Lesotho World Cup: Rooney, Ronaldo, now Messi - stars misfire in Cup

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Lesotho Soccer World Cup 2010 News:  

Rooney, Ronaldo, now Messi - stars misfire in Cup
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER 

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — Rooney, then Ronaldo and now Messi.

They were supposed to light up the World Cup after scoring a total of 114 goals for their clubs this season, but left South Africa with only one goal in 13 matches.

Wayne Rooney huffed and puffed but failed to score before England was sent packing by Germany. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo scored — once, in garbage time — but didn't run much at all before being eliminated by Spain. Argentina's Lionel Messi couldn't produce the magic when it counted, against the Germans in the quarterfinals.

All 25 or younger and considered three of the world's best players, they were the World Cup's biggest disappointments.

For Rooney, it seemed a case of fatigue or injury — he had knee, ankle and groin problems over the last two months of his club season. Whatever the cause, rarely did the 24-year-old Manchester United striker storm past defenders with a typically powerful run after a season in England in which he scored 34 goals to make up for Ronaldo's record transfer to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo's lone goal — against North Korea in a 7-0 rout — was little solace for a player hyped in a well-publicized commercial as Portugal's savior.

Even with the captain's armband, the 25-year-old forward did little to inspire his team. He rarely tracked back in defense, lost the ball when dribbling and looked a shadow of the player who was selected as the world's best in 2008.

That title went to Messi last year after he led Barcelona to an historic series of national, European and world club titles, and he continued his stellar performances with an astonishing 47 goals for his team in the 2009-10 season. The 23-year-old forward has often been accused of failing to reproduce his best form for Argentina, and will have done little to erase that charge in South Africa.

Diego Maradona has called Messi his heir apparent. But in his second World Cup, Messi failed to find the target and never conjured the magic of Maradona when his nation needed him, fading out of the match as Argentina was thrashed 4-0 by Germany.

"To see Messi cry in the dressing room, whoever says that he doesn't feel pride for his shirt is stupid," Maradona said.

Rooney, Ronaldo and Messi weren't alone.

From Brazil, there was Kaka. The 28-year-old playmaker was voted the world's best player three years ago, but was coming off a disappointing season after a lucrative move to Real Madrid, forced to play a deeper, more defensive role behind Ronaldo.

Back in his favored position just behind the strikers with Brazil, Kaka was sent off in the group match against Ivory Coast.

He came back for the round of 16 match as Brazil beat Chile 3-0, and nearly scored for a two-goal lead in the quarterfinal against the Netherlands. But when the Dutch came storming back in the second half to win 2-1, Kaka went quiet.

Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o and Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba have won five of the last seven African player of the year awards. With the weight of a continent on their shoulders, neither player could lift his team.

Eto'o, after moving from Barcelona to Inter Milan, was coming off a second straight season in which his club won everything possible — a triple crown of titles in the domestic league and cup, and the Champions League. He scored twice in three games in South Africa, but Cameroon was the first team eliminated.

Drogba broke a bone in his right arm just before the tournament and had to wear a soft cast to play. He missed a late chance to break a 0-0 draw against Portugal but scored a late consolation goal against Brazil. However, the damage was done — and even a solid 3-0 win over North Korea couldn't rescue a talented Ivorian team's tournament.

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Germany eliminates Argentina.

Coach Loew: Germany must force Spain into mistakes to win World Cup semifinal

Lesotho Soccer World Cup News:

Coach Loew: Germany must force Spain into mistakes to win World Cup semifinal
By Nesha Starcevic

ERASMIA, South Africa — Coach Joachim Loew says Spain is the strongest team Germany has faced at the World Cup and the only way to beat the European champions is to force them into mistakes.

Spain has been the most consistent team of the past two or three years and is the favourite for the World Cup title, Loew said Monday.

But he believes Germany can beat any opponent, including a Spain team whose passing game he praised as a model for his own style.

Germany lost to Spain 1-0 in the final of the 2008 European Championship and the two sides meet in the semifinal of the World Cup on Wednesday in Durban.

"We are not speaking of revenge, that hasn't been on my mind at all. We lost the final in 2008 because we were beaten by the best team of the time," Loew said.

"But we have hope that we can win. For me, Spain is the favourite for the title. It has been the most consistent team of the past two or three years and has played at a very high level. Spain has not one Messi, but several Messis who can decide a game," Loew said.

Loew was referring to Argentina star Lionel Messi, who was virtually shut out of the game when Germany routed Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals. Germany also eliminated England 4-1 and has scored the most goals, 13, while displaying perhaps the best football at the tournament.

Spain, however, will be a tough challenge, Loew said.

"They make almost no mistakes but we have to force them into making errors," said Loew, who devised masterful tactics to beat England and Argentina, seizing on the two teams' defensive liabilities.

"Spain is very strong as a unit, both in offence and defence, they have several players who can decide games and tactically they are very good. But at the moment we are capable of beating everyone." 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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Lesotho Soccer World Cup: Germany beats Argentina, 4 - 0.

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Germany displayed an all around performance in both ends of the floor and beats Diego Maradona's Argentina, 4-0. Thomas Mueller scored 3 goals. Germany will advance to the semifinal round.

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Netherlands stuns Brazil 2-1 to reach semifinals

Lesotho Soccer World Cup News:  Netherlands stuns Brazil 2-1 to reach semifinals
Associated Press

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa — Brazil had never really been under duress in the World Cup until the quarterfinals Friday. How would it react, with resilience or agitation? Could it take a punch, or did it have a glass jaw?

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Few could have imagined that a dominant first half would disintegrate into such a loss of composure in a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. For a second consecutive World Cup, Brazil exited in the quarterfinals, its hopes of a sixth title shattered along with its equanimity and self-control.
As it crumbled, Brazil put a ball into its own net, grew unnerved by the diving of Dutch forward Arjen Robben, and played a man down for the final 17-plus minutes after committing an impetuous foul. One of the tallest teams in the tournament, Brazil gave up the winning goal on a header by Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, one of the shortest men on the field.

As Brazil leaves unceremoniously, the Netherlands advances to the semifinals against Uruguay, which beat Ghana on penalty kicks. The Netherlands defeated Brazil for the first time in the World Cup since 1974 and the days of Johan Cruyff and gained redemption for defeats in 1994 and 1998, while also beginning to shed its image as a talented but underperforming team.

"Finally, finally, we won," Sneijder said.

While Dunga, Brazil's coach, faces caustic second-guessing for a style that favored muscle over beauty, Bert van Marwijk of the Netherlands gained validation for his assertion that the Dutch could win the World Cup for the first time.

"People mocked me for that," said van Marwijk, who became coach two years ago.

But if others doubted him, he did not doubt himself. "I said I'm not going to the tournament just to take part; I want to win," van Marwijk said. "I want the best prize. People might think (I am) arrogant. But if you beat Brazil, then you should dare to say this."

Felipe Melo, a Brazilian midfielder, will forever remain in the bull's-eye for everything that went right and wrong in this match for the departed co-favorites.

He re-entered the starting lineup for Ramires, who was suspended with two yellow cards. And in the 10th minute, Melo sent a pass through a yawning gap in the middle of the Netherlands' defense. The ball seemed to roll forever as if on a fairway after a tee shot.

The Netherlands had been forced to alter its starting lineup in central defense, when Joris Mathijsen injured his knee during warm-ups. Andre Ooijer replaced him, which led to early confusion that was harshly punished by Brazil. Robinho ran past Ooijer, and his partner John Heitinga, cocked his right leg at the top of the penalty area and swept the ball into the goal for a 1-0 Brazil lead.

His leg seemed to swing like a door closing on the Netherlands. Continue reading here...

World Cup 2010 Online Coloring Games!

Everybody starts feeling the fever! And it's not the African climate fever, but fever caused by emotions, sport rivalry and World Cup that takes place in this very place - Africa.

For this short period of time the arguments and wars diminish and people forget about their problems and just have fun watching soccer matches. Have a look at the boys in the picture and feel this mood just like they do.

Let this image and the World Cup put you into action - call the boys and play some nice competitive matches! Wanna play this coloring games? Just visit this site www.onlinecoloringgames.com.

World Cup 2010 Online Coloring Games!

Everybody starts feeling the fever! And it's not the African climate fever, but fever caused by emotions, sport rivalry and World Cup that takes place in this very place - Africa.

For this short period of time the arguments and wars diminish and people forget about their problems and just have fun watching soccer matches. Have a look at the boys in the picture and feel this mood just like they do.

Let this image and the World Cup put you into action - call the boys and play some nice competitive matches! Wanna play this coloring games? Just visit this site www.onlinecoloringgames.com.