2010 FIFA World Cup

2010 FIFA World Cup Winner:- Spain

Us punters needed not turning up in fairness as Spain, the ante-post favourites to land their first World Cup crown, clinched the 2010 FIFA World Cup and justified why so many, although us not included, fancied their chances before the tournament kicked off at Soccer City on June 11th. Many believed the best team won of which I’m not of the same opinion as I felt every single one of their games were dull and boring, while their slow build up play had us switching over to watch Eastenders at times. However, while we were never a fan of the Spanish, they way in which they manoeuvred the ball was remarkable and their tactic of retaining the ball at all costs was very effective, so credit were credit is due especially as they had to defy an early setback when losing 1-0 to Switzerland in their opening game of the tournament.

Our Team of the Tournament:- Germany

We don’t think there’s even room for debate as the Germans were scintillating from the word ‘go’. They began with a four goal romp of Australia but little did they or anyone else know that they would later go on to match their four goal feat against both England and Argentina in two games Germany were never favourites in. Joachim Low’s mixture of experience and youthful exuberance almost brought home their fourth World Cup title only to be denied by the ball-hogging Spaniards. They did, though, still have enough in reserve to slam another three goals past Uruguay en route to securing another third place finish, their second in succession, taking their scoring tally for the tournament to 16, four more than their closest pursuer Holland (12).

It’s difficult to pinpoint any one stand out player as the Germans played magnificently throughout the tournament as a team, which is a lot more than I could say for some. Manuel Neuer was a huge presence in the German goal and had Germany not be denied a place in the final, probably would have taken home the Yashin Award for best Goalkeeper. A normally fragile and suspect German defence had conceded just twice before losing to Spain in the semi-final, with full-back Phillip Lahm filling in admirably for the injured Michael Ballack as captain and certainly led by example. It was, however, the quartet of Bastien Schweinsteiger, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muellar and Lukas Podolski which fired Germany into the last-four and, somewhat ironically, into the hearts of many neutrals. Schweinsteiger has the tournament of his life in the centre of the park, marshalling that midfield like a pro as he continuously supplied Podolski and Mueller out on the wings. Podolski’s vigorous work rate out on the left was commendable and he remained a threat whenever Germany went forward, but it was two of their youngest players who had the biggest impact in Ozil and Mueller. Ozil was a constant nuisance for every opponent, swivelling in and out of tight spots while some of his through balls were sublime. The same could be said for Mueller, who despite being just 20 years-old. Shown absolutely no fear as he continued to bombed forward and aid the German attack.

It says all you need to know that when FIFA selected ten nominees for the 2010 FIFA Golden Ball, two were German while Thomas Mueller collected the Best Young Player award for his efforts.

Our Player of the Tournament:- Diego Forlan

Another ‘without a shadow of a doubt’ scenario, as Diego Forlan was rewarded for his industry during the finals with the 2010 FIFA Golden Ball. Despite playing in an unfamiliar role just behind the strikers, Forlan still managed to stand out amongst the crowd and almost single handily steered Uruguay in the last-four. His five goals in seven games so nearly earned him the FIFA Golden Boot as well only to finish fourth by virtue of pouring his heart and soul into Uruguay’s cause, as he played more minutes than anyone else in contention and so had a worse goals per minute ratio. He wasn’t just about goals though, as his ability to encourage Uruguay to burst forward and attack, as well as ding the majority of the forward construction work, was a joy to behold at times and his efforts through the tournament endeared him to the majority watching. I defy anyone to claim another played deserved the Golden Ball more than Diego Forlan.

Biggest Flop:- England

You could argue France or Italy should be considering those two contested the 2006 final, but England got the nod simply because they were a far shorter price before the tournament and were so abysmal in the finals throughout their short stay. From Game 1 right through to a humiliating Game 4, where they were embarrassed by Germany in a 4-1 hammering, England were well below par and at times appealing to watch. The hype beforehand was incredible, with the entire nation expecting a colossal effort from Capello’s men after the ease at which they qualified for the finals. Quite simply, the big names didn’t turn up. Frank Lampard, John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, all household names and all paid top dollar, were dreadful. Whether they didn’t acclimatise fast enough we don’t know, but we put it down to there being too many ego’s in one camp. Whatever the case, England were a huge disappointment and certainly didn’t match up to their pre-tournament billing of being third favourites to win the competition.

