World Cup 2010 - World Cup Final Preview

I've said it before; I'm not great at predicting the outcomes of games. My bet365 account history will tell you that. However, the World Cup final between Holland and Spain is a very interesting match up, and so it's worth looking into it a little further.

Here's my breakdown of the final:

History

Spain

Although Spain were the winners of Euro 2008, this is their first visit to the final of this tournament. Their previous best finish in the World Cup was a fourth place finish in a round robin tournament in 1950, as no official final was held.

Holland

Also considered as one of the best teams never to have won the World Cup, the Dutch finished as runners-up in 1974 and 1978, losing to West Germany and Argentina respectively. Holland's last major tournament success was winning Euro 1988, defeating the Soviet Union 2-0.

Form

Spain

Under coach Vicente del Bosque, Spain have only failed to win four of their last 54 games. They won all their games in qualifying for the World Cup, and have won their last five in this tournament, despite losing their opening game against Switzerland 1-0.

Holland

A 25 game unbeaten run and a 100 percent qualifying record puts them in good stead for a tough final. Holland have scored twelve times in six games in this tournament, finding the back of the net in each of those games.

How they line up

It's possible that Fernando Torres will start his second game in a row on the bench for Spain after a disappointing tournament so far, with Barcelona's youth star Pedro likely to play alongside David Villa. Gregory van der Wiel and and Nigel de Jong are expected to be recalled to the Dutch side, after both missing the semi-final against Uruguay.

How they match up

Interestingly, these two teams have never met at the World Cup before. If Pedro does start for Spain, seven of the starting eleven are Barcelona players. This familiarity will be beneficial for them. Carlos Puyol and Gerard Piqué will have their hands full as Holland like to push forward with Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben.

Who has the edge?

I've got to go with Spain in this one. The reason for this is because this team has improved in every game they've played in this tournament, and Holland haven't really hit top gear yet. Spain are going to make it very difficult for Holland to do this in the final. David Villa has been excellent in this tournament, and the midfield was suffocating against Germany. Whilst Sneijder poses a huge threat for Holland, the depth possessed by Spain in the form of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets will be tough to break down. Cesc Fabregas and David Silva are strong options off the bench, too. I think the midfield is where this game will be won and lost. Holland must get Dirk Kuyt and Robin Van Persie more involved and threaten that Spanish defence. It will be close, and extra-time may come into it, but I can see Spain lifting the trophy on Sunday.



So, me and Paul the psychic octopus agree. I can sleep soundly tonight now. Your thoughts, predictions and comments are appreciated. Here's hoping for a great final tomorrow night.


P.S. - My blog can now be found at SportsBlogs.org, which is well worth checking out if you're interested in writing your own blog, or reading others.



(Shameless plug over)

World Cup 2010 - Semi-Finals

After weeks of having three televised games of international football a day, it almost feels unnatural when there are no World Cup games being played. Fortunately, the two semi-finals were both excellent, and although many of the 'bigger' European sides were eliminated in the group stages or last sixteen, the stage is set for either Holland or Spain to win the World Cup for the first time in history.

Here are my thoughts on the two semi-finals:

Uruguay 2-3 Netherlands

It’s funny how things can change so quickly in the world of football. Holland were the better team on the night, although they still never looked completely in control of things – a scenario which has plagued the Dutch throughout this tournament. Giovanni van Bronckhorst put his side ahead after eighteen minutes with an unstoppable 35 yard strike which will probably go down as the goal of the tournament (in case you missed it, you can see it again here). Uruguay looked a little flustered after that, and with Luis Suarez suspended, the burden was very much on Diego Forlan to take charge in front of goal for Uruguay – which of course isn’t a bad alternative. He did just that, four minutes before half time, with a wonderful strike which curled away from the Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. At this point in the game, the momentum seemed to have shifted towards Uruguay, and although the second half was ultimately less eventful to begin with, the game could have gone either way. Two second half goals by Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder eventually put the game to bed, despite an injury time strike from Maxi Pereira giving the Dutch bench a few nervous moments.

