Oranje Is The Colour...!

Holland have made it to their third final after a 32-year wait following their victory over the only South American team left remaining in the competition. Holland's win means that for the second successive tournament, we will have another European champion in what was predicted to be a year for the South Americans to savour. Uruguay's controversial win over Ghana has been debated to death for the past week and the South American team (minus Suarez) were out to prove their worth against a Dutch side that has been more clinical than classy in the way they have played their football.

Both sides were desperate for a place in the final - it is said that the worst defeat you can suffer is in the semi-final: you are so close but yet so far. This probably explains why the two teams started off so tentatively, unwilling to really get out of their area and careful when it came to defending. It looked like we were going to see two teams sitting tight for the majority of the game and only really trying to score from things like set pieces. It certainly started off that way, although Dirk Kuyt had a really good chance which he wasted by firing over the crossbar. The Dutch had started off the brighter though and were the side more willing to attempt to go forward.

Their patient play worked though as they took the lead on 18 minutes, with the unlikely veteran left-back and captain of the side, Giovanni van Bronckhorst slamming home a shot from 35-yards out into the corner. It was a strike that really came out of nowhere. He was able to assess his options, create some space and then absolutely lash it home. No one from Uruguay closed him down and the Dutch were 1-0 up. It was a spectacular effort, that the keeper couldn't do much about. It was kind of difficult to see where Uruguay might get their goals from. Forlan was not really in the game and he was far too upfield, when normally he'd playing a bit deeper, in behind Suarez. It was clear that they were missing him, as he cheered on from the stands. However, thanks to a shaky moment from the Dutch keeper, Stekelenburg Uruguay got themselves level.

Forlan had possession of the ball in midfield, and again, similarly to GvB had time and space to pick out his shot, without any of the Dutch players attempting to close him down. Stekelenburg was well placed to make the save and even got one hand to it but could not force it out and saw it land at the back of his net. It was a bit of a shock for the Dutch, who before the goal, had not really produced anything that would have doubled their lead. Uruguay were back in the game and the scores were level once again as we entered half-time.

Stekelenburg also started off the second-half a bit shakily too, when he misjudged Cavani's attempt to shoot. Had Cavani been a little braver he would have been able to chip the keeper, instead he chose to pass to Pereira who saw his goalbound effort cleared by the tireless GvB, who seemed to be everywhere on the pitch. However, Stekelenburg managed to regain his composure and made a good save from a free-kick taken by who else, but Forlan. Van Marwijk had made a positive substitution by bringing on van der Vaart for the ineffective De Zeeuw and he had a good shot on target which was cleared by Muslera. Robben could have made it 2 with the rebound, but didn't realise that he had more time than he first thought and blasted it over.

There wasn't much happening from both sides until the Dutch eventually got their second in the 70th minute. Both sides were playing like they did when the game commenced - they lacked bite and the Dutch, in particular were pretty slow at counter-attacking. There was a lot of possession being lost in midfield and it was hard to tell where the game would take us next. Where it took us was another great goal from Wesley Sneijder. He latched on to the ball out on the left hand side, after some good build-up play and went for the goal from distance. There was a question about the positioning of Robin van Persie, who appeared to be just offside. At first it had looked like it had got a touch off him but replays showed that the ball deflected off Maxi Pereira before rolling into the net. The deflection clearly confused the keeper, who had been decent until then.

Within 3 minutes, it looked like the Dutch had won the game and would definitely be heading for Sunday's showdown at Soccer City stadium in Jo'burg to face the victor's of tonight's game. Dirk Kuyt again crossed in from the left and found Robben, who rose clear of Godin to head home the third goal of the night. It was a straightforward goal and a firm header with the keeper rooted to the spot. It looked as though the Dutch were out of sight, as they tried to see the rest of the game out, by keeping possession of the ball, passing and making their opponents work really hard to have any chance of mounting a comeback. Uruguay were looking tired and Robben nearly made it 4 for the Oranje Army, but miscued his attempt on goal.

But the game wasn't over as Uruguay somehow got themselves a goal back in the second minute of injury time. Diego Forlan had been taken off by this time but it was from a free-kick that they got the ball. Maxi Pereira made amends for his earlier deflection, by running onto the ball from the free-kick, skipping past Elia, and firing into the net. The Dutch were furious with themselves for getting so complacent and careless and the last few minutes resulted in a scurry of activity in the Dutch penalty area. However, they were able to resist the pressure, with all men back in the box helping to defend and were relieved to hear the referee's whistle blow for full-time.

