World Cup 2010 : Ghana vs Germany

Ghana 0:1 Germany

Mesut OEZIL (60')

Johannesburg - Soccer City Stadium

Mesut Oezil of Germany celebrates with team mates after scoring the opening goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Ghana and Germany at Soccer City Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
('June 22, 2010 16:00' - Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images Europe)

Mesut Oezil of Germany celebrates scoring the opening goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Ghana and Germany at Soccer City Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
('June 22, 2010 16:00' - Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Europe)

SUMMARY:
there were no goals scored by both teams during the first half of the game. However, there were two players, one for each team, who were given a yellow card before the first half ended – Ayew fromGhana and Muller in Germany.

The second half kicked off with the first five minutes have been exclusively spent in Ghana’s half. There was a missed opportunity for Ozil in the 52nd minute when the ball broke to Asamoah (Ghana), who with just the goal keeper to beat, fired into Neuer’s (Germany) legs. Perseverance of Ozil paid off during the 60th minute when he successfully made a goal for Germany advancing the score to 1-0. The Germans’ patience paid off when Ozil smashed a left footed shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the box. It was a fine strike which changed the complexion of Group D.

In the 68th minute, Ghana’s chance for a goal was blocked by Lahm’s legs. Ayew from Ghana burst into the box and took a shot into the goal. However, Lahm’s legs denied it as it got deflected over the bar. The final whistle was heard in the 93rd minute of the game marking the end of the match without any goal forGhana.

Congratulations to Germany for winning this World Cup 2010 football match against Ghana. Even though Ghana was lost, Africa celebrated with having a team in the last 16 in the World Cup 2010 finals.

FINAL STANDINGS:

Group D			MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
	Germany		3	2	0	1	5	1	+4	6
	Ghana		3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
	Australia		3	1	1	1	3	6	-3	4
	Serbia		3	1	0	2	2	3	-1	3

LINE UP:
Ghana: 22-Richard Kingson; 4-John Pantsil, 8-Jonathan Mensah, 5-John Mensah, 2-Hans Sarpei; 6-Anthony Annan, 23-Kevin-Prince Boateng, 13-Dede Ayew, 12-Prince Tagoe (11-Sulley Muntari 64'); 21-Kwadwo Asamoah, 3-Asamoah Gyan (14-Matthew Amoah 81').

Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 16-Philipp Lahm, 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 20-Jerome Boateng (2-Marcell Jansen 73'), 13-Thomas Mueller (15-Piotr Trochowski 68'), 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger (18-Tomas Kroos 80'), 10-Lukas Podolski, 8-Mesut Ozil, 19-Cacau.

World Cup 2010 : USA vs Algeria

USA 1:0 Algeria

Landon DONOVAN (90'+1)

Tshwane/Pretoria - Loftus Versfeld Stadium

Landon Donovan of the United States scoring the winning goal that sends the USA through to the second round during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between USA and Algeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa. (June 22, 2010 16:00' - Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images Europe)

Landon Donovan of the United States celebrates the victory that sends the USA through to the second round in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between USA and Algeria at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Tshwane/Pretoria, South Africa. ('June 22, 2010 16:00' - Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images Europe)

SUMMARY:
Going back to the recap of the match itself, it was a strike of luck for USA to win this match because they were able to score a goal in the 91st minute just minutes before the end of the match through Landon Donovan. Jozy Altidore squared the ball into the danger zone, where M’Bolhi beat it away, but Donovan was able to latch onto the loose ball and passed it into an empty net, before being submerged among a sea of white shirts. It was the least Bob Bradley’s team deserved, having also had a Clint Dempsey effort disallowed for offside, struck a post and seen Jozy Altidore pass up a glorious opening.

That was an amazing move by Donovan! Congratulations to USA for winning this football match against Algeria. I am very sure a lot of football fans in the US are now celebrating their victory.

FINAL STANDINGS:

Group C			MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	+/-	Pts
	United States		3	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
	England		3	1	2	0	2	1	+1	5
	Slovenia		3	1	1	1	3	3	0	4
	Algeria		3	0	1	2	0	2	-2	1

LINE UP:
USA: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 15-Jay DeMerit, 12-Jonathan Bornstein (7-DaMarcus Beasley 80), 3-Carlos Bocanegra; 10-Landon Donovan, 4-Michael Bradley, 19-Maurice Edu (14-Edson Buddle 64), 8-Clint Dempsey; 17-Jozy Altidore, 9-Hercules Gomez (22-Benny Feilhaber 46).

Algeria : 23-Rais Ouheb Mbouli; 2-Majid Bougherra, 5-Rafik Halliche, 4-Antar Yahia, 3-Nader Belhadj, 21-Fouad Kadir, 19-Hassan Yebda, 8-Medhi Lacen, 15-Karim Ziani (17-Adlane Guedioura 69), 11-Rafik Djebbour (9-Abdelkader Ghezzal 65), 13-Karim Matmour (10-Rafik Saifi 85).

