2010 FIFA World Cup, Event effects, Economy
FIFA president Sepp Blatter declared the event "a huge financial success for everybody, for Africa, for South Africa and for FIFA," with revenue to FIFA of £2.24 billion (€2 billion).


2010 FIFA World Cup, Event effects, Quality
In a December 2010 Quality Progress, FIFA President Blatter rated South Africa's organisational efforts a nine out of 10 scale, declaring that South Africa could be considered a plan B for all future competitions. The South African Quality Institute (SAQI) assisted in facility construction, event promotion, and organisations. The main issue listed in the article was lack of sufficient public transportation.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Broadcasting
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was expected to be the most-watched television event in history. Hundreds of broadcasters, representing about 70 countries, transmitted the Cup to a TV audience that FIFA officials expect to exceed a cumulative 26 billion people, an average of approximately 400 million viewers per match. FIFA estimated that around 700 million viewers would watch the World Cup final.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Broadcasting
New forms of digital media have also allowed viewers to watch coverage through alternative means. "With games airing live on cell phones and computers, the World Cup will get more online coverage than any major sporting event yet," said Jake Coyle of the Associated Press.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Broadcasting
In the United States, ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 averaged a 2.1 rating, 2,288,000 households and 3,261,000 viewers for the 64 World Cup games. The rating was up 31 percent from a 1.6 in 2006, while households increased 32 percent from 1,735,000 and viewers rose from 2,316,000. The increases had been higher while the US remained in the tournament. Through the first 50 games, the rating was up 48 percent, households increased 54 percent and viewers rose 60 percent. Univision averaged 2,624,000 viewers for the tournament, up 17 percent, and 1,625,000 households, an increase of 11 percent.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Broadcasting
An executive of the Nielsen Company, a leading audience research firm in the US, described the aggregate numbers for both networks' coverage of the match between the United States and Ghana as "phenomenal". Live World Cup streaming on ESPN3.com pulled in some of the largest audiences in history, as 7.4 million unique viewers tuned in for matches. In total, ESPN3.com generated 942 million minutes of viewing or more than two hours per unique viewer. All 64 live matches were viewed by an average of 114,000 persons per minute. Most impressive were the numbers for the semi-final between Spain and Germany, which was viewed by 355,000 people per minute, making it ESPN3.com's largest average audience ever.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Filming
Sony technology was used to film the tournament. 25 of the matches were captured using 3D cameras. Footage was captured in 3D through Sony's proprietary multi-image MPE-200 processors, housed in specially designed 3D outside broadcast trucks. It supplied its flagship HDC-1500 cameras as well as its new HDC-P1 unit, a compact, point-of-view (POV)-type camera with 3, 2/3-inch CCD sensors. The 3D games were produced for FIFA by Host Broadcast Services.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Video games
In PlayStation Home, Sony has released a virtual space based on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in the Japanese version of Home on 3 December 2009. This virtual space is called the "FevaArena" and is a virtual stadium of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, featuring different areas for events, a FIFA mini-game, and a shop with FIFA related content.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, Video games
On 27 April 2010, EA Sports released the official 2010 World Cup video game.


2010 FIFA World Cup, Media, FIFA Fan Fest
FIFA expanded the FIFA Fan Fest, hosting in Sydney, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City, as well as several venues around South Africa. The Durban Fan Fest was the most popular in South Africa during the tournament followed by the Cape Town Fan Fest.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was the final match of the 2010 World Cup, the 19th edition of FIFA's competition for national football teams. The match was played at the Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 11 July 2010, and was contested by the Netherlands and Spain. The event comprised hosts South Africa and 31 other teams who emerged from the qualification phase, organised by the six FIFA confederations. The 32 teams competed in a group stage, from which 16 teams qualified for the knockout stage.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final
En route to the final, the Netherlands finished first in Group E, with three wins, after which they defeated Slovakia in the round of 16, Brazil in the quarter-final and Uruguay in the semi-final. Spain finished top of Group H with two wins and one loss, before defeating Portugal in the round of 16, Paraguay in the quarter-final and Germany in the semi-final. The final took place in front of 84,490 supporters, with more than 900 million watching on television, and was refereed by Howard Webb from England.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final
In the final, Spain defeated the Netherlands national football 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time. It was marked by an unusually high number of yellow cards.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final
With both the Netherlands and Spain attempting to win their first FIFA World Cup, the 2010 final became the sixth final to be contested between non-former champions after 1930, 1934, 1954, 1958 and 1978. The Netherlands had been beaten in the final in 1974 and 1978, while Spain's best performance had been fourth place in 1950. It was the second consecutive all-European final and marked the first time a European team won the trophy outside Europe.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Background
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup, FIFA's football competition for national teams, held between 11 June and 11 July 2010 in Brazil. South Africa qualified for the finals automatically as tournament hosts, while 205 teams competed for the remaining 31 spots through qualifying rounds organised by the six FIFA confederations and held between August 2007 and November 2009. In the finals, the teams were divided into eight groups of four with each team playing each other once. The two top teams from each group advanced to a knock-out phase. The defending champions from the 2006 World Cup were Italy.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Background
The match ball for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, revealed on 20 April 2010, was the Jo'bulani, a gold version of the Adidas Jabulani ball used for every other match in the tournament. The name of the ball is a reference to "Jo'burg", a common nickname for Johannesburg, the match venue. The gold colouring of the ball mirrors the colour of the FIFA World Cup Trophy and also echoes another of Johannesburg's nicknames: "the City of Gold". The Jo'bulani is the second ball to be specifically produced for the FIFA World Cup Final, after the Teamgeist Berlin was used for the 2006 final.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Finalists
Before this game, the Netherlands and Spain had never met each other in the main tournament stages of either a World Cup or a European Championship, the two major tournaments for European international teams. In all-time head-to-head results, the teams had met nine times previously since 1920, winning four games each and drawing once, in either friendlies, European Championship qualifying games, and once in the 1920 Summer Olympics.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Finalists
It was the first time since the 1978 final that neither of the finalists had previously won the World Cup. The Netherlands were runners-up twice before, losing 2–1 to West Germany in 1974, and 3–1 (after extra time) to Argentina in 1978. Reaching the 2010 final was Spain's best performance in the World Cup, having previously finished fourth in 1950 when the tournament had a round-robin final stage, and the quarter-finals stage in 1934, 1986, 1994 and 2002, when single elimination knock-out stages featured.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Finalists
Spain became the 12th different country to play in a World Cup Final, and first new team since France in 1998. The Netherlands played in its third final without a win, surpassing the record it had shared with Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Overall, Germany leads with four final losses. It was the first World Cup final not to feature at least one of Brazil, Italy, Germany or Argentina. Spain became just the eighth country to win the World Cup, joining England and France as nations who have won it just once as of 2010. Spain were the latest new World Champions since France's win in 1998, and they also became the first new winners to win outside their home country since Brazil in 1958 and also the first European team to win outside their own continent.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Finalists
Before the match Spain had an Elo rating of 2111 points and the Netherlands a rating of 2100 points. Thus, the finalists combined for 4211 points, the highest for any international football match ever played, beating the previous record of 4161 combined points for the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final in Switzerland between Hungary and West Germany.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
The Netherlands entered the World Cup having won all eight matches in their qualifying campaign. They were drawn in Group G for the World Cup, in which they were joined by Cameroon, Denmark and Japan. Their first match was against Denmark at Soccer City, on 14 June 2010. The Netherlands took the lead shortly after half-time when Denmark's Simon Poulsen cleared a cross from Robin van Persie, but it struck the back of Daniel Agger and deflected in for an own goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
Dirk Kuyt added a second five minutes before the end to complete a 2–0 win, firing home the ball on the rebound after Thomas Sørensen, the Danish goalkeeper had saved Eljero Elia's shot on to the goalpost. The Netherlands faced Japan in their second game, on 19 June at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. As in the first game, they scored the opening goal shortly after half-time when Wesley Sneijder received a Japanese clearance on the edge of the penalty area and struck the ball into the goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
The win meant that the Netherlands had already qualified for the next round before playing their final group game. That game was against Cameroon, on 24 June at Cape Town Stadium. Van Persie gave them the lead on 36 minutes, before Samuel Eto'o equalised with a penalty after Van der Vaart was penalised for a handball in the penalty area. Klaas Jan Huntelaar scored a late goal, however, to seal a 2–1 win and first place in the group.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
The Netherlands' round-of-16 game was against Slovakia, who had beaten Italy in their final group game, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on 28 June. Arjen Robben started his first game of the tournament after recovering from an injury, and he opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a low shot past the goalkeeper following a long pass upfield by Sneijder. Sneijder then added a second in the 84th minute before Slovakia scored a penalty in the final minute of injury time, giving a final score of 2–1 to the Netherlands.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
In the quarter-final, the Netherlands faced five-times champions Brazil, on 2 July at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. Brazil took the lead in the 10th minute, when Robinho latched on to a deep pass from Felipe Melo and scored. Goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg had to make several saves to prevent Brazil extending their lead. The Netherlands then equalised eight minutes after half-time, the goal being initially recorded as an own goal by Melo but later credited to Sneijder.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
The Netherlands then took the lead from a Robben corner kick in the 68th minute, Sneijder heading the ball in after a flick-on from Kuyt. Melo was sent off for a stamp on Robben, and the Netherlands went on to complete a 2–1 win. Their semi-final was against Uruguay at Cape Town Stadium on 6 July. Giovanni van Bronckhorst gave the Netherlands the lead on 18 minutes with a shot which deflected in off the goalpost, before Diego Forlan equalised from long-range for Uruguay shortly before half time.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, The Netherlands
The Netherlands retook the lead on 70 minutes when Sneijder scored with a shot which deflected off defender Maxi Pereira. Uruguay's players protested that van Persie had been interfering with play in an offside position, but the goal stood. Robben extended their lead with a header shortly afterwards, before Pereira scored during injury time to give a final score of 3–2 to the Netherlands.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Like the Netherlands, Spain also won all of the matches in their qualifying campaign. They were drawn in Group H, alongside Chile, Honduras and Switzerland. Spain began their campaign on 16 June 2010 in the Moses Mabhida Stadium against Switzerland. In what Daily Telegraph reporter Jeremy Wilson described as "among the bigger shocks in the competition's entire history", Switzerland won the game 1–0 with Gelson Fernandes scoring the winner in the second half after teammate Eren Derdiyok had collided with Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas when through on goal. Their second game was at Johannesburg's Ellis Park Stadium, against Honduras.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
David Villa opened the scoring on 17 minutes when he beat two defenders and hit a shot into the top corner of the goal. He doubled the lead shortly after half time with a shot from the edge of the penalty area following a one-two with Xavi. Villa missed the chance for a hat-trick when his 60th-minute penalty went wide of the goalpost, and the game finished 2–0 to Spain. Spain entered their final game against Chile, at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on 25 June, needing a win to guarantee their progression to the knockout stage.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Villa gave Spain the lead on 24 minutes, with what The Guardian's Rob Smyth dewscribed as "the goal of the World Cup so far", scoring from a distance of 40 yards (37 m) on the left of the pitch, picking up a loose ball after Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo had come out of the penalty area to tackle Fernando Torres. They doubled their lead on 37 minutes when Andrés Iniesta scored following a pass from Villa.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Chile's Marco Estrada was sent off for a second yellow card when the referee judged that he had fouled Torres in the build-up to the goal. Rodrigo Millar pulled a goal back for Chile after half time, but Spain held on for a 2–1 and a place in the next round as group winners.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Spain's round-of-16 game was against Portugal at the Cape Town Stadium, on 29 June. Both teams had chances to score in the first half, but it was Spain who took the lead on 63 minutes when Xavi found Villa with a back-heeled pass, with Villa scoring into the top of the goal after his initial shot was saved by Portuguese goalkeeper Eduardo Carvalho. Portugal's Ricardo Costa was sent off with two minutes remaining, for elbowing Joan Capdevila, and Spain went on to complete a 1–0 victory. In the quarter-final, Spain faced Paraguay at Ellis Park Stadium on 3 July.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Paraguay put the ball into the goal shortly half-time, but the goal did not stand as Oscar Cardozo was ruled offside. Paraguay were awarded a penalty on 57 minutes, taken by Cardozo after Gerard Piqué had fouled him, but it was saved by Casillas. Two minutes later, Spain were awarded a penalty of their own when Antolín Alcaraz fouled Villa. Xabi Alonso put the ball past the goalkeeper into the net, but the referee ordered it to be retaken due to Spanish players being inside the penalty area when the penalty was taken.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Route to the final, Spain
Alonso's second attempt, the third penalty of the match, was saved by goalkeeper Justo Villar, and the score remained 0–0. The deadlock was finally broken by Villa, who scored a goal on 82 minutes, which bounced off both posts before going in, to give Spain a 1–0 win. Their semi-final match took place on 7 July against Germany at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. For the third successive game, Spain won 1–0, the winner a headed goal by Carles Puyol. Kevin McCarra of the The Guardian commented afterwards that these results did not imply that Spain were "grinding out" results, however. He said that their play was "enjoyable as well as masterful".


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Squads
At the time of the final, all but three members of the Spanish squad played for clubs in Spain, with six of the starters playing for Barcelona; three playing for Real Madrid, one for Valencia, and one for Villarreal. The Netherlands squad drew its players from clubs in five European countries, with just nine based in the Netherlands; six played in Germany, five in England, two in Italy and one in Spain.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match officials
The referee for the final was Howard Webb, representing The Football Association of England. He was assisted by fellow Englishmen Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey. Webb was the first Englishman to referee a World Cup final since Jack Taylor officiated the 1974 final between the Netherlands and West Germany.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match officials
A police officer from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 38-year-old Webb is one of the English Select Group Referees, and has officiated Premier League matches since 2003. He was appointed to the FIFA list of international match referees in 2005, and before the World Cup, he had taken charge of the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final and the 2009 FA Cup Final.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match officials
At the 2010 World Cup, Webb refereed three games, all with Cann and Mullarkey as his assistants. In the group stage, he refereed the Spain–Switzerland and Slovakia–Italy games, and then took charge of the Brazil–Chile match in the Round of 16. In those three games, he never showed a red card or awarded a penalty, but he did issue the second highest number of yellow cards in the tournament, an average of 5.67 bookings per game.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match officials
With fourteen yellow cards in the final (one red card to John Heitinga – twice yellow), he easily broke the previous record of six for most cards in a World Cup final, set in 1986. Nine of these Final yellow cards came in the first 90 minutes. Webb's total of 31 yellow cards throughout the tournament came to an average of 7.75 per game.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match officials
Yuichi Nishimura and Toru Sagara, both from Japan, were the fourth and fifth officials respectively.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The final was played on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City, Johannesburg. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0, after an extra time goal by Andrés Iniesta. The win gave Spain its first World Cup title. It was the first time since England in 1966 that the winners of the final wore their second-choice strip.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The match had the most yellow cards awarded in a World Cup final, more than doubling the previous record for a final, set when Argentina and West Germany shared six cards in 1986. Fourteen yellow cards were awarded (nine for the Netherlands and five for Spain), and John Heitinga of the Netherlands was sent off for receiving a second yellow card in 109th minute.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
One yellow card was for Nigel de Jong's studs-up kick to the chest of Xabi Alonso during the first half (28th minute), for which Rob Hughes of The New York Times, among others, believed the referee should have given a red card. The referee, Howard Webb, later said after reviewing the foul that it should have been a red card, but that his view during play was partially obstructed.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The Netherlands had several chances to score, most notably in the 62nd minute when Arjen Robben was released by Wesley Sneijder putting him one-on-one with Spain's goalkeeper Iker Casillas, but Casillas pushed the shot wide with an outstretched leg. Meanwhile, for Spain, Sergio Ramos missed a free header from a corner kick when he was unmarked.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Dutch captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst was substituted in the 105th minute by Edson Braafheid; Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who had come on as a substitute in the 99th minute for Nigel de Jong, took over as captain for the last 15 minutes. From the 109th minute, the Dutch played with 10 men due to Heitinga's second yellow card.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
With a penalty shootout seeming inevitable, Jesús Navas sprinted into opposing territory and began a series of passes that led to Iniesta finally breaking the deadlock four minutes before the end of extra time, scoring with a right footed half-volleyed shot low to the goalkeeper's right after receiving a pass from Cesc Fàbregas on the right of the penalty area.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Just before the goal was scored, the Dutch team had a free kick that hit the wall (apparently taking a deflection off Fàbregas) before going out. Despite the deflection, which should have given possession and a corner kick to the Dutch team, a goal kick was given to the Spanish, starting the play that led to the winning goal. The Dutch, however, momentarily had possession of the ball near the Spanish penalty area in between the goal kick and Iniesta's goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Joris Mathijsen was yellow-carded for his strong protests to the referee after the goal, and other Dutch players criticised Webb for this decision after the match. Iniesta was yellow-carded for the removal of his team shirt when celebrating his goal. Underneath he had a white vest with the handwritten message: "Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros" ("Dani Jarque, always with us").


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Match, Details
Assistant referees:Darren Cann (England)Michael Mullarkey (England)Fourth official:Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)Fifth official:Toru Sagara (Japan)


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
At the conclusion of the match, the Spanish team changed into their red-shirted home kit for the presentation. These shirts already had a star over the emblem, signifying Spain's World Cup victory. Spain had become the third side to win a World Cup final while playing in their away kit, which was navy blue. (Brazil in 1958 and England in 1966 were earlier winners who played in their away kit.) The Spanish formed a guard of honor for the defeated Dutch as they went up to the stands to receive their runner-up medals.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
Afterwards, the red-shirted Spaniards went up to receive their medals, led by Xavi. Spain captain Iker Casillas (who per tradition went last) was presented with the trophy by South African president Jacob Zuma and FIFA president Sepp Blatter; As Casillas raised the trophy, a short version of the tournament's official anthem "Sign of a Victory" was played.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
The day after the final, Johan Cruyff publicly criticised the Dutch team in El Periódico de Catalunya for having played "in a very dirty fashion", describing their contribution to the final as "ugly", "vulgar" and "anti-football". He added that the Dutch should have had two players sent off early in the match, and criticised referee Howard Webb for failing to dismiss them. The Associated Press was of the opinion that the Dutch had "turned far too often to dirty tactics".


