Lesotho Soccer: Spain, Netherlands Jump Ahead of Brazil in FIFA World Soccer Rankings

By Christopher Elser

Spain and the Netherlands, which met in the World Cup final, moved past record five-time world champion Brazil to the top of FIFA’s world soccer rankings.

Spain moved up one place to the top ranking, while the Netherlands jumped two spots. Brazil, which lost to the Dutch in the quarterfinals in South Africa, is third.

Five of the top 10 slots are held by European teams, with No. 4 Germany, a surprise semifinalist, seventh-ranked England and Portugal, which dropped five places to eighth. Argentina is fifth, with Uruguay, the only non-European team to make the semifinals, rising 10 spots to sixth. That’s the highest-ever ranking for Uruguay, which along with No. 9 Egypt and 10th- ranked Chile was the biggest riser in the top 10.

“These three teams have benefited from disappointing performances by two giants of international football, Italy (11th, down 6) and France (21st, down 12),” FIFA said today in a statement. “The 2006 finalists pay the price for group-stage elimination in South Africa and, together with Croatia, no longer find themselves among the 10 best teams.”

Chile rose eight spots and Egypt gained three. Italy and France didn’t reach the knockout stages after failing to win any matches at the World Cup, which Spain won in a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands on July 11. Brazil was beaten 2-1 by the Dutch in the quarterfinals.

Croatia dropped five spots to 15th, while Greece in 12th, and the U.S., tied with Serbia in 13th, rose one place each. Paraguay, which lost to Spain in the quarterfinals, and Peru were the biggest gainers in the top 50, rising 15 spots to No. 16 and No. 38, respectively. Peru didn’t qualify for the World Cup.

South Africa, the host of the tournament, rose 17 spots to 66th while Ghana, which lost to Uruguay in the quarterfinals, was up nine places to 23rd. Nigeria fell 9 spots to 30th, and Cameroon declined 21 places to 40th.

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Lesotho Soccer: FIFA World Cup Final Preview: Holland Vs Spain

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With Holland and Spain to meet in the World Cup final at the Soccer City Stadium in Jo’burg on Sunday, the one thing that can be predicted with certainty is that there will be a new champion added to the most exclusive club in football.

With South American teams dominating up to the quarter-final phase of the tournament, nobody would have dared predict that Holland and Spain would meet in the final. But with both Argentina and Brazil shown the door in the quarter-finals, a European champion was on the cards, especially as the African teams did not justify pre-tournament predictions that foresaw their ascendancy.

The finalists are two extremely talented teams that play an open and attacking brand of football, far removed from the gritty game that has served Italy and Germany so well in the recent past. Holland were pipped at the post on two occasions, in 1974 and 1978, while Spain’s best performance prior to this edition has not exceeded a quarter-final entry. Ironically, this year, the two teams had to resort to more grit and ruthlessness, and less flair, en route to the final.

Quite in contrast with “total football”, the Dutch have played percentage football, with little expenditure of energy, to boast an all-win record at this World Cup.

Denmark, Japan and Cameroon were more grist to the Dutch mill, in the group stage. Slovakia was more of the same, in the round of 16, and Merwyjk’s men faced their first real challenge in the quarter-final when they met Brazil. Down by an early goal, following a defence lapse, Holland were given a life-line in the form of an own goal by Felipe Melo. Melo compounded his error by getting sent off for stamping on Robben, even as the Dutch, now 2-1 up, were cruising to an unlikely win.

Skipper Giovanni van Bronckhorst put Holland ahead of Uruguay with a 35 yarder from the left flank that was arguably the goal of the tournament.

Schneider and Robben then gave individual notice of Dutch masterclass, and despite an injury time fight back from Uruguay, there was only one winner on the day.

Midfielder Mark von Bommel has been Holland’s pillar of strength, and along with De Jong, due back from suspension, should direct the course of the match for the Dutch, in the final. Holland will also have back the services of their right back Gregory Van der Wiel, also returning from suspension. In what will probably be Van Bronckhorst’s last match for Holland, the skipper will be hoping for an encore of his performace against Uruguay.

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Watch the World CUP FINALS HERE.

Lesotho Soccer: Netherlands World Cup 2010 Team Profile

Netherlands coach, Bert van Marwijk: “We can beat everyone”

Goalkeepers:
Michel Vorm; Maarten Stekelenburg; Sander Boschker

Defenders:
Gregory van der Wiel; Giovanni van Bronckhorst; Andre Ooijer; Joris Mathijsen; John Heitinga; Edson Braafheid; Khalid Boulahrouz

Midfielders:
Rafael van der Vaart; Mark van Bommel; Wesley Sneijder; Stijn Schaars; Demy de Zeeuw; Nigel de Jong; Ibrahim Afellay

Forwards:
Robin van Persie; Arjen Robben; Dirk Kuyt; Klaas Jan Huntelaar; Eljero Elia; Ryan Babel



Watch the World Cup 2010 Finals Live Here.

Lesotho Soccer World Cup: Uruguay vs Netherlands Highlights

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Lesotho Soccer: Netherlands into World Cup final, 3-2 over Uruguay

Image source: dailymail.co.uk

Netherlands into World Cup final, 3-2 over Uruguay
By BARRY WILNER

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP)—Arjen Robben emerged from the bottom of an Oranje mosh pit, mud on his brow and a smile on his face.

For good measure, he threw kisses at his teammates and fans. His goal gave the Netherlands a 3-2 victory over Uruguay and a spot in the World Cup final.

Now that’s a Dutch treat!

The big prize—that elusive first title—is still one game away. But this was such a moment to savor that most of the squad made a curtain call nearly an hour after the biggest Netherlands victory in decades, leading about 1,000 orange-clad fans in cheers that figure to last until Sunday.

That’s when the Dutch play either Spain or Germany for the championship of the world.

“If you win the final, you make yourself immortal, at least in our country,” Robben said. “We will do everything we can to take the Cup back.”

Long wasteful with its soccer talent, the Netherlands sure has found the right touch in this tournament.

Stars Wesley Sneijder and Robben scored three minutes apart in the second half as the Netherlands advanced to its first title match since losing in 1978 to Argentina.

“We are so close,” Sneijder said. “There is nothing bigger than the World Cup.”

And nothing better than sharing it with their countrymen.

So out came Robben, Sneijder and their teammates long after the final whistle, to join the celebration in an empty stadium—empty except for that rollicking section of fans still singing Dutch songs, waving flags, and bowing in unison. The players joined in from the field, several on the shoulders of others, some taking photos. Back home in Amsterdam, the victory touched off mass celebrations, too.

Winners of all six games in South Africa, 10 in a row overall and in the midst of a 25-match unbeaten streak, the Dutch have the look of champions—with an Oranje hue, of course.

“This is unforgettable,” said Sneijder, now tied with Spain’s David Villa for top scorer at the tournament (five goals). “It was a tough fight and toward the end we complicated matters.

“Sunday we play in the World Cup final. I have to get used to that.”

Besides the loss to Argentina in ’78, the Netherlands fell in its only other appearance in the final, to West Germany in 1974.

Both of those title-game defeats came during the golden period of Dutch soccer, and in the opposition’s homeland. No such worries this time, and no country outside of Africa has had as much fan support as the Netherlands.

Inside Green Point Stadium it looked like a Florida orange grove. Outside, a Netherlands fan in a blue and white bodysuit stood on stilts and played a vuvuzela—badly. It was about the only thing that didn’t measure up for the Dutch.

And a tournament that looked like a South American fiesta early on will end in a European showdown for the second straight World Cup. Sneijder and Robben made sure of that.

Sneijder’s goal came somewhat unexpectedly because Uruguay had shut down the Dutch offense for much of the second half. His left-footed shot from just inside the penalty area barely ticked the leg of defender Maximiliano Pereira and, with Robin van Persie almost deflecting it again, the ball skidded past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Then Robben sent a cross from Dirk Kuyt past a flat-footed Muslera with a brilliant header. His teammates piled on in an Oranje Crush celebration, and Robben came up from it muddied and merry—and with the knowledge that, ahead 3-1, the Netherlands was likely headed to the championship match.

Uruguay was without dangerous striker Luis Suarez, whose handball on the goal line in the final seconds of extra time against Ghana saved his team in the quarterfinals. He drew a red card for that, and spent his suspension on the bench watching his undermanned teammates come up just short.

Pereira made the Netherlands sweat with a goal in injury time, and Stekelenburg’s late save preserved the biggest Dutch win in decades. The Dutch have now won 10 straight and are unbeaten in their last 25 games.

Robben was replaced late in the match, and at the final whistle he fell flat to the turf as he ran back onto the pitch. Mark van Bommel hustled over to where the ball came to rest, picked it up and hugged it. His teammates then began a joyous stroll around the field, some of them barechested, as the vuvuzelas blared and Dutch flags waved in the stands.

“This is very special,” Van Marwijk said. “After 32 years we play the final again. Such a small country! We can be very proud of this.” Continue reading here...

Lesotho Soccer World Cup Preview: Uruguay - Netherlands

World Cup Preview: Uruguay - Netherlands
By Robin Bairner

Miracles Do Happen

Image source: goal.com

Both Uruguay and the Netherlands are small nations steeped in World Cup history but only one has the ability to progress to another final when the sides meet on Tuesday evening in Cape Town.

It’s been 60 years since the Celeste were on top of the world, yet Oscar Tabarez’s side stand only 180 minutes from arguably their greatest ever success. The story could have been very different after a dramatic quarter-final meeting with Ghana that saw the South Americans come through in remarkable circumstances.

Having fallen behind in first half stoppage time, Uruguay battled back after the break thanks to a goal from Diego Forlan. When Luis Suarez was dismissed in the very last minute of stoppage time for handling a goalbound header on the line it seemed he had earned his side only a temporary reprieve but Asamoah Gyan sent his penalty against the bar. From a seemingly impossible position, the Celeste then won on penalty kicks.

“The ‘Hand of God’ now belongs to me,” Suarez cheekily proclaimed to the press after the game. “There was no alternative for me. This was the end of the World Cup and when I saw Gyan miss the penalty it was a great joy. I thought ‘it is a miracle’.”

Uruguay’s football history is marked with controversy due to the stereotypically unscrupulous nature of their defending, but this was not la Garra Charrua – the fighting spirit of the Uruguayans – as seen before. Nevertheless, the Celeste will no longer have the support of neutral South Africans after such a notorious incident, which Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac labelled “an injustice against football”.

Organised at the back, dangerous up front and prepared to do anything to earn progression through to the final, Uruguay should not be discounted.

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