Uruguay have had a fantastic run up to this point in the competition. They were total outsiders, to even reach the semis, but they have proven their critics wrong and advanced further than their fellow South Americans. At the end of the day, they weren't able to do enough to break down this Dutch side, that have been unbeaten for 25 matches now. Brazil couldn't do it, and now Uruguay couldn't either, although they came mighty close. Who knows, perhaps if Suarez had been on the pitch, things might have been a bit different after all. Forlan has had a brilliant season and now a brilliant tournament too. They will now go on and play the losers of tonight's game in the 3rd/4th play-off on Saturday evening in Port Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium.

As for the Dutch...well they do it once again. They make it count when it matters most. They might not have had the best performance, or matched the style of the teams of '74 and '78 but they have got themselves to the final on the back of this massively impressive unbeaten run. The question is: will it last? Have they got enough to beat either Spain or Germany in the final and win the World Cup for the first time in their history or will they fall short (once again) at the final hurdle? Well, I guess the answer to that lies with the footballing gods and we must wait and see, but know this: they certainly have a chance. They wouldn't be in the final, if they didn't. They have a few defensive frailties, particularly with the young keeper and need to find a way of getting Robben involved in the game a bit more. They also need to be less complacent and try and kill the game off - finish of the chances they get - Germany are very good at doing this. They also need to make sure their key players are fit and well enough come Sunday and that they make the best use of the extra 24 hours they get. Whether that will be enough to take them to victory in the final, will be revealed later, but they sure as hell will go for it. They will no doubt know the history of previous 'total' Dutch sides, they will know that they are a different Dutch team to those of years gone by but they will also know that this is their best chance in a long, long time to put those World Cup demons to rest.

I think, should they come up against Spain in the final, it will suit the Dutch better and they will have a better chance at beating them, than Germany. Having said that a Germany-Holland final will make for good viewing because of the great footballing animosity and rivalry between these 2 sides. It's anybody's game at the end of the day, and we shall be seeing who will join the Oranje Army in the final, tonight, when we see a repeat of the Euro 2008 final. The question is, will the final result be a repeat of the result we saw 2 years ago, as Paul the psychic octopus appears to think it will be? Only time will tell...except I can't wait!!

Ghana Gutted As Late Penalty Drama Sees Uruguay Through...

It was a game billed as one continent against one nation. The only African team left in the competition had the opportunity to make history for Africa by being the first team of that continent to make it to the semifinals of the World Cup. Ghana was doing it for Africa, with the whole of the continent watching on and supporting them to go all the way - Aaron Mokoena, captain of Bafana Bafana had only the day before, presented the Ghanaian team a huge shirt signed by hundreds of thousands of supporters and well-wishers from all over the African continent. It was a heart-warming display of African unity which ended in heartbreak as Ghana failed to reach the semifinals following some late, late drama and the nerve-wracking, wretched experience that is a penalty shoot-out.

Soccer City was packed out with BaGhana BaGhana supporters and the streets of South Africa and Accra were filled with excitable, rapturous Africans desperate to see another South American team knocked out after Brazil's shock exit, just a few hours earlier. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, vuvuzelas were being blown at full blast and the teams were pumped and ready to go.

The first half saw Uruguay step it up and control things, with more of the possession and more of the chances. Ghana, were flailing to get into any kind of rhythm or good movement and keep a hold off the ball. They looked a little jaded for the best part of the opening half, perhaps due to the post-match effects of the USA game in which they had played and won in extra-time. Sulley Muntari was awarded a starting place in the Ghanaian line-up with Ayew suspended. However he was unable to have much influence in the early exchanges as La Celeste had the best chances earlier on. But it was Ghana's keeper Richard Kingson who kept them out saving well on two occasions, first from a deflected corner, and then from the on-form Suarez.

Uruguay were then forced to make a substitution in the 38th minute, having to take off injured captain Diego Lugano, who has been really impressive in defence for the South Americans during the whole tournament. This substitution coincided with Ghana getting themselves back into the game. There was a great chance for Gyan when he was picked out by Kevin Prince-Boateng who squared him the ball only to see it miss the goal. Muntari also went close with a header but saw it go wide. As we entered deep into injury time of the first half, it appeared as though both sides would go in level with the scores still at 0-0. That was until Muntari delivered a wicked shot and absolutely lashed the ball past the surprised Muslera from 40 yards out. The goal came from nowhere and surprised everyone watching, as Muntari had acres of space and time to assess his options and fashion his shot. It was a spectacular effort and definitely one of the goals of the tournament. Muntari, might not even have been around to see his strike go in, as after the game against Australia, he had done an "Anelka" but did eventually apologise to coach, Milovan Rajevic.

