Diego Maradona scored with the ‘Hand of God’, Lionel Messi copied the legendary footballer’s most famous goal, Thierry Henry broke Irish hearts when his hand put France through at their expense and then Luis Suarez’s goal-line save prevented Africa’s final chance of playing a World Cup semifinal on home soil. But all of those big names are like a bunch of school-going kids when it comes to handballs.

Maradona might have won the World Cup after his, Henry might have qualified France for the World Cup and Suarez might have secured a semifinal spot for Uruguay but one South Korean woman showcased her ball handling skills like no man has ever done before!

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Morning all, and welcome to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens.

Withdrawal symptoms are well and truly setting in now after two whole days spent stranded in the non-football wilderness, with only the bloody tennis to take it’s place – I tell you, a sport populated by monosyllabic Scotsmen and brawny eastern European women just ain’t my cup of meat.

Alas, thank the heavens for the World Cup – which is roaring back into life this afternoon as five-time champions Brazil take on the…well, the zero-time champions the Netherlands in a showpiece last 8 encounter.

Should be a great game, shouldn’t it?…

(If you would like to subscribe to this column  – and others like it on Soccerlens – then please feel free to follow this link, or you can also just enter your email address on the SL homepage.)

‘Don’t expect a classic’…

Netherlands vs Brazil. A game that would have traditionally seen a clash between two iconic footballing styles – the Dutch philosophy of ‘total football’ and the Brazilian’s extroverted ‘samba’ ethos.

However, both respective current coaches, Bert Van Marwijk and Dunga, have warned that times have changed and, as a result, the game may not turn out to be the feast of football that many are expecting.

Van Marwijk told a press briefing yesterday evening;

“Total football was a long time ago, if you play like that now it’s very hard to win the cup. Total Football was back in 1974. We could play football very well for 20 or 30 years. It was Total Football, and I also remember Brazil’s samba football.

But sport changes and football changes also. It has to do with the fact everybody is getting fitter, better organised. I said when I started that I wanted to teach the team to defend.”

Dunga abruptly echoed his Dutch counterpart’s sentiments, quipping;

“We don’t live on talent. We live on results.”

That’s the spirit guys!

Read the Netherlands vs Brazil quarter-final preview.

Webb of deceit?

The coaches of Uruguay and Ghana have dismissed conspiracy theories that English referee Howard Webb was replaced as the man in charge of their quarter-final clash, amidst fears that the Rotherham-born may exact some kind of retribution for Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda‘s decision to disallow Frank Lampard’s goal against Germany in the second round.

Uruguay chief Oscar Tabarez moved quickly to rubbish the claims;

“It seems every time there is a slight coincidence of any sort we start to dramatise things.

We have nothing to do with refereeing – they are like a player and they can do well or do badly, we don’t have any suspicions, it does not exist as far as we are concerned.

I don’t know if my players even know who the referee is.”

Ghana boss Milovan Rajevac was also nonplussed by the speculation;

“I pay no attention to who will be our referee – it’s the highest level of competition and the referee will be of the highest level.”

Webb, who is now England’s sole remaining representative in South Africa, has been overlooked by FIFA to officiate any of the quarter-finals (despite a fine showing in the early stages) – but is still thought to be in the running to oversee the final on July 11th.

Read the Uruguay vs Ghana quarter-final preview.

Stat attack…

• With eight games left to go, there has been a total of 123 goals scored in South Africa – nine less than at this stage in the 2006 tournament.

• Italia ’90 holds the record for the lowest ever World Cup goals-per-game ratio (2.21), but the average so far in South Africa is only 2.196. Shocking stuff!

• We’ve only seen 14 red cards issued so far at the current World Cup, half the amount (28) of the total dismissals administered in 2006.

Prandelli refuses to blame Lippi for Azzurri mess…

Newly sworn-in Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, who was officially unveiled as Marcello Lippi‘s successor yesterday, has vowed to do all he can to revive the fortunes of the soon-to-be deposed World champions.

Prandelli has signed a four-year deal with the Italian football federation (FIGC) to take over the reigns of the ailing Azzurri, and the former Fiorentina chief has refused to blame Lippi for the current state of the national team – insisting instead that Tuscan tactician has left behind a stable foundation on which to build;

“What has happened has happened, I want to transform the negativity into something positive.

I hope to organise a team based on real human values. There are difficulties, but I want to start off right, with determination and the will to do well.

I don’t have any recipes at the moment, just the will to start well. I want to salute Marcello Lippi, who is a World Cup-winning coach.

He leaves a certain mentality behind, the players are attached to the shirt, and we have to restart from this.”

Prandelli also believes that a major overhaul of his ageing squad is required if the Italian’s are to be restored to their former glories;

“We want quality players, of course the players will be debatable. We have to give strength and will to plan something interesting.

This is the highest point in my career. I don’t want to think about the difficulties. I start with optimism.

I want a national team with players of quality. They exist.”

The search is on.

South Korea coach quits after ‘cyber-bullying’ attacks…

The coach of the South Korean national team Huh Jung-Moo has left his post after having to face a sh*t-storm of Internet criticism following his side’s second-round elimination from the World Cup (which was, incidentally, their best ever performance in a finals not to be staged on home soil).

Huh told journalists;

“I’ve decided not to seek a second term. My family members suffered a lot. I want to have time to recharge myself and spend some time with my family.”

South Korea were thrashed 4-1 by Argentina in the last 16, and the manner of the defeat sparked a barrage of online attacks on the 55-year-old, with many criticising his decision to drop Cha Du-Ri from the defense in favour of Oh Beom-Seok.

Huh’s wife, Choi Mi-Na, told the Chosun Daily newspaper that she and their children had been deeply wounded by some of the more personal attacks.

“I told him he should quit … The coach and all my family members have been hurt enough.”

(Quotes taken from Yahoo! Sports)

We’re Ghana have a party…

BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce was on hand to capture the celebrations of the Ghana squad, immediately after they had successfully seen off the USA to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Apparently, the Black Stars danced ‘non-stop in the hotel lobby for five minutes’ before ‘going to bed’.

Rock, and indeed, roll!

Quote of the day…

“Seeing the way John Terry played against Germany, if I was Terry I wouldn’t be able to go back to my country.”

Argentina defender Martin Demichelis, who hasn’t exactly set the world alight himself this summer.