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
The Dutch received nine yellow cards, compared with five yellow cards issued to Spain. Before the final, Webb was tied with Yuichi Nishimura of Japan for issuing the highest number of yellow cards (17). After the match some Dutch players, such as Robben, Stekelenburg, Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder, accused Webb of favouring the Spaniards, while in Switzerland's earlier defeat of Spain, Spain supporters accused Webb of favouring Switzerland. Other critics noted poor and missed calls on both teams. By the end of the tournament, the Dutch team had earned 22 yellow cards in its seven games, while Spain had earned only eight (the lowest of the four semi-finalists, with Germany and Uruguay having earned 13 each). Spain was awarded FIFA's Fair Play award after the final.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
Some English commentators, such as Sam Wallace, Graham Poll and Dermot Gallagher, have defended Webb. FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted Webb had a "very hard task" in the match. Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong stated that Webb, whom he knows from the Premier League, is not a bad referee, and admitted he was lucky not to have received a red card for his high challenge. Webb himself said, in a subsequent interview:


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
Having seen [the De Jong challenge] again from my armchair, I would red-card him. The trouble in the actual game was that I had a poor view of that particular incident.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Post-match
The Dutch team was welcomed back to Amsterdam by an estimated 200,000 supporters lining the banks of the canals, and team captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst and coach Bert van Marwijk were named Knights in the Order of Oranje-Nassau by Dutch Queen Beatrix. Further, there were also reports that noted the play-acting and fouls by some of the Spanish players. Renowned German footballer Franz Beckenbauer criticised both teams and Webb saying that the match was "lacking flow, [with] constant protests from the players and a referee who didn't have too much of an overview". There was negative and positive criticism following Spain's ball possession strategy in the World Cup final. While some maintained that it was effective, but "boring", others claimed it was "beautiful".


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
FIFA estimated that 910 million viewers worldwide watched at least part of the final.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
In Spain, the final attracted 15.6 million total Spanish viewers across three networks, which represents 86% share of the audience, becoming the highest rated TV broadcast in Spanish history. Spain’s previous record was set by the Euro 2008 quarter-final penalty shootout between Spain and Italy, which drew 14.1 million viewers.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
In the Netherlands, 12.2 million people watched the final on television, which is 74% of the total population of the country.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
In United States, World Cup television viewership rose 41 percent over 2006 final for English-language telecasts, with the final setting a record for a men's football game. The final in Johannesburg, which gave the Spanish their first World Cup title, was seen by 15,545,000 viewers on ABC, according to fast national ratings. The previous high was 14,863,000 viewers for the United States' 2–1 extra time loss to Ghana in the second round on 26 June. An additional 8.821 million viewers watched Spanish-language coverage on Univision, according to Nielsen Media Research, bringing the total to nearly 24.4 million.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
The final received an 8.1 rating on ABC, up 6 percent from the 7.7 for Italy's penalty-kicks win over France in the 2006 final. This was the fourth-highest rating for a men's World Cup game behind Brazil's penalty-kicks victory over Italy in the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl (9.5), Brazil's second-round victory over the U.S. in 1994 (9.3) and Ghana-U.S. match in 2010 (8.5).


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
Viewership for the final on Univision was up 49 percent from 5,903,000 for 2006. It was the third most-watched program on U.S. Spanish-language TV, trailing Argentina's win over Mexico on 27 June (9,405,000) and the finale of the telenovela "Destilando Amor (Essence of Love)" on 3 December 2007 (9,018,000).


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Broadcasting
In Canada, coverage of the final brought in unprecedented numbers of viewers. It attracted an average audience of 5.131 million to the CBC, with a peak of 7.664 million, according to BBM overnight measurements. Radio-Canada television drew 685,000 in French for a combined 5.816 million watchers, a number 105 per cent higher than the English and French broadcasts of the 2006 final brought in.


2010 FIFA World Cup Final, Notable spectators
The match was attended by members of both the Dutch and Spanish Royal Families. South African dignitaries and celebrities attending included Charlize Theron (actress), and Jacob Zuma (President of South Africa), while Nelson Mandela (former President of South Africa) made a brief appearance before the match wheeled in by motorcart. Spaniards Plácido Domingo, Rafael Nadal (tennis player) and Pau Gasol (basketball player) were in attendance to cheer on their team. Other international celebrities to attend the match included Jay-Jay Okocha and American actor Morgan Freeman (who played Mandela in the 2009 film Invictus).


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A
Group A of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 11 June and ended on 22 June 2010. The group consisted of host nation South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay and France.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A
France and South Africa previously met at the 1998 FIFA World Cup; France beat South Africa 3–0. France and Uruguay previously met at the 2002 FIFA World Cup; the match ended 0–0. France and Mexico were in the same group in the first tournament in the 1930 FIFA World Cup; the two nations played the first ever World Cup match, and France won 4–1. France and Mexico had also met in 1954 but neither team qualified for the next round. This is also the second time that France, Mexico, and Uruguay have been drawn in the same group with the host nation; they were grouped with England in 1966, when England and Uruguay advanced to the next round.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A
South Africa became the first World Cup host team to fail to advance past the first round after finishing behind Mexico on goal difference. France, despite having made the final in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, also failed to advance after drawing one and losing two matches.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, South Africa vs Mexico
South Africa vs Mexico was the opening match of the World Cup, held on 11 June 2010. It was described as an "enthralling" and "pulsating" match. South Africa opened the scoring in the 55th minute after Siphiwe Tshabalala scored off a pass through Mexico's defence by Kagiso Dikgacoi. Mexico's captain Rafael Márquez equalised following a corner kick in the 79th minute. In the final minutes of the match, Katlego Mphela almost scored a winning goal for South Africa, but his shot bounced off the post.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, South Africa vs Mexico
Tshabalala was named as the man of the match. South Africa's coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira called the result "fair", while Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre stated "we could have won, we could have lost".


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, South Africa vs Mexico
Assistant referees:Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Mu Yuxin (China)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, Uruguay vs France
France and Uruguay faced each other on 11 June 2010 at the Cape Town Stadium. Despite a red card being given to Uruguay substitute Nicolás Lodeiro in the second half, Uruguay were able to hold a "lacklustre" France to a 0–0 draw. After the match, former World Cup-winning French player Zinedine Zidane criticised the French team, and particularly coach Raymond Domenech, for a lack of teamwork. Domenech claimed after the match to be "happy with the overall performance".