Uruguay were stunned and went into half-time knowing they had to score if they were to stay in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals for the first time since 1970. And it wasn't long before they had done just that. Just 10 minutes in, up stepped Diego Forlan. He curled in a delicious free-kick that left Kingson standing stock still and looking on in disappointment as Uruguay celebrated. It was a brilliant goal, from the man that has been responsible for breaking so many hearts so far this season already.

Cue a nervy, edgy finish of the 90 minutes from both sides. We saw passes go amiss, possession cheaply lost and chances squandered. Neither side wanted to commit after being within touching distance of the semis. The game was totally 50-50 and it was difficult to see which side would go on to win. Would it be the young but inexperienced Ghana? Or would it be the defensive but clinical Uruguay? It was so tough to call but it seemed almost the whole world was on Ghana's side, urging them forward everytime they got hold of the ball.

Gyan was tough as old boots as he fought and fought for the ball. He was never tiring and always willing to go the extra mile for his team. Every time he lost the ball, he hounded the Uruguayans in an attempt to get it back. It was an inspiring performance from the Black Star's leading goalscorer in this tournament. Suarez went close in extra time, hitting the ball into the side-netting and forcing a save from Kingson with another drive. At the other end, Scotti, Lugano's replacement, nearly scored an own-goal when he cleared from Gyan only to see it just marginally miss his own net. Kevin Prince-Boateng saw a glancing header also go narrowly wide in the closing half of extra-time.

But there was more drama to come. Oh boy, what drama!!! This was proper last-minute stuff that just left you totally breathless and unblinking. Ghana were pressurising and pressurising hard in the last few minutes of extra-time...something in me told me that this game wasn't quite heading to penalties just yet. It just felt like there was going to be a goal. And there very nearly was. It was a total mad scramble in the Uruguayan box as the ball went pinging about all over the place. The ball was crossed in from a free kick and Appiah eventually got a hold of it directing it goalwards only to see it saved by Suarez's legs (so legally) on the line. The ball went out to 20-year old Daniel Adiyiah who also got his head on to it but saw it cleared off the line by Suarez's hands (so illegally). It was blatant handball. In fact it was almost as though Suarez had forgotten what sport he was playing in the heat of the moment, and thought he was playing volleyball or something else instead. It was a clear prevention of a goal-scoring opportunity which meant it was to be a straight red and one-match ban for Suarez and a penalty for Ghana to seal it in what was now added time in added time.

It was crazy, the atmosphere was intense and Ghana sensed that victory was so very near. It was down to one man - Asamoah Gyan, who before last night had scored and converted both of the penalties that Ghana were awarded in the previous games. He literally had the last kick of the game - one spot kick to convert and the victory was theirs. No going into penalty shootouts, no pain, no trauma - just one kick, one chance, one dream. And he missed. He went for pace and saw his kick smash the crossbar. It was a painful moment and hurt more each time we saw the replay. To the delight of Suarez, who was watching on from near the tunnel, we were going to the shootouts. I think it was the pressure of the moment that got to Gyan - the adrenaline was pumping and his mind must have been racing ahead to the semis when he should have been concentrating on what was in front of him.

Forlan was asked to step up first and he converted his second penalty of the tournament without so much as breaking a sweat. However, what credit must then given to the sheer mental strength and bravery of Gyan who stepped up for Ghana's first spotkick. This time he made no mistake and seriously, what a trooper! Victorino, Appiah and Scotti were all also on target. Then came the captain of Ghana, Mensah. I said to my mum before he took the kick, that he was going to miss. I don't know why, I just had a feeling and sure enough, he did. It was a really poor penalty, no pace whatsoever and really easy for Muslera, who by the way, has made his name by saving spotkicks in his club career. Luckily, for Mensah he was reprieved when Maxi Pereira blazed over and the two countries were now level. Then up stepped 20-year old, Adiyiah with the continent's hopes resting on his young shoulders. I didn't have a good feeling about this one either and he too, could only kick tamely for Muslera to save. It was only slightly better than his predecessor's. I was left puzzled as to why Boateng had not stepped up to take a spotkick...perhaps he would have taken one of the later ones or something? Nevertheless, the two boys who missed will not be feeling the pain as much as one man in particular.