And in other news…

The truly awful pitch at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium is threatening to stifle the attacking play of the Netherlands and Brazil. (Guardian)

England coach Fabio Capello has received yet more backing from the FA board. Looks like his job may be safe after all. (BBC Sport)

Japanese defender Yuichi Komano is set to be awarded a medal by the governor of Wakayama (his native prefecture) for his efforts at the World Cup, despite missing the decisive spot-kick against Paraguay that saw his country knocked out of the tournament. (Reuters)

Soccerlens Fantasy Football…

Soccerlens Fantasy Football gives you the option to go against friends and fellow competitors over a day’s games.

This means that you should pick your fantasy team from players involved in the games happening on that specific day. It also gives you the option of picking your fantasy team with the players you might be more familiar with.

Either way, it’s fast and action packed. So pick the specific round(s) you want to join from the home-page and join a competition!

You can also challenge your friends over a specific round by creating a private competition

Today’s (Friday 2nd July) round is as follows:

• Netherlands vs Brazil

• Uruguay vs Ghana

Give it a go and you may come away with a cash prize!

The 2010 World Cup on Soccerlens…

There will be comprehensive coverage of the World Cup on Soccerlens over the coming months.

With the dedicated World Cup section (chock full of info, including fixtures and stats – and even links to buy replica shirts) on SL, there really is no need to go anywhere else for your World Cup needs this summer!

You can even follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you’re that way inclined.

Also on Soccerlens…

• Is This The World Cup Of Mercenaries?

• “What’s The Matter Schweinsteiger? Are You Nervous?” – Diego Maradona

• Donovan May Prosper, but Dempsey More Deserving?

• 20 ‘Lesser Lights’ That Have Shone At The 2010 World Cup

• Rooney And Gerrard Are Afraid Of Fans

• Germany vs Argentina Quarter-Final Preview

• Paraguay vs Spain Quarter-Final Preview

• So Who Is Accountable For England’s Mess?

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

With so many of the ‘big guns’ misfiring at this summer’s World Cup, I thought it was high time to take a look at some of the ‘lesser lights’ that have sparkled in South Africa.

Below are the 20 players that, although having seen their sides crash (some more spectacularly than others) out of the tournament prematurely, can fly home from whichever luxury hotel they may have chosen to hole up in, with their heads held high – safe in the knowledge that their careers are very much on an upward trajectory…

(Please remember that players can only qualify to feature on the list if they have already been eliminated from the competition.)

Eduardo – Portugal, Braga: The Portuguese ‘keeper came into the World Cup with an impeccable record, and left the competition with his reputation intact – having only conceded one goal.

Jan Mucha – Slovakia, Legia Warsaw/Everton: As the tournament rumbled on, it became increasingly clear why Everton manager David Moyes had moved so early to secure Mucha’s signature. Brave, athletic and composed, you can be certain that the Slovak will not be content to merely provide back-up for Tim Howard at Goodison Park.

Vincent Enyeama – Nigeria, Hapoel Tel Aviv: Produced a man-of-the-match performance in the Super Eagles’ opening tie with Argentina, heroically limiting Diego Maradona‘s men to a single goal, and then produced a string of fine saves in the games thereafter. Destined to move on to bigger and better things next season.

Ricardo Carvalho – Portugal, Chelsea: It sounds a little strange to include a proven international-class defender on this list, but that’s entirely the point. Carvalho faced stern criticism during the tail end of last season, with many detractors claiming that he just couldn’t cut it at the highest levels anymore. However, the Chelsea man proved his doubters wrong after enjoying a solid World Cup in the heart of the Portuguese defense.

Simon Kjaer – Denmark, Palermo: Whereas his side struggled to find momentum, Kjaer was up-and-running from the off. Cultured on the ball and determined off it, it’s little wonder that a host of European sides are chasing his signature this summer.

Lee Jung-Soo – South Korea, Kashima Antlers: Any defender that notches two goals at a World Cup finals is worthy of note, but the rangy South Korean centre-back’s aerial prowess was just as effective at the other end of the pitch.

Marcus Tulio Tanaka – Japan, Nagoya Grampus: The player with the most elaborate hair at the finals repeatedly put his body on the line for his country, taking his life into his own hands at times!

Ryan Nelsen – New Zealand, Blackburn: Nelsen is one of those ‘dying breed’ defenders that literally give their all to prevent the ball crossing their goal-line. His heroic non-shall-pass display against Italy alone is enough to earn him a place on this list.

Francisco Rodriguez – Mexico, PSV: A classy, ball-playing centre-back is a rare commodity and, as such, Rodriguez is already being linked with a move to more salubrious surroundings this summer.

Carlos Salcido – Mexico, PSV: Another Dutch-based Mexican. Salcido is one of those players that you were always aware of, but never really sure why – until about a fortnight ago. To say that he never stops running is an insulting understatement, and it’s this tireless flank-play coupled with his tenacious defending that stands him out from the crowd.

Fabio Coentrao – Portugal, Benfica: In a word, ‘effervescent’. His constant energy went a long way to buoying a Portugal side that was seemingly liable to implode at any moment – thanks largely to the constant protestations of a certain pampered ‘superstar’. Despite only breaking into the Benfica first string this season, 22-year-old Coentrao will almost definitely be moving to one of the Spanish big boys this summer.

Jeremy Toulalan – France, Lyon: To include a French player may seem a little wide-of-the-mark, but you can’t escape the fact that Toulalan was immense in Les Bleus’ opening game against Uruguay. One of the few members of Raymond Domenech‘s squad that honestly deserves to come out of the World Cup with at least a few shreds of dignity left.

Cheik Tiote – Ivory Coast, Twente: The 24-year-old holding man really impressed as a destructive entity in Les Elephants midfield. He held his position with discipline, allowing the slightly more adventurous Yaya Toure to sporadically join the attack. A clutch of Premier League clubs are already said to be tailing the former Anderlecht man.

Giovani Dos Santos – Mexico, Tottenham: Having become an almost forgotten figure at White Hart Lane since being farmed out on loan to Galatasaray, ‘Gio’ has persuaded many Spurs supporters that he is worthy of another chance – following some enterprising performances on the right-hand side of El Tri‘s forward line.

Valter Birsa – Slovenia, Auxerre: The 23-year-old forward was his country’s single outstanding attack-minded player in South Africa, and cemented that fact with a wonderfully dispatched goal against the USA.

Landon Donovan – USA, L.A Galaxy: Probably the highest-profile player on this list thanks to his celebrity status. After becoming somewhat of a novelty figure within European footballing circles a few years ago (following his failed stints in Germany), Donovan is starting to prove his sceptics wrong. His successful loan spell at Everton last season convinced many that the 28-year-old is now finally ready to make the leap into top-level football, and his goal-scoring exploits in South Africa can only serve to reinforce that opinion.