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, Uruguay vs France
Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:William Torres (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, South Africa vs Uruguay
Uruguay took the lead in the 24th minute, when Diego Forlán launched a shot from 30 yards out that beat goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, who did not attempt to save the shot. In the second half, Luis Suárez was left through on goal, but he was brought down by Khune. Referee Massimo Busacca awarded a penalty, and showed Khune a red card. Deep into injury time, Uruguay scored their third goal when Álvaro Pereira tapped in a Suárez cross.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, South Africa vs Uruguay
Assistant referees:Matthias Arnet (Switzerland)Francesco Buragina (Switzerland)Fourth official:Wolfgang Stark (Germany)Fifth official:Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, France vs Mexico
Mexico's 2–0 victory over France in Polokwane was overshadowed by French striker Nicolas Anelka launching a tirade of abuse towards coach Raymond Domenech during the half-time interval. Anelka was subsequently dismissed from the squad, which resulted in many squad members, including captain Patrice Evra, boycotting training in the lead-up to the final group stage match against South Africa.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, France vs Mexico
Assistant referees:Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, Mexico vs Uruguay
Assistant referees:Gabor Eros (Hungary)Tibor Vamos (Hungary)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Stefan Wittberg (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group A, Matches, France vs South Africa
Assistant referees:Abraham González (Colombia)Humberto Clavijo (Colombia)Fourth official:Héctor Baldassi (Argentina)Fifth official:Ricardo Casas (Argentina)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B
Group B of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 31 June 2010. The group consisted of Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea and Greece.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B
In the 1986 World Cup, Argentina and South Korea were in the same Group A; Argentina won 3–1. In the 1994 World Cup, three of these teams (Argentina, Nigeria, and Greece) were in the same Group D along with Bulgaria. Nigeria, Argentina and Bulgaria qualified for the second round, where Nigeria and Argentina lost their next matches to Italy (2–1) and Romania (3–2), respectively, with Bulgaria reaching the semi-finals. In the 2002 World Cup, Argentina and Nigeria were both drawn into Group F; Argentina won 1–0, a result that was repeated in 2010. And Argentina and South Korea were advanced to the knockout stage.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, South Korea vs Greece
Korea took the lead after seven minutes, with Ki Sung-yong's free kick near the corner flag from the left being inadvertently flicked on by Kostas Katsouranis, before an onrushing Lee Jung-soo shot in the ball at the back post. Korea extended their lead through captain Park Ji-sung who tackled Loukas Vyntra and sprinted all the way to score with a low shot to the corner of the net. Korea held on to win 2–0.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, South Korea vs Greece
Assistant referees:Jan Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand)Tevita Makasini (Tonga)Fourth official:Martín Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Carlos Pastorino (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Argentina vs Nigeria
On six minutes, an unmarked Gabriel Heinze dived forward to head Juan Sebastián Verón's corner kick. Argentine Lionel Messi had numerous chances following that, but on each occasion Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was able to keep the margin down to one. Enyeama's saves earned him the man of the match award. Post-match, Argentine coach Diego Maradona said he was confident his side would perform well in the future.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Argentina vs Nigeria
Assistant referees:Jan-Hendrik Salver  (Germany)Mike Pickel  (Germany)Fourth official:Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Fifth official:Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Argentina vs South Korea
Argentina took the lead when Lionel Messi's free kick from the left was turned into the Korean goal by Korean player Park Chu-young. A free kick was awarded on the left, and Messi's cross was headed in by Gonzalo Higuaín. In first half injury time, Korea cut the deficit when Lee Chung-yong tackled Martín Demichelis to score. Two goals from Argentina in the second half sealed a 4–1 win. Messi's shot was first saved by goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong; his second shot hit the post before Higuaín shot the ball into an unguarded net. Higuaín completed his hat-trick by heading in a cross from substitute Sergio Agüero.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Argentina vs South Korea
Assistant referees:Peter Hermans (Belgium)Walter Vromans (Belgium)Fourth official:Jerome Damon (South Africa)Fifth official:Céléstin Ntagungira (Rwanda)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Greece vs Nigeria
Assistant referees:Abraham González (Colombia)Humberto Clavijo (Colombia)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:William Torres (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Nigeria vs South Korea
Assistant referees:José Cardinal (Portugal)Bertino Miranda (Portugal)Fourth official:Marco Antonio Rodríguez (Mexico)Fifth official:José Luis Camargo (Mexico)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group B, Matches, Greece vs Argentina
Assistant referees:Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C
Group C of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 12 June and ended on 23 June 2010. The group consisted of England, the United States, Algeria, and Slovenia. Only England and the United States had previously met at a World Cup: in 1950, when the United States defeated England 1–0.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C
The United States and England finished tied at the top of the group with five points each; their goal differences were also level at +1, but the United States won the group having scored more goals than England in their three games.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, England vs United States
England controlled the early part of the match and got off to a quick lead when an unmarked Steven Gerrard made a run into the box and beat United States goalkeeper Tim Howard in the fourth minute with the outside of his right foot. The United States levelled the game in the 40th minute when a seemingly harmless shot by Clint Dempsey was mishandled by England goalkeeper Robert Green and rolled into the net.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, England vs United States
The United States had a good opportunity to take the lead and pull off a surprise upset in the second half; striker Jozy Altidore muscled his way through the left side of the English defence and had a good attempt on goal, but Green deflected the shot against the crossbar. England also had a good opportunity to win the game when Emile Heskey fired straight at the goalkeeper in a one-on-one situation.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, England vs United States
Assistant referees:Altemir Hausmann (Brazil)Roberto Braatz (Brazil)Fourth official:Eddy Maillet (Seychelles)Fifth official:Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Algeria vs Slovenia
Assistant referees:Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Brent Best (New Zealand)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Slovenia vs United States
Once again the U.S. was outplayed early, as Valter Birsa netted for Slovenia from distance and Zlatan Ljubijankić extended the lead soon after to give them a 2–0 lead at half-time. In the 48th minute, Landon Donovan cut the lead in half for the United States when he dribbled into the Slovenian box and blasted a close-range shot over Samir Handanović into the roof of the net. The United States kept their hopes of advancement alive when they equalised in the 82nd minute.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Slovenia vs United States
Altidore placed a header into the Slovenian box that was run down by midfielder Michael Bradley, who lobbed the keeper to tie the game. A few minutes later, the United States looked as if they were going to complete their comeback when a Donovan free kick was volleyed in by substitute Maurice Edu; however, referee Koman Coulibaly disallowed the goal and the game ended in a 2–2 draw.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Slovenia vs United States
Assistant referees:Redouane Achik (Morocco)Inácio Cândido (Angola)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Jeffrey Gek Pheng (Singapore)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, England vs Algeria
Assistant referees:Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)Fourth official:Michael Hester (New Zealand)Fifth official:Jan Hendrik Hintz (New Zealand)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Slovenia vs England
Jermain Defoe's 23rd-minute goal allowed England to claim the win and progress to the knockout stage of the competition. After the goal, England created several more chances but were unable to add to their lead.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, Slovenia vs England
Assistant referees:Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)Mike Pickel (Germany)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:William Torres (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, United States vs Algeria
Early in the game, the United States nearly allowed another early goal as an Algerian shot hit the crossbar. Throughout the remainder of the game, the United States had a number of good chances against a solid Algerian defence that allowed just one goal from two games; striker Jozy Altidore volleyed wide of an open net, while Clint Dempsey had a goal disallowed for a controversial offside call and later hit the crossbar on a shot and missed an empty net on the rebound.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, United States vs Algeria
After 90 minutes of a scoreless affair, the United States were at risk of elimination: with England leading Slovenia 1–0, a 0–0 draw for the United States would have caused them to finish third in Group C on three points (behind England on five and Slovenia on four). However, in stoppage time, American goalkeeper Tim Howard quickly threw an outlet pass to Landon Donovan, who moved the ball up the pitch and passed the ball just outside the box to Altidore, who then crossed the ball to an open Dempsey in the middle of the box.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, United States vs Algeria
With the Algerian goalkeeper closing in, Dempsey shot quickly and was blocked; however, Donovan followed the shot and put the rebound into the net for an easy goal. The United States held on for the final few minutes for a 1–0 victory. The late goal not only saved the United States from elimination but also allowed them to win their group for the first time since 1930, advancing to play Ghana in the round of 16.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group C, Matches, United States vs Algeria
Assistant referees:Peter Hermans (Belgium)Walter Vromans (Belgium)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Mu Yuxin (China)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D
Group D of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 13 June and ended on 23 June 2010. The group consisted of Germany, Australia, Serbia and Ghana. Along with Group G, it was considered to be a group of death.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Serbia vs Ghana
Assistant referees:Ricardo Casas (Argentina)Hernán Maidana (Argentina)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Jeffrey Gek Pheng (Singapore)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Germany vs Australia
Assistant referees:José Luis Camargo (Mexico)Alberto Morín (Mexico)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Henrik Andrén (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Germany vs Serbia
Serbia went ahead in the 38th minute with a goal from winger Milan Jovanović. In the 59th minute, Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidić was booked for a handball in the penalty box, but the ensuing penalty kick from Lukas Podolski was saved by goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Germany vs Serbia
Assistant referees:Fermín Martínez (Spain)Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez (Spain)Fourth official:Martín Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Carlos Pastorino (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Ghana vs Australia
Assistant referees:Paolo Calcagno (Italy)Stefano Ayroldi (Italy)Fourth official:Carlos Simon (Brazil)Fifth official:Altemir Hausmann (Brazil)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Ghana vs Germany
Assistant referees:Altemir Hausmann (Brazil)Roberto Braatz (Brazil)Fourth official:Martín Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Carlos Pastorino (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group D, Matches, Australia vs Serbia
Assistant referees:Pablo Fandino (Uruguay)Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)Fourth official:Carlos Batres (Guatemala)Fifth official:Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E
Group E of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of the Netherlands, Denmark, Japan and Cameroon. None of these teams have previously met in a World Cup group stage.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E
Cameroon was the first team to be eliminated in the World Cup, following their 2–1 defeat by Denmark on 19 June 2010.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Denmark
Assistant referees:Eric Dansault (France)Laurent Ugo (France)Fourth official:Roberto Rosetti (Italy)Fifth official:Paolo Calcagno (Italy)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Japan vs Cameroon
Assistant referees:José Cardinal (Portugal)Bertino Miranda (Portugal)Fourth official:Óscar Ruiz (Colombia)Fifth official:Abraham González (Colombia)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Japan vs Cameroon
The win for Japan was their first World Cup win away from home soil, and it was also the first time Cameroon was defeated in a World Cup opening match.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Japan
The first clear chance of the game came from midfielder Wesley Sneijder when he shot over the bar from a long-range free-kick. When Japan broke up the Netherlands' passing, midfielder Daisuke Matsui was positive, helping a move that set Yuto Nagatomo up for a shot that he hit wide. The Netherlands became frustrated, as they struggled to incorporate forward Robin van Persie. Towards the end of the first half, Japan had two chances: defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka heading wide and Matsui with a powerful shot at the goalkeeper.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Japan
Throughout the second half, Van Persie managed to break free twice. In the 52 minute, as the ball came into the penalty area, the Dutch number 9 moved the ball towards Sneijder, who shot the ball powerfully towards the goal, scoring via a deflection from the goalkeeper, Eiji Kawashima. Substitute Shunsuke Nakamura later managed to make a cross into the six-yard box, which was cleared by Van Persie. Dutch substitute Eljero Elia, managed to set up Ibrahim Afellay with a one-on-one with goalkeeper Kawashima, but Kawashima prevented him from scoring a goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Japan
One minute before the end of the game, Shinji Okazaki missed a shot from 10 yards (9.1 m); shooting over the bar. Soon after this, Yuto Nagatomo went down in the penalty area claiming a penalty, from a challenge by Dutch Nigel de Jong, but the referee turned down his appeals.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Japan
The result was the Netherlands' second win in the competition, which meant that they would progress to the knockout stage if they did not lose their last match