The thing that worries me about this Holland team is that they still haven’t played as well as they could, and should, have done in this World Cup. On the other side of the argument, Holland played as well as they could, and should, have done in this World Cup and reached the final. They still need to up their game and show more quality as a team. The defence is good, but they haven’t been tested by a team as strong in attack as Spain. Holland are clearly a good side, but they need to be better than that to win on Sunday. As for Uruguay, they have been a thoroughly enjoyable side to watch over the last few weeks. If Luis Suarez was available in this game, I think he could have made a real difference. I suspect he may be linked with a few Premier League clubs in July and August.

Germany 0-1 Spain

This one had a completely different preface than the first semi-final. In the last five games, Germany have probably been the best footballing side in the World Cup (despite a surprise 1-0 loss to Serbia in the group stages), scoring four goals three times. Spain, on the other hand, have probably been the most improved side in the tournament, after losing their opening group match to Switzerland. So something had to give. Carlos Puyol made sure it wasn’t his side. His bullet header in the 73rd minute ensured Spain made it to their second major final in three years, and denying Germany any revenge for defeating them in the Euro 2008 final.

I’d say that Spain have vastly improved since the beginning of the tournament, but that would be a huge understatement. When they played their opening game against Switzerland, they lacked creativity and the ability to break teams down. They struggled against a solid defence and even looked shaky at the back themselves. These are all things we don’t associate with Spain as a football team – especially when seven of the starting eleven play for Barcelona, and three more play for Real Madrid. Whatever Vicente del Bosque has told his team after that game, it certainly had a huge impact. This Spanish side has improved in every game played, and against Germany they were outstanding – especially in the second half. The defending is solid, the midfield is showing more ingenuity and David Villa is still a massive threat. This is all without Fernando Torres playing well. They will trouble Holland in every department this Sunday. As for Germany, they never really got going in this one. Did the loss of Thomas Müller hurt them that much? Key players like Bastian Schweinsteiger also didn’t play to their full potential. The midfield couldn't keep control of the ball for long enough. They kept it close until the second half, but Spain were always the better side. Being eliminated at this stage has to be a massive disappointment after playing so well in the last few games.



As the World Cup draws to an end, so does my World Cup blog. I’ll be writing about the final at the weekend, as well as the third place play-off, and looking back at some of the more memorable moments of this tournament. Here’s hoping for a great final, and of course, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

World Cup 2010 - Quarter-Finals

Can everyone who predicted the outcomes of all the quarter-finals correctly please raise their hands?

Anybody?

No, me either.

I think I’ll hold back from guessing what will happen in the next two games as I’m bound to be way off with even the most basic predictions. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the quarter-finals.

Holland 2 – 1 Brazil

I told you. I told you there’d be a huge upset at some point. Okay, so perhaps Holland reaching the semi-finals isn’t really an upset, but against a Brazil side who had played so well up until now, I think it has to be classed as one. I didn’t see this coming. After Brazil ripped Chile to pieces in the last round, I thoroughly expected them to go on and reach the final - especially as Holland hadn’t really hit top gear in this World Cup. So much for them not being a real threat in the knockout stages of big tournaments. It goes to show that even the best sides in the world can be beaten. They were defensively excellent in the second half, after Robinho had put Brazil ahead. But that was some comeback from Holland to score twice in the second half, and hold out to win the game. The one thing that disappointed me was the number of petulant fouls sneaking in to Brazil’s game after they were 2-1 down and the frustration started to build. However, I can’t credit Holland enough for their performance. Wesley Sneijder has had a fantastic tournament. If he can keep playing as well as he has been, and he gets a little help from the rest of his goal scoring threats, Holland could win the World Cup. A final against Germany would be very interesting to see.