Alexis Sanchez – Chile, Udinese: The winger came into the tournament with a burgeoning reputation as ‘one to watch’ and did not let the almost ubiquitous hype weigh him down. Another player seemingly destined for a big money move this summer.

Lee Chung-Yong – South Korea, Bolton: The skillful winger impressed many neutrals in his first season in the Premier League last term, and quickly became a terrace favourite at the Reebok Stadium. The 21-year-old continued his domestic form seamlessly at the World Cup and even managed to bag himself a couple of goals into the bargain.

Keisuke Honda – Japan, CSKA Moscow: The fact that nearly every single Japanese attack flowed through him at one point or another is testament to his influence on the team. Honda served as a playmaker, a goalscorer, a set-piece specialist, a lone striker and a winger – all with consummate ease.

Javier Hernandez – Mexico, Man Utd: It would appear that Sir Alex Ferguson will have got himself a bit of a bargain if Chicarito continues to play for United like he did for Mexico during the World Cup. Lightning quick, always switched-on and deceptively strong, Hernandez finished the tournament with two goals to his name, despite only starting one game.

So there you go. Feel free to suggest any you think I may have missed…

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Guten morgen and willkommen to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens.

Three words: England…Germany…versus. Rearrange!

Here’s this morning’s World Cup news round-up…

(If you would like to subscribe to this column  – and others like it on Soccerlens – then please feel free to follow this link, or you can also just enter your email address on the SL homepage.)

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea…

A brace of goals from striker Luis Suarez made sure that two-time winners Uruguay would be competing in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1970, after seeing off an industrious South Korea side in a rain-drenched encounter at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

La Celeste took an early lead in the eighth minute, when Diego Forlan‘s dangerous left-wing cross evaded South Korean ‘keeper Jung Sung-Ryong and found the unmarked Suarez breezing in at the far post – the unmarked Ajax striker left free to cooly slot the ball into the partially-vacant net.

The Asian side then pressed in search of an equaliser and saw a hatful of chances go begging before finally restoring parity in the 68th minute, when winger Lee Chung-Yong capitalised on Mauricio Victorino‘s botched clearance to nod home.

With both sides fairly evenly matched, the final period became increasingly tense – that was until a moment of pure inspiration restored Uruguay’s advantage just ten minutes from time.

A deep corner found Suarez lurking on the far side of the South Korean box and, after cutting inside to create an angle for himself, the 23-year-old forward unleashed a sublime curling shot which clipped the far post on it’s way in.

Highlights…

Read the Uruguay v South Korea match report.

USA 1-2 Ghana…

Ghana kept home-continent interest alive in South Africa after beating the USA in extra-time, thus becoming only the third African side ever to reach the last 8 of the World Cup.

The Black Stars went in front with only 5 minutes on the clock – Kevin-Prince Boateng beating Tim Howard at his near post with a daisy-cutter, after marauding forward from the half-way line.

The shell-shocked Americans struggled to regain their wits after suffering such an early blow, but a half-time pep-talk from Bob Bradley Snr. seemingly restored the Yank’s composure.

Quarter-of-an-hour after the break, the USA got themselves back on level terms through a near-perfect Landon Donovan penalty, awarded when Jonathan Mensah unceremoniously brought Clint Dempsey‘s piercing run to an abrupt end inside the area.

The bottom fell out of the game during the latter stages of normal time, although Bradley’s men had sporadic chances to nudge themselves in front – Richard Kingson denying both Bob Bradley Jnr. and Jozy Altidore with impressive saves.

The US were then made to rue their wasted chances when, in the third minute of extra-time, Asamoah Gyan raced onto a looped through-ball to smash a powerful left-footed strike past Howard.

Highlights…

Read the USA v Ghana match summary.

Stat attack…

• Ghana had not managed to score two goals in one match during the whole of 2010, until breaking their duck against the US.

A game like any other…

England coach Fabio Capello has urged his players to forget about the historical significance of their upcoming game against Germany, and treat the tie like they would any other in a bid to focus their minds on writing a new chapter in the record books.

Speaking to a press conference, Capello said;

“We have to play against all other teams here. We have to beat the big teams, and Germany are one of those. But this game is not about anything more.

There is pressure, of course, but that is normal. The game against Slovenia was very important for us because I saw the spirit of the team again.

We played very well – passed it well, switched the play well, everything was really good – and created chances, so I have big confidence in my team.

The spirit is back. It has been like that in training this week, too.”

Capello is widely expected to name an unchanged side to that which beat Slovenia on Wednesday, although it is being reported that Matthew Upson may be replaced in the centre of defense by Jamie Carragher – who returns after serving a one-match ban.

Gerrard issues a rallying call…

England captain Steven Gerrard has called for his teammates to ‘stand up and be counted’  in this afternoon’s potentially  ‘career defining’ clash with Germany.

“This is a game where you have to stand up and be counted. When you are growing up, it is the stage you want to be playing at.

There could be a big moment in the game that can define any player’s career. But you look forward to it. It is a fantastic game to play in. Everyone is excited.”

I know what you mean Stevie. I’m so excited I’ve had to put a tarpaulin down.

‘Schweini’ boost for Germany…

Midfielder general Bastian Schweinseiger came through a full-training session unscathed yesterday after suffering a thigh injury during Germany’s Group D game with Ghana on Wednesday night.

The Bayern Munich star had been a serious doubt for Die Mannschaft‘s crunch last-16 tie with England, but it now seems that the 25-year-old string-puller will be fit to start.

One player who won’t be featuring for Joachim Loew’s side this afternoon will be striker Cacau, who has been ruled out of the match after pulling a stomach muscle.

Ouch!

Aguirre: ‘Mexico will prove doubters wrong’…

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre has sent out a message of defiance to all those who believe that his side are as-good-as-out, even before El Tri take on Argentina in the second of today’s second round fixtures.

“Nobody is betting a bottom dollar on us, the analysts are saying we’re dead and gone. We will see.

I think Mexico are nobody’s favourites, they don’t believe we have a possibility [to beat Argentina] but we will see after the 90 minutes whether we can change history.”

That’s the spirit old bean, pip pip!

Maxi in for Seba?

Argentina badger coach Diego Maradona is poised to replace trusty veteran Juan Sebastian Veron in his midfield with the altogether sprightlier Maxi Rodriguez.

Joint tournament top-goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain and captain Javier Mascherano are also set to be reinstated, after both being rested for the Albiceleste‘s final group game against Greece.