Goal of the Tournament:- Giovanni Van Bronckhorst versus Uruguay (Semi-Final)

Up till the semi-final’s, we were a big admirer of Carlos Tevez’s stunner against Mexico – A thunderbolt from 25 yards which beat Mexico keeper Oscar Perez all ends up. We didn’t think that would be beaten by Van Bronckhorst, who played his last professional games at these finals, stepped up and scored one of the most outrageous goals in World Cup history. From what must have been a good 35 yards out, Van Bronckhorst sprinted down the left flank and leathered the ball straight across the face of Muslera’s goal, smashing the right-hand post before nestling into the goal. Absolute stunner!

Game of the Tournament:- Italy V Slovakia

In a tournament where exciting games were few and far between, this match between Italy and Slovakia stood out amongst every single one of them. It was a match Italy needed only a draw to progress from Group F but only a win would have done for Slovakia, who began the day bottom of the group. Few gave Slovakia any chance of making the impossible possible but when Robert Vittek prodded home from close range, the non-believers were quickly beginning to turn. Just when the game appeared to be dwindling out into a narrow Slovakia win, the game exploded into life when the Slovak’s doubled their lead through Vittek again. However, if anyone through the Italians were dead and buried for one moment they were about to be given a dose of true grit and determination, as Antonio Di Natale reduced the deficit on 81 minutes only to have a potential leveller ruled out for offsides minutes later, with Quagriarella adjudged to be in an offside position by English officials. If the Italians felt hard done by then they were fuming at the next piece of action, substitute Kopunek running onto an Italian throw-in before lifting the ball over a despairing Marchetti. Slovekia looked home and hosed at that point, boasting a two goal lead with just injury time left to play, but when Fabio Quagriarella cutely chipped the ball over Slovakia keeper Mucha in the second minute of injury time, doubts were beginning to surface. Great champions now how to defy adversity and with the last kick of the game, Pepe was the man who will forever be remember for spurring a glorious opportunity which would have seen Italy through and saved their bacon. His loss was Slovakia gain though as the Slovak’s celebrated group progression for the first time in their history only to be knocked out in the next round by Holland.

Funniest Moment: Gabriel Heinze

Known for his dirty on-pitch tactics and even uglier spells of diving, we all had a jolly good laugh when one cameraman went in for a closer look following a goal scored by Carlos Tevez against Mexico only for Heinze to look up and walk straight into the camera, with the Argentine falling back as though he’d been hit by Mike Tyson. Heinze’s reaction was of disgust and quickly thumped the camera for daring to get anywhere near such a hideous face. Cracking stuff.

In terms of actual football, you can’t go far wrong with Yakubu’s open goal miss from two yards out against South Korea in a game which had he scored probably would have seen Nigeria qualifying from the group. No-one knows how he missed, not even Yakubu.

Granted the football at times wasn’t the best, while it did take a while to get going, but it was an enjoyable tournament even though in probability it will not be held in high regard as like previous World Cup’s. Even so, the South Africa atmosphere was something to saviour, even if the Vuvuzela’s weren’t, and we did at least see a new champions crowned king of the world, with Spain becoming the eighth individual winners of the FIFA World Cup. I’ll see you again in four years time

Host: South Africa
Winners: Spain
Runners-up: Holland
Third Place: Germany
Fourth Place: Uruguay
Top Goalscorer: Thomas Mueller (Germany) – 5 Goals

Participants: 32 Teams

Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Holland, Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay, Portugal, Serbia,  Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay, USA

The first World Cup finals ever to be held on African soil will be deemed a success by many, although the football at times wasn’t great. The support from the locals and from a nation was second to none though, but the hosts will be remembered for being the first host nation not to qualify for the last-sixteen after failing to bypass Group A. They did, however, secure victory over the 1998 winners France, winning 2-1, and their enthusiasm before every game and on the pitch was both infectious and endearing to the rest of the world.

But, after 64 matches played in South Africa, there’s only one game that will ever truly be remembered and that was the final itself. The pre-tournament favourites were Spain and they justified their hype with a 1-0 victory in the final over Holland, who in a hot-tempered game were reduced to 10 men. Andres Iniesta scored the only goal of the final as Spain clinched their first FIFA World Cup and also made history by becoming the first country to win the tournament despite losing their opening game which at the times was a major shock (Spain 0-1 Switzerland). For Holland, it was another case of so near but yet so far as they finished as runners-up for the third time in their history.

Final:

Holland 0-1 Spain (AET)

Goalscorer(s): Andres Iniesa

Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg

Third Place Play-Off:

Uruguay 2-3 Germany

Goalscorer(s): Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan; Thomas Mueller, Marcell Jansen, Sami Khedira

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth

Spain v Netherlands Betting Odds

Spain to win: 11/10 at Bet365
Draw: 5/2 at Bwin
Netherlands to win: 3/1 at Victor Chandler

To Lift the Trophy
Spain: 4/7 at BetFred
Netherlands: 13/8 at Coral

Spain will go into the 2010 FIFA World Cup final without any worries over injury. Not that coach Vicente Del Bosque is one to change up the side very much, and his only decision remains as to whether to insert Fernando Torres back into the starting eleven. Torres, whose club future is under a great deal of speculation after being linked with Chelsea, was left out of the semi final against Germany, due to his lack of form. The Liverpool striker had an injury troubled season, and had to undergo two knee surgeries before South Africa 2010. Del Bosque had persevered with the striker, giving him plenty of time to play his way into form, but dropped Torres for Barcelona striker Pedro. Pedro was lively and injected extra pace where Torres has been wasteful with chances and in possession. It is expected that Torres will get the start, simply because of his experience, and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas is reportedly fully fit after being injured during training, but he was not used in the semi final. Spain will again look to David Villa for their goals, as he has scored 5 of their 7 goals in the tournament, or 71% of their goals if you want a look at it that way.

For Holland coach Bert van Marwijk, there could be a couple of changes from the semi final. Van Marwijk was without preferred holding midfielder Nigel de Jong and full back Gregory van der Wiel for their semi final win over Uruguay, because of suspensions. They will both probably come straight back into the side in replace of Demy De Zeeuw Khalid Boulahrouz respectively. De Zeeuw’s chin met with the boot of a Uruguay player in the semi final, and after concerns that his jaw had been broken, it was discovered that there was no break, but his teeth were damaged. His inclusion is doubtful, especially with De Jong coming back into being available. Key man for Holland Wesley Sneijder reported a problem with his calf, but both he and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg have both been pronounced fit to go on Sunday. Apart from that, Holland should be able to field their strongest starting eleven, and will hope that they will be able to dig deep and take their chances against the Spanish, in the World Cup Final. The Netherlands have scored 12 goals in the tournament, with goals coming from six different players. It would be something for Dutch defender Andrew Ooijer if he gets onto the pitch, as he celebrates his birthday on July 11.

2010 FIFA World Cup Final Facts
One of the sides will be the eighth nation to win the World Cup, the Final of which is being played at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg. It will also be the first time that a European nation has won the trophy outside of their own continent.  The Stadium as at the heart of South African football, and it has hosted some famous events in its relatively short history. Kick off is at 19.30 GMT. One person who may finish off Sunday with a whole feast of awards for the season, could be Wesley Sneijder, the Inter Milan player won the Coppa Italia, the Champions League and the Serie A title with his club, and he is also in line for both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball awards. His performance at the World Cup Final could determine the outcome of those awards, and if he adds the greatest accolade in football by winning the World Cup, it would be some 2010 for him. If Spain are looking at superstitions, then no team has won the World Cup after losing their opening match. This is the fourth time that a team has been in the World Cup final after losing their opening match, but the three previous attempts, by Germany (’82), Argentina (’90) and Italy (‘94) each fell in the Final after opening their campaigns with a loss. Spain and the Netherlands have never met at the World Cup, nor the European Championships.
 

By Betting Stats or Octopus – Spain look strong favourites

Spain v Holland World Cup Final Betting
Spain to win: 6/5 at William Hill
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Netherlands to win: 11/4 at Bet365

This is one which the Netherlands may be happy enough to win ugly, as winger Arjen Robben says. It is true, against the Spaniards, that may be the only way. What Spain do so well, is keep the ball, and with being able to control all of that possession, the opposition simply cannot get enough of the ball to hurt them. The ball retention is better than any other team at the World Cup, and with the creativity from their masters Xavi and Iniesta, they have that lethal, defence splitting pass in them. The possesion that Spain manage to get, is something which helps them to win games, even if looks as if they have not gotten out of second gear themselves at South Africa 2010. Spain, through their midfield, are able to spread the ball from side to side of the pitch, and the opposition tire themselves out chasing Spanish shadows. Spain have not been exactly proficient in front of goal, despite David Villa being in sparkling form. They have missed hatfuls of chances, not helped by the poor form of Liverpool’s Fernando Torres. Torres is to blame for a lot of that, as he needs to be a much stronger presence in the centre of attack, while five goal David Villa roams out on the left hand side.

