Germany beat Uruguay to secure 3rd Place in the FIFA World Cup 2010
Germany once again secured 3rd place in the World Cup, repeating the feat they achieved in the World Cup on home soil in 2006, where they beat Portugal in the match for the 3rd position.
Germany came out 3-2 winners in the end, in a match that was fiercely contested, with end-to-end football on display throughout the 90 minutes.
The match was built up to be a boring affair, with both teams expected not to be motivated enough, but there was nothing on the pitch to suggest that. If anything, it has been probably one of the most entertaining games of the World Cup. The reason for that could be that both teams were not under so much pressure to perform.
The first half started with some sit-back play from both sides; it was Germany who got the game going, and once it started, after one third of the half played, it was all action.
Thomas Muller was back in the German team after serving his one match suspension, and was again in the thick of the action. The 20 year old was at the centre of almost all of their moves. And maybe it was fitting that when Schweinsteiger let fly from outside the box, and the Jabulani moved left and right, the keeper managed to put his body behind it, but it fell in the path of Muller, and he had the easy task of tapping it in for the lead.
Uruguay certainly woke up after that goal, and once again, it was Diego Forlan who was leading the lines. The South Americans attacked the German goal several times and finally it was a mistake from Schweinsteiger that led to the equalizer, as he was dispossessed close to the centre line, and Cavani got one on one with the keeper and slotted the ball calmly in the former to make it 1-1. And that is how the half ended.
The 2nd half started with the same pace at which the 1st half ended. Uruguay started as the stronger team, and there were two super saves from the veteran German keeper Hans-Joerg Butt as he raced off his line to block from Edinson Cavani, and then got up like lightning to produce another fine reflex save from Luis Suarez.
Egidio Arevalo played a cracking one-two down the right with Luis Suarez, and his cross to the edge of the box was acrobatically volleyed into the ground and into the Germany net by Diego Forlan.
Forlan now joins Sneijder, David Villa and Thomas Muller with 5 goals scored in the World Cup.
But the pace of the game was still very high, and Germans responded within minutes. New Manchester City signing Jerome Boateng sent in a cross from the right, the keeper got nowhere near it, and Marcell Jansen headed it into an empty net.
Uruguay did not hold back after conceding, and went in search of another goal, Luis Suarez slammed one in from 25 yards that swerved towards the corner, but Hans-Joerg Butt got across to parry it away. Moments earlier, Diego Perez was cautioned with a yellow card for committing a foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Luis Suarez was at it again; just inside the Germany area he brilliantly turned Arne Friedrich, but just as he was about to shoot, Bastian Schweinsteiger got across superbly to make the tackle.
Marcell Jansen then did well to get to the bye-line down the Germany left, but from his pull-back Cacau sliced horribly wide from about 14 yards.
The game looked destined to go into extra time, when a corner from the Germany right was headed into the six-yard box, and after Diego Lugano could not adjust his feet quickly enough to clear, the ball popped up to Sami Khedira, who placed his header well into the corner of the net.
Germany had the lead, but it was certainly not over; with just 10 minutes left and nothing to lose, Uruguay threw pretty much everything at the German goal, but were not able to get the equalizer.
And with the final kick of the game, Diego Forlan curled in a brilliant free kick that looked destined for the back of the net, but hit the crossbar and the referee blew the final whistle.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Germany-c2904 got the 3rd position in World Cups for the 4th time, and for the 2nd consecutive time. However, this young team certainly promises a lot more in the future.
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