July 9, 2010 - 2:30 PM
@ Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
"Germany deviated from what was working for them in this World Cup and tried to revert back to good old German defending against Spain in their semifinal match. The whole world knew that Spain would control possession but the German counter-attack was non-existent. The Spaniards dominated shots on target 5-2 and overall shots 12-3. The Germans were literally playing with fire and it was no surprise when Carles Puyol netted a header off a corner-kick in the 73rd minute to propel "La Furia Roja" to a 1-0 victory. Many Deutschland supporters will always be left wondering if the outcome would have been any different if midfielder Thomas Mueller had have not been suspended for the match. Their stagnant attack certainly could have used his energetic runs and electrifying finishes. Uruguay had to play their semifinal match against Holland without two of its key components. Jorge Fucile and Luis Suarez were both ineligible to play due to suspension. Diego Forlan tried to do it all himself, scoring a remarkable goal in the first half, but it was very evident that he was missing the speed and finish of Suarez.
"Uruguay was flawless in their defending during the group stage, sharing an auspicious honor with Portugal as the only two teams to keep clean sheets. However, their defending has not been as strong during the knockout stages as they have given up five goals in their last three matches. The Germans are the highest scoring team in the entire tournament with 13 goals and have been equally strong on defense, surrendering just three goals. The 3rd place game at the World Cup is notorious for being a wide-open affair, with most players losing interest after the devastation of being eliminated in the semifinals. Germany won this match in the 2006 tournament but that was on their home soil and there are serious doubts concerning their motivation for this particular contest. Lack of motivation might not be the only problem for the Germans in this match, as they also have to deal with both a key injury and a flu-bug. Miroslav Klose is just one goal away from tying Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. A goal would also give him a shot at the 'Golden Boot' award in this World Cup but he will be a game-time decision with a back injury that he suffered in the semifinal match against Spain. On Friday it was also announced that a flu-bug had fiercely hit the German squad. Defender Philipp Lahm and Striker Lukas Podolski are the two worst affected players and the loss of either or both would be a huge blow to German hopes for this match. The worst affected by the virus is actually Germany's bench boss Joachim Low and it has been stated his absence from the match is a strong possibility. Oliver Bierhoff has also hinted that many of the German substitutes might get the opportunity to play and this is probably why they have not released their starting 11 for the match. Uruguay has revealed their starters for the match and it certainly looks like they are taking it seriously.
"While Germany is already building in their excuses, the Uruguayans are acting and talking like they still have a lot to play for. Luis Suarez will surely be extra motivated for this match, after missing the semifinal, and he has stated that his team will play until the death to win this match. It's evident that winning this match would end the tournament on a high note for Uruguay, while it might just rub more salt in the wound for Germany. Uruguay was never supposed to go this deep in the tournament and a 3rd place finish certainly means more to them, their soccer program and their country. This looks like a perfect to spot to take massive value on what still appears to be a very hungry Uruguayan squad. If the flu and injury bugs in the German camp are half as bad as indicated, this match will still be a dog fight and it only makes sense to take over 3-1 on Uruguay. Play: Uruguay +3.58 (Risking 1 unit) Play Uruguay +2.07 to finish 3rd (Risking 1 unit)."
@ Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
"Germany deviated from what was working for them in this World Cup and tried to revert back to good old German defending against Spain in their semifinal match. The whole world knew that Spain would control possession but the German counter-attack was non-existent. The Spaniards dominated shots on target 5-2 and overall shots 12-3. The Germans were literally playing with fire and it was no surprise when Carles Puyol netted a header off a corner-kick in the 73rd minute to propel "La Furia Roja" to a 1-0 victory. Many Deutschland supporters will always be left wondering if the outcome would have been any different if midfielder Thomas Mueller had have not been suspended for the match. Their stagnant attack certainly could have used his energetic runs and electrifying finishes. Uruguay had to play their semifinal match against Holland without two of its key components. Jorge Fucile and Luis Suarez were both ineligible to play due to suspension. Diego Forlan tried to do it all himself, scoring a remarkable goal in the first half, but it was very evident that he was missing the speed and finish of Suarez.
"Uruguay was flawless in their defending during the group stage, sharing an auspicious honor with Portugal as the only two teams to keep clean sheets. However, their defending has not been as strong during the knockout stages as they have given up five goals in their last three matches. The Germans are the highest scoring team in the entire tournament with 13 goals and have been equally strong on defense, surrendering just three goals. The 3rd place game at the World Cup is notorious for being a wide-open affair, with most players losing interest after the devastation of being eliminated in the semifinals. Germany won this match in the 2006 tournament but that was on their home soil and there are serious doubts concerning their motivation for this particular contest. Lack of motivation might not be the only problem for the Germans in this match, as they also have to deal with both a key injury and a flu-bug. Miroslav Klose is just one goal away from tying Ronaldo as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. A goal would also give him a shot at the 'Golden Boot' award in this World Cup but he will be a game-time decision with a back injury that he suffered in the semifinal match against Spain. On Friday it was also announced that a flu-bug had fiercely hit the German squad. Defender Philipp Lahm and Striker Lukas Podolski are the two worst affected players and the loss of either or both would be a huge blow to German hopes for this match. The worst affected by the virus is actually Germany's bench boss Joachim Low and it has been stated his absence from the match is a strong possibility. Oliver Bierhoff has also hinted that many of the German substitutes might get the opportunity to play and this is probably why they have not released their starting 11 for the match. Uruguay has revealed their starters for the match and it certainly looks like they are taking it seriously.
"While Germany is already building in their excuses, the Uruguayans are acting and talking like they still have a lot to play for. Luis Suarez will surely be extra motivated for this match, after missing the semifinal, and he has stated that his team will play until the death to win this match. It's evident that winning this match would end the tournament on a high note for Uruguay, while it might just rub more salt in the wound for Germany. Uruguay was never supposed to go this deep in the tournament and a 3rd place finish certainly means more to them, their soccer program and their country. This looks like a perfect to spot to take massive value on what still appears to be a very hungry Uruguayan squad. If the flu and injury bugs in the German camp are half as bad as indicated, this match will still be a dog fight and it only makes sense to take over 3-1 on Uruguay. Play: Uruguay +3.58 (Risking 1 unit) Play Uruguay +2.07 to finish 3rd (Risking 1 unit)."