To Lift Trophy
Spain: 4/7 at BetFred
Netherlands: 13/8 at Coral

One of the key battles going the other way, will be Sergio Busquets v Wesley Sneijder. It will be the job of Busquets to keep Holland’s key man quiet. If the Spanish midfield can keep the ball away from Sneijder, then it is likely that Holland will struggle to make an impact at all. The Netherlands are hard to beat tactically, which is to coach Bert Van Marwijk’s credit, but they are nowhere near being an exceptional, world beating side when going forward. They have a few key players, like Sneijder, Robben and striker Robin Van Persie, but they are not a great side, certainly not at the technical level of Spain. The problem for Holland coach Van Marwijk may have been highlighted in Spain’s victory over Germany. Holland and Germany line up pretty much the same way tactically, and Spain easily snuffed out the threat of lone striker Miroslav Klose. The Netherlands cannot expect to get too much change out Spain with their lone striker Robin Van Persie, and therefore they will need to make every chance count. This is the big tactical problem for Holland, who like to play their way, and while it hasn’t been fluent, it has been working for them. Against Spain it could be a different matter.

Paul the Psychic Octopus got it right again in the Semi finals, predicting a win for Spain over Germany. He has tipped a win for Spain in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, like most people have. He has also tipped a win for Germany over Uruguay, after correctly predicting all of Germany’s World Cup results so far. But Busquets is a bit more pragmatic in knowing the task ahead. The more he gets on the ball, the more Spain will be likely to win. It could be as simple as that. Spain are favourites to lift the title, as another World Cup record looks set to tumble. No team who has lost their opening match has ever gone on to win the tournament, but that is exactly what Spain are on the threshold of doing. The World Cup Final will be all about possession. That is the main statistic which is catching the eye, and while it doesn’t appear that Spain really have been hitting the dizzying heights of their pretty passing game, their adjust passing game of keep ball is draining opposition in other ways. They have the potential to explode, they just need that early break through.

Holland V Spain head to head

Statistics should always play a big part in your World Cup betting, and the Final in Johannesburg will be your last chance to shine. If you had already back Spain or Holland as ante-post bets then you will be excited already, for those of you leaving it late, you won’t have such good prices, but studying stats can still give you an edge in bringing home some profit. Here are some 2010 FIFA World Cup Stats to help sway your betting:
 

• Both teams have conceded Two Goals from outside of the penalty box
• Spain have covered the greatest distance in possession of the ball
• Holland have got 51% of their shots on goal, Spain just 39%
• Spain have completed 765 short passes, to Holland’s 501
• Spain have a 58.3% total possession in all of their games, Holland have 54%
• Spain have outshot their opponents during the 2010 World Cup by 150%
• Spain have launched 97 attacks to Holland’s 60 (most of Spain’s have come down the centre)

Spain v Holland Betting Odds

Spain to win: 23/20 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 12/5 at Totesport
Holland to win: 11/4 at Totesport

Spain

It is what nearly two years of preparation have led to, the World Cup Final between Spain and Holland. While the strong Spaniards were expected to be in the finals, there was always an air of mystery about whether Holland would have the right mental fortitude to make it all the way through to the finals. Now, after a very strong showing by the South American nations, the European nations dominated the semi finals, and for Spain, it took a very un-Spanish like goal to see them through to the finals. After neatly playing their wonderful passing game, and taking short corner after short corner against Germany in their semi final match, Spain eventually found a way through with a cross into the box which defender Carles Puyol netted with his head. The move summed up the patience of Spain perfectly. All through the match, against a German side which had shown how ruthless they can be, Spain kept their football on the ball, as resisted the temptation to throw balls into the box from corners, simply because of the height and strength of the German defenders. One switched play however, caught the German defence off guard and Spain were into the finals. It is just reward for the European Champions, who have slowly grown in stature all through their 2010 World Cup campaign.

No, the start was not ideal for them, as they lost their opening match to Switzerland, but it was a result which did not hurt them either. It was a real wake up call for the pre-tournament favourites, and it illustrated to the Spanish, just how patient they were going to have to be in breaking down teams which set up completely defensively in front of them. That same trend has pretty much followed Spain all through their tournament, but what Spain do better than any team in the world, is slowly and patiently chip away at their opposition in order to get that break though. For all of their offensive power in the squad, Spain simply have not been going out and steam-rollering teams. Ever since their last group match win, a 2-1 victory over Chile, Spain have won all of their matches by a single goal, with Barcelona striker David Villa usually being the hero. It has been enough to see the Spaniards through time and time again, and the resolve that has been shown from that surprise opening feat, has probably been the biggest asset to coach Vicente Del Bosque. It is often hard for teams going into tournaments as favourites to live up to expectations, largely down to inflated confidence. But that will have been obliterated in the defeat to the Swiss, and humility can be a great tool for learning. The only way for Spain after that, was forward.

Spain do not change their personnel very much and they certainly do not change the way they play. Even going up against the Germans, who were scoring freely throughout the tournament including putting four past England and Argentina, Spain stuck to the plan which works best for them. They didn’t switch to any kind of defensive mode in order to snuff out the threat from the quick Germans, in fact it was the Germans who paid a lot respect to the Spanish and sat back. Any team which takes on Spain are going to have to cede a lot of possession. That is the Spanish way, keeping the ball and making passes all across the pitch, patiently waiting for that opening. The main orchestrator of this is Xavi, who does a lot of unseen work in comparison to the likes of Villa and Iniesta, but he pulls all of the strings in the middle of the park. If something is happening, then the likelihood is that he was at the origin of the move. Do the Spanish have what it takes to create some history and win the World Cup for the first time in their history? It really does feel like it would be now or never for this wonderful Spanish side. The only way they should be able to not get their hands on the title now, would be to blow it through over confidence and conceitedness. But you feel that any hints of that were wiped out by the defeat by the Swiss. Losing may just have won the World Cup for Spain.

Del Bosque started with Pedro up front instead of out of form Fernando Torres, to many people’s surprise. Pedro was incredibly lively and a lot sharper in all aspects of his play than Torres has shown throughout the tournament. Now Del Bosque has to decide whether to stick with the young Pedro, who squandered an incredible opportunity to make it 2-0 to the Spaniards against Germany, or go with the experience of Torres. The leaning is towards the latter, as experience counts for a great deal in the biggest occasions of world football. But Pedro brought a whole new level of energy to the Spanish side, helping out wonderfully on the right hand side in doubling up with impressive right back Sergio Ramos. Now all Spain have to do, is put on another perfect 90 minutes of football, and even if it is just that one goal from David Villa, or whether Torres pops up with a winner, it is all that Spain will need. For more than just an attacking team, Spain are incredibly hard working off the ball. It may be something again which goes unnoticed, but they are tough to break down. Firstly because it is so hard to get the ball off them and to make breaks, but that have one of the best centre half pairings in the world in Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol. Breaking through there is one of the toughest jobs in football at the moment. Spain will rightly start as favourites to be the new named etched in the World Cup history. It is hard to bet against them.

Holland

What can Holland do to stop Spain? Coach Bert Van Marwijk has to take a great deal of credit where many Dutch coaches have failed before. He has not built a particularly spectacular looking side, certainly not of the level of quality of Brazil and Spain in terms of technical ability, but he has perhaps done something more important. He has kept the peace in the Dutch camp, and has united a team which has been infamous for rifts and falling apart under pressure at tournament football. The old Dutch beast threatened to raise its head again during South Africa 2010 when Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie was complaining about being substituted. That blew over pretty quickly, as Van Marwijk played down the incident and was happy to start with Van Persie in the next match. The Arsenal striker was against substituted, but he left the field of play this time with his head quietly hung instead of making a scene. That is perhaps indicative of the mentality that the Dutch have at this tournament. They are together as individuals and that has been the big difference this time around.

Frankly, the Dutch are not as good as the Spanish. That is clear to see in following the action from South Africa 2010, but the Dutch are a solid unit which have been getting the job done. They have needed a lot of luck to get where they are, with Wesley Sneijder getting a lucky goal against Brazil and again in the semi final against Uruguay, which broke the resistance of both teams. While Holland have won all of their games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, they have not played to the high expectation which was expected from them. Their free flowing confident game has been a little subdued, and certainly getting Arjen Robben back from injury was a major boon for them. He, along with Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder is the attacking dimension of the team, and where all of their strengths are. Without them, it is hard to see where the creativity is coming from, and if they are starved of the ball, which they should be against the Spaniards, they will naturally find it hard to make an impact. Without them, the hopes of the Netherlands will rapidly fade, and therefore it will be interesting to see how coach Van Marwijk deals with this problem. Will they simply sit back like Germany did, and look to quickly hit the Spanish on the break. It is something which the Dutch have done in the tournament already, but Spain are so good, not many of those breaks come your way.

All in all, this is Holland’s big day, but their 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the semi finals, showed that they are perhaps a little more vulnerable than the Spanish. The two sides have never met in the World cup finals, and at South Africa 2010, there will definitely be a new name on the trophy. Other records from World Cup history have fallen already, and another one will be the fact that for the first time, a European nation will lift the trophy outside of their own continent. Holland or Spain? Holland will know that they are underdogs, and looking around at World Cup betting tips, everything is leaning towards Spain fulfilling their destiny of being both European and World champions. In order for Holland to get their hands anywhere near the trophy, they will need to tread the thin line between confidence in attack, and displaying a stalwart defence. If they can get a goal early, meaning that they come out and really take the game to the Spaniards in the early stages, then they will have a better chance. Spain will naturally come on to them, and the counter attack may again be the best weapon for the Dutch. They do not have the quality in the midfield that Spain do thought, and that means they must hustle the Spanish players, something the Dutch aren’t great at, and make the most of the opportunities which come their way.

Spain v Holland Betting Tips & Prediction

Prediction (who will win): Spain to win by one goal 13/5 at Bet365

To Lift Trophy
Spain: 4/7 at Bet365
Holland: 6/4 at Bet365

Current World Cup Final Holland v Spain Odds:

List of 10 Nominees released – Villa and Sneijder head betting

Who is the best player at the 2010 FIFA World Cup? Think you know? Then you can you money down on the short listed 10 players for the Golden Ball Award. This award was won by the master Zinidane Zidane at Germany 2008, and there are some big shoes to fill in World Cup history. Between them, the World Cup finalists Spain and Holland have five players in the list of ten, with Spain edging things with three. Xavi, David Villa and Andres Iniesta are on the list, while Holland are represented by Arjen Robben and Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder. It is likely that the winner is going to come from that shortlist of the shortlist, with the main candidates being Sneijder and Villa if you look at World Cup betting. Both have been pivotal in the success of their names, both netting five times in the tournament. This means that Sunday’s World Cup Final will be a shoot-out for the Golden Boot, the Golden Ball and the World Cup itself. It could be a very happy day for one of them. Villa’s goals have carried Spain, while Sneijder is the engine room and the creative spark for Holland, and can pretty much stand up and say that he has carried the expectations of the team.

But if you want to look outside of them, then the next likely candidate will be the master passer Xavi, who sits in the centre of the Spanish midfield, and pulls all of the strings there. He puts on master classes of passing, control and patience and most of the good work that Spain do, goes right through him. His team mate Andres Iniesta has also been shining, with his array of passing and movement skills, as well as showing some fantastic close control when taking the ball into tight space to create openings for others. He, Villa and Xavi are all hugely influential in their own way, so who would you pick out of them? Xavi is fully deserving and makes the best outside bet behind Villa and Sneijder, and it would be a second prestigious triumph for him after winning player of the tournament at Euro 2008. Holland’s Arjen Robben has made a major impact since returning from injury. His pace and trickery has ignited the Netherlands, and they really were missing him. Has he done enough though to win the Golden Ball?

Out of the remaining five nominees, there is one prominent name who is not expected to win. Argentina’s Lionel Messi played some fantastic football during the group stages, and was mightily unlucky not find the back of the net at least once. His dazzling talents were all there on display, he just could turn his performances into productive ones in terms of goals. That, and Argentina’s early demise will keep him out of the running. Other nominations, which are there to give recognition for having had good tournaments as opposed to being expected to win, are Germany duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Oezil, Uruguay’s Diego Forlan and Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan. Rightly they have all made a big impact at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in their own way, but anyone other than Xavi, Sneijder or Villa, really would be a surprise. The winner will be announced after the World Cup Final on Sunday, so the players have one big final chance to impress.

Golden Ball Outright Betting
Wesley Sneijder: 15/8 at Victor Chandler
David Villa: 15/8 at Victor Chandler
Xavi: 7/2 at SkyBet
Andres Iniesta: 10/1 at Victor Chandler
Arjen Robben: 14/1 at SportingBet
Mesut Oezil: 28/1 at Bet365
Bastian Schweinsteiger: 33/1 at Paddy Power
Diego Forlan: 33/1 at Bet365
Lionel Messi: 100/1 at Paddy Power
Asamoah Gyan: 100/1 at Bet365
 

Englishman Takes Charge for Spain v Holland Final

England will have one major representative at the World Cup final at least. Referee Howard Webb has been selected to take charge of the final between Spain v Holland in Johannesburg on Sunday. Webb, who is a former police officer, has been an international referee since 2005 and is a popular figure in the English Premier League. Spain may not be relishing having him in the middle, as one of Webb’s three games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was the match between Spain v Switzerland which the European Champions lost. He also took charge of the group match between Italy and Slovakia and then the last sixteen match between Brazil and Chile. It is the first time since 1974 that an Englishman has taken charge of the World Cup Final, the last time it did happen, Holland lost in the final. World Cup Betting at online bookmakers are not going to let this one slide as the cream of English refereeing rises to the top, and naturally there are plenty of opportunities for you to have a punt on.

Howard Webb Special Bets
Howard Webb to not give a goal that crossed the line: 25/1 at Paddy Power
Howard Webb to allow a goal that was offside: 5/1 at Paddy Power
The ball to hit Howard Webb at any point during play: 6/4 at Coral
Howard Webb to award a penalty during normal time: 5/2 at SkyBet
Howard Webb to send off any player: 5/2 at Ladbrokes
Howard Webb to award a penalty: 5/2 at Coral
Any player to be booked for simulation: 4/1 at Ladbrokes
Howard Webb to fall to the ground at any point during the game: 6/1 at Coral
Howard Webb to order a penalty to be retaken at any time: 20/1 at SkyBet

What Will Happen First at SkyBet?
Award a yellow card: 10/11
Blow for half time: 11/4
Award a goal: 10/3
Award a penalty: 10/1
Award a red card: 20/1

World Cup 2010 Third Place Play-Off Odds

Uruguay to win: 9/2 at SportingBet
Draw: 13/5 at Bet365
Germany to win: 8/11 at Bet365

Uruguay

Uruguay, after battling well against Holland in the 2010 FIFA World Cup semi final, find themselves in the third place play off match against Germany, a fixture which is often met with scepticism. Usually nations simply give a run out to the squad players who have not really gotten a chance to shine at all through the tournament. This devalues the game a little bit, but after missing out on a place in the World Cup final, how motivated are nations supposed to be? Moral and interest probably won’t be that high, but Uruguay can be very proud of the progress which they have made through the tournament. After basically coming from nowhere, they were on the brink of making the World Cup Final, when they had been fully overlooked in World Cup betting at the start of the tournament. Their strengths have been in the way they stick together as a team, and while their style has not been the most exciting to watch, they have certainly contributed to the World Cup in a large way. After being the last of the 32 teams to qualify for South Africa 2010, they exceeded everyone’s expectations, and now they can finish in third place, which would crown a big step forward for the nation.

A dogged, hard grafting team, Uruguay have suffocated teams and have hit hard on the counter attack. They have been helped with a wonderful attack which consists of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. It will be interesting now just how far Uruguay can go in terms of building upon this success. Being the second smallest populated country at the World Cup, Uruguay have made the best of their resources, and now they need to ensure that they become a force to be reckoned with in South Africa for some time to come. Their eventual undoing was not having enough creativity in midfield. While Forlan was playing with an injury, the Uruguay side were missing the creative influence of Nicholas Lodeiro in the middle of the park, and therefore the South Americans failed to get any real quality distribution forward. They also had to play their semi final against the Netherlands without the quality of Suarez up front, who was red carded in Uruguay’s quarter final triumph against Ghana for punching a shot off the line. His controversial action paid dividends as Ghana missed the last minute penalty, and Uruguay pushed on through in a penalty shoot out. Who really would have predicted Uruguay finishing in the last four at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The last four was supposed to be all about the glamour sides like Argentina and Brazil, but in a World Cup full of surprises, the success of Uruguay has been one of the biggest.