Uruguay 1 – 1 Ghana (Uruguay win 4 – 2 on penalties)

Wow. So much drama in the latter stages of this game. Two excellent goals from Sulley Muntari and Diego Forlan (who has had a wonderful World Cup) respectively set up a dramatic extra-time ending in this game. The key moment in this game was in the last minute of stoppage time, when Luis Suarez was dismissed for a deliberate handball on the goal line. The resulting spot kick taken by was smashed against the crossbar by Asamoah Gyan, which allowed Uruguay to win on penalties. Incredibly unlucky for Ghana, who were carrying the hopes of all African football fans. This Ghanaian side should still be extremely proud of their performance in this match, and throughout the entire tournament. They did their country proud. To be eliminated in such unforgiving circumstances is difficult. There will, however, be questions asked as to whether the actions of Suarez should have been punished further than just a one game ban. Was the handball instinctive or cynical? Having said that, he had nothing to do with the penalty miss. How will Uruguay - who have been a refreshing change of pace in this tournament - cope with the loss of Suarez for their semi-final match with Holland?

Argentina 0 – 4 Germany

Regardless of how well Germany have played this tournament, this still must go down as one of the biggest upsets of World Cup 2010. Very rarely will you see a side as good as Argentina have absolutely no answer to an opposition. As a good friend of mine put it, that was a demolition. Germany were outstanding from the first minute. All four goals were wonderfully worked team efforts. Thomas Müller, who had never previously scored for his country, now has four in seven games. Miroslav Klose only scored three goals in the Bundesliga this year, but now also has four goals in this tournament. Lionel Messi scored over 40 for Barcelona last year, but was contained by an impressive German defence - as were Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuaín. It’s almost incomprehensible. Can Klose win the Golden Boot for two World Cups in a row? That would be amazing. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time. That midfield is so effective when pushing forward. I’d like to say that Germany should go on to reach the final from here, but this tournament has been so unpredictable.

Paraguay 0 – 1 Spain

Probably the most straightforward of the quarter-finals, but this game was certainly not without any drama. Three penalties in the space of a couple of minutes, two saved, one scored, and it still remained 0-0. You have to feel incredibly sorry for Paraguay who had a game plan and stuck to it for around 80 minutes. They managed to contain a very threatening and much improved Spain team for the majority of the game. Spain even hit the post three times before the David Villa's shot eventually went in. Oscar Cardozo looked inconsolable after Paraguay had lost. Like Ghana, Paraguay should be extremely proud of what they accomplished in this tournament. Gerardo Martino has a strong set of players in this team. Full credit to Spain, though. They look a completely different side than the one that lost to Switzerland in their opening game. Villa is such a threat, which is just as well because Fernando Torres is still nowhere near his best. Officials are still lacking consistency, though, and this showed with the penalty retakes. By the rule of law, the Spain penalty should have been taken again, but so should the Paraguay penalty. Spain were the better side, though. Two major tournament wins in two years would surely establish them as the best team in the world.



We're down to the last few games of the tournament. Stay tuned for my thoughts on the semi-finals. Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated.

World Cup 2010 - Second Round (part two)

Four more games in two days, and we're down to the last eight teams in World Cup 2010. Whilst the usual suspects have made it to the quarter-finals, I can still sense a huge upset happening at some point. Anyway, here are my thoughts on the last four games of the second round.

Holland 2 – 1 Slovakia

In all honesty, this was a fairly underwhelming game. Although Holland won, they rarely found themselves needing to step up a gear against Slovakia to get the job done. Granted, Arjen Robben’s goal was quite special, but until Wesley Sneijder scored and the doubled the lead with five minutes to go, the result wasn’t safe. Holland had a whole host of chances but failed to capitalise earlier in the match. I can’t quite figure it out. History tells us that Holland usually thrive in the group stages of major tournaments, and tend to struggle in the knockout stages. If they don’t start playing better, history is going to repeat itself. They’re just not clinical enough in front of goal. On paper, they have one of the strongest teams in the tournament, but something still isn’t working. They now face a daunting quarter-final against Brazil now. Holland enter this match as underdogs, so it will be interesting to see how Bert van Marwijk prepares his team for this one. Slovakia now return home knowing that they exceeded expectations in this tournament.