World Cup 2010 : Slovenia vs England

Slovenia 0:1 England

Jermain DEFOE (23')
Man of the Match: 19, Jermain DEFOE (England)
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth Stadium

Jermain Defoe of England scores the opening goal past Samir Handanovic of Slovenia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between Slovenia and England at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

('June 22, 2010 16:00' - Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images Europe)

Jermain Defoe of England celebrates scoring the opening goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group C match between Slovenia and England at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on June 23, 2010 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa
('June 22, 2010 16:00'- Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Europe)

The first and only goal in the whole match was accomplished by England in the 23rd minute of the game through Defoe. Coach Fabio Capello’s striker selection proved inspired as the Tottenham forward converted from close-range after a fine cross from Milner on the right.

England continued to set the pace as they enter the second half. of the match. When Gerrard headed a half-cleared corner back into the six-yard box, Defoe hooked wide of an inviting net. The Tottenham Hotspur striker then converted a Rooney cross but the offside flag was raised. Slovenia had barely troubled England’s defense but they provided a scare after 68 minutes when Novakovic and substitute Zlatko Dedic both got in shots, blocked by Terry and Glen Johnson, before Birsa dragged a third attempt past the post.

The game continued with both teams trying their best to make a goal but the early goal of England was not followed by another one until the game ended. Congratulations to England for winning thisWorld Cup 2010 football match against Slovenia.

FINAL STANDINGS:

Grup C			Main	M	S	K	GU	GM	+/-	Poin
	Amerika Serikat		3	1	2	0	4	3	+1	5
	Inggris		3	1	2	0	2	1	+1	5
	Slovenia		3	1	1	1	3	3	0	4
	Algeria		3	0	1	2	0	2	-2	1

LINE UP:
Slovenia: 1-Samir Handanovic; 2-Miso Brecko, 4-Marko Suler, 5-Bostjan Cesar, 13-Bojan Jokic; 10-Valter Birsa, 8-Robert Koren, 18-Aleksandar Radosavljevic, 17-Andraz Kirm; 9-Zlatan Ljubijankic (14-Zlatko Dedic 62'), 11-Milivoje Novakovic.

England: 1-David James; 2-Glen Johnson, 15-Matthew Upson, 6-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 16-James Milner, 4-Steven Gerrard, 8-Frank Lampard, 14-Gareth Barry; 19-Jermain Defoe (21-Emile Heskey 85'), 10-Wayne Rooney (11-Joe Cole 72')

Slovenia (SVN)	Statistics	England (ENG)
13	Shots	13
6	Shots on goal	8
19	Fouls Committed	20
2	Corner kicks	11
0	Direct Free Kicks to Goal	0
0	Indirect Free Kicks to Goal	0
0 / 0	Penalty Kicks	0 / 0
1	Offsides	1
0	Own goals	0
3	Cautions	1
0	Expulsions due to Second Caution	0
0	Direct Expulsions	0
46%	Possession (%)	54%
31	Actual playing time	38

World Cup 2010: Group G Analysis - Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast & Portugal

Group Strength A tantalising battle between three teams, Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal, who love to exhibit the beautiful game. North Korea pulled off one of the biggest shocks ever in World Cup finals history when they stunned Italy back in 1966, but they will be out for an even bigger scalp if they can take down the Selecao. Group Favourites Brazil should be confident of securing top spot in the group, but Portugal, if they can really hit form in six months' time, will put in a serious challenge. The Selecao will be glad to face their Portuguese cousins, but a physical encounter with Ivory Coast could give them some problems. Battle for Second Portugal and Ivory Coast will go hammer and tongs to fight for second place at the very least. That they will meet each other in their first group game may be anti-climactic for the final round of games, but it will be an extremely vital opening encounter for both. Whoever loses will face an uphill battle to get back on track. The Outsiders North Korea are the underdogs in this group full of pedigree and star players. They could not have asked for a more difficult first game to kick-start their finals campaign, but if they bag positive results in the other two matches, they could pull off a surprise. Again! The Long Road Forward The runners-up for this group will face the winner of Group H, very likely to be Spain. That essentially means that they will have to face the number one and number two ranked nations in FIFA's current world ranking. It doesn't stop there as a potential clash with Italy also awaits in the Q-finals. The winners of this group, however, could face Netherlands in the last 16, while England, France, Germany or Argentina are possible opponents in the semi-finals.

World Cup 2010: Group E Analysis - Netherlands, Japan, Cameroon & Denmark

Group Strength The only heavyweights in this group are the Netherlands and among the four teams only they can realistically aspire to get beyond the last 16 stage of the competition. The rest of the teams look good but they wouldn't be able to challenge for a quarter-final berth. Yet the games would be interesting to watch as the four teams play different style of football and follow different philosophies and there could be a surprise result or two. Group Favourites The Netherlands are the favourites to win this group. They were in great form in the qualifiers and won all their eight matches. Bert van Marwijk's side have exceptional attacking players such as Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben and although they are vulnerable at the back, the Oranje should comfortably win the three games in the group. Battle for Second The battle for the runners-up spot would be interesting as Japan, Cameroon and Denmark all would count themselves second favourites in the group. Cameroon would especially believe in themselves given that they are an African side and would be buoyed by a 'home' support. Moreover, they have players such as Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Kameni and Stephane M'bia. The Outsiders Japan could find themselves struggling in the group and with Denmark would be trying to avoid the bottom place. The former World Cup quarter-finalists are one of the strongest teams of Asia but struggle against physical and technically superior sides. Cameroon can be physically intimidating and the Dutch are far superior to them in every aspect. The Long Road Forward Group favourites Holland could potentially meet potential Group F runners-up Paraguay while Cameroon should meet Italy in the last 16 stage if they qualify.