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Netherlands vs Japan
Assistant referees:Ricardo Casas (Argentina)Hernan Maidana (Argentina)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Henrik Andrén (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Cameroon vs Denmark
Assistant referees:Pablo Fandino (Uruguay)Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Brent Best (New Zealand)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Denmark vs Japan
Japan opened the scoring in the 17th minute from a direct free kick taken by Keisuke Honda – only the second goal scored from a free kick in the tournament. Honda, standing to Danish keeper Thomas Sørensen's left, kicked the ball with great force; Sørensen initially moved to his left, and as the ball sailed past the wall, he shifted direction, but could not recover in time to make the save. Japan's second goal came thirteen minutes later, also from a direct free kick, this time by Yasuhito Endō.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Denmark vs Japan
Standing outside the penalty area directly in front of the Danish goal, he curled the ball around the wall. Sørensen had been standing on the right side of his goal and could not move to his left fast enough. Endō almost scored from yet another free kick early in the second half. This time, Sørensen appeared to have difficulty judging the path of the ball, and was only able to palm it away at the last second, where it caromed off the goalpost.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Denmark vs Japan
Denmark needed to win this game in order to advance and increased their attacks accordingly. Late in the second half, Christian Eriksen put his shot over the goal and Søren Larsen hit the goalpost. They were finally able to score in the 82nd minute. When Makoto Hasebe was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Agger inside the penalty area, Denmark were awarded a penalty kick. Jon Dahl Tomasson took the shot, which was saved by Eiji Kawashima; the goalkeeper, however, was unable to control the rebound, which fell to Tomasson, and he was able to put it in the goal. Japan scored their final goal in the 87th minute. Honda dribbled into the penalty area, forcing Sørensen to attempt to block a potential shot, but Honda passed it to substitute Shinji Okazaki, who merely had to put the ball into an empty net.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Denmark vs Japan
The victory was Japan's second World Cup tournament victory on foreign soil, and only their second against a European team. Japan finished group play in second place with six points, and advanced to the knockout round for the second time in their history, and the first time on foreign soil. Denmark ended in third with three points. This was the first time Denmark failed to get past the group stage in the World Cup.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Denmark vs Japan
Assistant referees:Célestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)Enock Molefe (South Africa)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Henrik Andrén (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group E, Matches, Cameroon vs Netherlands
Assistant referees:Patricio Basualto (Chile)Francisco Mondria (Chile)Fourth official:Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Fifth official:Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of 2006 winner Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy and Paraguay previously met in the first round of the 1950 tournament, with Italy winning 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Italy were eliminated from the group with just two points, behind underdogs New Zealand, who drew all three of their matches to finish on three points. New Zealand ended up being the only unbeaten team at the finals, thanks in part to Spain's defeat to Switzerland in their Group H game. Italy, placed last, making it the first time since 1974 that the Italians did not advance beyond the first round.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, Italy vs Paraguay
Assistant referees:Héctor Vergara (Canada)Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:Juan Zumba (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, New Zealand vs Slovakia
Assistant referees:Celestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)Enock Molefe (South Africa)Fourth official:Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)Fifth official:Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, Slovakia vs Paraguay
Assistant referees:Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)Bechir Hassani (Tunisia)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:Juan Zumba (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, Italy vs New Zealand
Assistant referees:Leonel Leal (Costa Rica)Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)Fourth official:Koman Coulibaly (Mali)Fifth official:Redouane Achik (Morocco)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, Slovakia vs Italy
Assistant referees:Darren Cann (England)Michael Mullarkey (England)Fourth official:Stéphane Lannoy (France)Fifth official:Eric Dansault (France)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group F, Matches, Paraguay vs New Zealand
Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)Fourth official:Koman Coulibaly (Mali)Fifth official:Inácio Manuel Cândido (Angola)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G
Group G of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 15 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning Copa América champions Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast and Portugal.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G
Brazil and Portugal were also drawn in the same group at the 1966 FIFA World Cup, their previous official World Cup match. In 1966, the Portuguese team defeated Brazil 3–1, thus eliminating the defending champions, to advance to the quarter-finals where they encountered and defeated North Korea (another team in Group G) 5–3, after trailing 0–3.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G
As winners of the group, Brazil advanced to play against Chile – runners-up in Group H – in the Round of 16, while Portugal – the Group G runners-up – met Spain, who won Group H. Ivory Coast finished third in the group, and North Korea finished bottom. The North Koreans had a goal difference of −11, the worst of any team in the 2010 tournament, largely due to the 7–0 defeat they suffered against Portugal; that match was Portugal's biggest ever World Cup win, and North Korea's heaviest ever defeat. It was also the first time a live football game was broadcast on North Korean television.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, Ivory Coast vs Portugal
Assistant referees:Pablo Fandino (Uruguay)Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)Fourth official:Martín Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Miguel Nievas (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, Brazil vs North Korea
Assistant referees:Gábor Erős (Hungary)Tibor Vámos (Hungary)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Mu Yuxin (China)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, Brazil vs Ivory Coast
Assistant referees:Eric Dansault (France)Laurent Ugo (France)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Mu Yuxin (China)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, Portugal vs North Korea
Assistant referees:Patricio Basualto (Chile)Francisco Mondria (Chile)Fourth official:Jerome Damon (South Africa)Fifth official:Enock Molefe (South Africa)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, Portugal vs Brazil
Assistant referees:Héctor Vergara (Canada)Marvin Torrentera (Mexico)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Brent Best (New Zealand)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group G, Matches, North Korea vs Ivory Coast
Assistant referees:Fermín Martínez Ibánez (Spain)Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez (Spain)Fourth official:Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)Fifth official:Matthias Arnet (Switzerland)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H
Group H of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 16 June and ended on 25 June 2010. The group consisted of Switzerland, Honduras, Chile and reigning European champions Spain. Spain would eventually win the tournament.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H
Chile and Spain were in the same group in 1950, in a group from which only the Spanish team qualified for the next round. Chile and Switzerland were also in the same group in 1962, when Chile was host and went on to finish in third place. Switzerland and Spain competed in the same group in 1966, but neither advanced to the next round. Finally, Honduras and Spain were in the same group in 1982. Four years later, in the next World Cup, Chile and Spain would meet again in Group B, against the Netherlands and Australia; Chile would upset Spain 2–0 in their second match, eliminating Spain from the tournament.


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Honduras vs Chile
Assistant referees:Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)Bechir Hassani (Tunisia)Fourth official:Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)Fifth official:Toru Sagara (Japan)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Spain vs Switzerland
Assistant referees:Darren Cann (England)Michael Mullarkey (England)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Stefan Wittberg (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Chile vs Switzerland
Assistant referees:Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)Fourth official:Martín Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Miguel Nievas (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Spain vs Honduras
Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Jeffrey Gek Pheng (Singapore)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Chile vs Spain
Assistant referees:José Luis Camargo Callado (Mexico)Alberto Morín Méndez (Mexico)Fourth official:Subkhiddin Mohd Salleh (Malaysia)Fifth official:Mu Yuxin (China)


2010 FIFA World Cup Group H, Matches, Switzerland vs Honduras
Assistant referees:Ricardo Casas (Argentina)Hernan Maidana (Argentina)Fourth official:Olegário Benquerença (Portugal)Fifth official:Jose Manuel Silva Cardinal (Portugal)


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game)
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the official video game for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, published by EA Sports and available on iOS and all major seventh-generation platforms except the Nintendo DS. Announced in January 2010 during an interview with one of the producers of the game, it was released April 27, 2010 in North America. 199 of the 204 teams that took part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification are included in the game.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Gameplay
Players choose a team from the 199 nations available and compete against the computer or against other players through online gaming services PlayStation Network or Xbox Live. All 10 official World Cup stadiums are available for play.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Gameplay
EA has announced that there will be gameplay improvements over FIFA 10, such as a higher rate of player fatigue for matches at higher altitudes, with an advantage to a home team who plays at a higher altitude against an away team who does not. EA has also announced that players can get injured outside of international matches.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Gameplay
EA has also announced that the "Captain Your Country" mode will return, similar as "Be a Pro" mode and that FIFA 10 owners can import their Virtual Pro for this purpose, and then earn CYC Accomplishments and attribute boosts. The game's penalty kicks have been changed in order for their outcome to better reflect the player's own composure, and the game's online multiplayer lobby system has been limited to unranked head to head matches. As in 2006 FIFA World Cup a "scenario" mode is included with 55 playable scenarios from past World Cup matches. In addition, scenarios from the 2010 World Cup are playable with an online update.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Gameplay
The Wii version of the game features more stylized graphics and utilizes a nuanced physics system to allow for more casual, arcade-style gameplay. This version supports multiple control schemes, including the Classic Controller. Exclusively in this version, players are required to use quick-time events to save free kicks or penalty shots, or to win possession of the ball after it is punted or corner-kicked. It is also possible for multiple players to take control of one team in that version.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Gameplay
The game includes Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend as the commentators, who provide insight into both sides during the match.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Teams and venues
The included teams were confirmed by Electronic Arts on 17 February 2010. The game contains 199 of the 204 national teams that took part in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification process. Electronic Arts stated that they have included every team that FIFA have permitted them to use, with some others not being allowed for "various reasons". The five teams that were in the draw for World Cup qualifying but are not included in the game are African teams Central African Republic, Eritrea, and São Tomé and Príncipe, and Asian teams Bhutan and Guam. All five withdrew from the qualifying stage before it began. Additionally, the game does not feature Brunei,  Laos, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines who did not participate in World Cup qualifying.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Teams and venues
The game includes all 10 venues used at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, as well as stadiums from each qualifying region and a range of "generic" stadiums.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Development
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa was in development for 12 months, and had two separate teams working on it: gameplay team and core team. The gameplay team was led by Gary Patterson, the creative director for FIFA games. Meanwhile, the core team designed the game modes and audio/visual presentation, among other things. EA Sports wanted to shape World Cup in a way that it would be able to match FIFA 10. They decided to release it as a standalone game, rather than downloadable content, citing the big size, scope and the uniqueness of the covered event.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Development
Because the game focused on a single event, EA Sports was trying to secure a complete authenticity by working with FIFA and the host nation. Several members went to South Africa and recorded the vuvuzela noise during actual football games, in order to capture the atmosphere over there. Adding to the variety, each nation got its own fully rendered crowd in-game. The developers were also influenced by African themes in other areas, such as the soundtrack and menus.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Release
The game was announced on January 26, 2010 in a GameSpot interview with the line producer of the game, Simon Humber, with a slated release date for April 27, 2010 in North America, and April 30, 2010 in Asia and Europe.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Release
A playable demo was released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 8, 2010. It includes Italy and Spain as the playable teams, and the ability to upload video replays to EA Football World.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Soundtrack
The 2010 FIFA World Cup soundtrack comprises 28 tracks by artists from 21 countries. According to Electronic Arts it is intended to be a soundtrack that "celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup to be held in Africa". The headline track is "Wavin' Flag (Coca-Cola Celebration Mix)" by K'naan.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Reception
The game was met with positive to mixed reception. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 83.43% and 83 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version; 82.82% and 82 out of 100 for the PlayStation 3 version; 71.50% and 69 out of 100 for the PSP version; 69% and 70 out of 100 for the Wii version; and 62.50% for the iOS version.


