results rather than back themselves and their star player. One goal in four matches for the world’s most expensive striker says it all. Wayne Rooney (England):  Never found the rhythm of post Christmas peak at Manchester United. Not the same since the injury he suffered in the Champions League in Munich. Flat as a pancake in front of goal.

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North Korea's World Cup team arrived home stony-faced after three straight losses but brightened up when welcomed at the airport by families and supporters, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper said on Wednesday.

The North Koreans, competing in the tournament for the first time since 1966, put up an impressive 1-2 performance against Brazil but were routed 0-7 by Portugal and 0-3 by the Ivory Coast in the other two group games.

The impoverished communist state was gripped by football fever after the dogged display against Brazil, Choson Sinbo reported earlier.

Authorities carried the clash with Portugal live but the hail of goals from the European side left the commentator speechless.

Choson Sinbo said on Wednesday the squad arrived stony-faced in rain on Tuesday but "regained their smiles after being welcomed by their families" and supporters crowding the airport.

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Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo confessed to being a broken man on Wednesday after his side's 1-0 defeat to Iberian rivals Spain in their World Cup Last 16 match on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Real Madrid star - who once again failed to live up to his club form for his country at a major championships - said he felt a deep sadness at the exit at the hands of the European champions, who progressed to a quarter-final meeting with Paraguay thanks to David Villa's fourth goal of the tournament.

"I feel a broken man, completely disconsolate, frustrated and an unimaginable sadness," he said in a statement released on the website of Gestifute, which is owned by his agent.

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A football fan who berated England's World Cup team after intruding into their dressing room has been fined after admitting being in an area without authorisation, a court heard on Wednesday.

Pavlos Joseph, 32, from London, paid a fine of around 100 dollars on Tuesday, his lawyer told a hearing of a special World Cup court in Cape Town.

"The admission of guilt fine in the amount of 750 rand was paid by the accused yesterday on a charge of contravening section six, subsection one, of the FIFA Act ... namely being in a designated area without being in possession of an accreditation pass," his lawyer Craig Webster told the court.

Mthunzi Mhaga, a spokesman for the prosecuting authority, said that the admission of guilt meant he had been formally convicted.

"He has a conviction in respect of the charge that he was facing," said Mhaga.

A British tabloid newspaper journalist, Simon Wright, has also been charged with harbouring Joseph in the aftermath of the intrusion which followed England's 0-0 draw with Algeria in Cape Town on June 18.

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