Preview: Germany vs. Spain | WORLD CUP 2010

Preview: Germany vs. Spain | WORLD CUP 2010

THE BIG PICTURE
Euro 2008 winners Spain were one of the favourites going into World Cup 2010, while Germany have been identified by many as the most impressive team in the tournament so far. Which should all add up to one excellent World Cup semifinal. It’s a rematch of the Euro 2008 final, which Spain won 1-0 with a goal from Fernando Torres.

Torres’ involvement is the big question mark here. The striker returned from injury in time for World Cup 2010, but hasn’t looked even close to his best. There’s a definite possibility that coach Vicente del Bosque could “rest” Torres and replace him with either Fernando Llorente or an extra midfielder. Might not matter though, since David Villa is scoring more than enough goals for everyone, and is the current World Cup top scorer with five. More at the Spain blog.

Germany’s aggressive attacking style has been an unexpected but very much welcome World Cup surprise. Attacking midfielder Mesut Özil’s name is possibly already engraved on the Best Young Player Award trophy, Bastian Schweinsteiger’s midfield displays have had more action than a Michael Bay movie and striker Miroslav Klose is now just one goal behind Ronaldo on the list of all time World Cup goalscorers. The big miss for Germany will be young Thomas Mueller, who is suspended. More at the Germany blog.

WHAT’S AT STAKE
An all expenses paid trip to Soccer City in Johannesburg to compete in the 2010 World Cup final. Though Spain’s Euro 2008 victory was a symbolic shrugging off of the “under-achiever” label, the real test is winning the World Cup, which is something La Furia Roja have never done.

Incredibly, Germany haven’t won a World Cup in 20 years, and haven’t won the thing since reunification. This tournament looks like Germany’s chance to not only reclaim the World Cup, but to do so in a style that could redefine perceptions of German football. But they need to beat Spain before thinking about that.

Bet on Germany vs. Spain

Germany v Spain

Full Time Result

	Best Odds	Bookie
Germany	2.84
Draw	3.30
Spain	2.70

Total Goals

	Best Odds	Bookie
Under 2.5	1.73
Over 2.5	2.22

First Goalscorer

	Best Odds	Bookie
David Villa	5.37
Miroslav Klose	7.50
Fernando Torres	8.60
No Goal Scorer	9.00

OUR PREDICTION
First of all, I’m predicting a great game. Spain’s quick passing vs Germany’s high-octane counterattacking? Yes please. As for a winner… based purely on the fact that Germany have scored eight goals in the knockouts so far, while Spain only two, I’m predicting an 8-2 win for Germany. Or, more realistically, 3-1.

FAN RESOURCES

Germany Germany Blog | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter Germany Football Jerseys | Germany World Cup Tickets

Spain Spain Blog | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter Spain World Cup Jerseys | Spain Tickets

Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal | WORLD CUP 2010

Another Day, Another Dubious Decision: The Dutch Offside Goal

Here we are for the routine postgame exercise of this World Cup: what did the officials blow this time?

The second Dutch goal in a 3-2 win, for starters. We saw one “offside interference” correctly called in Paraguay – Spain, but this time, it ultimately may have cost Uruguay a spot on the final and given the Dutch a win they didn’t entirely deserve. Video after the jump.

It’s really unfortunate that after four years we’ve been left with, as video technology, extra refs or what have you sit at home, a tournament in tatters over diabolical officiating from all corners. And this from the crew of the man widely considered to be the best of the lot thus far, Ravshan Irmatov.

Robin van Persie, in an offside position, screened Fernando Muslera on Wesley Sneijder’s shot while also keeping the keeper waiting for his movement and dummied the ball as it trickled into the back of the net. Simply put: the goal should not have stood. The Dutch third came in quick succession, as though Uruguay were staggered, but it’s fair you say you have to rule everything out from that point on.

Nani will miss World Cup 2010

World Cup 2010

Manchester United player, and one of the key players of the Portuguese national team, Nani, will miss the World Cup 2010 in South Africa due to clavicle injury.

Portuguese Football Federation on its website announced that Nani will not be able to participate in the World Cup, despite the best efforts of doctors. The Portuguese did not specify when Nani injured, but on the first June he played the second half in friendly match against Cameroon.

Portugal Football Federation sent a request to FIFA to replace injured midfielder Nani, with Benfica player - Ruben Amorim.

Nani has a very good season in Manchester United, and Portugal expected much from him. This news certainly will hit Portugal's ambitions.

World Cup 2010 Groups

World Cup 2010 Groups

World Cup 2010 Teams

World Cup 2010 Teams

All World Cup final squad are now available

Head coaches of all teams that will play at the World Cup 2010 have announced the final list of players who will play at the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Remember, the deadline for the publication of the final squads for World Cup 2010 was the first of June

All teams that will play at World Cup you can find on our site, in the TEAMS section of the site.

Capello will be England coach for next two years

Fabio Capello has signed a contract amendment with the English Football Association, and will remain head coach of English national team for next two years.

So, now is confirmed that the Italian expert will sit on the bench of England until 2012. New amandment in the contract is removed the clause under which Capello could quit after World Cup (South Africa, June 11-July 11) .

"I am happy and grateful to the FA for the support and securing my future. Anyway, I wanted to stay until the expiration of my mandate", said Capello, the first target of the search for new Inter coach.

Italian and European champion [Inter] can now search for new solutions for the coach. Capello certainly will not be Inter coach until the end of the European Championship in 2012.

Brazil vs. Zimbabwe friendly, 3-0

In the preparatory match for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, soccer team of Brazil was without major problems, in front of 60,000 spectators, beat Zimbabwe with 3-0 result. Goals were scored by Bastos (41), Robinho (44) and Elan (56).

Brazil played match with "half power", and coach Dunga is most concerned about injury of the first goalkeeper Julio Cesar, who was left the game in the 26th minute, due to pain in his back.

Zimbabwe, who is currently 117th team on the FIFA list, has two good chances for goal, but both times striker Benjani Mwaruwari from Manchester City did not succeed to score.

Spanish series of matches without defeat is stopped

Spanish football players were not able to play a 36th match in a series without defeat. They took them 35, as like as Brazil, who also made a series of 35 matches without defeat, in the mid nineties.

Team captain then was today's Brazilian coach, Carlos Dunga,when Brazil has played 35 matches in a series without defeat from the 17th November 1993. (2-1 defeat in Cologne from Germany) to 21 January 1996. (2-0 defeat in Los Angeles from Mexico). In this period, Brazil became World Champion in 1994. year in the United States.

Series of Spain lasted longer, or more accurately a little more than 2.5 years. The last time before the defeat of the United States, they lost on 15th November 2006. in South africa with minimum 1-0 by Romania in Cádiz.

After a series of 35 matches with no defeats, they are again at zero.

From 26 June last year, to 24th June this year, Spain won all matches. Four days earlier, 22 June 2008., fter the better performance of penalty shoots, they beat Italians in the quarterfinals of Euro in Austria and Switzerland.

In one year period Spainards provided 15 clean victory, of which in 13 matches witouth received goals. In the two remaining matches (2-1 victory against Belgium and Turkey) they have received only one goal. Goal-difference in those 15 matches, which is a new world record, is fantastic 39-2.

Last time Spanish received 2 goals in single match on 22nd August 2007. , when they won Greece with result 3-2.

WORLD CUP 2010: Scott Parker stakes his England claim as West Ham star aims to take advantage of Gareth Barry absence

Scott Parker insists he can fill the hole in the England squad left by injury to Gareth Barry.

Manchester City midfielder Barry looks set to miss the tournament after sustaining serious ankle ligament damage against Tottenham and his West Ham counterpart Parker is ready to step up.

Parker has been the shining light in a disappointing season for the Hammers as they narrowly avoided relegation and sacked manager Gianfranco Zola just two days after the final game.

Manchester United's Owen Hargreaves has been touted for an international return after a long injury absence while many observers reckon Tottenham's Tom Huddlestone should be rewarded for an impressive campaign.

And as England manager Fabio Capello prepares to name his 30-man provisional squad for South Africa, Parker said: 'It would be the ultimate way for me to finish the season if I was to be called into the England squad.

'It is every player's dream to be involved at the World Cup. It is the pinnacle of your career.

If you would have asked me two weeks ago if I expected to be in the squad I would have probably had a different answer, but Gareth is struggling with his injury so it makes my chances a bit better.'

Parker last represented his country when England lost in Croatia in 2006.

Team Itali World cup 2010 Image

Team Itali World cup 2010 Image

Team Turky World Cup 2010

Team Turky World Cup 2010

MU world Cup 2010

MU world Cup 2010

Image Wallpaper World Cup 2010 Afrika

Image Wallpaper World Cup 2010 Afrika

Daniel Guiza Picture

WORLD CUP 2010: Didier Drogba's place under threat as Chelsea's Ivory Coast star needs hernia operation

Concerned: Striker Drogba

Didier Drogba is sweating over a hernia operation that could put his chances of appearing at the World Cup in doubt.

The Ivory Coast striker has been nursing the problem since before the Africa Cup of Nations in January.

Drogba should be able to lead Chelsea's attack in the final few games of the season but the 32-year-old will have to go under the knife at some stage.

He told L'Equipe: 'I underwent surgery for a hernia problem six years ago, and today it is bothering me again.

'Just before the Africa Cup of Nations I got a knee to my kidney and the pain returned. I have felt pain ever since then and we can't go on like this for long.

'Do I need surgery? I don't know yet, but we have to do something. Before the World Cup? That is a good question and I don't have an answer.'

Drogba has 32 goals in all competitions as Chelsea sit at the top of the Premier League with four games to go. The Blues also have next month's FA Cup final against Portsmouth to look forward to.

WORLD CUP 2010: Fernando Torres knee operation 'a success' but star denies putting Spain before Liverpool

Anxious wait: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres

The operation on Fernando Torres's injured knee has been deemed a success, handing the striker hope that he will be fit in time to play in this summer's World Cup for Spain.

But Torres has been forced to deny putting country before club after having his second operation on the knee this campaign ended his Liverpool season.

The striker had surgery in Barcelona last night to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee, a problem which resurfaced after a similar operation in January.

That ruled him out of Liverpool's remaining four Barclays Premier League matches and their Europa League semi-final against former club Atletico Madrid but a six-week recovery period still gives him a good chance of going to the World Cup in South Africa.

But Torres said safeguarding his international place was not the overriding factor in the decision to operate again.

'It's not true. We exhausted all the possibilities before arriving at the final one,' said the 26-year-old. 'There were three options. One was that the meniscus was okay, the second was that the problem was not clear and the third that the meniscus was affected.

'On Friday afternoon in Liverpool the scan I had cleared up the doubts and made us see that I would almost definitely have to have an operation. "The meniscus was affected and the doctors said they had to operate.

'What's more, the injury happened in the second minute of the game (Europa League quarter-final second leg) against Benfica at Anfield and I played injured for 85 minutes

European champion: Fernando Torres in action for Spain

No good: Liverpool boss Benitez (right) has tried to protect Torres with numerous early substitutions

If I had been thinking about the World Cup and Spain I would have asked for a change (substitution). It wasn't like that, I wanted to get to the final of the Europa League with my team.'

The Liverpool star last week travelled to the Barcelona clinic for consultation by Eurostar due to the lack of flights after the volcanic eruption in Iceland.

There, Dr Ramon Cugat, who just four months previously had operated on damaged cartilage in Torres's same knee, carried out further surgery that Torres hopes will enable him to feature in South Africa in June.

'The trip was an adventure,' explained Torres. 'I arrived exhausted at 8.30 on Sunday evening and barely had time to have a shower at the hotel before going to the clinic where Dr Cugat was waiting for me. Three hours after I had the meniscus operation.'

And today the striker received a huge boost after the operation was described as 'a success', according to the Telegraph.

Torres is now likely to be out of action for around six weeks, sidelining him for the rest of Liverpool's season. A Reds spokesman confirmed: 'It was decided that he would need surgery on a torn cartilage in his right knee. This was carried out on Sunday and, as a guide, the usual rehabilitation period for this type of procedure is around six weeks.'

A recovery period of this length would give the forward hope of making Spain's World Cup squad. Manager Vicente del Bosque is due to name his 23-man squad for the finals on May 19 - just over four weeks away - before heading to South Africa in the first week of June - in six weeks' time.

Del Bosque must submit his final squad to FIFA by June 1. Spain's opening match is against Switzerland on June 16.

European champions Spain have a growing injury list, which includes Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas, who is recovering from a broken leg and is also a huge doubt for the finals.

But Torres is understood to be 'a certainty' to recover in time to take part, claims the Telegraph.

Torres' injuries have been partly blamed for Liverpool's disappointing campaign, which saw them exit the Champions League and Barclays Premier League title race early and could now also see them miss out on fourth place.

Crocked: Torres was injured again in the Europa League tie with Benfica

The latest setback means Torres will miss an encounter with former club Atletico Madrid for the second successive season.

'It is true this season has been complicated by injuries. It's been difficult and a shame I've not been able to play more games and score more goals,' Torres told his website.

'We (Liverpool) tried for it to be perfect but it hasn't been like that and the only thing now is to think about the prize of being in South Africa. I need to be positive and think there is the World Cup to come, which is now the most important.

'You wait four years for it and if things go well I don't intend to miss it. Today I start to work.'

U.S. soccer coach dropped star from World Cup team for 'cheating on team-mate's wife' as Capello considers Terry's fate

As Fabio Capello decides whether John Terry should remain England’s captain, he may be consoled to learn that a former U.S. football coach faced the same dilemma.

Steve Sampson has admitted dropping ex-Sheffield Wednesday player John Harkes from the 1998 World Cup side amid claims of an affair with team-mate Eric Wynalda’s wife.

The news comes just days after Terry was accused of having an affair with former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend.

Italian Capello, who has managed England for three years, has yet to formally announce whether Terry will keep the job he has held since 2006

Wynalda himself brought up the situation on the 'Fox Football Fone-In' on Monday during a discussion of Terry’s behaviour.

‘There’s a lot of similarities between what happened to us in “98 and what’s happening now to England,’ he said.

‘It’s an unfortunate time for England, because I know how that can affect a team firsthand. Obviously, we all know how we did in the World Cup in 98.’

In response, Sampson said he was glad to open up about the Harkes situation, which saw the U.S. lose all its games in the competition held in France.

‘Maybe people will have a little better of an understanding of what happened in the final months leading up to the World Cup,’ he said.

‘It wasn’t about losing 2-0 to Germany or losing to Iran. There was more to it than that that impacted I believe the outcome of this team.’

Sampson said he acted after former QPR player Roy Wegerle approached him between the February 1998 game against Belgium and the March game against Paraguay and told him of the affair.

But he defends hiding the real reason behind Harkes being dropped from the squad.

‘I felt that these are the kinds of issues that need to stay in the locker room and within the team and not be exposed to the public,’ he said.

‘The private issues for me were the most serious issues. I think I could have lived with everything else and kept John on the team if it had not been for the private issues.

‘It’s one thing to have an affair outside the team. It’s another to have one inside. There are just certain lines that one cannot cross.

‘Maybe now people will have a little bit more of an understanding as to why I made such a critical decision back in 1998.

‘The last thing I wanted to do was drop John Harkes from the team because I really did believe that he was an outstanding leader on the field.’

Wynalda said he felt he had to speak out following the revelations about Terry, as he said it reminded him of his own problems back in 1998.

‘I’m calling it an inappropriate relationship. It was a major contributor to why I’m no longer married.

‘I’ve suffered quite a bit through this whole process. My healing is over, so I’m OK to talk about it.’

Wynalda and his wife separated in 2003 before divorcing.

Harkes won 90 caps for his country before being dropped at the age of 31.

At the time Sampson claimed the player refused to play in a more defensive role and also cited ‘leadership issues.’

‘I am not going to rehash the things that have happened in the past,’ said Harkes.

‘1998 was devastating to me and my family. It was hard enough not to play in the World Cup, but it was even difficult to go through that time period, the most difficult time period of my life.’

World Cup 2010 – South Africa Is Only An App Away

With the FIFA World Cup Finals getting closer everyday, soccer fans all over the world are preparing themselves for the jewel in the footballing calendar. The scene is set for what could be one of the best tournaments in recent years, all we need now is an iPhone app to guide us through it.

WORLD CUP ‘10 from AldunceDesign is a complete guide to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa this Summer. It offers all the News, Views, Match Schedule and Results for the World Cup Finals in 2010.

All 32 National Teams are detailed in their respective groups, with schedule and stadium information on hand so you can track your teams progress on your iPhone all the way to the final (if you’re lucky enough). The in depth team information for each country is great and also comes with player profiles and each teams star players so you have all the information you need before your countries’ big games.

The matches can be displayed graphically on a map of South Africa and come with comprehensive write ups about the stadiums and their history. Another really useful feature is the detailed location map of each host city that could prove to be invulauable for any fans travelling to South Africa for the tournament.

FIFA World Cup 2010 - Update

The qualification stage has ended for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. 32 countries have qualified for the tournament which kicks off on the 11th of June 2010 in Johannesburg. The preliminary draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was held on the 25th of November 2007 in Durban. The Final Draw for the tournament will be staged on the 4th of December 2009 at the Cape Town Convention center.

This is a list of the countries who have qualified and will be playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup:

• Australia
• Japan
• Korea Republic (South Korea)
• Korea DPR (North Korea)
• Algeria
• Cameroon
• Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Ghana
• Nigeria
• South Africa
• Honduras
• Mexico
• United States of America
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Uruguay
• Paraguay
• New Zealand
• Denmark
• England
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Serbia
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland

The 2010 FIFA World Cup promises to be an excellent display of football. The good news is that construction & renovations of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums is on track. The Green Point Stadium in Cape Town has been renamed to the Cape Town Stadium. The Moses Mabidha Stadium in Durban has been completed and will be hosting its first soccer match on the 29th of November this year. An aura of excitement is on the rise in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. I'm sure the hype will increase as we get closer to the start of the competition. Have a look at our World Cup Classifieds section. Also check out the following links for 2010 FIFA World Cup Updates: