South Africa should be very proud of hosting a wonderful tournament & Spain are worthy World Champions

Spain have cemented their place as the best as well as most entertaining footballing nation in the world.

They are the new football kings of the world & their team sheet reads like the "who is who" of the football world, a team of champion players playing beautiful football in a champion team

They won a spiteful final match this morning against a Dutch team which played very ugly at times but should nevertheless be commanded for trying to neutralise Spain's attractive & attacking style.

South Africa & her people should also be very proud of staging such a wonderful tournament & largely the sceptics (including myself) wrong.

Other accolades go to New Zealand for its gutsy & impressive effort, & to Germany & Argentina for playing the game in its right spirit & scoring plenty of goals (as opposed to Spain who played beautifully but were unable to capitalise on their superiority most of the time & scored a mere 8 goals, one of the lowest for a World Cup winning side).

Whilst many expected France to disappoint, having only qualified by "the hand of Henry", & considered the defending Champions Italy over the hill & out of sorts, most were surprised by the poor results of England in particular, and Portugal & Brazil to a lesser extent.

And then there was the one & only worldwide superstar of the World Cup,"Paul the Octopus"! He managed to correctly pick all of Germany's 5 wins & 2 defeats plus Spain's win in the final & in the process became a superstar. How I wish he had picked Germany to beat Spain in the semi finals!
As for me personally, this has been a great World Cup despite my beloved Socceroos poor start to the tournament & their subsequent early elimination & my life long idols Germany not reaching the final.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the kind remarks & show of support & encouragement from all of you who were following my blog. A special mention also goes to Deborah Cameron & Jennifer Lacey at ABC 702 Sydney morning show (radio station) for their enthusiasm & support.

To top it all, I even managed to inadvertently get under the skin of a rather cranky Les Murray of SBS TV, who this morning sent me a less than complimentary email belittling me for merely suggesting that despite Spain's attractive way of playing, their multiple 1-0 victories & lack of goals were not a great way to promote the beautiful game to the casual non core supporters! I hope most of you agree with my point.

I must however emphasise that SBS once again provided Australia with a world class presentation & in fact managed to show all 64 games live. We are very lucky in Australia to have such a dedicated team at SBS.

On a final note, as exciting as the annual club competitions such as the Champions League & some of the European and other leagues are, they will never be able to fully replace the World Cup as the premier football (& indeed sporting) event in the world stage. Only European Championships come close & that is because it is similar to a mini world cup!

My blog will recommence at the beginning of the European season in late August. I hope you can join me from time to time!

Viva Espana! Congratulations to Spain & its supporters for playing wonderfully entertaining football on their way to winning the World Cup. They are worthy winners & will be hard to catch in the coming years.

Are there a few surprises on the cards in the World Cup Quarter Final pairings?

I must start by apologising to the English fans for my choice of blog photo for this post. I just wish to remind the English FA of the money they wasted on Sven Goran Erikson & the 5 million pound a year they are paying Capello! I have news for the English FA! Erikson & Capello at very hefty sums achieved what other major footballing countries do on a regular basis, i.e. qualify for the World Cup! They were both hailed as geniuses for simply managing that! Both flopped during the tournament because they failed to get their individual stars to become a unit!

Let's hope footballing mastery & not refereeing errors & FIFA's gutless administrators decide the results of the quarter finals. Here are my picks for semi finals, having (once again) been surprised by Ghana, I picked 7 out of the 8 quarter finalists correctly. Picking the semi finalists is a much harder task though. However, I am going for the underdogs & my picks will surprise many of you:

Uruguay, Holland, Germany & Spain!

I would love to see an African country in the semi finals & Ghana have already proved me wrong twice! But I am impressed with Uruguay this year & Forlan & Suarez are leading the team very well.

I think Holland are picking at the right pace. For the first time in many years players' egos are absent. With the great arrival of Robben in the last match, Holland are capable of surprising Brazil.
I believe Brazil have so far had a relatively easy path. Portugal vs Brazil was one of the worst matches of the tournament & the entertaining Chile side came up too short against Brazil. Holland are in a different class & are performing like a great tournament team with measured wins so far.

Although Argentina are the undisputed favourites to win the World Cup, I believe like Brazil, they have not played a strong team so far. The fearless young German side would cause a huge upset if they manage to sneak through & beat Argentina. The German players know a thing or two about the weaknesses of the Argentine (& Bayern Munich's) central defender Martin Demichelis! He is prone to lapse of concentration from time to time (e.g. he gifted South Korea a goal) & speedy players can turn him easily & score goals. At any case, there will be lots of very anxious German fans during that match because Germany are the underdogs.

Spain are in the same dynamics as Holland & are peaking in a tournament style & in David Villa possess the right person to break down the stubborn & disciplined Paraguay defence!

Let's hope all four matches finish in regulation or extra time & penalty shoot outs are avoided, and let's pray referees & their assistants do not influence the results in a negative way by making mistakes!

An overview of the group matches in South Africa 2010 & the knockout stage. Let's hope for more excitement & goals than we have got so far!

Thank you Argentina, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain & co. Not just because of your fans! But also for keeping the faint flame of exciting football in the group stages alive & for playing attacking football & trying hard to score lots of goals! Argentina's 7 goals & 30 shots on target made them the only team that averaged more than 2 goals per game & scored in all three group matches (Portugal also scored 7 goals but had two 0-0 draws & a 7-0 win against the hapless North Korea)

Only a handful of other so called footballing giants managed to show glimpses of brilliance in their group stage matches. Brazil, Portugal, Germany (against Australia), Spain, Holland & Uruguay played exciting attacking football at times but not with the consistency of Argentina. On the other hand, the 2006 finalists France & Italy were bitterly disappointing & England have looked lethargic & at times tactically lost!

This has made this World Cup, the tournament for the underdogs to a great extent. Whilst African teams largely disappointed by underachieving overall & only Ghana qualifying, the so called minnows of the rest of the world put up a brave fight & at times even thrilled with their overachievement.

Special mention should go to New Zealand for their brave unbeaten effort & Slovakia for defeating Italy & earning qualification in the process. Their group was meant to be a walk in the park for the reigning champions Italy. Instead the brave effort of New Zealand & Slovakia earned Italy the embarrassing wooden spoon in the group.

Some of the more seasoned but lower ranked World Cup campaigners such as USA, Japan, South Korea, Chile, Mexico & Paraguay also qualified with distinction whilst the likes of Australia's Socceroos, South Africa & Ivory Coast left the tournament with their heads high

As a result, so far South Africa 2010 a group stage that has produced the lowest average goals per match & many defensive & rather dull matches as weaker teams attempt to counter the "in Vogue" 4-2-3-1 style of most attacking teams.

Whilst this system can producing exciting attacking football, it is also very effective in protecting a lead once a team scores & can therefore produce overly defensive matches.

regardless of tactics, a major feature of South Africa 2010 was the European teams' poor 7 at times lethargic displays. The South Americans meanwhile have been comfortably impressive. 7 of the 13 European qualifiers, including Italy & France got eliminated.
This will undoubtedly raise calls for a reduction in Europe's quota again, specially as 4 of the 5 South American teams topped their groups & the Oceania Champions New Zealand finished ahead of the World Champions Italy.

It is well known that European teams have never won the World Cup when it has been held in the Southern Hemisphere or Central America & this year has so far been no exception. The knockout stage has produced more difficult passage for the qualifiers in the bottom half of the draw with heavyweights Germany, England, Spain, Portugal & the favourites Argentina all in that section of the draw. Europe's misery is compounded by the fact that its remaining 6 teams have been paired against each other guaranteeing Europe a mere 3 teams in the quarter finals as opposed to 6 in Germany 2006.

Here are my predictions:

Uruguay will get the better of the brave South Korea. This is the first time in many years that Uruguay have produced attractive & attacking football.

USA have been very entertaining & their die hard attitude should eliminate Africa's last remaining representative Ghana. Ghana, whilst fast on the wings, are careless in front of the goal & were lucky to draw with the 10 man Socceroos & only qualified on goal difference.

Holland will have Robben back & will account for Slovakia. Slovakia, in their first World Cup as an independent nation rewrote the history books by gallantly eliminating the reigning champions Italy & should therefore be very proud of their achievement.

Brazil would undoubtedly have preferred to face a non South American team & must be worried about the fearless Chilean side. Chile is coached by the Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, one of the most attack minded coaches in the World. He has instilled self confidence in his young side & as they proved against Spain with 10 men, they are capable of beating any team on their day. The only thing that could get Brazil over the mark is their vast experience at this level

Argentina & Maradona have proven all pundits & commentators wrong. Messi & co have produced disciplined attacking performances & are now favourites to beat Mexico & even go all the way to winning the Cup.

England vs Germany penalty shootout in the semi finals of World Cup 1990 won by Germany

• Germany have overall been more solid than an out of sorts England teams with Rooney struggling to find form. However this ultimate World Cup classic will see players on both side shift up a gear for supremacy in a footballing rivalry which goes back to many decades & has previously produced the 1966 World Cup final, 1970 quarter final & 1990 semi final. This match will be no exception & I am merely picking Germany because I am a life long hard core fan of the Nationalmannschat!

• Paraguay have been solid in defence & disciplined in their attack in topping their group whilst Japan scored two world class free kicks on their way to qualification at the expense of Denmark. This is the battle of equals but the South Americans tactical superiority should prevail.

• Spain & Portugal are both capable of winning this tussle but the fact that Portugal failed to attack or score against Brazil (& Ivory Coast) is a major concern & slightly tips the match in favour of Spain & the free scoring & impressive David Villa.

Whatever the out come of the above matches, let's hope they are all free flowing with an abundance of attacking football & lots of goals! Otherwise South Africa 2010 will go down as the dullest World Cup in history with the lowest average goal per match!

Australia's Socceroos vs Germany, facts, stats & key German players to watch out for

The Socceroos will undoubtedly face a much more difficult opening game next Monday morning in South Africa 2010 than they did in Germany against japan in 2006.

As both a fan of the Socceroos & Germany since Australia's first qualification for Germany 1974 World Cup, I was hugely disappointed when my two beloved teams were drawn together! But I must say Germany has brought the Socceroos luck in the past as Australia's two previous qualifications to the World Cup were in 1974 & 2006 when the Cup was held in Germany in both occasions.

In the absence of their influential Captain Michael Ballack (above left) who got injured in the English FA Cup Final whilst playing for Chelsea, the new Captain & vice Captain, Philip Lahm (middle) & Bastian Schweinsteiger (right) will be two of the key experienced leaders for Germany in South Africa. Here are some of the facts & stats about Germany:

• Germany are well known as a disciplined "Tournament" team capable of lasting till the later rounds of the Cup. This is clearly the case as demonstrated by their record in the World Cup:


• Germany have reached the World Cup final a record 7 times (equal to Brazil's) and the semi finals a record 11 times.


• They have won the World Cup 3 times (Brazil have won it 5 times & Italy 4)


• They have won their opening game in the last 5 World Cups. As the SBS Football Commentator Craig Foster rightly points out, experienced World Cup teams know how important it is to win the first match, draw or win the second & rest players for the third (depending on potential draw). This was evident after Australia's win in its opening match of the 2006 World Cup against Japan.


• Their team in South Africa is their youngest since they won the World Cup in 1954. In contrast, Australia's squad's average age makes the Socceroos the second oldest team in South Africa.


• Only 7 players from Germany's 2006 team are present in South Africa. Although most players in the current squad did play in Euro 2008. Germany reached the final of that tournament for a record 6th time (another proof of their resilience in tournaments)

Germany had to deal with several injuries to key players as well as disagreements between the coach & influential players which resulted in axing of some key players. As mentioned, Ballack was ruled out 3 weeks ago. The no 1 goal keeper Rene Adler was also ruled out due to a rib injury, and holding midfielder Simon Rolfes due to an ankle injury.