Brazil 3 – 0 Chile

As far as complete team performances are concerned, I think this was the best of the tournament so far by Brazil. What a fantastic display of football. The three goals scored by Juan, Luis Fabiano and Robhino respectively demonstrated how much of a threat this team can be at any point in the game. Chile were restricted to very few chances in the game, and although they showed creativity in the middle of the park, they struggled against a resilient Brazilian defence. The loss of key players through suspension in their game against Spain really hurt them, especially in defence. It’s shame to see Chile eliminated from the tournament as they have been a great side to watch, and had they faced anyone else in the last sixteen, we might have seen them progress. Brazil were just suffocating. Dunga must be excited about the quality of players he has to work with, and the depth in which said quality lies. It’s difficult to see this team not making the final.


Paraguay 0 – 0 Japan (Paraguay win 5-3 on penalties)

Despite both of these teams having done incredibly well in the group stages to progress to the last sixteen, this was probably the most disappointing game of the second round. Penalty shoot outs are always a difficult way to declare a winning team, but after two hours of football and no goals scored, it almost seemed fair this time. You have to feel for Yuichi Komano who blasted his spot kick against the crossbar. The game never really amounted to much in terms of clear goal scoring opportunities, and neither side went all out in extra time to get a goal. Japan may feel that they could have progressed further in this tournament, but taking the whole of the game into consideration, Paraguay deserved to win - but only just. They now face a very stern challenge against Spain, who are hitting good form just at the right time. What are the chances of two South American semi-finals?

Spain 1 – 0 Portugal

This might not have been the spectacular goal fest many football fans had been anticipating, but Spain played a very intelligent game against the Portuguese. Vicente del Bosque stuck to his game plan, despite not having scored in the first half, having faith that his team would find a goal. With David Villa on the pitch, it’s more than just a possibility. He now has four goals in the last three games. Unless Fernando Torres can rediscover his goal scoring form, Spain may have to rely on Villa for a little longer. Their defence did its job in frustrating Cristiano Ronaldo, limited him mostly to shots from distance. Portugal also defended strongly, but their key players in midfield didn’t get enough of the ball so as to provide an attacking threat. The red card for Ricardo Costa near the end of the game was thoroughly disappointing, as there didn’t seem to be any contact at all between him and Capdevila. The better side won on the night, though.



That's the end of the second round. The quarter-finals begin on Friday, and we have some very interesting matches. I'll be writing about those over the weekend, so stay tuned. Your thoughts and comments are appreciated, as always.

World Cup 2010 - Second Round (part one)

We're four matches in, and we've seen more spectacular goals balanced with more controversy. The intensity appears to have been stepped up in this round, which makes for some great entertaining football. Here are my thoughts on the first four games of the second round...

Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea

Uruguay have been a surprise in this tournament. They won Group A with relative ease, and were rewarded with what appeared to be a very winnable second round match against South Korea. Luis Suárez put Uruguay ahead early on with a little help from a goalkeeping error, but seemed to fade a little in the second half which let the Koreans back into the match. Uruguay went on to win the game though, and showed good strength and character in doing so. Overall, they were the better team, as they have been in all their games so far. Diego Forlan was instrumental once again. This team has the ability to turn defence into attack with ease. Ajax had better watch out, because I imagine a number of teams have noticed Suárez in the last few games. His second goal, which turned out to be the winner, was superb. Uruguay now have a very legitimate shot of reaching the semi final stages if they can maintain the right balance which has been successful for them so far

USA 1 – 2 Ghana (aet)

This was a really good game of football. USA, for the third time in four games, went 1-0 down early on to a determined Ghanaian side. Their defence really has been quite terrible in this tournament, and it’s the reason they haven’t managed to progress any further. Players like Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan can only carry this team so far. They don’t have enough quality in front of goal. All five of their goals in this tournament came from midfielders. USA did show good character in the second half and were good for their equaliser. They even had a number of good opportunities to win the game in regulation, but conceded early in extra time, and it was again due to poor defending. The finish, though, was excellent by Asamoah Gyan – another player who has a good future ahead of him. I’m not sure this one can really be called an upset because Ghana are clearly the best African side in this tournament. However, they are young, and Uruguay possess a tough challenge for them.