Synchronised reffing…

The ‘Spain vs Chile’ officials undergo some rigourous(ly choreographed)  warm-up exercises.

Self-awareness? What self-awareness?

Quote of the day…

“The whole world knows that Maradona loves me. He adores me.”

Brazilian legend Pele responds to El Diego‘s constant jibes.

And in other news…

England midfielder Gareth Barry has told his teammates to ‘play without fear’ against Germany. (F365)

US star Landon Donovan believes that his side were ‘naive’ to lose to Ghana (Goal)

Mexico striker (and Manchester United new-boy) Javier Hernandez is officially the fastest player at the World Cup so far, after being clocked running at 32.15 kph. Impressive! (Dirty Tackle)

Soccerlens Fantasy Football…

Soccerlens Fantasy Football gives you the option to go against friends and fellow competitors over a day’s games.

This means that you should pick your fantasy team from players involved in the games happening on that specific day. It also gives you the option of picking your fantasy team with the players you might be more familiar with.

Either way, it’s fast and action packed. So pick the specific round(s) you want to join from the home-page and join a competition!

You can also challenge your friends over a specific round by creating a private competition

Today’s (Sunday 27th June) round is as follows:

• Germany vs England

• Argentina vs Mexico

Give it a go and you may come away with a cash prize!

The 2010 World Cup on Soccerlens…

There will be comprehensive coverage of the World Cup on Soccerlens over the coming months.

With the dedicated World Cup section (chock full of info, including fixtures and stats – and even links to buy replica shirts) on SL, there really is no need to go anywhere else for your World Cup needs this summer!

You can even follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you’re that way inclined.

Also on Soccerlens…

• Paraguay vs Japan Preview

• Netherlands vs Slovakia Preview

• Spain vs Portugal Preview

• Brazil vs Chile Preview

• Adidas And FIFA Send Goalkeepers To Defend The Jabulani

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Read the Uruguay v Ghana preview.

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea
2010 FIFA World Cup
26 June 2010

Uruguay would move into the quarterfinal round with a 2-1 win over South Korea.

The South Americans had both goals scored by Luis Suarez who had a fantastic season in the Dutch Eredivisie (scoring 49 goals in 48 appearances in the 2009-10 season). The first goal came in the 8th minute as Diego Forlan sent a cross into the box that went through the box and straight to Suarez. It was poor defending and goalkeeping as the South Koreans let it go and Suarez capitalized on the chance with a goal.

South Korea would fight back in the second half and level the match as Lee Chung-Yong headed in a goal in the 68th minute. The momentum appeared to move towards the Koreans as they had most of the possession and were sending players forward. Unfortunately for them, they couldn’t convert their chances and Uruguay took advantage. Suarez would score in the 80th minute as he curled a beautiful shot off the far post and into the back of the net.

It was a magnificent play from Suarez and a goal against the run of play. South Korea still kept on attacking and did get a few chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. Uruguay would hold on for the 2-1 win and will play the winner of the USA v Ghana match in the quarterfinal round.

Uruguay 2-1 South Korea Goal Videos

All goals (Suarez 8′, Lee Chung-Yong 68′, Suarez 80′)

See all2010 World Cup Video Highlights.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

The charm of the World Cup is in the anticipation that fuels the excitement in the latter stages. After a slowish start (at a par with any cup competition), South Africa 2010 has sprung into life with devious sub-plots, shocking submissions, scandals, last-gasp wins, over-the-top celebrations and of course, favourites marching on to the final.

There will be another time to mourn those missing (and there are plenty to mourn, not least the two finalists from the 2006 World Cup), but now we look at the 16 teams who have qualified to the next round and will line up against each other from 26th June onwards.

Talking Points:

• Ghana are Africa’s sole representatives in the knockout stages. None of the other teams impressed, even though South Africa entertained with a solid win over France and Ivory Coast went out with a convincing 3-0 win over North Korea. It gives the already significant USA-Ghana tie added meaning.
• England were supposed to have an easy path to the semis, but now have the toughest imaginable route. Germany and Argentina lie in wait, with Spain and Brazil likely to follow. Any witty acronyms?
• Spain topped their group so avoided Brazil till the finals, which is good for the tournament. Do you really want to see the biggest games played out in the round of 16?
• It’s good to see the likes of Paraguay, Ghana, USA and Japan progress, but it also makes for an unbalanced second round. Although to be fair, of the 8 second round ties there are none that you would consider a complete mismatch.

World Cup Betting

Get the latest betting odds on all the second-round World Cup games through TitanBet.

Previews

Uruguay v South Korea (26 June)
USA v Ghana (26 June)
Argentina v Mexico (27 June)
Germany v England (27 June)
Netherlands v Slovakia (28 June)
Brazil v Chile (28 June)
Paraguay v Japan (29 June)
Spain v Portugal (29 June)

Predictions & Results

Round of 16

Uruguay to beat South Korea – Check. 2-1.
USA to beat Ghana – Ghana beat USA 2-1.
Argentina to beat Mexico
England to beat Germany
Japan to beat Paraguay
Netherlands to beat Slovakia
Portugal to beat Spain
Brazil to beat Chile

Quarterfinals

Uruguay to beat USA
England to beat Argentina
Brazil to beat Netherlands
Portugal to beat Japan

Semifinals

England to beat Portugal
Brazil to beat Uruguay

Final

England to beat Brazil

Watch the Second Round Online

You can watch the Round of 16 of the 2010 World Cup live online as well as all other World Cup matches, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our live World Cup football page for more details.

Add your predictions in the comments below.

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From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Buon giorno and welcome, one and all, to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens.

It may have caught your attention that the reigning champions Italy did a bit of a whoopsie last night, failing to overturn ‘little’ Slovakia (see below) and flying home early with their collective tails between their collective legs as a result.

At least the Azzurri will be allowed the necessary time to reflect on their shortcomings in tranquil meditation by the famously forgiving Italian media.

Here’s the best of today’s World Cup tidbits…

(If you would like to subscribe to this column  – and others like it on Soccerlens – then please feel free to follow this link, or you can also just enter your email address on the SL homepage.)

Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand…

Paraguay cemented their place in the knock-out rounds of the World Cup by harvesting the point they required from a pretty dull goalless draw with New Zealand – who themselves still stood an outside chance of qualifying for the second phase.

A win for the Kiwis would have seen both them and Gerardo Martino‘s side advance, but the Antipodeans failed to trouble the Paraguayan ‘keeper Justo Villar – registering just one shot on goal during the entire game.