The German coach Loew refused to recall the highly experienced Torsten Fringes, a veteran of 2002 & 2006 World Cups in place of Ballack. He also ruled out a return for Kevin Kuranyi, who scored 18 goals this season in the German Bundesliga. As a result, it was reported that Germany had selected 6 strikers in the final 23 squad.

Whilst this is correct in theory, English speaking commentators were as usual too simplistic in their appraisal. The German coach, like many other top coaches around the world ins a big fan of the modern 4-2-3-1 system. This means most probably two of the wingers in the 3 number will be from the 6 strikers. Here's my prediction for Germany's line up on Monday morning:

Neuer (Goal keeper)

Lahm (C) Friedrich Mertesacker Badstuber (or Jansen)

Kedira Schweinsteiger

Podolski Muller Ozil

Klose

Key players to watch out for:

• Captain Philip Lahm, a world class left & right back. Appeared as left back in the 2006 World Cup & scored the opening goal of the tournament, but appears to have settled into his preferred right back role
• Bastian Schweinsteiger: is to fill Ballack's holding midfield role, which he so successfully did for his Clubside Bayern Munich during the European season which earned him comparisons to Spain's Xavi.
• Podolaski & Klose, whilst they both had terrible seasons scoring a total of 5 goals between them, their international goal scoring record for Germany is fantastic. They scored 8 goals between them in 2006.
• Ozil, Kroos, Merin & Muller: all less than 22 years old world class attacking midfielders capable of scoring goals from seemingly impossible positions.
• Mario Gomez: Bundesliga's most expensive German player who has up to now disappointed at international level & is therefore desperate to prove his calibre & class (given the chance)

There are several young midfield players including Tony Kroos & Marco Merin, and the other three forwards Cacau, Marion Gomez & Stefan Kiessling who are hoping to feature in the starting line up, but the above line up seems to be the most likely based on most reports I have seen on the net.

Germany's weaknesses which the Socceroos may be able to exploit are:

• Absence of Michael Ballack
• Lack of goal scoring form of Klose & Podolski, although they both have enviable international goal scoring records
• unsettled central defence: for the past 6-7 years a reliable pairing has been in short supply
• Young squad: Many of the above players have had less than 10 full international caps
• Underestimating the Socceroos legendary will to fight tooth & nail

Having watched the last warm up matches for both teams, the Germans played a very well disciplined second half against Bosnia & scored three goals in the process, whilst Australia were badly exposed whilst trying to play an open attacking match against the USA& conceded 3 goals in the process.

My prediction: Germany's faster players will get the better of the aging Socceroos. However, no matter which teams finishes on top, I will be heartbroken & happy at the same time!

Germany to win by 2 goals, 3-0 or 3-1. I am still hoping for a Socceroos/Germany vs England in the second round!

Football, the team sport that fought apartheid alongside the people of South Africa will receive its reward tonight

Yes, I know I am making a very frank statement with the title of this post. But it's a historical statement of fact. Whilst Cricket & Rugby Union undoubtedly had some supporters & players who symphatised with the struggle against apartheid, football was, is & will remain the grassroot sport of people of South Africa & in fact the entire continent.

Therefore, tonight, Soccer, the football code that fought apartheid alongside the people of South Africa all the way to the end, will receive its well deserved reward.

In their great book "More than just a Game", Chuck Corr & Marvin Close have closely examined the influence of football during the struggle against apartheid.



Therefore, let's hope the fans of other footballing codes who at times ignorantly mock Football, take a moment or two during the World Cup to appreciate the true place of "The World Game" in the lives the ordinary people of the world across the globe. It is simply asthonishing>

As the legendary Liverpool Manager Bill Shankly said (paraphrasing) "some people wonder why football is a matter of life & death! They are wrong! Football is much more important than that!"

Early signs of trouble for Joachim Löew & Germany in the upcoming World Cup in South Africa

The German national team, or Die Nationalmannschaft are known as the ultimate "Tournament" team. They usually have a slow start in World Cup tournaments & grind their way into the latter stages whilst more talented teams fall by the way side & get eliminated. Germany (including west Germany) have reached the World Cup semi final 11 times, the final 7 times & have of course been winners in 3 occasions. Outside the 1990 win & the 2006 campaign, they have always been slow starters & at times labeled boring and/or lucky. Nevertheless, Germany's performance & record in the world Cup continues to generate intense envy amongst rival fans.

Germany are currently the Under 17, Under 19 & Under 21 European Champions & the crop of young talent coming through the ranks is almost second to none in Europe. However, with less than 100 days till the start of the World Cup, most the young talented players will miss out on Loew's team selection for the World Cup. Only Ozil, Marin & Kroos have any realistic chance of being selected in the final 23 man squad for the World Cup.

The recent friendly 0-1 defeat to Madonna's hapless Argentina in Munich raised many worrying questions about Germany's prospects in South Africa. The shortcomings were clear in all areas. The following is a list:

1. Loew & his team have failed to sign a new contract with the DBF beyond the World Cup. Whilst both the German Federation & Loew have diplomatically agreed to decide to postpone negotiations to after the World Cup in order to avoid destabilisation, the fact that they have not reached an agreement will by itself cause some disharmony.

2. In the goal keeping department, Loew's stubborn insistence to allow Lehmann to be the no 1 keeper in Euro 2008, and the subsequent recent tragic death of Robert Enke has left this always reliable area of the German team well short of international experience.
Both Rene Adler of Leverkusen & Manuel Neuer of Schalke have shown promising signs of being able to emulate the feats of their legendary colleagues of the previous years. Nevertheless, the fact remains that between the two of them they only have 11 caps, and neither plays for a clubside which appears in the Champions League regularly. Therefore, both have limited international exposure.

In Central defence, where problems were evident in 2006 & Euro 2008, a reliable long term partner for Mertesacker is yet to be found. Tasci of Stuttgart & Boeteng of Hamburg as well as Westermann of Schalke are all unproven in international level.

Then there is the issue of where to play Lahm! He played so effectively as a left back in WC 2006. But Lahm has appeared as an attacking right back for Bayern all season & has stated he prefers to play in that position. He's also stated it takes him a few weeks to get used to switching from right to left. Should Loew try why he successfully experimented on with in Euro 2006 again? i.e. Use Podolski as a right midfield player & emulate the successful Lahm/Robben combination at Bayern?

Then there's the question of total loss of form by Ozil! The promising talented midfielder has had a poor run of form & the question now is whether he should be selected at all. On top of that, Ballack's relationship with Loew is still at best cordial. This can't be good for team moral.

Nevertheless, there is an abundance of talent in the likes of Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, Sammy Khedira & Marco Marin who will help reduce Loew's tactical headaches (but not selection headaches). Nevertheless, they are all untested on the big stage.

Finally, there are major headaches upfront in attack. Kuryani is the in form German striker right now & he's out of favour. Both Podolski & Klose have been out of form & between the two of them scored a miserly 3 goals all season! I believe Cacau & Kiessling are not of World Cup pedigree & Patrick Helmes will take too long to reach his optimal form after a long injury lay off.

And last but least, as a Bayern & Germany fan, I am yet to understand what the big fuss about Mario Gomez is! He was a total flop in Euro 2006 & his international record is by no means impressive. Yet both Loew & Bayern insist on starting him in every game!

To top it all off, Germany are in the toughest group with Ghana, Australia & Serbia ready to Pounce on any mistake they can!

The good news however is that before every World Cup & European Championships, thousands of obituaries like mine are written about Germany, and they still make it to the latter stages & the finals!

As Gary Lineker famously said (paraphrasing) "Football is a game which 22 men run after a ball & try to score, and at the end Germany wins!"

Enjoy the World Cup & good luck to whichever team you support!