It was down to Abreu. When Abreu had been put on as a substitute for Cavani, I thought he might have something of a big impact on the game, and I was right. Can you imagine the amount of pressure that must have been on him? This was the kick that would send his Uruguay through. But did he look like he was under pressure? Hell no. With the whole crowd rising up against him, he was as cool as ice as he dribbled his spotkick, waiting for Kingson to commit to his right before seeing the ball land to Kingson's left. Cue wild, jubilant celebration from the South Americans and uncontrollable tears of despair, bitter disappointment at what could have been, at what was so very nearly their's. The whole of Africa had been holding their breath and now they were looking to the skies as they saw the last African representation in the tournament make their exit. Gyan - well what can you say? I wouldn't have liked to wake up as him this morning, that's for sure. This kick will always stay with him and well, you couldn't help but let your heart go out to him, the Ghanaians and the African continent.

Today, there has been a raging debate about the actions of Suarez. Is he the hero or the villain? There is no doubt that he is seen as a hero for the Uruguayans. After the game, he admitted that there was no way he could have defended Adiyiah's header with his head, and so he used his hands. It was a gamble and it paid off. Had he not used his hands, and thus, blatantly cheated, his side would have 100% gone out. However, by using his hands, and thus preventing a goal being scored, he sacrificed himself for his team but it meant that Ghana only now had a 50% chance of scoring. If they failed to score from the spot, which had a 50% chance of happening (and it did), then Suarez would have sent his team to penalties, giving them a chance of still winning the tie (which they did). Suarez has no regrets about what he did - he misses only one game, so if Uruguay progress to the final, he will be able to play there. An upset, John Pantsil, said after the game that the ref should have given it. But in fairness to the ref, he applied the letter of the law as he saw it. It may be unjust, but how can he award a goal when the ball didn't cross the line, albeit by an arm?

Yes it was cheating and a massive risk. But, it worked. I mean Henry did something similar, did he not? It was in extra time and Henry took a big risk by using his hand, to palm it to Gallas to score. The goal counted, Henry got away with it, France went through, there were no penalties to be played. It was symmetrically the inverse, for Suarez, you could say. I think Suarez did it more out of instinct than anything else - it was a spontaneous thing and he didn't consider the future ramifications - like the fact he would miss the shootout, if it got that far and so on. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that paid dividends for him and I can guarantee that anyone in that position would have done the same. It might be considered cheating, but it also might be considered as taking one for the team - depends from which side you are viewing it. Some may say that Uruguay won by cheating then, but Gyan had a chance and then the Ghanaians had a 50-50 chance in the penalties too, but I just felt that after Gyan had failed to score from the spot the first time, it wasn't to be Ghana's night.

So, Uruguay now go on to face the Dutch, and the Oranje Army can be sure they will be getting plenty of African support, not only because of the drama we witnessed but also because of the whole Afrikaaner history of South Africa. As for Ghana, well what can you say? The whole of Africa was with them and the whole of Africa cried with them too. In the end, it just wasn't to be...

Suarez Sees Uruguay Through...

They were the last team to stake their place at this year's world cup finals, and now Uruguay are the first team to seal themselves a spot in the quarterfinals after beating 2002 semi-finalists, South Korea 2-1, in Jo'burg yesterday.

In lashing rain, the winners of Group A played the runners-up of Group B in what appears to be the "easier" half of the table. For large parts of the game, it looked like South Korea were actually going to make it through to the quarters, for only the second time in their history, and for the first time on foreign soil. Within 5 minutes, they had a shot from a free kick which just hit the post. Had that gone in, it would have surely changed the way that Uruguay played during the game.

Uruguay were content to defend and break on the counter, like many teams we have seen already in this tournament. That might work when you are facing teams with a weak defence, but will it really be the winning strategy against sides who are much better at defending? Take Greece vs. Argentina for example - the Greeks operated in much the same way as the Uruguayans, but were undone in the end for failing to go forward, on the counter and break down the Argentinian defence. They refused to change their system, and ultimately said goodbye to the competition.

Fortunately for the Uruguayans, South Korea's defence was not in the best of shapes. This allowed them to score their first goal on the counter. It was the combination of Forlan and Suarez that again was responsible for taking Uruguay into the lead. Forlan stroked a low ball in across the face of goal, which was totally misjudged by the Korean keeper, Jung-Song Ryong who just watched as Suarez, who had taken a gamble, swept in to meet the goal and simply tap it into the net.

