FIFA World Cup 2010: Germany Wins In A Close Battle Against Uruguay
It was an entertaining battle in Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, in Port Elizabeth, for the third position in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. There was a goal galore as the Germans finally emerged victorious by 3-2. Germans had Thomas Muller back in their team and Uruguayans had Luis Suarez back to their side, as both players missed the Semi-Finals due to suspension. Both these teams showed a lot of promise in the World Cup, with the display of a unique blend of attacking and counter-attacking football. Therefore, the football fans were hoping for a lot of goals in this fixture.
Germans had their problems before the start of the match, as many players were suffering from the Flu, including the coach Joachim Low. Miroslav Klose and the captain Philipp Lahm also sat on the bench because of the infection, but the Germans still were confident because this time Paul the Octopus prophesised a victory for their team. Thomas Muller enjoyed his come-back in the team with the first goal of the match in the 19th minute. However, the Uruguayans were never upset with this early German lead, as they continued to attack and finally struck back in the 28th minute, as Edinson Cavani struck to equalise the match.
The second half started like the first half, with both teams coming close to scoring. However, this time Uruguay got the lead as their captain, Diego Forlan, struck an amazing volley in the 51st minute. The Germans, on the other hand, did not take long to level the match as Marcell Jansen scored in the 56th minute. After that both teams had their chances but no one was able to score. The final goal came in the 82nd minute as Sami Khedira headed a ball home for the final goal of the goal. The Uruguayans, however, kept on attacking the Germans and they came very close in the final seconds of the injury time, as Diego Forlan hit the crossbar from a free-kick. It was definitely a deserved ending for this match that saw both the teams’ intent on attacking for every second of the game. The Germans were the deserved winners, as they had shown the same style and class throughout the tournament. The Uruguayans, however, would not be a sad side as they were definitely the best performers among all the South American Nations, in this tournament.
Sami Khedira was the Man of the Match for the German side; however the award could have easily gone the way of Diego Forlan, who was the sole performer in the Uruguayan attack. Khedira was playing alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger, and together both the players ran the German attack. Schweinsteiger, however, made a bad error which led to the first Uruguayan goal, while Khedira scored the winner for the Germans. Muller also enjoyed the comeback for the Germans, as he looked exceptional throughout the match. He has also been nominated for the Young Player award, and after this performance he would be the most favoured to win it eventually.
On the contrary, Luis Suarez did not have a good outing after missing a game due to suspension. Suarez had plenty of opportunities but he missed all of them by shooting wide. Even, he had very easy chances, in the match, in one-on-one situations, but he failed to even hit the target. The only good moment in the match was his volley in the second half that got a save out of the keeper, but otherwise he had a below-average game.
The third place match is now over and people now await the ultimate showdown. This match, however, has set a high bar, as the fans would be anticipating a final match in the similar fashion. The German campaign is, however, over, and once again the Germans did not live up to the expectations as they fell short of the final. On the other hand, the Uruguayans had an excellent World Cup and it seems like they are back to reclaim their top place in International Football.
Tags: