Paraguay vs Spain
Paraguay and Spain might share the same language but they have entirely different approaches to playing football. While the South Americans have made stoic defence one of their hallmarks, the reigning European champions are committed to a possession-based, attacking game. Those contrasting approaches will be set in even clearer focus when the two sides meet in Johannesburg on Saturday evening. The reward for the winners is a place in the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.
Can Spain put an end to their quarter-final curse or will Paraguay continue to make history?
The team that comes out on top will be making history. In the last eight for the fifth time, Spain have never reached the semi-finals, although they did finish fourth at Brazil 1950 when the Trophy was decided by a four-team final group phase. As for La Albirroja they ave already broken new ground and are intent on venturing further.
The match
Paraguay-Spain, Johannesburg (Ellis Park), 3 July, 20.30
Saturday’s showdown is the fourth meeting between the countries. Two of their previous encounters ended in goalless draws, one a 2002 friendly and the other a first-round match at France 1998. Spain scored the only win by either side when prevailing 3-1 in another first-round meeting at Korea/Japan 2002.
La Roja have not lost to South American opposition in the FIFA World Cup since Mexico 1986 (a 1-0 reverse to Brazil) but are in no mood to rely on the record books after their surprise group setback against Switzerland. Coach Vicente del Bosque has no injury or suspension problems and is set to keep faith with the system and the side that got Spain out of a tight spot in Group H before they edged out Portugal in the Round of 16. As they showed in the second half of that match, the silky Spanish are working their way back to top form.
Del Bosque’s opposite number, Gerardo Martino, has asked his players to pay special attention to Spain’s quality and the speed with which they move the ball around. The Argentinian supremo has also vowed that his men will not sit back and let their opponents dictate the play, urging his midfielders to press hard and deny the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez the space to thrive. With central midfielder Aureliano Torres an injury doubt, Martino’s other main concern is the fatigue his charges may be still feeling after their punishing last-16 tie against Japan.
Players to watch
Defence v attack
Having let in just the one goal to date, against Italy in their opening match, Los Guaraníes boast the tightest defence in the competition along with fellow quarter-finalists Uruguay. That record is sure to be put to the test against the enterprising Spanish, who have created more goalscoring opportunities at South Africa 2010 than anyone, though their finishing has not been up to the expected standard. That said, the in-form David Villa is the competition’s joint top-scorer on four goals with Gonzalo Higuain and Robert Vittek.
The stat
3 - The number of times Paraguay have reached the Round of 16 and the number of times they have lost to European opposition there. At Mexico 1986 La Albirroja went down 3-0 to England and lost to a golden goal to the host nation at France 1998. Four years later Germany ended their hopes with a 1-0 win.
What they said
Nelson Valdez, Paraguay striker:
They have players who can make all the difference, especially in midfield where we can’t afford to even let them turn round. We are really up for this game and that’s going to make up for any tiredness we might feel. The team can’t wait for this game to get started. We’re doing a great job but we still have more to give, and our best performances so far have been against the big sides.
Vicente del Bosque, Spain coach:
Paraguay are not unlike Chile. As we all know they gave us a lot of problems, and it would be silly of us to underestimate them. I’m not worried about overconfidence because there’s none of that in the squad. We have an awful lot of respect for Paraguay and they’ve been brilliant in getting this far, beating a strong Japan side the other day.
Have your say
Can Spain put an end to their quarter-final curse or will Paraguay continue to make history?
Argentina vs Germany
Quarter-final opponents back in 2006, Argentina and Germany are ready to cross swords again in Cape Town on Saturday. Up for grabs is a place in the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. With five world titles between them, La Albiceleste and Die Nationalmannschaft are two of the world’s most successful national outfits. Expectation is high ahead of their latest duel, especially with both sides in such vibrant form and memories of Germany’s tense penalty shoot-out triumph four years ago still fresh.
Can Argentina exact revenge for their defeat four years ago or will the Germans make it to the semi-finals at their expense again?
The match
Argentina-Germany, Cape Town, 3 July, 16.00
Argentina have been in flawless form to date, winning all three of their group games before disposing of Mexico in the Round of 16. Much-questioned before the tournament, coach Diego Maradona seems to have identified his best line-up, one that naturally includes Lionel Messi, a mere bit-part player at Germany 2006. The Argentinians can also take heart from their 1-0 defeat of the Germans in a March friendly in Munich, the only goal of the game coming from Gonzalo Higuain, who has been in scintillating form in South Africa.
In the last eight for an amazing 15th time in a row, Germany won Group D despite a surprise reverse against Serbia. Impressive against both Australia and Ghana, Joachim Low’s side turned on the power against England in the last round, swamping them 4-1 in a superb display of attacking football. These two giants of the world game have met five times before in the competition’s history. The Germans hold sway with three victories to Argentina’s solitary win in the Mexico 1986 Final. The other game, a group match at England 1966, ended in a goalless draw.
Players to watch
Martin Demichelis (ARG) v Miroslav Klose (GER)
Demichelis has had his ups and downs so far at South Africa 2010 but cannot afford to be on anything less than his best form against the relentless Klose. Team-mates at Bayern Munich, the duo know each other inside out and will be intent on capitalising on each other’s weak points in a head-to-head that could prove crucial to the outcome.
The stat
8 - The number of players on yellow cards going into Saturday’s match: Mario Bolatti, Javier Mascherano and Gabriel Heinze of Argentina; and Mesut Ozil, Cacau, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller of Germany.
What they said
Diego Maradona, Argentina coach:
I’d love to be out on the pitch this time and pull on a shirt and play. It’s a game we can’t afford to lose but I wouldn’t compare it to the 1986 Final. Germany are a very tough side for sure. They’re more powerful than Mexico but we have the resources to beat them.
Miroslav Klose, Germany forward:
Look at the names on paper and Argentina are stronger than us. But it was the same with England. They had more experience and bigger names but that didn’t show on the pitch. We have a great team and we can definitely go out and do what we did in our last game.
Have your say
Can Argentina exact revenge for their defeat four years ago or will the Germans make it to the semi-finals at their expense again?
Uruguay 1-1 (4-2 PSO) Ghana
Ghana became the final African team to say goodbye to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, losing in a dramatic penalty shoot-out to Uruguay after a 1-1 quarter-final draw at Johannesburg’s Soccer City. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved efforts from Stephen Appiah and Dominic Adiyiah, before Sebastian Abreu converted the decisive spot-kick for the South Americans, who reach the last four for the first time since 1970.
Ghana pay the penalty
The Black Stars will have to be content with having become just the third side from the continent to make the quarter-final stage, although they could have won the match with the final kick of extra time after Luis Suarez handled a goal-bound effort on the line. But with Suarez sent off, their top scorer, Asamoah Gyan, smashed a penalty off the bar that would have tipped the scales to the Africans after Sulley Muntari and Diego Forlan had scored either side of half-time.
Uruguay started the match on the front foot, looking dangerous from dead-ball situations and through the dynamic duo of Forlan and Suarez up front. Suarez had the first real chance in the 11th minute when he beat a Ghanaian defender down the the left. He cut into the box but blasted his shot right at goalkeeper Richard Kingson.
Kingson was the hero for the west Africans twice in short succession. In the 18th minute, from Forlan’s corner, he reacted quickly to keep out the ball after it deflected off John Mensah and was seemingly destined for the back of the net. Seven minutes later, he rescued another defender, this time Isaac Vorsah, who missed a tackle allowing Suarez in on goal. But the net-minder just got his fingertips to Suarez’s effort to push it over acrobatically.
The Black Stars then settled into the match and only narrowly missed going ahead twice near the half-hour mark. From Ghana’s first corner, Vorsah headed just wide of the post. A minute later, Gyan skimmed the other post after a strong run and cross from Kevin Prince Boateng. The Portsmouth midfielder almost opened the scoring himself in spectacular fashion in the 45th minute, but his overhead kick in front of goal spun off his foot. However, the west Africans got their breakthrough on the stroke of half-time as Muntari scored with a curling 35-yard shot that seemed to deceive the goalkeeper before finding the left-hand corner.
But if they ended the first period on a high, the Black Stars started the second on a low as Forlan’s free-kick from near the left corner of the box fooled Kingson with its swerve in the 55th minute and bulged the net. The Atletico Madrid hit-man continued to play with confidence and in the 63rd minute he brought the ball down well on the left side of the box in a dangerous position. His cross beat Kingson, but Suarez, who had three goals coming into the match, could only volley into the side-netting at the far post.
As the match opened up and both teams searched for a winner, Suarez had another good opportunity in the 71st minute but from a tight angle on the left he could not beat Kingson, who punched over. Uruguay then threatened twice from Forlan free-kicks. First, he screamed in a shot that beat the keeper but went into the side-netting and next he found Suarez in the box, but the Ajax man’s header was tipped over.
Ghana had the clearest opportunities in extra time. Gyan flashed an open header over the bar in the 110th minute, and five minutes later, defender Andres Scotti did just enough to scramble the ball away when it looked like the Ghanaian would score. Boateng almost won it minutes from time, but his header screamed agonisingly wide. And then at the death, from a free-kick into the box, Suarez blocked Appiah’s shot on the line only to then stop Adiyiah’s headed follow-up with his hand to set up Gyan’s penalty miss.
With the gasps of a stunned Soccer City still ringing in the ears, Gyan bravely stepped up to immediately convert the first penalty in the shoot-out. Maxi Pereira missed his spot-kick for the Uruguayans, but two consecutive saves by Muslera set up Abreu to be the hero.
Netherlands 2-1 Brazil
The Netherlands came from behind to break Brazilian hearts and take a huge step towards a third FIFA World Cup™ final appearance. Trailing at half-time to Robinho’s early goal in Port Elizabeth, Bert van Marwijk’s men drew level through Felipe Melo’s own goal before Wesley Sneijder headed the winner with 22 minutes remaining. Brazil ended the game a man short after Felipe Melo’s dismissal as, like in Germany four years ago, the South Americans, unbeaten since last October, saw their dream of a sixth world crown dismantled at the quarter-final stage.
Dutch fightback buries Brazil
For the Dutch, this was their fifth straight win at these finals and leaves them one victory short of a first Final appearance since they finished runners-up twice in the 1970s. They will travel to Tuesday’s Cape Town semi-final against Uruguay or Ghana as favourites despite the suspensions of Gregory van der Wiel and Nigel de Jong. History will be on their side too, given the winners of their three previous FIFA World Cup meetings with Brazil marched on to the Final each time.
Yet it was not the Dutch, but Brazil who looked likely to prevail in the first 45 minutes. Robinho had already had one effort ruled offside when he broke the deadlock in the tenth minute. Advancing unchecked from inside his own half, Felipe Melo played a ball straight through the centre of the Dutch defence from the halfway line. Robinho, free of his marker Van der Wiel and played onside by Ooijer, was in the clear and he tucked a first-time finish beyond Maarten Stekelenburg.
The Dutch sought an immediate reply when Kuyt tested Julio Cesar with a low drive but Brazil were carrying the greater threat and, after 25 minutes, they came close to a second. From a half-cleared corner, Dani Alves, out on the right, drove in a low cross and Juan got there first only to shoot over from close range. Robinho then wriggled away from two orange shirts on the left, gave the ball to Luis Fabiano and his flick set up Kaka whose curling shot was bound for the top corner before Stekelenburg reached out his right arm to palm the ball away.
The teams’ 1994 quarter-final, won by Brazil, produced five second-half goals and this game grew as a contest after the restart. Second-best in the first half, the Dutch drew level in the 53rd minute. Sneijder had already miscued an attempted volley when, following a short free-kick with Robben, the Inter midfielder swung in a cross from out on the right. Julio Cesar and Felipe Melo got in each other’s way with the midfielder unwittingly flicking the ball on into the net.
Michel Bastos, booked before the break and under pressure from Robben, now made way for Gilberto Melo but Brazil’s self-assurance was fading. Although Kaka guided a volley just past the post, the Dutch soon had their second goal. It came from the head of Sneijder who profited from slack marking in the six-yard box to nod home his third goal of the finals after Kuyt had flicked on Robben’s corner. Brazil’s prospects dimmed further with 17 minutes remaining with Felipe Melo’s red card for a stamp on Robben, now a constant nuisance to the South Americans. In a frantic finish it might have got even worse for Dunga’s men but Sneijder scuffed his shot straight at Julio Cesar.
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