From then on though, all the pressing came from South Korea, with Monaco's Park Chu-Young getting the Asian side's best chances of the game, and being unlucky not to level the scores. With the score still at 1-0, and with Uruguay sitting on the back foot, it looked like the opportunity was there for South Korea to score one as they had the most possession and most of the play was in their opponent's half.

They got their break with 68 minutes on the clock, when Lee Chung-Yong capitalised on some indecisive goalkeeping by Muslera to nod in at the near post. Most of the goals S. Korea have scored in this tournament have come indirectly from deadball situations and this was no different. Victorino's attempted clearance could only fall to the Bolton player who did not miss from 8 yards out. The keeper should have done much better, as he failed to make any connection with the ball. I've said it before and I'll say it again - if the keeper is going to make that decision to come out of his posts, he needs to be certain that he's going to get there.

Looking as though the game was going to go to extra time, and possibly penalties, a great piece of fabulous individual skill from the potent Suarez was enough to give Uruguay the win they needed to advance further in the competition. The Ajax forward was on hand to receive the ball just inside the box, as it was swung in from the corner. He controlled it magnificently before swirling in a peach of a shot which hit the inside of the post and found its way in past a bemused and stunned Jung-Song Ryong who could only watch in shock. The bend on that ball was absolutely amazing, and it is definitely up as a contender for goal of the tournament.

The second goal was enough for Uruguay, as the South Koreans were unable to find a response, after only being level for 12 minutes. S. Korea were not creative enough in coming forward and breaking down the Uruguayan defence, and the South Americans were able to hold on to the ball without any real danger present. The only real shot on goal to level the game once more, came from ex-Boro player Lee Dong Gook, who during his time at the Riverside, had failed to score a single goal in the PL, and it was clear why. His shot was far too tame to test the keeper, and he should have done much better after finding himself in a good amount of space and with the keeper hesitating.

Uruguay's defensive strategy was enough to see them past a South Korean side, that should, in all honesty, have been far more clinical with their chances, but the question remains as to whether the team that won the first ever world cup, way back in 1938, will have enough left in the locker to undo sides who will not squander as many chances as South Korea did.

France Waves Adieu and Bafana Bafana Go Out Singing...

Well, we knew that it was going to be difficult for either France or South Africa to qualify. Their fate was out of their hands, and it was all down to the final result in the other game between Uruguay and Mexico. If that game played out to a draw, then neither France nor South Africa stood a chance. But if, and only if, either France or SA could get a win with a significant number of goals, to better Mexico's goal difference, then either one of the two sides would be through.

For France, well let's just say it was quite an eventful weekend for them, coming into yesterday's game. To be honest it's been quite an eventful tournament for them, just not where it matters most i.e. the pitch. Controversy off the pitch has shrouded the French team since they arrived in SA and hasn't done them any favours, after they could only pick up one point out of 6 before the clash with the hosts. Before, we go on about the game any further, I think it wise to sidetrack ourselves with this whole French fiasco, because it clearly took over all the preparations leading up to this vital game.

So Anelka got sent home because of a foul-mouthed tirade launched against the boss, in their game against Mexico at half time. This was why he was substituted apparently. But, according to the French camp and Domenech, it wasn't as bad as it has been made out to be, it wouldn't have gotten as out of hand as it did had Anelka just apologised and it wouldn't have been blown up out of proportion as it did, had the media not got wind of it. Sometimes, I think that the media, have a lot to account for. Apparently, there is someone in the French camp, that is a "traitor" - a "mole" who has been leaking the private goings-on, like this whole Anelka thing, to the press, who have taken it and squeezed out every last bit of juicy gossip they could. Surely, the media from one's own country, should be respecting their team and giving them the opportunity to advance as much as it can in the competition, without the added stress and pressure of private, internal affairs being laid out for all and sundry to see. Yes there's freedom of speech, but when it will damage a team, that has been preparing for the final matches, and are about to go into a game, which they need to win, surely this bit of juicy gossip can wait?

Had it not been for the media exploding on to the scene, Anelka might not have actually been sent home. He might have been "rested" against SA, but the French team may have wanted to keep the whole story under wraps, until they were back home. That wouldn't have resulted in the player's boycott of their training session, which in my opinion, was not only selfish but thoughtless too. I mean, they are about to play in their last game in the World Cup, they still have a chance to qualify, it might be small, but it's a chance nonetheless, and yet the players are acting as though they have already been dumped out of the competition and have seemed to have forgotten, that they are there for their nation, not for themselves.