The South Americans weren’t much better and relied heavily on sporadic half-chances and speculative long-range efforts to provide the breakthrough. Captain Denis Caniza came close on a couple of occasions but unsurprisingly failed to improve on his pretty dismal (1 goal in 97 appearances) international goal-scoring record.

New Zealand may rue their missed opportunity to cause what would have been a huge upset, but Ricki Herbert‘s men can go home with their heads held high after ending the tournament unbeaten and finishing above reigning champions Italy in the Group F standings.

Highlights…

Read the Paraguay vs New Zealand match report.

Slovakia 3-2 Italy…

Incumbent champions Italy relinquished their crown in dramatic fashion yesterday, crashing out of the World Cup after being beaten by a Slovakia side that had performed so unadventurously during their first two games.

The match started slowly but burst into life in the 25th minute when Slovakian striker Robert Vittek gave his country a surprise lead, eventually capitalising on Daniele De Rossi‘s sloppy pass by diverting Juraj Kucka‘s deliciously weighted through-ball past Federico Marchetti in the Italy goal.

With his side struggling to impose themselves, Marcello Lippi brought on Christian Maggio and Fabio Quagliarella at the break, and then sorely-missed playmaker Andrea Pirlo just 10 minutes later.

The switch made a palpable difference, with Pirlo keeping play moving through the middle and Quagliarella giving the Italians added mobility up-front.

However, despite their obvious improvement, the Azzurri suffered another body blow in the 75th minute when Vittek popped up at the near post to prod home Marek Hamsik‘s low cross – thus extending the Slovak’s lead to two clear goals.

Vittek’s second goal sparked a fraught final period, full of nervous tension and exciting twists.

Firstly, Antonio Di Natale pulled a goal back for Italy, rolling into an open goal after Quagliarella was denied at close range by Jan Mucha.

Di Natale’s strike restored his side’s vigour but, as they pushed forward in search of the second goal that would keep them in the competition, Slovakian substitute Kamil Kopunek seemingly once again ended their hopes of advancing – racing past a hesitant Italian defensive line to lob a shot over Marchetti and inside the far post.

However, there was still time for the impressive Quagliarella to get his name on the scoresheet, the Napoli striker floating a sublimely composed shot over Mucha from the edge of the Slovakian area in the 92nd minute.

With the game deep into injury time, Simone Pepe was presented with a chance to draw Italy dramatically level, but the Udinese winger slashed at a far post volley and his shot spun harmlessly wide.

There were scenes of abject desolation in the Azzurri camp at the final whistle as Italy, who won the tournament just four years ago, failed to reach the second round of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years.

Highlights…

Read Ross Mackiewicz‘ in-depth Slovakia vs Italy match report.

Stat attack…

• With both France and Italy finishing bottom of their respective groups, the 2010 World Cup has become the first finals ever in which both the previous finalists have failed to make it into the knock-out stages.

Denmark 1-3 Japan…

Japan turned on the style to see off Denmark by a comfortable margin in their final Group E game in Rustenburg, thus securing the Samurai Blues a place in the last 16.

Takeshi Okada‘s side had lost five of their previous six games and only scored nine goals in 12 World Cup games, so such a confident display came as a shock to almost everybody.

Two near-perfect first-half free-kicks from Keisuke Honda (a vicious, dipping effort into the far corner) and Yasuhito Endo (a curled shot from 25 yards) ensured Japan were in front at the break and cruising.

The Asians held their lead until the 81st minute, when Jon Dahl Tomasson managed a consolation goal for the Danes, the veteran forward slicing home after seeing his weak penalty palmed fortunately back into his path by Eiji Kawashima.

However, Japan weren’t finished and, following some excellent technical play from man-of-the-match Honda, Shinji Okazaki was gifted a chance to seal his country’s emphatic win.

Japan will now advance through to the second round (for the first time in a World Cup finals not held on home soil) and will face Group  F winners Paraguay in Pretoria next Tuesday.

Highlights…

Read the Denmark vs Japan match report.

Stat attack…

• Although Jon Dahl Tomasson‘s goal against Japan saw him draw level with Poul Nielsen as Denmark’s highest international goalscorer (52 goals), the latter achieved his tally in just 38 appearances (between 1910 and 1925) whereas Tomasson was winning his 112th cap last night.

Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands…

A late winner from the boot of Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made sure that the Netherlands finished up on top of their group, after winning all three of their first round ties.

Bert Van Marwijk‘s men took the lead ten minutes before half time when Robin Van Persie angled a low, powerful shot past Souleymanou Hamidou following a slick one-two with Rafael Van der Vaart on the edge of the Cameroon area.

The Indomitable Lions had to wait until the 65th minute mark to restore parity, Samuel Eto’o netting from the penalty spot after Van der Vaart seemingly inadvertently handled Geremi‘s direct freekick – the Inter Milan striker duly whipping the ball home from twelve yards.

The Dutch then grabbed the winner when, in the 83rd minute, Huntelaar kept his cool to pass the ball into a gaping goal after Arjen Robben‘s 20-yard effort came back off the post.

The Oranje will now be hoping to extend their 100% record when they meet Group F runners-up Slovakia in the second round.

Highlights…

Read the Cameroon vs Netherlands match summary.

Getting Lippi…

Coach Marcello Lippi has shouldered the blame for Italy’s woeful World Cup exit, admitting his side played with ‘terror in their heart, head and legs’.

It had already been announced prior to the tournament that the ‘Tuscan Tactician’ was to hand the Azzurri reigns over to Cesare Prandelli after the World Cup, but their elimination arrived earlier than expected – crashing out at the group stage after failing to beat Slovakia yesterday.

Rather than blame the questionable offside decision (Fabio Quagliarella had a late goal ruled out by the tightest of margins) which denied the reigning champions an equaliser, Lippi admitted that he only had himself to blame.

The 62-year-old former Juventus manager said;

“I take all responsibility for what happened, because if a team shows up at such an important game with terror in their head, heart and legs and if the team is unable to express its abilities it means the coach didn’t train that team as he should have done, psychologically, technically or tactically.

I would have expected anything except to see a performance like we gave in the first half of the game, not to mention the second half.

I am sorry to see it end in such a fashion because I didn’t expect this. I take on all responsibilities for the choices I made and the way I introduced the team to you.

I wish the best to my successor [Prandelli], best of luck to him and thank you all for these four years, part of which were fantastic and part of which were not.”

