Reigning World Cup champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France were eliminated in the first round of the tournament after both nations failed to win a single game. South Africa finished third in Group A behind Uruguay and Mexico, becoming the first host nation in tournament history to bow out in the first round. Spain won all four of its knockout games - second round, quarterfinal, semifinal and final - by the same score: 1-0. But Uruguay, led by Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez, turned out to be the team to watch from South America, as they won a difficult group (that included France) en route to making the semifinals and finishing fourth overall. URUGUAY SURPRISES MANYīefore the tournament, Brazil (with Kaka) and Argentina (Lionel Messi) were touted as the favourites. The two best teams in the tournament met in Durban in what turned out to be a tight but attacking affair that was settled by Carles Puyol’s bullet header in the 73rd minute. Spain’s 1-0 win over Germany in the semifinals.
But Iniesta was the main orchestrator for the Spaniards, and he scored the extra-time winner in the final to lift his country to glory. Uruguay’s Diego Forlan won the tournament MVP and finished tied as the top scorer. Highest scoring game: Portugal’s 7-0 win over North Korea on June 21.Īndres Iniesta. Top scorer: Germany’s Thomas Müller and three others (5 goals) It was a brilliant finish by Iniesta, scored with typical Spanish flair and fluidity, and worthy of World Cup winning goal.
Seven minutes later, the Barcelona star made the Dutch pay for their lack of discipline, breaking into the penalty area and taking a pass from teammate Cesc Fabregas before slotting it by Stekelenburg. Then came the turning point, in the 109th minute, when Heitinga earned his second yellow card, this time for tugging down Iniesta. The game seemed destined for a penalty shootout. With eight minutes left in regulation, Arjen Robben breezed past defender Carles Puyol, but he dawdled inside the penalty area, allowing Casillas to rush out and smother the ball. Stray passes and harried sequences of play became the norm from the Spanish in the second half, as the Netherlands began to lead the dance. Spain was rattled, and clearly thrown off its game. The physical and tough-tackling Dutch managed to contain Spain’s dynamic midfield trio of Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso in a first half that saw goalkeepers Maarten Stekelenburg and Iker Casillas both make big saves. Spain dictated the pace of the match for the opening 45 minutes, but were continually thwarted by an aggressive and destructive Dutch side that kept kicking at their heels. Such was the situation the Spaniards found themselves in against the Dutch. But it’s hard not to walk away without bloody knuckles when you’ve been dragged into a street fight and are no longer playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules. The Spaniards’ tried to use their beloved Tiki Taka to wear down their opponents. The foul-filled matched never fell into a rhythm, depriving the 84,490 fans in attendance at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium of their money’s worth. English referee Howard Webb handed out a World Cup final record 14 yellow cards and sent off Dutch defender John Heitinga in extra time. THE FINALĪs a sporting spectacle, the final between Spain and the Netherlands was a disappointment. The top two teams from each of the eight groups advanced to the knockout round.
0 kommentar(er)
