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.
Sabtu, 10 Juli 2010
2010 World Cup: Indicast Podcast - Germany's loss to Spain
Yesterday I was part of the Indicast Podcast's Sportsbench special on the ongoing 2010 FIFA World Cup analysing the Germany vs Spain semifinal. It was moderated by Vikram Nanivadekar with myself as the guest discussing the semifinal loss that Germany suffered at the hands of Spain.
It is titled "Football World Cup 2010 - Germany - Spain Review" and it surely will make interesting hearing for you all. A nice discussion about what we all have seen over the last few days in South Africa. The highs and lows...
Listen Online (64 kbps) : ~ 17 mins
Here the direct link to the Indicast Podcast page: Sportsbench Podcast
Follow me on my Facebook Fanpage: Arunava Chaudhuri Fanpage
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Arunfoot
Follow me on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/arunavaaboutfootball
It is titled "Football World Cup 2010 - Germany - Spain Review" and it surely will make interesting hearing for you all. A nice discussion about what we all have seen over the last few days in South Africa. The highs and lows...
Listen Online (64 kbps) : ~ 17 mins
Here the direct link to the Indicast Podcast page: Sportsbench Podcast
Follow me on my Facebook Fanpage: Arunava Chaudhuri Fanpage
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Arunfoot
Follow me on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/arunavaaboutfootball
Football Weekend in Amsterdam
I have been send for the final 2010 FIFA World Cup weekend to Amsterdam to cover how the Dutch celebrate their team ahead, during and after the final match against Spain in Johannesburg, South Africa. A football weekend in Amsterdam which I really look forward to...
I am really curious to see if the Dutch celebrate like what I have seen from the Germans over the last few weeks or if it is somehow different. The first impression of Amsterdam after my arrival is that there aren't too many flags hanging out of building and houses plus the Dutch don't really sport their blue-white-red flag or Oranje colours on their cars like the Germans do with the black-red-gold. But you see loads of people in Orange T-Shirts across town.
On going across to the main public viewing area, the Museum Plein, where over 70,000 people are expected to watch the game one wouldn't believe that so many people would be there to watch football tomorrow evening. The Museum Plein is normally a public park and it was looking like one today. People playing sports, people sun bathing, some reading books and others just sitting under the shade of the trees; while work on the public viewing area is going on in the background.
I had hopes that the weather wouldn't be as warm as it was in Remscheid and it is a couple of degrees cooler, but 32°/33°C is just too hot for central Europe. And you realise that it is too hot as the city is full of tourists with few locals around and all looking for options under the shade. Especially the Cafés along the water front are full of people enjoying the weather with an ice or cold drink.
I am really curious to see if the Dutch celebrate like what I have seen from the Germans over the last few weeks or if it is somehow different. The first impression of Amsterdam after my arrival is that there aren't too many flags hanging out of building and houses plus the Dutch don't really sport their blue-white-red flag or Oranje colours on their cars like the Germans do with the black-red-gold. But you see loads of people in Orange T-Shirts across town.
On going across to the main public viewing area, the Museum Plein, where over 70,000 people are expected to watch the game one wouldn't believe that so many people would be there to watch football tomorrow evening. The Museum Plein is normally a public park and it was looking like one today. People playing sports, people sun bathing, some reading books and others just sitting under the shade of the trees; while work on the public viewing area is going on in the background.
I had hopes that the weather wouldn't be as warm as it was in Remscheid and it is a couple of degrees cooler, but 32°/33°C is just too hot for central Europe. And you realise that it is too hot as the city is full of tourists with few locals around and all looking for options under the shade. Especially the Cafés along the water front are full of people enjoying the weather with an ice or cold drink.
Jumat, 09 Juli 2010
The Cooperage tragedy continues
With the 2010 FIFA World Cup around we have lost a little focus on what's happening in Indian football. And here some bad news in regard to infrastructure.