Germany 4 – 1 England

A fantastic and promising display if you’re a Germany supporter, an absolute horror show if you’re an England supporter. Germany dominated the game and played some fantastic football. Thomas Mueller was outstanding. England’s defence, bar Ashley Cole (who I think has been England’s best individual player in this tournament) was appalling. John Terry and Matthew Upson were nowhere for the first two goals. England pulled one back, and should have been level at half-time after Frank Lampard’s strike was adjudged to have not crossed the line, despite a number of replays demonstrating otherwise. The most disappointing thing is that England had the momentum after half-time, but failed to capitalise. They just haven’t gelled as a team, and their better players certainly were not at their best. Germany ripped them to shreds with two excellent counter-attacking goals later on in the game and won the game comfortably. What happens to Fabio Capello now? This one will take a long time to heal for England fans. Germany, however, were fantastic.

Argentina 3 – 1 Mexico

This was the most entertaining game of the first four. The first half was probably the best 45 minutes of attacking football so far in this tournament. Mexico were clearly rattled by Argentina’s first goal courtesy of Carlos Tevez, which was a shame because the game had been quite even up until that point. Sloppy defending was at fault for Argentina’s second, by which point it seemed there was no way back for Mexico. However, they continued to press on in the second half and created some good chances. Tevez’s second, and Argentina’s third, was unstoppable, but Hernandez’s consolation was enough to keep the game exciting until the end. Mexico played fairly well, but they just lack a cutting edge in front of goal to make them a top side in international football. Argentina were good value for their win and now face a dynamic German side in the quarter finals. These two teams have some history so it promises to be a fiery encounter.



Stay tuned for the second part of this section where I will look at the remaining second round matches, and also the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Your comments are always appreciated.

World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the final group matches

The final group matches served up some great goals and tense finales. There were certainly some surprise results and a few unfamiliar faces managed to qualify for the last sixteen. And yes, my dark horse Serbia didn't quite cross the finish line. Oh well, there's always Euro 2012. Anyway, let's hand out some awards.

Best Performance

Denmark v Japan

What a show. Three fantastic goals and some great movement on and off the ball. They limited a strong Denmark team to only a couple of clear cut chances. Japan have been good throughout the group stages. Takeshi Okada has a great bunch of players to work with. This team could cause some serious upsets in the next round.

Worst Performance

Greece v Argentina

Congratulations, Otto Rehhagel. Your team probably needed to win to reach the last sixteen, so instead of giving it a real go, you played for a draw and still lost 2-0. What a way to bow out as coach. I can't understand why teams who reach the World Cup don't give it everything they've got. Even after Demichelis scored for Argentina, Greece still seemed to be sitting back and relying on the outcome of the Nigeria v South Korea game, but I still can't figure it out. Where was the spirit of the team that won Euro 2004?

Best Goal

Yasuhito Endo - Denmark v Japan

Any of the three Japan goals are worthy of this award, but the reason the second free kick just edges out the first is because I think Thomas Sorensen made a mistake with it. It was a wonderful strike by Honda, but Endo's curled high around the wall and ended up in the bottom corner. That's a nightmare for goalkeepers. Japan looked really impressive against Denmark.

Biggest Surprise

Italy

Admit it. Even though Italy drew their two opening games, we still thought they would beat Slovakia and qualify, right? Wrong. The World Cup holders are going home. Why did they need to go 2-0 down to start playing well? They haven't really looked threatening all tournament. What happened to that defence? This team needs a complete overhaul. I take nothing away from Slovakia, though; they were fantastic.

Best Game

Italy v Slokavia

This was wonderful to watch. Not simply because there was a giant killing, but because of the unbelievable tension towards the end of the game. Four goals in twenty minutes is always exciting. Quagliarella's audacious chip in injury time ensured a dramatic finish, and if that cross at the end had fallen on Simone Pepe's other foot, it surely would have finished 3-3.