At least Lippi can take some comfort in the fact that, although Italy were pretty abject (until the last 15 minutes of the Slovakia game), they weren’t quite as bad as France – who are rapidly becoming the new measuring stick for footballing disappointment everywhere.

Read Steve Amoia‘s full translation of Lippi’s press conference.

The aftermath in headlines…

The famously lenient Italian press have had a field day after watching their country whimper out of the World Cup yesterday. Here’s a selection of the best (or should that be ‘worst’?) strap-lines…

“Going home in shame” - Gazzetta Dello Sport

“Ugly Italy, One of our ugliest national teams ever, actually, the ugliest ever.” – Correire Dello Sera

“The aircraft called shame is ready to leave.” – La Stampa

“Italy, the world champions, leave South Africa to return home covered in sporting dishonour.” – La Stampa

“Shameful Italy.” – La Repubblica

“The end of a generation and of an illusion, we deserved to go out.” – La Repubblica

“It is quite right that little, almost comic Italy comes home.” – La Repubblica

“In 270 minutes we shot at goal seven or eight times.” – Fabrizio Bocca in La Repubblica

“Cannavaro is an ex-player and almost all the others were washed up. We were champions of the world and now we are the laughing stock of the world.” - Bocca again

“A team without life or personality” – Guess who?

“It is hard to imagine a greater sporting catastrophe.” – Gazzetta Dello Sport

As i say, famously lenient.

Going, going, Le Guen…

Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen has handed in his notice, following the Indomitable Lions’ underwhelming performance at the World Cup.

Cameroon finished bottom of Group E after failing to register a single point, despite being labelled as one of Africa’s brightest hopes pre-tournament.

After his side lost to the Netherlands yesterday, Le Guen told the press;

“My contract is coming up, and it was clear all along I would stop now.

Maybe I didn’t succeed in unifying the team and bringing it together. Naturally my mood is one of defeat, I know I have lost three matches in this tournament.

We leave the World Cup with lots of regrets. We know that we were carrying lots of hopes from everyone in Cameroon but we weren’t able to realise them.”

The former Rangers coach is now widely expected to take the vacant Australia manager’s job, after Pim Verbeek stepped down following the Socceroo’s elimination yesterday.

Looking for a toilet…

The supporter that breached stadium security during England’s 0-0 draw with Algeria game, made his way into the team’s dressing room and then berated the players for their performance, will appear in court later today.

Pavlos Joseph, from London, will appear at a special World Cup court in Cape Town where he is due to stand trial on charges of ‘trespassing’.

At a previous hearing, Joseph was banned from attending any future World Cup matches, his passport was withheld, and he was released on R500 bail.

UPDATE: Joseph’s case has just been adjourned until next Wednesday.

Red tape…

Is this the most ridiculous refereeing decision of the World Cup so far? (Maurice Edu might argue otherwise!)

Striker Nicklas Bendtner was forced to colour his white socks in with a red marker pen before Denmark’s Group E clash with Japan – after being told by the fussy officials that he wouldn’t be allowed to play with white tape around his ankles.

Madness…indeed…gone mad!

Quote of the day…

“He seemed to me [to be] a guy to take to your bedside table and ask him each time you need something. I’ve got his phone number, I might call him.”

Argentina coach Diego Maradona seems to think that Jose Mourinho would be useful in bed.

And in other news…

FIFA have confirmed that England will wear their ‘lucky’ all-red strip against Germany in Bloemfontein on Sunday. (F365)

England coach Fabio Capello has apparently picked the five players that will take penalties should the Germany game go the distance. (Guardian)

Germany captain Phillip Lahm is also prepared for the lottery of penalties. (Sporting Life)

Thierry Henry has been absolved of any blame following the France team’s World Cup ‘mutiny’. (The Sun)

Soccerlens Fantasy Football…

Soccerlens Fantasy Football gives you the option to go against friends and fellow competitors over a day’s games.

This means that you should pick your fantasy team from players involved in the games happening on that specific day. It also gives you the option of picking your fantasy team with the players you might be more familiar with.

Either way, it’s fast and action packed. So pick the specific round(s) you want to join from the home-page and join a competition!

You can also challenge your friends over a specific round by creating a private competition

Today’s (Friday 25th June) round is as follows:

• North Korea vs Ivory Coast

• Portugal vs Brazil

• Chile vs Spain

• Switzerland vs Honduras

Give it a go and you may come away with a cash prize!

The 2010 World Cup on Soccerlens…

There will be comprehensive coverage of the World Cup on Soccerlens over the coming months.

With the dedicated World Cup section (chock full of info, including fixtures and stats – and even links to buy replica shirts) on SL, there really is no need to go anywhere else for your World Cup needs this summer!

You can even follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you’re that way inclined.

Also on Soccerlens…

• Gattuso: ‘Italian Football Has To Examine It’s Conscience’

• 2010 World Cup Second Round Preview

• England vs Germany Preview: England Will Need More Than Beer

• Uruguay vs South Korea Preview

• Argentina vs Mexico Preview: El Diego Leads From The Back

• Franz Beckenbauer Taunts ‘Stupid’ England

• USA vs Africa: Ghana Carry The Hopes Of A Continent

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Uruguay v South Korea
Round of 16, 2010 World Cup
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth
Saturday, 26 June 2010
1500 (BST) / 1600 (Local Time)

Watch Uruguay v South Korea live online.

Uruguay have pace, power, technique, flair, discipline – almost everything going for them. They’ve been tested – mostly by Mexico – and come out on top. They’ve got a strong midfield and goal-scoring strikers.

South Korea have none of the above, but more than a stereotype, they have a fantastic attitude and are capable of conjuring up the odd moment of magic. It showed against Argentina (where they almost scored at 1-2 only for their finishing to let them down), and it showed against Nigeria. The thing is, Nigeria had their chances to finish them off, and Greece had no plan B, it was defend or get out.

The only time the Koreans were tested with pace and quality, they had their defence lockpicked time and time again. Uruguay will be better than Argentina at the back, though not always as effective going forward.

Uruguay topped one of the other “winnable groups” at this world cup at the expense of France. More than at their expense, by a football pitch. Like Italy, their high profile players underperformed, and in France’s case quite dramatically. It’s crazy, France were still in a position to be a super power pre-Domenech and that man has been a curse on that team, turning them from highly rated to highly hated.

Irish had their revenge but let’s forget about the pettiness now because Les Bleus are out and that’s it. Time to talk about Uruguay and South Korea. What has really got me excited is the emergence of the unheralded nations at this world cup. The likeliness of Uruguay or South Korea getting a guaranteed quarter final slot was never likely.