They will not have won many friends because of the Suarez handball, but they deserve their plaudits. Star man Diego Forlan, who hit four goals in the tournament, revealed that he had been playing the semi final with an injury, but he can hold his head high knowing that he has been one of the best performers of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Whether the semi final will be the end of his World Cup adventures remains to be seen, as his injury may well keep him out of the third placed match. It is always a strange occasion watching two teams who are a bit apathetic towards the occasion take to the field. But the match is there to be played, and one player returning to the side will probably be Suarez, who has three goals to his name. Injuries and suspension hurt Uruguay badly ahead of their semi final match, and now coach Oscar Tabarez will hope to inspire his men to finish third ahead of Germany. Against the odds, Uruguay were the last South American team left in the tournament amongst Europe’s best, and now what would really be the crowning moment on their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign, would be for them to really come out of their shell and put on a fiesta of football against Germany. There really is nothing to lose anymore for them, after their World Cup dreams ended with a 3-2 defeat by Holland. There has been enough quality in the side though to suggest that they have plenty to build with, but four years is a long time in football, and Uruguay need to use that time wisely in nurturing their youngster.

Germany

The biggest question surrounding Germany, will be how well their youngsters will respond to the disappointment of losing to pre tournament favourites Spain in the semi finals. Germany have been one of the most thrilling teams to watch at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, putting four goals past Australia, England and Argentina on their way to the semi finals. Joachim Loew has built a fantastic young team, but they fell just a little bit short when it mattered most, as the experienced Spaniards got the better of them. Germany may feel like they let themselves down in the end, adopting a much more conservative approach to the game against the Spaniards, as opposed to going out and playing their own match. The Germans were sitting back far too much, worrying about the threats of the Spaniards. All it took was a lapse in concentration at the back from the German defence, which let in Spanish defender Carles Puyol with a headed goal. With the Germans famed through history for their discipline in defence, it was a tough blow for them to suffer. The Germans were also missing four goal Thomas Mueller for the semi final, and his absence felt quite big. That extra little spark when breaking forward was missing, and the chances for the Germans were few and far between.

We did not see the expansive, thrilling German side that had took the tournament by storm. Instead we saw caution, and hopefully, for the World Cup third place match, the attacking Germany will re-emerge. They will be favourites against Uruguay on the day, naturally, and it will be a chance to stretch their legs again without any pressure upon them. After being starved of service in the semi final, striker Miroslav Klose will be hungry to put the ball in the back of the net, as he looks to equal Ronaldo’s World Cup goal scoring record of 15. This could be the German goal scoring legend’s swan song in World Cup history, and while it would have been more fitting for him to have gotten his goal in the World Cup final against fierce rivals Holland, he will have to settle for the chances which come his way against Uruguay. After all, all goals count, no matter who the opposition are.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil will be the next marker for these young Germans on the world stage. They looked to be packed with talent, with the likes of Thomas Mueller and Mesut Oezil dominating the team. Germany have invested heavily in their youth, and coach Joachim Low and Jurgen Klinsmann can be credited with all the hard work they did in shaking up German football, and adapting a more positive approach to their game. Sadly it deserted them against Spain, but that is what playing against the best in the World will do to you. Perhaps it was a touch of the big stage nerves as well, because the Germans did not look anywhere as near as confident on the ball as they were in their quarter final demolition of Argentina. The pitch for the Spain v Germany semi final didn’t help the game either, which turned out to be an low key affair, in which the Spaniards dominated possession. Even after the goal, and with the Germans pushing further and further forward, there was little penetration from the Germans. They only really had one clear chance which fell to Kroos instead of Klose, which Spain’s keeper Iker Casillas parried away. No doubt Joachim Loew will give his youngsters another crack at the whip against Uruguay, as this will be a big test of their mental toughness.

Germany V Uruguay Betting Tips & Prediction

Match Verdict – Who is likely to come out on top of this one? The Germans will be favourite and it is easy to see why. With the pressure off, their young stars could well find the freedom to express themselves. The biggest hope for this game, is that Uruguay actually play more of an open game, more open than we have seen them at the tournament so far, and that will leave them with a big in their column before heading back to South Africa. They have been one of the success stories, and whether or not Forlan plays could be a key factor in them finishing third or fourth, and missing Lodeiro and captain Lugano hurt them in the semi’s. Tabarez may just throw in the unused players now their tournament is over, which may help in seeing them be more expansive. Germany will be of the mindset that they want to build for Euro 2012 and beyond, so we should see a strong side from them. Their youngster have a great future in front of them, and a third placed finish at the World Cup would be a major triumph for their technical and mental ability. A win for Germany would be a good thing for football, championing the success of youth.

Under 2.5 Goals 21/20 at SportingBet

Current Uruguay v Germany Odds: