John

Jul 7 2010, 10:42 PM

Spain winning costs me $20 and a raspberry pie

Rosenborg91

Jul 3 2010, 01:20 PM

I bet Chris would just let that ball go in then, but you have to accept that Suarez wanted his country to play in the semis.

And dont compare it to Henry, please. He cheated. Suarez was smart. It was the last chance of the match, that ball couldn't go in.

BBC Sport

 

Germany's Miroslav Klose has a bad back which may prevent him from trying to surpass Ronaldo's record of 15 World Cup goals. Thomas Mueller is back from suspension so he is likely to replace Piotr Trochowski.

Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski are expected to be fit, despite suffering the same virus that has confined coach Joachim Loew to his bed.

Uruguay have striker Luis Suarez back after his suspension for handball, but they may be missing Diego Forlan, who picked up a thigh injury against the Netherlands.

Diego Lugano is expected to again miss out with a knee problem. Full-back Jorge Fucile returns from a ban.

MATCH PREVIEW

The match that no one wants to play throws together two World Cup heavyweights who have been here before. Three-time World Cup winners Germany met two-time champions Uruguay in a third-place play-off in 1970, with the Germans emerging as the victors. Motivation is always the key factor in this match, which comes hard off the back of crushing semi-final defeats. Both coaches will have to lift their players and take their minds off impending holidays to convince them that third place is a prize worth chasing.

Joachim Loew's gifted young squad will be expected to mature nicely in time for the next World Cup in Brazil in 2014, but this match may prove to be the international swansong for Miroslav Klose. The 32-year-old striker is hoping a bad back will not prevent him chasing consecutive Golden Boot awards. More importantly, though, he is just two goals shy of overtaking Brazil's Ronaldo as the top goalscorer in World Cup history. You could hardly blame him, then, if he adopts a shoot-on-sight policy and wrestles the ball from regular penalty taker Bastian Schweinsteiger if Germany are awarded a spot kick.

It goes without saying that Uruguay have defied expectation in reaching the last four in South Africa. They will hope their World Cup journey will not be remembered merely for Luis Suarez's self titled 'Real Hand of God' in the last-minute of their quarter-final against Ghana. Their very own Diego, striker Diego Forlan, has been one of the stars of the tournament and remains in contention for the Golden Boot, but only if he can shake off a thigh injury he picked up against the Netherlands.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

- This will be the 10th meeting between the sides. Uruguay won the first encounter 4-1 in 1928, but they have not won any of the subsequent eight matches. In total, Germany have won six, drawn two and lost one.

- They have met three times in the World Cup and one of those clashes came in a third-place play-off match, which Germany won 1-0 in 1970. They also went head-to-head in the 1966 quarter-finals, with Germany winning 4-0, and they drew 1-1 in 1986.

- Germany won their last encounter 5-0 in 1993.

Germany

- This is a record fifth appearance in a World Cup third-place play-off match for Germany. They have won three (1934, 1970 and 2006) and lost one (1958).

- Goalkeepers Hans-Joerg Butt and Tim Wiese and defenders Serdar Tasci and Dennis Aogo are the only German players who have not yet played at this World Cup..

- Miroslav Klose needs just one more goal to equal Ronaldo on 15 World Cup goals and become joint all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

Uruguay

- As well as losing to Germany in 1970, they also lost a third-place play-off to Austria in 1954.

- Uruguay have not beaten a European team at a World Cup since 1970 (Soviet Union 1-0).

- Their defeat to the Netherlands was their first of 2010. Their record this year stands at five wins, two draws and one defeat.

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee:Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Assistants: Hector Vergara (Canada) & Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)

Fourth official:Marco Rodriguez (Mexico)

ligue1marseille

Jul 9 2010, 04:12 PM

I would've understood the complaints if it was coming from someone like Kev, but even he, surprisingly, is laid back on all of this - he moved on. And you? Still rocking the boat months later. Fuck off already.

TC Admin

Jul 10 2010, 05:25 PM

I'd normally predict Germany here but Uruguay, as we all know, have been decent at this World Cup.