Worst Game

Portugal v Brazil

Tough one. There were a few howlers, but I'll pick this one for the way it just drifted off into nothing in the second half. I know both teams were pretty much through to the next round, but so were Mexico and Uruguay, and they both still went out for the win. This one could have been more interesting if Brazil had been down to ten men as Portugal might have put more pressure on in the second half. Either way, they're both in the last sixteen.

Best Moment

Duda being booked for gesturing a red card to the referee

The only thing that annoys me more in football than inconsistent officiating is when players 'gang up' on referees in an attempt to pressurise them into making a decision in favour of their team. Yes, Juan's handball was cynical and could possibly have been more than a yellow card, but it's down to the referee to decide that, not the four Portuguese players who ran half the length of the pitch to try and make his mind up for him. I'd love to see more of this happen.

Worst Moment

Yohann Gourcuff's sending off against South Africa

Seriously? That's a red card? He might be leaning in with his elbow a bit, but I genuinely see him going for the ball and nothing else. 90 percent of other referees would have given a booking at most. I guess it summed up France's tournament really. Credit to South Africa for pushing on and winning this game because France actually showed like they cared a little for this one.



So that's the end of the group stages. I think the best is yet to come in the next round. England v Germany and Spain v Portugal are the two games whicn catch my eye, but brace yourselves for some excellent football. I'll do a piece for the last sixteen at some point, so watch this space. As always, your thought and comments are appreciated.

World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the second group matches

I think I can speak on behalf of everyone watching the World Cup when I say..."that's more like it".

The second round of group stage matches certainly delivered much more entertainment, more attacking football, and more goals. Some teams have already confirmed their place in the next round, while others have been eliminated. The South Americans are still, for the most part, showing their European counterparts how to get the job done. I think the vuvuzelas are starting to quieten down a bit now too, or maybe it's just wishful thinking.

Anyway, on to this week's achievements, starting with...

Best Performance

Portugal v North Korea

It doesn't matter who you play, scoring seven goals in a World Cup match is outstanding. After the performance Portugal gave against the Ivory Coast last week, and how strongly North Korea defended against Brazil, Carlos Queiroz must have given his team a serious lambasting. They could have scored more on the day, too. Paraguay also get a mention for a fine win against Slovakia.

Worst Performance

France v Mexico

Congratulations, Mr Domenech. Your side made it two on the bounce, even pipping England to this award. The players just didn't care. This is a team with serious issues on and off the field. I take nothing away from Mexico though, they were excellent. But France were in the World Cup final four years ago. Now I expect them to finish last in their group. Awful.

Best Goal

David Villa - Spain v Honduras

One of the best goals you're likely to see this tournament. What a magnificent solo effort. Just when you thought he'd done too much, he still managed to get the shot away after embarrassing two defenders. I know it was only against Honduras, but you can only play the team in front of you. You can see why Barcelona paid £34 million for him. Chile v Spain now looks like a mouth watering fixture.

Biggest Surprise

Germany losing to Serbia

I'll be honest, I had Serbia down as dark horses to cause a few upsets this year. But how did Germany lose this one after playing so well against Australia a few days beforehand? They looked well off the mark all over the pitch. Now they need to beat a tough Ghanaian side to be sure of qualifying, and they need to do it without Miroslav Klose. Group D is still wide open.

Best Game

Slovenia vs USA

What a comeback. Slovenia were by far the better team in the first half, but USA dominated the second. They should have had a third and probably won the game if a perfectly legitimate goal hadn't been disallowed. This is what the World Cup is all about. This game just edges out Cameroon v Denmark, which was also exellent.

Worst Game

England v Algeria

Don't worry, I hadn't forgotten. What an atrocity. England are becoming the new France. Despite the amount of quality in this team, there's no unity whatsoever. It's difficult to see how Fabio Capello changes that before the game against Slovenia. Having said all that, Algeria were just as terrible.