2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (video game), Background, Reception, Sales
As of May 2010, the game has sold nearly 2 million units worldwide.


2010 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights
FIFA, through several companies, sold the rights for the broadcast of 2010 FIFA World Cup to the following broadcasters.


2010 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights, Television
Broadcasters that screened some or all of the matches in high definition are in bold. Broadcasters that screened matches in 3D are italicised.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is the 19th FIFA World Cup, the premier international association football tournament, being held in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July. It is the first time the finals of the tournament have been staged in an African host nation as South Africa were selected as hosts following a bidding in 2004. The impact of the event itself transcend those bound by its athletic aspect and appeal, and the socioeconomic aspects of the tournament are far reaching.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security
Tournament organiser Danny Jordaan dismissed concerns that the attack on the Togo national team which took place in Angola in January 2010, had any relevance to the security arrangements for the World Cup. There have been claims that the police have implemented a de facto state of emergency by banning protests during the event.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security
Major General Qassim al-Moussawi of Iraq's security services said the arrest of Abdullah Azzam Saleh al-Qahtani, allegedly a former Saudi army lieutenant, yielded information that "He was planning a terrorist act in South Africa during the World Cup based on plans issued by the central al Qaeda terrorist organisation in coordination with Osama bin Laden's first assistant, Ayman al-Zawahri."


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security
There were also reports of thefts against visitors to the country for the World Cup. Tourists from China, Portugal, Spain, South  Korea, Japan and Colombia had become victim to crimes. Three members of the Greek national team reported that £1,300 had been stolen from their rooms. These reports came after the British media cautioned visitors about such security threats.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security
In Iraq, the improved security situation has allowed people to watch matches in public places. This is in contrast to 2006 when violence prevented people from gathering publicly. Radical militant groups in Somalia have banned the watching of televised World Cup matches, and had initially threatened to punish with public floggings, declaring the World Cup a waste of time and resources and un-Islamic. There were reports that groups had arrested people for watching the World Cup. The group denied reports of arresting people, but said that they were chasing people out of video halls.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security
On 18 June after the match between England and Algeria a fan was able to break through the FIFA-appointed security staff at Green Point stadium and gain access to the England team dressing room. The breach took place shortly after Prince William and Prince Harry had left the room. The trespasser was then released before he could be handed over to the Police. The Football Association lodged a formal complaint with FIFA and demanded that security be increased.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security, Evictions
As with many 'hallmark events' throughout the world, the 2010 FIFA World Cup has been connected to evictions,  which many claim are meant to 'beautify the city', impress visiting tourists, and hide shackdwellers. On 14 May 2009, the Durban-based shack-dwellers' movement Abahlali baseMjondolo took the KwaZulu-Natal government to court over their controversial Elimination and Prevention of Re-Emergence of Slums Act, meant to eliminate slums in South Africa and put homeless shackdwellers in transit camps in time for the 2010 World Cup. They have gained a lot of publicity for their efforts, even in the international media. Abahlali baseMjondolo have threatened to build shacks outside of the Cape Town stadium to draw attention to their situation.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security, Evictions
Another prominent controversy surrounding preparations for the World Cup is the N2 Gateway housing project in Cape Town, which plans to remove over 20,000 residents from the Joe Slovo Informal Settlement along the busy N2 Freeway and build rental flats and bond-houses in its place in time for the 2010 World Cup. The residents would be moved to the poverty stricken Delft township on the outskirts of the city and out of sight from the N2 Freeway. There has been particular concern about forced removals to the Blikkiesdorp camp in Delft and that in Durban, children are being forcibly removed from the city centre.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security, Evictions
In July 2009, South Africa was hit with rolling protests by poor communities that demanded access to basic services, jobs, adequate housing and the democratisation of service delivery. These protests have been linked to the World Cup as protesters complain that public funds are being diverted away from social issues to build stadiums and upgrade airports. Fears have been expressed that the growing protests by shack dwellers could result in the tournament being disrupted. Some grassroots social movements have called for a boycott of the event.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security, Blikkiesdorp
Blikkiesdorp has become well known for its high crime rate, its substandard living conditions, and its extremely hot or cold, windy and sandy living environment. NGOs, international human rights organisations, and the Anti- Eviction Campaign have publicly criticised the conditions in Blikkiesdorp and how they say it is used to reinforce the eviction of poor families especially to make way for the 2010 World Cup. Residents also threatened to burn down Blikkiesdorp before the World Cup begins because of the bad conditions in the settlement.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, Security, Xenophobic Violence
There were widespread reports in the local press that there would be mass planned violence against migrants at the conclusion of the tournament. This did not happen.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Social effects, HIV/AIDS
South Africans and others expressed concern that the World Cup would stimulate the illicit sex trade. Football fans were warned that South Africa has one of the worst HIV infection rates in the world with up to half the country's sex workers HIV positive  and the British government gave £1 million to buy 42 million condoms. However, AIDS campaigners accused FIFA of blocking the distribution of condoms at football grounds.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Non-FIFA events
In November 2009 it was reported that a rugby mid-year Test match between the Springboks and France scheduled to take place in Cape Town on 12 June 2010 would be moved to Europe, due to FIFA regulations banning other sport events in host cities during the time of the World Cup.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Non-FIFA events
After negotiations between the South African Rugby Union and members of the local organising committee, it was announced that the Test would be allowed to take place in Cape Town on the originally scheduled date because no World Cup match was to be played in Cape Town on that day, and the Test would be played at Newlands, which is not a World Cup venue.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, FIFA trademarks
The South African low-fare airline Kulula.com were ordered by FIFA to withdraw an advertisement that it claimed infringed their trademarks. The advert, titled "The unofficial carrier of the you-know-what", features soccer balls, vuvuzelas and the flag of South Africa, which FIFA claims when used in conjunction with each other constitutes an infringement (of its trademarks). Kulula.com disputed FIFA's claim, but later announced that they would withdraw the specific advert whilst continuing with the advertisement campaign.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Broadcast rights and fees
In Singapore, FIFA's broadcast rights fees for the 2010 World Cup finals have been described as "exorbitant", with the organisation having changed prices according to what it perceived the country's TV operators were willing to pay. When Singapore TV operators SingTel and Starhub joined together to bid for the broadcast rights in late 2009, they were reportedly charged an initial S$40 million (about US$30 million). When the Singapore TV operators refused to pay the initial sum quoted by FIFA, and as time passed, Singapore was faced with the prospect of being one of the few countries not to get match broadcasts from the 2010 World Cup.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Broadcast rights and fees
With only about a month left before the tournament, FIFA finally relented and reportedly reduced the fee to S$21 million (US$15 million), which was then accepted by the Singapore TV operators. This reduced fee was still significantly higher than the fee that FIFA charged Starhub for the exclusive rights to broadcast the 2006 World Cup in Germany, which was reported to be S$15 million (US$11 million).


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Broadcast rights and fees
This increased fee for the 2010 World Cup tournament broadcast rights resulted in the Singapore TV operators passing on the cost to their subscribers, which were then charged a special fee of S$94 (US$68) in addition to existing contracts, to watch the tournament's games. This high additional fee was the most expensive in the region, and angered Singapore football fans.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Broadcast rights and fees
Singapore was more expensive when compared to countries in the region that will either be broadcasting the matches free of charge, as in the case of Indonesia and Thailand; or at significantly lower viewing fees, at US$21 in Malaysia and US$38 in Hong Kong. This fee is also almost four times the S$25 (US$18) special fee that Starhub charged its subscribers for viewing the 2006 World Cup finals matches in Germany. As a result, many fans decided to protest against the increased fees with a mass boycott of the 2010 World Cup broadcast service by both operators.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Economic effects, Local vendors
Local vendors were prohibited from selling food and merchandise within a 1.5 km radius of any stadium hosting a World Cup Match. For a vendor to operate within the radius a registration fee of 60,000 South African Rand, equivalent to 7,888 US dollars, had to be paid FIFA. This fee was out of most local vendors' reach, as they are simple one-man-operated vendors. This prevented international visitors from experiencing local South African food. Some local vendors felt cheated out an opportunity of financial gain and spreading South African culture, in favour of multinational corporations.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Match effects, Vuvuzelas
During the World Cup events many competitors have criticised and complained about the noise caused by the vuvuzela horns, including France's Patrice Evra who blamed the horns for the team's poor performance. He also claimed that the sound of the vuvuzelas away from the stadiums hampered the ability of the players to get their rest. Other critics include Lionel Messi who complained that the sound of the vuvuzelas hampered communication among players on the pitch, and broadcasting companies, which complained that commentators' voices were being drowned out by the sound. Cristiano Ronaldo went on record to state that the sound of the vuvuzelas disturbed the teams' concentration.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Match effects, Vuvuzelas
Others watching on television have complained that the ambient audio feed from the stadium only contains the sounds of the vuvuzelas and the natural sounds of people in the stands are drowned out. A spokesperson for the ESPN network said it was taking steps to minimize the noise of the crowd on its broadcasts. Portuguese telecommunications company Portugal Telecom announced on 16 June an offer of an alternative audio feed, in which the vuvuzela sound is edited out, to the customers of its Pay-TV service called MEO.


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Match effects, Vuvuzelas
When asked a few days into the tournament whether consideration would be given to banning vuvuzelas during matches, South African organising chief Danny Jordaan replied, "if there are grounds to do so, yes" and that "if any land on the pitch in anger we will take action."


2010 FIFA World Cup event effects, Match effects, Ticketing and attendance
Some first-round games suffered from large blocks of unoccupied stands, including one match with nearly 11,000 empty seats. FIFA reported that group ticket purchases went unused, and that current attendance levels were in fact second only to the 1994 event during the early round period.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
The knockout stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the second and final stage of the World Cup, following the group stage. It began on 26 June with the round of 16 matches, and ended on 11 July with the final match of the tournament held at Soccer City, Johannesburg, in which Spain beat the Netherlands 1–0 after extra time to claim their first World Cup. The top two teams from each group (16 in total) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. A third place match was included and played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage
In the knockout stage (including the final), if a match was level at the end of 90 minutes, two periods of extra time (15 minutes each) would be played. If the score was still level after extra time, the match would be decided by a penalty shoot-out.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Qualified teams
The top two placed teams from each of the eight groups qualified for the knockout stage.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Uruguay vs South Korea
Uruguay vs South Korea was the first match in the Round of 16. The match was held at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth before a low crowd of 30,597. Uruguay won the match 2–1. Uruguay's two goals came from Luis Suárez, the second of which broke a 1–1 deadlock in the 80th minute. Suárez's first was scored when Diego Forlán made a low cross from the left that was not dealt with by the Korean defence, leaving Suárez to score at the back post. Uruguay subsequently adopted a defensive posture and Korea had more chances to score.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Uruguay vs South Korea
Eventually, Lee Chung-yong equalised in the 68th minute, scoring a headed goal following a free kick. Despite Korea then having chances to win the match, it was Suárez who scored Uruguay's winner in the 80th minute with a curling strike from the edge of the 18-yard box that went in off the inside of the post. Suarez's goal was regarded as one of the tournament's best. Korea missed more good chances in the final minutes of the game, giving Uruguay victory and passage to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970, where they would face Ghana. After the match, the Uruguayan coach Óscar Tabárez attributed his team's successful run to the number of players with experience at top-level overseas clubs. Korean coach Huh Jung-moo claimed his side "controlled" the match and that Uruguay's goals were "lucky".


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Uruguay vs South Korea
Assistant referees:Jan-Hendrik Salver (Germany)Mike Pickel (Germany)Fourth official:Joel Aguilar (El Salvador)Fifth official:Juan Zumba (El Salvador)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, United States vs Ghana
The match between the United States and Ghana was played on 26 June 2010 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. The match was watched by 19 million Americans, making it the most watched association football match in American television history. The match was won by Ghana in extra time, after Asamoah Gyan broke a 1–1 deadlock. Kevin-Prince Boateng scored the opening goal of the match for Ghana in the fifth minute. The goal followed an error by Ricardo Clark, who lost the ball to Ghana in midfield.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, United States vs Ghana
Boateng took the ball to the edge of the penalty area, beating U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard with a low, left-footed shot. Landon Donovan equalised with a penalty kick in the 62nd minute, awarded after Jonathan Mensah fouled Clint Dempsey. The US had chances to win the game thereafter, but they were unable to get past Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Kingson. The match thus went to extra time. In the third minute, Gyan latched onto a high long ball, chesting it down and holding off two defenders before scoring the winner.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, United States vs Ghana
After the match, Ghana's coach Milovan Rajevac hailed his side's achievement in becoming one of the "best eight teams in the world", but regretted the number of players that would miss the quarter-final against Uruguay because of injury or suspension. The president of the United States Soccer Federation, Sunil Gulati, lamented the team's failure to make the quarter-finals and thereby further raise the profile of the sport in the U.S.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, United States vs Ghana
Assistant referees:Gábor Erős (Hungary)Tibor Vámos (Hungary)Fourth official:Michael Hester (New Zealand)Fifth official:Tevita Makasini (Tonga)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Germany vs England
Germany and England played each other on 27 June 2010 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. Germany took the lead in the 20th minute after English defenders Matthew Upson and John Terry were at fault in allowing Miroslav Klose to latch on to a long goal kick from Manuel Neuer and score. Lukas Podolski doubled Germany's lead 12 minutes later, although England pulled one goal back through Upson in the 37th minute, heading in a cross from Steven Gerrard.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Germany vs England
A controversial moment then occurred in the 39th minute: a shot by Frank Lampard was not awarded as a goal despite the ball bouncing off the crossbar and clearly crossing the line by at least a foot. Had the goal been awarded, England would have equalised at 2–2. Thomas Müller subsequently scored two goals in the second half, extending Germany's lead to 4–1. His first came at the end of a swift German counter-attack in the 67th minute, the goal being assisted by Bastian Schweinsteiger. His second came from an error by Gareth Barry and was set up by Mesut Özil. Germany won the match, 4–1. Germany progressed to meet Argentina in the quarter-final.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Germany vs England
The ghost goal incident in this match was a major factor in the FIFA and IFAB decision to test and later implement new rules allowing goal-line technology to be used in football.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Germany vs England
Assistant referees:Pablo Fandino (Uruguay)Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)Fourth official:Martin Vázquez (Uruguay)Fifth official:Miguel Nievas (Uruguay)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Argentina vs Mexico
Argentina and Mexico met on 27 June 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Argentina won the match 3–1 for a place in the quarter-finals against Germany. The match was overshadowed by a refereeing error that allowed Argentina's opening goal. Carlos Tevez headed the ball into the net from a Lionel Messi pass in the 25th minute, but replays showed there were no players between Tevez and the goal, rendering his goal clearly offside. Replays of the goal were shown in the stadium but the decision to award the goal was not overturned.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Argentina vs Mexico
Tevez said he knew that the goal was offside, but chose not to say anything. Argentina's second goal came from a defensive error from Ricardo Osorio as a poor pass out of defence was snatched by Gonzalo Higuaín to round the keeper and score. After half-time, Tevez scored his second goal of the match to give Argentina a three-goal lead, with a long range shot that found the top corner of the Mexican goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Argentina vs Mexico
Javier Hernández scored for Mexico in the 71st minute but it turned out to be no more than a consolation goal, as Argentina held on to win 3–1. Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre resigned after the match, accepting responsibility for not meeting the team's target of the quarter-finals. Tevez conceded that he was aware his first goal was offside at the time, although Aguirre deflected the blame for his side's loss away from the refereeing.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Argentina vs Mexico
Assistant referees:Paolo Calcagno (Italy)Stefano Ayroldi (Italy)Fourth official:Jerome Damon (South Africa)Fifth official:Célestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Netherlands vs Slovakia
The Netherlands and Slovakia played on 28 June 2010 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban. The Netherlands won 2–1. The Netherlands' first goal was an excellent individual effort from Arjen Robben in the 18th minute, taking on the Slovakian defence with the ball before scoring from 25 yards. The Dutch had chances to extend their lead in the second half; Robben cut inside on his left foot just like he did when he scored the first goal, but this time the Slovak goalkeeper Ján Mucha saved the shot going to his far post.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Netherlands vs Slovakia
The Slovaks also had two big opportunities to equalise but forced a save from Maarten Stekelenburg each time. The Dutch sealed their win in the 84th minute, with Wesley Sneijder scoring off an assist from Dirk Kuyt into an unguarded net after Kuyt got the ball past the Slovak keeper. Róbert Vittek slotted a penalty kick late in stoppage time, but it was no more than a consolation goal for Slovakia. The penalty had been awarded for a trip on Vittek by the Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. The Netherlands' win threatened to be overshadowed by Robin van Persie responding angrily to being substituted by coach Bert van Marwijk. Van Marwijk called a team meeting over the incident, and insisted later that there was no residual unrest in the squad.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Netherlands vs Slovakia
Assistant referees:Fermín Martínez Ibáñez (Spain)Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez (Spain)Fourth official:Stéphane Lannoy (France)Fifth official:Laurent Ugo (France)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Brazil vs Chile
Brazil soundly defeated Chile 3–0 on 28 June 2010 at Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg to progress to a quarter-final match against the Netherlands. Brazil's first goal came from a corner kick taken by Maicon in the 34th minute, with Juan heading the ball into the goal without being marked. Brazil had doubled its lead within five minutes after a free-flowing passing movement involving Robinho and Kaká that teed up Luís Fabiano to score after taking the ball around the Chilean goalkeeper.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Brazil vs Chile
Robinho himself sealed victory for Brazil in the second half, scoring following a long run with the ball by Ramires. After the match, Chile's coach Marcelo Bielsa conceded that his team had been outplayed, arguing that in his position there was "little one can do" when up against a team of Brazil's quality.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Brazil vs Chile
Assistant referees:Darren Cann (England)Mike Mullarkey (England)Fourth official:Martin Hansson (Sweden)Fifth official:Stefan Wittberg (Sweden)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Paraguay vs Japan
Paraguay and Japan met at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on 29 June 2010. The match was decided by a penalty shootout after the score was locked at 0–0 for 120 minutes. Paraguay won the shootout and progressed to their first ever World Cup quarter-final. The match was a generally unexciting affair, as Japan adopted a defensive posture while Paraguay itself maintained a solid defence. The first half produced the occasional chance on goal with Lucas Barrios having a shot saved shortly before a long distance shot from Daisuke Matsui hit the crossbar of Paraguay's goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Paraguay vs Japan
The second half was similar, with either side producing occasional chances to score rather than periods of dominance. The result of the deadlock was extra time, which continued goalless. A penalty shootout ensued, in which Yuichi Komano missed a spot kick for Japan. Paraguay scored all five of its penalties, clinching the win and passage to the quarter-finals. After the match, Japan's coach Takeshi Okada resigned and Shunsuke Nakamura retired from international football.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Paraguay vs Japan
Assistant referees:Peter Hermans (Belgium)Walter Vromans (Belgium)Fourth official:Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)Fifth official:Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Spain vs Portugal
Spain defeated Portugal 1–0 in the Iberian derby to progress to the quarter finals where they were to play Paraguay. The game took place on Tuesday 29 June 2010 at the Cape Town Stadium. Spain dominated the game with a ball possession ratio of 62% and several opportunities, but had to endure a pair of missed chances by the Portuguese in the first half, including one by Hugo Almeida which nearly resulted in a goal.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Spain vs Portugal
In the second half, the Portuguese attacking threat decreased, and the entry of Fernando Llorente for Fernando Torres on the field brought new energy to the Spanish team. The only goal of the match came on the 63rd minute: David Villa picked up a brilliant pass by Xavi, having his first shot saved, but then lifted the rebound into the roof of the net. Post-match replays showed that the goal was scored from an offside position (0.22 m (8.7 in) according to ).


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Round of 16, Spain vs Portugal
Assistant referees:Ricardo Casas (Argentina)Hernán Maidana (Argentina)Fourth official:Carlos Batres (Guatemala)Fifth official:Carlos Pastrana (Honduras)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Netherlands vs Brazil
The Netherlands versus Brazil was the first quarter-final match, held on 2 July 2010 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. The Netherlands won 2–1 after recovering from a 1–0 deficit, knocking the five-time world champions Brazil out of the tournament. The Netherlands' team was affected by an injury to Joris Mathijsen before the match.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Netherlands vs Brazil
His replacement in defence – André Ooijer – and fellow central defender John Heitinga were at fault for Brazil's opening goal in the 10th minute, when Robinho was allowed to latch onto a deep pass from Felipe Melo and score without being challenged by the defence. For the rest of the first half, the Dutch were largely frustrated by the Brazilian defence, and needed to rely on Maarten Stekelenburg's goalkeeping to prevent Brazil from extending its lead. However, eight minutes after half-time, the Dutch equalised through a goal from Sneijder.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Netherlands vs Brazil
The goal was initially recorded as an own goal by Felipe Melo, but FIFA overturned the decision to credit the goal to Sneijder. Having equalised, the Netherlands subsequently took the lead from a Robben corner kick in the 68th minute, Sneijder heading the ball in after a flick-on from Kuyt. Brazil's chances of restoring parity were damaged when Felipe Melo was sent off for a stamp on Robben. The Netherlands held out for the win, thereby earning passage to the semi-finals.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Netherlands vs Brazil
Brazil's coach Dunga confirmed after the match that he would be leaving the position upon the expiry of his contract, admitting responsibility for Brazil's defeat. The Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk attacked the Brazilian team after the match, claiming they had provoked his side, and that Melo's stamp on Robben left him "ashamed for Brazilian football."


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Netherlands vs Brazil
Assistant referees:Toru Sagara (Japan)Jeong Hae-sang (South Korea)Fourth official:Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)Fifth official:Hassan Kamranifar (Iran)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
Uruguay and Ghana met on 2 July 2010 at Soccer City, Johannesburg for a place in the semi-final against the Netherlands. It was the first time that the teams had ever played each other in a senior competitive football match. After a dramatic 120 minutes of play (including extra time) that finished 1–1, Uruguay won in a penalty shoot-out 4–2. Uruguay dominated the early periods of the match, but suffered an injury to captain Diego Lugano in the first half.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
Just before half-time, Ghana took the lead when Sulley Muntari was allowed time on the ball by Uruguay, and took advantage by scoring with a shot from 40 yards. After half-time, Diego Forlán pulled Uruguay level with a free kick from the left side of the field that went over the head of Ghana's goalkeeper Richard Kingson. While both teams had chances to win, the match proceeded to extra time as the scores remained level. Late in extra time, Ghana sent a free kick into the penalty area; Luis Suárez blocked Stephen Appiah's shot on the goal line.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
On the rebound, Dominic Adiyiah's header was heading into the goal, but Suárez blatantly blocked the shot with his hand to save what would have been the extra-time winner and he was red carded. Asamoah Gyan missed the ensuing penalty kick off the crossbar and Suárez celebrated the miss. In the shootout, Gyan converted his penalty, as did everybody else until Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved captain John Mensah's penalty (Ghana's third). Uruguay's Maxi Pereira then hit his penalty over the bar, but then Adiyiah's penalty was saved by Muslera. Sebastián Abreu converted Uruguay's fifth spot kick by lightly chipping it Panenka-style to win the match.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
After the game, Suárez said, "I made the save of the tournament," and, referring to the infamous handball goal scored by Diego Maradona in the 1986 World Cup, claimed that "The 'Hand of God' now belongs to me". Suárez claimed he had no alternative and was acting out of instinct. Forlán agreed that Suárez saved the game, "Suárez this time, instead of scoring goals, he saved one, I think he saved the game. Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac said the play was an "injustice" and Suárez was labeled a "villain" and a "cheat".


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
But Uruguay coach, Óscar Tabárez, said these labels were too harsh: "Well, there was a handball in the penalty area, there was a red card and Suárez was thrown out. Saying that Ghana were cheated out of the game is too harsh. We have to go by the rules. It might have been a mistake by my player but I do not like that word 'cheating'." Ghana was the last African team left in the tournament and if they had won, they would have been the first team from Africa to ever qualify for the semi-finals.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
Thus, Suárez was said to have "enraged an entire continent [Africa]." But others viewed him as a hero who sacrificed himself in the semi-final for the unlikely chance that his team could win. A distraught Gyan conceded, "I would say Suárez is a hero now in his own country, because the ball was going in and he held it with his hand. He is a hero now."


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Uruguay vs Ghana
Assistant referees:José Manuel Silva Cardinal (Portugal)Bertino Miranda (Portugal)Fourth official:Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spain)Fifth official:Fermín Martínez Ibáñez (Spain)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Argentina vs Germany
On 3 July 2010, Germany beat Argentina 4–0 at the Cape Town Stadium, to reach the semi-finals. It was the third time in the tournament that Germany had scored four goals in a match. Germany's first goal was scored by Thomas Müller in the third minute of the match, with a header from a free kick taken by Bastian Schweinsteiger.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Argentina vs Germany
Early in the second half, Argentina pressed Germany and came close to scoring on a number of occasions, but Germany hit back on a counter-attack in the 67th minute, when Miroslav Klose scored into an empty goal from a pass by Lukas Podolski. Germany's third came from Arne Friedrich after sliding it inside by a pass from Bastian Schweinsteiger seven minutes later, before Klose took the score to 4–0, volleying the ball into the net off a cross from Mesut Özil. The 4–0 defeat was Argentina's biggest loss at a World Cup since 1974. Germany's coach Joachim Löw hailed his side's performance as one of "absolute class," but admitted the suspension of Müller for picking up a yellow card was a blow.


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Argentina vs Germany
Assistant referees:Rafael Ilyasov (Uzbekistan)Bakhadyr Kochkarov (Kyrgyzstan)Fourth official:Jerome Damon (South Africa)Fifth official:Enock Molefe (South Africa)


2010 FIFA World Cup knockout stage, Quarter-finals, Paraguay vs Spain
On 3 July 2010, Spain defeated Paraguay 1–0, to secure entry to the semi-finals where they would meet Germany. It was the first time that Spain had progressed to the semi-final of a World Cup since 1950; while for Paraguay, the quarter-final appearance was also the country's best ever performance. The first half of the match finished goalless, although both sides had chances to score and Paraguay's Nelson Valdez had a goal ruled out as offside. The match suddenly became eventful in the second half due to a string of penalty kicks.