Uruguay’s Sebastian Eguren carries Luis Suarez (top) as they celebrate after the team won a penalty shootout against Ghana in a 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg July 2, 2010. REUTERS/Henry Romero
Is there any surprise? Certainly not!
The quarter finals were really amazing and past with remarkable games which will be mentioned in the following years many times. It will be better to start with the game between Brazil and the Netherlands. Many people think that Brazil would win the game easily. They could settle on the game in the first half but they could only score once with the magnificent play of Felipe Melo who would later have the game ruined down for his side. First, he scored an own goal and then he was sent off. On the other side of the pitch, there was a patient Dutch team which plays with a more conservative compared to their past tournaments. The new generation now learned how to play a long campaign. They also had a fascinating performance in EURO 2008 but they were eliminated by Russia in quarter finals. Now, thanks to the leadership of Wesley Sneijder, they are one of semi-finalists. Sneijder has 4 goals in the campaign up to now and the recovery of Arjen Robben puts his form further on the pitch.
Germany’s Miroslav Klose scores a goal during a 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match against Argentina at Green Point stadium in Cape Town July 3, 2010. REUTERS/Ina Fassbender
The second game of the quarter finals was quite weird. The game was going on in a quiet mood until 120th minute but Luiz Suarez came into the view. He saved the header by Gyan Asamoah with his hand and the referee immediately went to the penalty area. Suarez was sent off but soon he would be the man of the night as Gyan Asamoah hit the post and the game went to penalty shootout. Uruguay won 4-2 and Luiz Suarez was the man on the shoulders. However, he will not be on the pitch for the Netherlands game.
Argentina’s coach Diego Maradona (L) and Lionel Messi react after Germany won their 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match at Green Point stadium in Cape Town July 3, 2010. REUTERS/Darren Staples
The next day, there was a big clash between Maradona?s Argentina and Joachim Low?s incredible Germany. Low?s side certainly dominated the game from the first minute. The score sheet was amazingly showing a 4-0 victory for Germany. Scweinsteiger, Muller, Podolski and Klose showed a fascinating performance but for me, it was Sami Khedira who settled all the balance of the team from behind. He did not only make powerful defence but also influenced the centre backs to get into the game. As a result, Arne Friedrich scored the third goal. It was a tragic end for Maradona as he certainly believed that his team will ?kiss? the World Cup at the end. He only watched the game as the supporters did without making any strategical changes. His squad was too offensive for a team like Germany.
Spain’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas consoles Paraguay’s Oscar Cardozo (L) after their 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg July 3, 2010. REUTERS/David Gray
The other game was between Spain and Paraguay and it ended with the marvellous performance of Iker Casillas, the goalkeeper of Real Madrid. Actually the game was very boring but it reached its climax in the second half when both teams missed a penalty respectively in two minutes time. However, it was again David Villa who came as the savior of Spain with a technical shot in the 83rd minute. Now, they will face with Germany in the semi-final. The program of the semi-finals are as following:
6 July 2010 – The Netherlands vs. Uruguay
7 July 2010 – Germany vs. Spain
Referee Yuichi Nishimura of Japan flashes the red card to Brazil’s Felipe Melo (5) for his foul on Netherlands’ Arjen Robben (2nd R) during the 2010 World Cup quarter-final soccer match in Port Elizabeth July 2, 2010.
ROUNDUP
Productivity Took a Dive During World Cup [INFOGRAPHIC]
from Mashable! by Jolie O’Dell
Could Toxoplasma gondii help your country win the World Cup?
An interesting Slate piece points out a correlation between rates of infection by “cat poop protozoa”?that’s Toxoplasma gondii? and success rates in soccer:
FIFA: Goal-Line Technology Just Might Be Needed
You think? That?s how most football (or soccer, if you want) fans are reacting to FIFA?s new stand on using video technology to assist in officiating World Cup games. This change of heart is really not surprising given the recent turn of events in several matches during this year?s World Cup.
Country-Specific Goal-Scoring in the ?Dying Seconds? of International Football Matches (PDF)
Source: Institute for the Study of Labor
his paper investigates whether there are country-specific characteristics in goal-scoring in the final stage of important international football matches. We examine goal-scoring from 1960 onwards in full ?A? international matches of six national teams: Belgium, Brazil, England, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. We analyze qualifying matches for the European Championship and World Cup and the matches at the final tournaments of these two events, the Copa America and the Confederations Cup. We find that the national teams of Germany, England and the Netherlands are more likely than the three other national teams to score in the last minute ? including stoppage time. However, for Germans this comes at a cost. Germany is more likely to concede a goal in the dying seconds of a match than other countries. During our period of analysis, the national teams of Brazil and Italy only conceded one goal in the last minute. As to winning penalty shootouts, Germany outperforms the other five countries.
Chile: Bielsa and Piñera, When Football Meets Politics
By Silvia Viñas
?Marcelo Bielsa ?also known as ?el loco? (the crazy one)? is the coach of the Chilean national football team, but for many Chileans he is much more than that. In the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) qualifying stage for the 2010 World Cup, Bielsa made history by taking his boys to the second spot with only one point less than the leader, Brazil. He is also known for his statements, often making headlines for his wordy, yet usually admired opinions. But these days the talk around Bielsa has more to do with his actions than with his words, and Twitter has become one of the main stages for Chileans to voice their opinions.
What’s the deal with Nigeria’s suspended soccer team?
from FP Passport by Elizabeth Dickinson
Beautiful Visualization Resizes World Cup Stars Based on Facebook Buzz
from Mashable! by Adam Ostrow
World Cup 2010: Who’s to blame for Nigeria’s performance?
Nigerian football fans were disappointed Tuesday when the team’s final chance of advancing in the 2010 World Cup evaporated in a 2-2 tie with South Korea. At the start of the Cup, the future looked promising: Nigeria is one of the highest-ranked African teams (21st in FIFA’s world rankings ? second only to Egypt and Cameroon on the African continent); but the team has been burdened with setbacks, including the installation of a new coach only three weeks before the Cup and the red-carding of a star player.
Football: World Cup flops – you’ve never had it so bad
Ghana: The Black Stars on the brink of making history
Ghana, Africa’s only hope in 2010 FIFA World Cup, faces Uruguay today. African bloggers hope that the Black Stars of Ghana will not let Africa down.
Brazil: Football and Patriotism During the World Cup
When the national team of your country is on the World Cup football field, do you support it? Brazil is facing The Netherlands today in the quarter final of the World Cup. Despite what most people might think, not all Brazilians would answer affirmatively to the above question. Doubtlessly there are uncountable bloggers who are cheering up the Brazilian team, although there are others who are not.
Turkish fans fight over vuvuzela
Ghana: 7 reasons why Ghana is out of the World Cup
Ato identifies 7 reasons why Ghana soccer team is out of the World Cup: Players were thinking about lunch with Mandela, President Mills was not in the stadium, Other African countries brought ill-luck??
China: Why is Chinese football so weak?
By Oiwan Lam
Recently the New York Times posted the question on ?Why does China lag far behind in soccer when it competes so aggressively in many Olympic sports?? and invited a number of experts to answer. Actually similar questions have been raised by Chinese netizens in various QA forums since the beginning of World Cup 2010 and below are a selection of ordinary Chinese people’s answers.
Myanmar: World Cup Reactions
By tan
The 2010 World Cup craze is also felt in Myanmar. Football fans in Myanmar are cheering for their favorite teams and many are staying up late at night to watch the midnight matches. Bars, restaurants and tea shops are showing World Cup matches to attract customers.
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