The tragic story surrounding the redevelopment of the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai continues. I remember I first read an article about it sometime in 1998 when a plan was made public to redevelop the ground to international standard, have an underground parking lot, a club house and other facilities. And a certain WIFA (Western India Football Association) president called Praful Patel was behind the project, but till date nothing has happened and the potential development plans are stuck in court.
On Thursday the Bombay High Court declined to vacate a stay on the construction of a world class football stadium and ancillary structures at the Cooperage Ground in South Mumbai. This means that WIFA along with the Maharashtra government cannot start any work until a final verdict has been given by the courts. And the next hearing has been fixed for September 1.
The Oval Cooperage Residents Association along with former Mumbai municipal commissioner Jamsheed Kanga had filed a petition against construction of a stadium as they say the Cooperage ground is not for professional sports, but rather a recreational ground where there shouldn't be any stadium build and open for all. But many football lovers in Mumbai say that the residents just don't want a big stadium built in front of their houses with 25,000 to 30,000 people turning up for matches.
So the status quo continues though the then Maharashtra chief minister in 2003 had agreed for a football stadium to be build at the Cooperage, but till date the old, broken stands and inadequate changing rooms are used for top class matches in the I-League and local leagues in Mumbai. And with the authorities not deciding to build another facility elsewhere football in India's financial capital continues to suffer...
The tragic story surrounding the redevelopment of the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai continues. I remember I first read an article about it sometime in 1998 when a plan was made public to redevelop the ground to international standard, have an underground parking lot, a club house and other facilities. And a certain WIFA (Western India Football Association) president called Praful Patel was behind the project, but till date nothing has happened and the potential development plans are stuck in court.
On Thursday the Bombay High Court declined to vacate a stay on the construction of a world class football stadium and ancillary structures at the Cooperage Ground in South Mumbai. This means that WIFA along with the Maharashtra government cannot start any work until a final verdict has been given by the courts. And the next hearing has been fixed for September 1.
The Oval Cooperage Residents Association along with former Mumbai municipal commissioner Jamsheed Kanga had filed a petition against construction of a stadium as they say the Cooperage ground is not for professional sports, but rather a recreational ground where there shouldn't be any stadium build and open for all. But many football lovers in Mumbai say that the residents just don't want a big stadium built in front of their houses with 25,000 to 30,000 people turning up for matches.
So the status quo continues though the then Maharashtra chief minister in 2003 had agreed for a football stadium to be build at the Cooperage, but till date the old, broken stands and inadequate changing rooms are used for top class matches in the I-League and local leagues in Mumbai. And with the authorities not deciding to build another facility elsewhere football in India's financial capital continues to suffer...
The craze around Octopus Paul
The city of Oberhausen in the Ruhr valley has lived a quiet life for long. The city with a population of over 200,000 has not seen anything close to what happened earlier today when Psychic Octopus Paul at the Sea Life Aquarium was ready to pick the winners of for the third place playoff between Germany and Uruguay and the big final on Sunday between the Netherlands and Spain.
Over 120 journalists were present at Sea Life to cover Paul's predictions. Not only journalists from Germany, Spain or the Netherlands were present but from across Europe, from even Brazil, Japan, the USA and even from India.
And it would be a once in a lifetime experience as this is likely Paul's last predictions on a football World Cup as Paul is now two and a half years old and as an octopus has maximum another year to live. Incredible what I have learned about an octopus over the last few days which I hadn't learned many years back in biology.
And today was the climax of Paul's predictions as for the first time the octopus would have to predict two matches and the people at Sea Life where sceptical if Paul would be up to the task, but Paul luckily was as the world was watching. On the first occasion he took his time switching over the German and Uruguayan boxes before deciding that Germany would win and picking his mussel from the German box. About half an hour later Paul was back in action, this time he would have to predict who would win the World Cup. And for the first time he would give his predictions on a match not involving Germany. And this would be a quick one as he decided that Spain would be the new world champions.
For me Paul has meant a lot of work over the last couple of days. And today was the highlight as I had to do live commentary on Indian news channel Times Now on what Paul was choosing or not. First on the Germany vs Uruguay game, where it was like a normal football match as Paul seemed indecisive and switched sides and as I had to talk it felt like a never ending story. Then his quick decision on Spain, but for the onlookers close-by it wasn't that clear and TV replay was needed to say, "Paul has picked Spain to be the new world champions!"
It was a first for me and luckily I had read up some infos on Paul, his life and how he predicts, otherwise I would have been lost on the live telecast. I hope for those of you who where watching it wasn't too boring. Commentating on a football match is much much easier. Believe me...
Kamis, 08 Juli 2010
2010 World Cup: Bringing out a new champion
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will end on Sunday, July 11 with a new nation adding its name to the list of football World Cup winners. The only question is will it be the Netherlands, who will play their third final or will it be first time finalists Spain. Both the Elftal and the Furia Roja are there in the final deservingly.
So after 12 years, when France were the last new World Cup winning nation in 1998, a another country will add its name to the illustrious club of nations who have won the most important trophy in world football. And this club is a small one with only Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina and France having won the title so far in its 76 year history. Will the Dutch finally live up to expectations or can the best team of our times Spain win the World Cup? We will have to wait until Sunday evening to know who will lift the cup at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.
And we see two sides facing each other who both would be deserving champions, but only one team can win a football match. Will the Dutch retain their chokers tag and will Spain's golden generation continue their domination of world football by adding the World Cup to their European Championship trophy or will the Dutch finally win the World Cup in their third attempt.
Both sides have crucial players. For Spain David Villa has been the main target man with five goals, but crucial is how Xavi and Andres Iniesta combine in midfield; while on the other side a lot depends on the in-form Wesley Sneijder and his attacking partners in Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie. But the match could turn out to be a tactical battle with no real flair football.
The third place playoff on Saturday, July 10 will see Uruguay take on Germany in a match-up of to former World Cup winners, who before the tournament would have been happy to reach this match, but now will think about the lost opportunity.
So after 12 years, when France were the last new World Cup winning nation in 1998, a another country will add its name to the illustrious club of nations who have won the most important trophy in world football. And this club is a small one with only Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina and France having won the title so far in its 76 year history. Will the Dutch finally live up to expectations or can the best team of our times Spain win the World Cup? We will have to wait until Sunday evening to know who will lift the cup at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.
And we see two sides facing each other who both would be deserving champions, but only one team can win a football match. Will the Dutch retain their chokers tag and will Spain's golden generation continue their domination of world football by adding the World Cup to their European Championship trophy or will the Dutch finally win the World Cup in their third attempt.
Both sides have crucial players. For Spain David Villa has been the main target man with five goals, but crucial is how Xavi and Andres Iniesta combine in midfield; while on the other side a lot depends on the in-form Wesley Sneijder and his attacking partners in Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie. But the match could turn out to be a tactical battle with no real flair football.
The third place playoff on Saturday, July 10 will see Uruguay take on Germany in a match-up of to former World Cup winners, who before the tournament would have been happy to reach this match, but now will think about the lost opportunity.
Rabu, 07 Juli 2010
SF: Spain create history, reach first ever finals
In a rematch of the 2008 European Championship finals the odds are in favour of Germany this time, but pre-tournament favourites Spain will hope to overcome the young Germans to reach their first ever World Cup final.
Germany 0-1 (0-0) Spain
Goals: 0-1 Carlos Puyol (73').
History does repeat itself. Reigning European champions Spain once more won 1-0 against then beaten finalists Germany, only this time in a World Cup semifinal at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. This means it would be the Netherlands vs. Spain in the final and a new country name will be added to the list of football World Cup winners.