The fact that Raymond Domenech could not talk them out of their "mutiny" and force them to train, probably highlights his relation to the team, the lack of respect and his own inabilities to control and "manage" the side. The players, from the way they were acting, seem to have their own way of managing the team, and whilst trying to make a point, inadvertently succeeded in not only displaying the magnanimous cracks within the team, but also in alienating their own fans and supporters, who according to the papers, were disgusted with their team's pathetic and "child-like" behaviour. The fight that Evra had with the fitness trainer and then the FFF's vice-president's resignation just typifies what many supporters see as the big-headedness of the French team. They see the players as largely overpaid buffoons who have no respect for the management, and who have no desire, ambition or passion to be playing in this world cup.

I, like many, don't understand what was going through the player's head at the time. Yes, they wanted to show solidarity, but ironically reports began to emerge of some players not happy with the boycott, and again, of the players and the coach being on two different planets and heading in completely opposite directions. Surely, the players should have put aside their differences, in place of the national interest and fought for their pride. They are supposed to be professionals after all and they had one shot still left to go through...it wasn't an impossible feat by any means. Even though they resumed training the following day, the cracks in the French team weren't going away, and surely the whole debacle of the previous days, would have remained in the player's minds and effected their mentality coming into the final game. Psychologically, they would have been ready to give up and just go home, before the game even got underway against Bafana Bafana.

The South Africans, on the other hand, would have been relishing the prospect of capitalising on a weakened French side, and making their supporters proud, by trying to get through to the last 16 stage. The stadium in Bloemfontein was packed to the rafters with swarms of yellow and green supporters, keeping an eager eye on the other match, which was happening at the same time. Bafana Bafana were a sharp contrast to their French counterparts in the tunnel - singing, dancing and generally enjoying the buzz from the crowd as they prepared to do battle. The French, on the other hand, were a largely changed side, from the ones we had seen on the two previous occasions, with plenty of new faces coming in. You wouldn't be surprised to hear that it wasn't down to injury worries or suspensions or anything else, but down to the events that had dominated the French preparations beforehand.

Evra, Henry, Malouda, Abidal and Govou all found themselves a place on the bench. In their place, on came, Clichy, Squillaci, Cisse and captain for the day, Alou Diarra. It was a controversial decision to leave their best players on the pitch - I didn't understand it. I mean I know what has gone on, but when you still have a chance, why would you make it harder for yourself? It was almost as though Domenech had forgotten his side did still have a chance. He probably thought it would be easier for him to manage the players on the pitch, than those watching from the bench. A further example of his ineffective managing abilities perhaps?

South Africa had to replace their keeper after Khune was sent off in the game against Uruguay, and also made some changes to their squad, determined to end the group stages on a high. And it took them just 20 minutes to take advantage of some poor keeping by Hugo Lloris, when a corner was swept in from his left. He swung at air rather than at the ball, allowing Khumalo a free shot at goal. He didn't need asking twice and suddenly the South African supporters were bellowing down their vuvuzelas sensing an upset could be on the cards here. With the other game still on level terms though, the South Africans were praying for some help from Uruguay.

However, they tried to make things as easy as possible for themselves by doubling their advantage, just before half time. For the French on the other hand, as if things couldn't get any worse, they did when Yoann Gourcuff was sent off for what looked like a high elbow in the box. It was a really harsh decision by the referee, but pretty much summed up a dismal tournament for the French where nothing has gone right for them. South Africa's goal came as a result of some poor defending, when the French lost the ball in their own area, giving Mphela the chance to bundle it home. South Africa were 2-0 up, the vuvuzelas had a life of their own, and the crowd began to believe that qualification was within touching distance. Add to that the fact that Suarez had just scored for Uruguay, against Mexico and things were looking decidedly more rosy for the hosts. They just needed a few more goals, or to hope that Uruguay scored one or two more...

Except it was France that finally got their first goal of the tournament, pretty much ending Bafana Bafana's hopes. South Africa's Mphela had several chances in front of goal, but they were saved well by Lloris. Mphela's closest chance came soon after the restart, when he just clipped the post and missed. It was a largely frustrating second half for the fans and the team and as the second half wore on Bafana Bafana became more and more desperate, shooting from range and not really getting anywhere. With elimination looming, Domenech sent on Malouda for Gignac, and finally gave Henry some playing time...not that it came to much. France were easily able to go forward whilst SA did the same at the other end, exploiting SA's weak defence, to score a goal, that came far too late to be of any relevance. It was an easy goal for Malouda to score in the end, after some good play by Sagna and Ribery and it was the only thing able to completely silence the vuvuzelas.