World Cup 2010: Group A Analysis - South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay & France

Group Strength A tricky section, no doubt, and one which will have the hosts crying into their vuvuzelas. By no means a dream draw for Bafana Bafana with some prized talent set to line up against them at every turn. France, facing South Africa as they did in 1998 and Uruguay as they did in 2002, could have done a lot worse though and with some menacing firepower will be expecting to reel off some hefty tallies, should they function as a unit. Mexico could only trail USA in the CONCACAF hexagon but boast pedigree at this level. El Tri have moved on from their last five consecutive World Cup group stages. The Uruguayan side showed a dramatic fluctuation in form throughout the South American qualifiers but on their day, possess a starting XI to rival some of the very best. Group Favourites After edging their way to the finals by the skin of their... hands, Raymond Domenech's side had the temerity to complain about being handed a non-seed berth. How reticent might Les Bleus be now that they've avoided some of the major guns. Alongside this opposition, the French will justifiably been seen as top dogs in the section but will have to shake off their underperforming status to record the maximum points haul. Anything less than a win against Uruguay could have French nerves jangling ahead of the Mexico clash. Battle for Second Wide open. A host nation effectively play with a 12th man and the Mexicans will be faced with some hefty vuvuzelaing on matchday one in Soccer City. Should three points go the way of Bafana Bafana then they remain in with a modicum of a shout ahead of the Uruguayan showdown on matchday two. That said, Mexico, more often than not, find a way out of their pool and will be aiming as much for the top spot as for the runners-up berth. Oscar Tabarez's Uruguay were the last team to qualify but in Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and the precocious Nicolas Lodeiro, la Celeste have the weaponry to score in abundance. Mexico versus Uruguay on June 22 has the potential to be explosive. El Tri coach, Javier Aguirre, will be hoping his former Atletico Madrid charge, Forlan, has one of his Manchester United performances. The Outsiders I'll whisper it for fear of 1,000 parties being cancelled, but South Africa are likely to finish up with the wooden spoon. Joel Santana failed to turn his eye-pleasing unit into a scoring unit during the past year and has been jettisoned in favour of his predecessor, Carlos Alberto Parreira. Scoring remains the one true problem for Bafana Bafana; the likes of McCarthy, Erasmus and Parker are not garnering enough game time at club level to be considered golden-boot winners in waiting. To go through, goals will be needed and that is one key element lacking in the hosts. The Long Road Forward Should Argentina finish top of Group B then the runners-up of this section would meet Maradona's rag-tag bunch in the round of 16. Uruguay would no doubt relish vengeance after being downed in Montevideo with an automatic berth up for grabs. France may go on to meet Nigeria, who defeated Les Bleus in a friendly last summer. Nonetheless, Group B looks like a potential Group of Death, with any one of the Super Eagles South Korea and Greece potentially making the second stage, and Argentina are by no means a shoo-in, given the tactical ineptitude of el Diego.

Drawing World Cup 2010

The big story from this evening's 2010 World Cup draw in Cape Town came from Group G where Brazil, Ivory Coast, and Portugal were positioned together along with North Korea in the 'Group of Death'. Hosts South Africa had a tough draw in Group A along with Mexico, Uruguay and France. Holders Italy will have to make their way past Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia as they attempt to retain the trophy they won in Germany in 2006. The opening game of the tournament will see South Africa play Mexico in Johannesburg on 11 June. South African actress Charlize Theron, England international David Beckham, Ethiopian athletics legend Haile Gebrselassie, South African cricket pioneer Makhaya Ntini, Springbok rugby player John Smit, and Bafana defender Matthew Booth helped conduct the draw at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in front of a crowd of luminaries including Franz Beckenbauer, Eusebio, and Desmond Tutu. Geographical criteria meant that no two teams from the same confederation could be drawn in the same group, with the exception of European teams where a maximum of two were permitted. All eight groups in full: Group A South Africa Mexico Uruguay France Group B Argentina Nigeria South Korea Greece Group C England USA Algeria Slovenia Group D Germany Australia Serbia Ghana Group E Netherlands Denmark Japan Cameroon Group F Italy Paraguay New Zealand Slovakia Group G Brazil North Korea Cote d'Ivoire Portugal Group H Spain Switzerland Honduras Chile Now that the groups are drawn, the path to the semi-final is known, for the winners of Group A face the runners up of Group B, and the winners of Group G face the runners up on Group H, and so on, with A-D and E-H forming two sides of a bracket. There is a distinct possibility that favourites Brazil could meet second favourites Spain in the second round. With Portugal and Ivory Coast also in Group G, it is guaranteed that at least two big guns will be eliminated before the quarter final out of these four teams.