In a rather tame match, Spain were the better of the two sides on display as Germany never were able to repeat the past performances of the tournament. Spain had more of the game and started off with their passing game as Germany were always one step behind and stood too deep in defence. In the 7th minute Spain could have gone ahead as Pedro played a through ball for David Villa, but German keeper Manuel Neuer was alert and able to clear. Spain continued to pressure, but couldn't find the right openings while Germany only had one good chance through Piotr Trochowski in the 32nd minute through a ground which tested Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal. If one thought that things would change from now, one would be disappointed as Germany clearly missed suspended Thomas Mueller. Germany then had a penalty appeal disallowed on the stroke of half time as Sergio Ramos clumsily brought down Mesut Oezil, but it was outside the box still the referee Viktor Kassai from Hungary waved play on as he often allowed the game continue even when small fouls where committed. Play continued and on the other side Pedro's shot was collected by Neuer.
After the break Germany seemed willing to do more for their attack, but it looked as they were unable to do so against the Spanish tonight, who initially tried their luck with long rangers through Xabi Alonso. Around the hour mark Spain looked threatening, but still couldn't take the lead and suddenly Miroslav Klose had a chance which the German striker couldn't convert. Around the 70th minute Germany seemed to finally open up and get into the game with the team wasting their best chance in the process as Lukas Podolski broke free on the left, played the ball into the middle where Toni Kroos' shot went straight to Casillas. And then Spain scored the winner in the 73rd minute to somehow end all German hopes. A Xavi corner from the left, Carlos Puyol comes charging into the box and heads the ball in past Neuer. Thereafter Spain fall back and allowed the Germans to really combine for the first time in the match, but didn't allow them space on the wings and blocked the middle. Spain could have doubled the lead through counter attacks, but Pedro and Fernando Torres couldn't finish off chances; while Germany couldn't utilise the lifeline that Spain gave them as Spain were to clever in their defending against the rather inexperienced Germans. It ended once more 1-0 for Spain like two years ago and like three times earlier in this tournament.
Germany 0-1 (0-0) Spain
Goals: 0-1 Carlos Puyol (73').
History does repeat itself. Reigning European champions Spain once more won 1-0 against then beaten finalists Germany, only this time in a World Cup semifinal at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. This means it would be the Netherlands vs. Spain in the final and a new country name will be added to the list of football World Cup winners.
In a rather tame match, Spain were the better of the two sides on display as Germany never were able to repeat the past performances of the tournament. Spain had more of the game and started off with their passing game as Germany were always one step behind and stood too deep in defence. In the 7th minute Spain could have gone ahead as Pedro played a through ball for David Villa, but German keeper Manuel Neuer was alert and able to clear. Spain continued to pressure, but couldn't find the right openings while Germany only had one good chance through Piotr Trochowski in the 32nd minute through a ground which tested Iker Casillas in the Spanish goal. If one thought that things would change from now, one would be disappointed as Germany clearly missed suspended Thomas Mueller. Germany then had a penalty appeal disallowed on the stroke of half time as Sergio Ramos clumsily brought down Mesut Oezil, but it was outside the box still the referee Viktor Kassai from Hungary waved play on as he often allowed the game continue even when small fouls where committed. Play continued and on the other side Pedro's shot was collected by Neuer.
After the break Germany seemed willing to do more for their attack, but it looked as they were unable to do so against the Spanish tonight, who initially tried their luck with long rangers through Xabi Alonso. Around the hour mark Spain looked threatening, but still couldn't take the lead and suddenly Miroslav Klose had a chance which the German striker couldn't convert. Around the 70th minute Germany seemed to finally open up and get into the game with the team wasting their best chance in the process as Lukas Podolski broke free on the left, played the ball into the middle where Toni Kroos' shot went straight to Casillas. And then Spain scored the winner in the 73rd minute to somehow end all German hopes. A Xavi corner from the left, Carlos Puyol comes charging into the box and heads the ball in past Neuer. Thereafter Spain fall back and allowed the Germans to really combine for the first time in the match, but didn't allow them space on the wings and blocked the middle. Spain could have doubled the lead through counter attacks, but Pedro and Fernando Torres couldn't finish off chances; while Germany couldn't utilise the lifeline that Spain gave them as Spain were to clever in their defending against the rather inexperienced Germans. It ended once more 1-0 for Spain like two years ago and like three times earlier in this tournament.
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