France were able to see out the game without conceding any more and they, along with the hosts, were subsequently ousted from the competition. So then came the end of Domenech's era as manager of the French side and instead of bowing out gracefully, he was keen to end it on one last controversial moment, by refusing to shake the hands of SA coach Parreira. Domenech spent 5 minutes trying to explain why he didn't want to shake it with all cameras pointed at him, when it would have been easier for him to have spent half a second just shaking the man's hand and being a gracious loser. It kind of summed up everything about this French team in a way. In this tournament, we saw the good, the bad and the ugly. The good thing about them? Well, they made everyone else look much better. The bad: well that was their football on the pitch...and the ugly? Well, I think that one's pretty obvious. It will no doubt be remembered as a shameful era in French football and one which French fans will want to wipe from their memories as soon as possible. Everyone knows that in football, it is often the failures that you're remembered for, not the successes and Domenech, who took the team to the finals in 2006, will probably be remembered for everything that went wrong in this illustrious crop of world class footballers.

It's a sad time for French football...

But for the Irish, well, they will see it as karma and will be bending over backwards laughing at this French "team" that cheated the Irish to get to the finals...and self-destructed when they got there...

Fantastic Forlan Fires Two Past Bafana Bafana!

Bafana Bafana kicked off the second set of group games against fellow Group A opponents Uruguay in Pretoria last night. What made the game even more significant was the fact that it was actually a bank holiday in SA yesterday marking the anniversary of the Soweto uprising. This meant the streets were packed with green and gold supporters, all hoping for another upset against the team from South America. After a shock victory for the unfancied Swiss against one of the favourites Spain, Uruguay, also known as the Switzerland of Latin America, were hoping to replicate the real Switzerland's triumph from earlier in the day.

The stadium was packed to the rafters on what was a chilly night in Tshwane. As the South Africans began to gear up in the tunnel, by singing an old mining song that I've been hearing a lot lately, you could feel the sense of anticipation welling up in the stadium. South Africans are not stupid, they know that their team is not the best out there and realistically probably won't go all the way, but they have hope, faith and belief in their side. South Africans want their team to do well and many were predicting a 2-1 win last night. Unfortunately for Bafana Bafana and their fans, the vuvuzelas were silenced by the feet of one man: Diego Forlan.

Uruguay were a completely different side to the one we saw against France on Friday night. They were more adventurous going forward, they were able to create space and more importantly chances and were not perturbed by the raucous din that filled the Loftus Versveld stadium, a stadium in which previously, South Africa have remained unbeaten. Uruguay were able to take control and assumed the ascendancy as the first half wore on, largely thanks to former Man U forward, Diego Forlan. Forlan was playing just behind the two centre forwards, Suarez and Cavani - not his normal playing position but it was one that suited him well. Everywhere you looked, you saw Forlan. Seriously, he was all over the pitch - he was back there defending, down the wings, creating magic in the middle and going forward too. It really was him at the centre of virtually everything and SA were unable to find a way to contain the striker who has had so much success this season with Atletico Madrid.

And so it was Forlan, (who else?) that scored the first goal. Now this goal was something else! A right screamer of a shot. He got the ball 30 yards out, SA failed to close him down, he decided to take a shot from distance and it got a little deflection of Aaron Mokoena's head and landed sweetly into the back of the net, dipping at just the right time. I know people have been saying that the Jabulani is a difficult ball to control, but that was as sweet a control as I've seen in this tournament so far.

SA were unable to create much going forward. They were being run off the ball far too easily and didn't provide much of a threat to Muslera's goal. Tshabalala kept trying to shoot from distance, as he had done in the opening game, but was unable to find the back of the net this time. It was difficult for them to make any chances, and the ones they got, were often wasted by shooting from really far out, not really troubling Uruguay at all.

The second half was much the same, with yet more positive play by Uruguay. They had their chances too, but could not extend their lead. Suarez, who came into this tournament, on the back of a great goalscoring season with Ajax could not get himself a goal here against the hosts. His strike partner Cavani also missed some great chances. It was not until the 80 minute mark that they were given the opportunity to go 2-0 up. Suarez had run straight clear on goal and was brought down by the unfortunate South African keeper Khune, who had made some great stops against Mexico. Khune was subsequently red carded and replaced by SA's reserve keeper, Josephs. Pienaar was the one who had to make way. It took a while for Josephs to ready himself, before being thrown into immediate action as Forlan stepped up to take the penalty kick. Despite the wait, Forlan was able to smash the ball into the back of the net, with Josephs unable to keep it even though he dived the right way.

Although they were down to 10 men, SA actually saw most of the ball in the closing minutes but were unable to fashion any chances to get what seemed an unlikely draw. As they pushed forward to try and score, they were ultimately left open at the back, allowing Uruguay to score their third goal and thus kill the game off completely. It was Forlan again who orchestrated the move, passing to Suarez, who crossed the ball to Alvaro Perreira to head the ball in, deep into extra time.

For Bafana Bafana, it was a disappointing game which saw many supporters leaving once they were 2-0 down. It's clear to see that the country has high hopes and expectations for its team to do well as it's on home soil. And why not? I mean, they may not be the best team in the tournament, but South Korea were able to reach the semi-finals when they hosted it in 2002. However, their aim to qualify for the last 16 will be made much harder by the fact that they will be without Khune and also defender Dikgacoi, who got his second yellow card of the tournament, in their final group game. They will be coming up against 2006 finalists France, who play Mexico in the other Group A game this evening. SA will desperately try to conjure up the spirit of '95 when as total rank outsiders, François Pienaar and his rugby team were able to win the Rugby World Cup on home turf. Will this spirit be enough to get them through though? For Uruguay however, their dream of qualifying to the last 16 is definitely within touching distance...

Les Bleus draw a 'blanc'...

A massively disappointing start for the finalists of 2006 who could only manage a 0-0 draw with the winners of the first ever world cup tournament, Uruguay. Following the earlier 1-1 draw between SA and Mexico, the game was a good chance for either side to press home some advantage in Group A and get an early lead. However, things were not going to plan for the French, even before the game kicked off.

Rumours were rife that there was a great deal of discontent amongst the French camp before the game got underway regarding the appointment of Patrice Evra as the new captain. Furthermore, there were reports that a training ground row between the coach, Raymond Domenech and the much improved and on form, Florent Malouda was the reason behind Domenech's strange decision to leave him on the bench.

Domenech employed a 4-4-3 system with Anelka playing up front as the lone striker, and it was clear that this system did not suit them as they failed to create enough chances and build up any kind of tempo. The game was slow, uninspiring and not at all like the first game that had been played in the afternoon. It was so frustrating to watch France play: individually they have some great players but they just did not seem to be able to work together and fashion good enough chances. The only real glimpse at goal came from some good work by Ribery on the left who managed to get a through ball to Govou who missed from close range. Uruguay's Diego Forlan had their best chance in the first half but it was saved well by Hugo Lloris. Abou Diaby was probably France's best player of the first half. He was the only one willing to run at defenders and stand his ground whilst pushing forward to create something. Unfortunately, there was just no one else in the final third to finish off anything he was creating. Yoann Gourcuff had some pretty decent chances with some set pieces but ultimately they didn't amount to anything.

Things didn't improve much in the second half either. The game became very flat, the tempo was slow and the players had no spark or creativity about them. You couldn't help but feel disappointed and frustrated with them. It just made you wanna shout at the screen and urge them on to do something, anything that would give this game some life. Domenech eventually brought on Malouda for Gourcuff and later took Anelka off for Henry. But it was too little too late. Not only were his substitutions made way too late in the second half but they were of little effect. The shape obviously wasn't working against Uruguay because both teams were playing counter attacking football, which meant that there weren't many options available in the final third. However, Domenech made a like for like change with Anelka and Henry and didn't alter the formation proving even more frustrating for the watching spectators. He should have changed to 4-4-2 and kept Anelka on, to play alongside Henry. More chances may have been created that way.

Things livened up with the first red card of the tournament handed to Uruguay's Lodeiro, after a second bookable offence. With 10 minutes to go, France had a one man advantage but just failed to press it home. You would have thought that they would fancy their chances and push forward, but instead they didn't really change the way they were playing much to the annoyance of their fans. Henry had a great chance to win the game with a header that went just pass the goal. Out of favour, Henry also had a chance to nick a goal with a free kick deep into injury time, but it just hit the wall. I think that just about summed up a poor game for France and a good point for Uruguay. Following the match, the French media berated Domenech for his decision to leave Malouda on the bench and start with Govou, and his credentials as manager were once again put under scrutiny. There was also much talk about the spirit and mentality of the French players, who on the basis of last night, seemed to want to be anywhere but on that pitch. A disappointing end to what had been a lively and impressive start to the tournament.