Think about the fact that the winner will face USA or Ghana for a place in the semi’s? It’s always exciting to see a team dismissed by so many still in the mix at the end stages. Team’s like Turkey and Croatia use that good feeling to make the third place playoff a meaningful match.

Uruguay are on the cusp of living up to their history, and I am quite excited about this really. I love seeing one of the giant’s awake from their slumber and remind everyone who they are. They were big dogs generations before my wake but they have a place In history.

They have some great attacking players in Forlan, Suarez and Cavani and a fairly mean defence as well. They have limitations but they passed their group without conceding any goals and deserved their wins. South Korea really impressed me against Greece, did well against Argentina but were out of their depth against them and seemed to be quite lucky against misfiring Nigeria. They have a few lively players who have more than enough fight but unlike their co-hosts I don’t see them going any further.

Uruguay v South Korea Betting Tip

South Korea have better odds of winning this game than 4.68, back them to cause an upset. Click here to bet on this and other World Cup games.

Watch Uruguay v South Korea Live Online

You can watch Uruguay take on South Korea live online as well as all other World Cup matches, plus hundreds of football games from around the world. Read our live World Cup football page for more details.

Also See: Soccerlens’ 2010 World Cup Second Round Preview.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Good morning everybody and welcome once more to the daily World Cup column on Soccerlens.

England take on Group C leaders Slovenia (that just doesn’t sound right does it?) later today and need to pull a convincing win out of the bag in order to, at least momentarily, silence their growing phalanx of doubters.

Could this be the game where it all finally clicks into place for ‘Crazy’ (see below) Fabio’s men? Only time will tell.

Here’s the best of this morning’s World Cup-related bag o’ mashings…

(If you would like to subscribe to this column  – and others like it on Soccerlens – then please feel free to follow this link, or you can also just enter your email address on the SL homepage.)

France 1-2 South Africa…

Despite ending their tournament campaign on a high, South Africa couldn’t prevent themselves from becoming the first host nation in World Cup history to fail to reach the second round.

Carlos Alberto Parreira‘s side battled to a richly-deserved victory over a despondent French outfit but, thanks to results elsewhere (see below), unfortunately still finished third in Group A and were eliminated on goal difference.

South Africa were two goals up at half-time through Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela, and looked on course to provide the shock of the group so far. With Mexico drawing with Uruguay in Rustenburg, Bafana Bafana needed just two more goals to advance through to the last 16 – and it didn’t look beyond their reach, as France continued to play with an air of acrimonious petulance.

However, the South African’s couldn’t add to their tally and eventually faded when news of a Uruguay goal filtered around the stadium.

Raymond Domenech‘s men, who had midfielder Yoann Gourcuff sent off in the first-half for a dangerously-raised elbow, did pull a goal back fifteen minutes from time through Florent Malouda – but never looked like showing the resolve needed to salvage any shred of dignity from what has proven to be a shambolic tournament (one point and one goal) for Les Bleus.

Highlights…

Read the France v South Africa match summary.

Speaking of dignity…

What a thoroughly odious little pr*ck that man is.

Domenech apparently refused to shake Parreira’s hand after the game as the South African coach had dared to criticise France’s ‘method of qualification’ (i.e. Henry’s handball) for the World Cup last year.

Mexico 0-1 Uruguay…

A single goal from Ajax forward Luis Suarez was enough to ensure that Uruguay would finish on top in Group A and safely book their passage into the knock-out phase.

It was widely expected that the two sides would merely play out the draw needed to guarantee both country’s qualification to the second round, but an end-to-end encounter scotched the conspiracy theories before they’d even begun to take shape.

Top spot in the group (and therefore the probability of avoiding Argentina in the next round) was up for grabs for the victor, and Suarez secured his country’s position at the top of the tree when he headed home Edinson Cavani‘s looping right-wing cross minutes before half-time.

Mexico were lively throughout, with Andres Guardado striking the underside of the bar and Giovani Dos Santos seeing his close-range effort blocked by Jorge Fucile, but just didn’t have the decisive final product to unlock the Uruguayan defense.

Upon learning of the result in the other Group A game in Bloemfontein (i.e. France v South Africa), both sides were able to celebrate at the final whistle.

Highlights…

Read the Mexico v Uruguay match report.

Greece 0-2 Argentina…

The Albiceleste booked their place in the last 16 with a third straight Group B victory over a lumpen Greece side that tried, but eventually failed, to stifle Argentina without venturing forward in search of a goal themselves.

Otto Rehhagel deployed the same negative tactics that saw his side crowned European champions in 2004 after a string of 1-0 wins, and successfully kept Argentina at bay until the 77th minute when centre-back Martin Demichelis pounced on a rebound to lift a shot into the roof of the net from six yards out.

Lionel Messi, who was relentlessly man-marked by Sortirios Papastathopoulos, then tore through the Greek defensive lines and cracked a vicious effort against the post – the Barcelona forward again cruelly denied his first goal in South Africa by the woodwork.

However, a second goal eventually arrived in the 89th minute when 36-year-old Boca Juniors striker Martin Palermo rolled a shot past Alexandros Tzorvas after the Greek stopper palmed Messi’s crisp shot into the path of the veteran hitman.

Highlights…

Read the Greece v Argentina match report.

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea…

South Korea booked a second round tie with Uruguay after securing the point they needed to edge past Greece into second place in the final Group B standings.

Nigeria created a steady stream of chances all night, and took the lead in the 12th minute when Kalu Uche stole in front of his marker to prod Chidi Odiah‘s driven cross past Jung Sung-Ryong.

The Asian side hit back five minutes before the break when Lee Jung-Soo bundled the ball across the line (heading into his own foot) following Ki Sung-Yeung‘s whipped free-kick.

South Korea then got their noses in front five minutes after play resumed, when Park Chu-Young‘s free-kick wrong-footed Vincent Enyeama in the Nigerian goal and found it’s way inside the far post.

Everton striker Yakubu restored parity for the Super Eagles from the penalty spot, but only after fluffing an open goal – somehow slotting wide from four yards out when it was easier to score.

Nigeria pressed in search of a further goal, but South Korea held out for the point they needed to qualify for the second round for the first time in a World Cup staged on foreign soil.

Highlights…

Read the Nigeria v South Korea match report.

Stat attack…

• Argentina ended their game against Greece having had an amazing 82% of the possession – the highest of any World Cup match since 1966. (Eurosport)

• By my reckoning, Park Chu-Young‘s goal against Nigeria yesterday was the first goal to be scored directly from a free-kick (I’m not counting Kalu Uche‘s effort against Greece, as it was blatantly a cross!) at the South African finals.

The truth is out there…

France captain (at least I think he’s still the captain) Patrice Evra has vowed to ‘reveal the truth’ about his country’s disastrous World Cup campaign.

The left-back, who was dropped for the South Africa game after falling out with coach Raymond Domenech and fitness advisor Robert Duverne, told TF1 that he intends to call a press conference during the next few days in which he will detail the reasons behind France’s dismal showing this summer;

“It’s not the time now for the settling of scores, it’s the time now for apologising and for feeling all the suffering that the millions of French are feeling.

This apology goes directly to them. I wanted to do it yesterday but I was forbidden by my coach. I’m not going to go into details, I’ll give a press conference during the week.

I really respect the suffering the French are feeling at this failure. They need to know the truth, they need to know exactly what happened that this disaster came about.

People will know how we came to this point. But I didn’t come here to say that now, I came to say sorry. I’ll repeat again that I wanted to say it yesterday but I was forbidden.”

The Manchester United defender then went on to reveal, amongst other things, that he had no idea why he was dropped for the potentially crucial clash against Bafana Bafana last night;

“Tonight there was no valid reason at all for why I wasn’t on the pitch. I’m not a liar, I will tell the truth. People don’t yet know the whole history but you will.

But you have to respect people and so there’s a huge apology even if that doesn’t change anything. I feel really bad, the French people even more so than me and you have to respect that today.

I will detail everything, what I experienced, every minute. Believe me I won’t hide anything, I will tell the truth.

But believe me what I have to say, tonight is not the time. The French need to know and they will know, during the week, as soon as possible.”

I can’t wait!

Crazy, but that’s how it goes…

England manager Fabio Capello has insisted that he ‘isn’t crazy’ to still be backing his side to reach the World Cup final, despite an underwhelming (to put it politely) start to their tournament.

England have only amassed two points from their opening two games, but Capello believes that a good performance in this afternoon’s game against group-leaders Slovenia will be the catalyst his players need to kick-start their campaign into action;

“We did a good job in getting here but now we’re not in a good moment, but I know this group of players are still good because I’m not crazy when I said my target was reaching the final of the World Cup.

They have shown they are a really good [squad]. This is not about my reputation – that is not important – because we are a team, a group.

Sure, we have to improve and I expect to see the spirit I saw in qualification again, with us fighting in every moment to win the ball back.

But I think if … no, not ‘if’, when we win this game, all the teams will have to fight to beat us.

This is a play-off. For me, it’s like a final or semi-final in the Champions League. We are either in or we are out. Only one result will do. We have to play with that kind of spirit from the first moment and we have to win. We’ll be fit to fight.”

As per usual, Capello is refusing to name his starting XI until hours before kick-off, but the general consensus on Fleet Street this morning is that Jermaine Defoe will partner Wayne Rooney up front, Matthew Upson will fill in for the suspended Jamie Carragher, David James will continue in goal and James Milner will deputise for Aaron Lennon on the right wing after the Tottenham man failed to impress during the Algeria game.

Quote of the day…

“As players and for me as captain we have to switch our attention to this game because it is a do-or-die situation.”

England skipper Steven Gerrard puts his head on the block.

Animal magic…

Ever wondered what David Villa’s opening goal against Honduras the other night would look like if it was recreated by plasticine animals? This way please…

The screaming orangutan chosen to represent Villa is an inspired choice!

And in other news…

Serbia striker Milan Jovanovic may pull out of his deal to join Liverpool to instead join former Reds boss Rafa Benitez at Inter Milan. (F365)

England have been ‘boosted’ by the return to fitness of Michael Carrick ahead of their decisive Group C clash with Slovenia. (BBC Sport)

FIFA may retrospectively suspend Spain striker David Villa after he admitted to punching a Honduran defender during the two team’s Group H clash. (Guardian)

David Ginola has threatened to sue Gerard Houllier after the former France manager once again blamed him for Les Bleus’ failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup. (Sporting Life)

The French press are fairly unanimous in their verdict of France’s World Cup campaign, and it ain’t good! (F365)

Soccerlens Fantasy Football…

Soccerlens Fantasy Football gives you the option to go against friends and fellow competitors over a day’s games.

This means that you should pick your fantasy team from players involved in the games happening on that specific day. It also gives you the option of picking your fantasy team with the players you might be more familiar with.

Either way, it’s fast and action packed. So pick the specific round(s) you want to join from the home-page and join a competition!

You can also challenge your friends over a specific round by creating a private competition

Today’s (Wednesday 23rd June) round is as follows:

• Slovenia vs England

• USA vs Algeria

• Ghana vs Germany

• Australia vs Serbia

Give it a go and you may come away with a cash prize!

The 2010 World Cup on Soccerlens…

There will be comprehensive coverage of the World Cup on Soccerlens over the coming months.

With the dedicated World Cup section (chock full of info, including fixtures and stats – and even links to buy replica shirts) on SL, there really is no need to go anywhere else for your World Cup needs this summer!

You can even follow us on Twitter and Facebook if you’re that way inclined.

Also on Soccerlens…

• England v Slovenia: The Road To The Final Starts Here

• Kaka’: “Maradona’s Goal Was An Intentional Handball”

• Argentina’s Persistence Pays Off To Defeat Otto Rehhagel’s Greece

• Zizou-zela: Vuvuzela Meets Zinedine Zidane

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea
2010 FIFA World Cup
22 June 2010

South Korea would move onto the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time outside of home soil with a 2-2 draw against Nigeria.

It was a match where Nigeria would have several chances but couldn’t convert. The goals for the African side were by Kalu Uche in the 12th minute and a penalty kick by Yakubu in the 69th minute. South Korea had goals from Lee Jung-Soo in the 38th minute and Park Chu-Young in the 49th minute.

Minutes before Yakubu tied the match at 2-2 with the penalty, he had a great chance from just outside goal but somehow missed it wide. It will be replayed and probably the worst miss of the World Cup up to this point.

South Korea will play Uruguay in the round of 16 while Nigeria is another African side to be eliminated. A win for Nigeria would have seen them through but their inability to capitalize scoring chances proved to be the difference.

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea Goal Videos

Nigeria 2-2 South Korea (Uche 12′, Lee Jung-Soo 38′, Park Chu-Young 49′, Yakubu 69′)

See all2010 World Cup Video Highlights.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News