Best Moment

New Zealand drawing with Italy

This is just such a great story. New Zealand had longer odds than North Korea to win the World Cup. They held the holders to a draw and were inches away from actually winning the match. Anything extra they do from here would be a bonus. Surely they can't make it through to the next round? There have already been some impressive scalps so far.

Worst Moment

Kaka's red card against Ivory Coast

There were a number of awful decisions from officials in the last set of games, but this one takes it. The referee didn't see what happened. I don't know what the linesman or fourth official thought they saw. This dismissal needs overturning. Would it be too much to just bring in the best referees for this tournament, regardless of where they're from? Fortunately Brazil are already through to the last sixteen.



That's it for the second lot of group stage games. As always, your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

World Cup 2010 - Thoughts on the first group matches

Other than the ridiculous number of vuvuzelas in South Africa, there's been very little noise so far in this much anticipated World Cup tournament. It would be fair to say that the majority of the 'big' teams have underperformed in the early stages, and several high profile games have been quite drab.

During every stage of the World Cup, I'll be handing out awards to various teams...

Best performance

Germany v Australia

This game caught everyone by surprise. The performance Germany put in was far from the performance we have come to accept. This was attacking, free-flowing, beautiful to watch football, exactly what was actually expected of a number of favourites to win the tournament. Which brings me to my next category...

Worst performance

Uruguay v France

I don't care what anyone says. With the quality Raymond Domenech has in his side, France should be topping Group A and competing deep into the quarter finals. Instead they're not. This team made the final in 2006, but they finished bottom of their group at Euro 2008. They struggled to even qualify for this tournament, as Republic of Ireland fans will know, and they'll have a job to get to the last sixteen this time around.

Best goal

Maicon - Brazil v North Korea

You can always rely on Brazil to pull something special out the bag. There hasn't been a plethora of fantastic goals so far, but Maicon's strike from the narrowest of angles was absolutely wonderful. Catching that ball first time on the outside of the boot and beating the goalkeeper at the near post is something a striker would be proud of, let alone a full back.

Biggest surprise

Spain v Switzerland

Come on, admit it. After winning Euro 2008 and qualifying with relative ease, we all expected Spain to win this game comfortably, top the group and probably make it to the final. Now after losing 1-0, a potential last sixteen match against Brazil looms. They didn't have any answers to a dauntless Swiss defence. Spain must be more clinical if they want to go further.

Best game

South Africa v Mexico

There have certainly been more impressive team performances so far in the tournament, but this match was really something. The old cliche "a game of two halves" rings very true here. Mexico dominated the first half, yet South Africa will have felt they should have won it at 90 minutes. Great football and genuinely exciting to watch.

Worst game

Ivory Coast v Portugal

There were some serious contenders for this category. I can think of at least four games so far which you couldn't pay me to watch again. This match tops them all for the simple fact that two teams of this calibre playing against one another should have produced so much more. Maybe it's the ball, maybe it's the pitch, maybe it's conservative play, but I can't remember more than three chances all game. Awful.

Best moment

Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal against Mexico

This epitomised everything that's great about the World Cup. The host nation in the first game, an ecstatic atmosphere in Johannesburg, and an absolute screamer of a opening goal going right in the top corner, followed by a celebratory dance which will be used on a countless number of future football related adverts. Absolutely wonderful viewing.

Worst moment

Tim Cahill's red card against Germany

It would have been easy to go with Rob Green's howler against the USA, but the more I watch this moment, the more I think most referees barely give a yellow for this. A straight red? No chance. Even Bastian Schweinsteiger (the player fouled) said so. It's a late one, but players get away with much worse. Australia fell to bits soon after, which was a shame as they still looked like getting something out of that match. Now Cahill, more than likely, misses the rest of the tournament.



Well, that's that for now. Of course, your thoughts and comments are much appreciated. Here's hoping for a few more goals in the second lot of group stage games, and much less Adrian Chiles.