3rd Place Playoff: Germany retains position

The two losing semifinalists, two former world champions, face each other in a match which decides who finishes third.

Uruguay 2-3 (1-1) Germany
Goals: 0-1 Thomas Mueller (18'), 1-1 Edinson Cavani (28'), 2-1 Diego Forlan (51'), 2-2 Marcell Jansen (56'), 2-3 Sami Khedira (82').

After an entertaining game Germany defended their third position from the last World Cup by defeating Uruguay 3-2 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Germany's young brigade ended their World Cup campaign on a high with this win, while Uruguay can return home with the knowledge of being the best side from South America.

Going into the game both sides made some changes, some enforced while others optional to give some player playing time at the World Cup. Germany started off as the better side with Thomas Mueller part of the action after his return. The Bayern Munich player did score an early goal, but he was ruled offside. Still Germany had more of the ball as the team seemed play without any pressure and their game looked like in earlier matches. And Germany took the deserving lead in the 18th minute as a long ranger from Bastian Schweinsteiger from over 30 metres out was blocked by Uruguayan keeper Fernando Muslera to the front, where Mueller was lurking and he pushed in the ball for his fifth goal to equal David Villa and Wesley Sneijder. Germany seemed to cruise to another victory in this World Cup, but a Schweinsteiger mistake in midfield gifted the ball to Uruguay and Edinson Cavani put the ball in past Hans Joerg Butt in the 28th minute. Germany thereafter tried to get back into the lead but the string Uruguayan defence denied them any real chance, while the South Americans themselves remained dangerous on the counter attacks.

After the break Germany continued to try and take the lead again, but the Uru's were more efficient in this phase. First Butt denied Uruguay the lead against Cavani and Suarez in a double chance, but then Diego Forlan scored another beautiful goal in the 51st minute. But the Uruguayan lead was short lived as another Muslera mistake in collecting a Jerome Boateng cross resulted in Marcell Jansen heading in the equaliser for Germany. Thereafter it was an open game with chances on both sides, but Germany eventually would score the winner in the 83rd minute. Following a corner Sami Khedira was there to head in Germany's winner, but Uruguay did have a last and final chance in injury time when a Forlan free kick hit the cross bar. The match was over thereafter and Germany finished third once more.

And in the end one scary bit of news. Paul the Octopus from the Sea Life in Oberhausen has been right with all his seven predictions for Germany.