Germany in third place, beating Uruguay 3-2

PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa): Sami Khedira's 82nd-minute header earned Germany a 3-2 victory in a rousing and rain-soaked World Cup third-place play-off match with Uruguay on Saturday.
The Stuttgart midfielder rose to nod the ball beyond Fernando Muslera after Uruguay failed to clear a late corner, while Diego Forlan was inches away from a dramatic equaliser with an injury-time free-kick that struck the crossbar.
Forlan rounded off an impressive individual showing at the tournament with a brilliantly-taken volley to give Uruguay a 2-1 lead early in the second period, only for Marcell Jansen to restore parity moments later.
Thomas Mueller had put Germany in front in the 19th minute, but Edinson Cavani drew Uruguay level in the 28th minute.
"Of course we had all hoped for something better, but this match for third place was also a final that we absolutely wanted to win," said Khedira.
"At this World Cup we were a very young team and we've put down a marker. But we obviously want to win more in the future."
Mueller and Forlan's goals took them level with Spain's David Villa and Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder in the race for the Golden Boot with five strikes apiece.
The young German will finish as the tournament's official top scorer if Villa and Sneijder both fail to score in Sunday's final, though, because assists are taken into account in case of a tie and he has supplied three to his rivals' one each.
"Finishing among the top four teams is spectacular," said Forlan.
"At the beginning we never thought we'd taste a moment like this. We wanted to finish third, but we'll remember the positives."
Miroslav Klose's hopes of matching Ronaldo's record of 15 World Cup finals goals were dashed after a back injury saw him relegated to the German bench by coach Joachim Loew alongside skipper Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Uruguay looked to take advantage of lethargy in the German ranks in the second period, with Germany goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt regularly called into action.
He pulled off a fine double save to repel Cavani and then Luis Suarez, but was then beaten by an acrobatic volley from Forlan that flew inside the right-hand post.
Jansen drew Germany level in the 56th minute when he capitalised on a rash charge from Muslera to nod in Jerome Boateng's right-wing cross.
The livewire Suarez produced a flying save from Butt with an ambitious effort and the veteran also had to dash from his line to deny Forlan.
German substitute Stefan Kiessling smashed a shot straight at Muslera following a bewitching stepover on the edge of the box, before Khedira set the seal on a memorable tournament for Joachim Loew's young team.
Kiessling could have made it 4-2 but he swept over from 12 yards after a flowing move.
Germany edged Uruguay 1-0 when the sides met in the third-place match at the 1970 World Cup and they came close to taking an early lead here when Arne Friedrich met Mesut Ozil's deep corner with a header that bounced back off the crossbar.
Uruguay held out for just nine more minutes, with Mueller slotting in from close range after 19 minutes after Bastian Schweinsteiger's swerving drive was pushed out by Muslera.
Lightning counter-attacks have been Germany's trademark at this tournament but they were dealt a taste of their own medicine in the 28th minute when Diego Perez quickly fed Suarez, whose pass was stabbed home by Cavani.

Will the Coach's plan work?

PORT ELIZABETH (South Africa): Germany coach Joachim Loew dropped top scorer Miroslav Klose, captain Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer for the World Cup third-place play-off with Uruguay on Saturday.

Klose, who is one goal short of equalling Ronaldo's overall record of 15 World Cup finals goals, has been suffering from a back problem since the 1-0 semi-final defeat by Spain.
He has scored four goals in South Africa and is one goal behind Spain's David Villa and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands in the race for the Golden Boot, which he won at the last tournament in 2006.
Klose's place at the point of the Germany attack was taken by naturalised Brazilian striker Cacau, while fellow forward Lukas Podolski ceded his place to Marcell Jansen.
Bayern Munich goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt takes Neuer's spot between the posts, with Lahm's place going to Dennis Aogo and Bastian Schweinsteiger handed the captain's armband.
Luis Suarez, suspended for Uruguay's last-four defeat by Holland, returns in attack for Oscar Tabarez's side alongside Diego Forlan, who is level with Klose on four goals.
Left-back Jorge Fucile also returns from suspension, with skipper Diego Lugano taking his place at centre-back after overcoming a knee injury.
Teams:
Uruguay: Fernando Muslera - Martin Caceres, Diego Lugano (capt), Diego Godin, Jorge Fucile - Maxi Pereira, Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo Rios - Edinson Cavani, Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez
Coach: Oscar Tabarez
Germany: Hans-Joerg Butt - Jerome Boateng, Per Mertesacker, Arne Friedrich, Dennis Aogo - Bastian Schweinsteiger (capt), Sami Khedira - Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil, Marcell Jansen - Cacau
Coach: Joachim Loew
Referee: Benito Archundia (MEX)

Holland lands in the Final of FIFA World Cup, 2010.

CAPE TOWN: Playmaker Wesley Sneijder inspired Netherlands to a 3-2 victory over battling Uruguay on Tuesday that sent them back to the World Cup final after a 32-year wait where they will play in an all-European clash.
Sneijder, scorer of both goals in the 2-1 quarter-final win over Brazil, was on target in the 70th minute to put the Dutch 2-1 ahead before Arjen Robben got a third three minutes later.
Maximiliano Pereira grabbed a second goal for Uruguay in added time but despite a late spell of pressure from the South Americans it was too late to stop the Dutch marching on.
Netherlands progress to their third World Cup final with the win setting up a showdown with either Spain or Germany.
"First final since '74 and '78, that came up in my mind in the second half," said Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk. "It's so very special and as a small country we can be so proud."
"After the second and third we should have scored a fourth. That would have prevented that final phase. But this is a World Cup. It doesn't matter how you do it it's all about the result."
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez told a news conference: "I'm very proud of my players... our opponents were better when it came to scoring goals against us. We went very far, no one expected that, so that helps the sadness of the defeat."
Midfielder Egidio Arevalo added: "We had a good World Cup. A lot of years have passed since we've done so well."
Uruguay last reached the World Cup semifinal in 1970.
The first half at Green Point Stadium ended 1-1 after superb long-range strikes from left back Giovanni van Bronckhorst for Netherlands and forward Diego Forlan for the Uruguayans.
EARLY CHANCE
Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera handed the Dutch an early chance when he failed to hold Robben's cross and the ball fell to Dirk Kuyt but he fired over the bar.
Robben had a shot blocked by his own player before Van Bronckhorst put the Dutch ahead in the 18th minute with a powerful, rising shot which went in off the far post.
The goal sparked the Uruguayans -- missing striker Luis Suarez through suspension and captain Diego Lugano through injury -- into life and they began to attack with more purpose.
They levelled four minutes before halftime when Forlan collected a pass, cut inside his marker and scored with a long-range shot that caught goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg wrongfooted although he did get a touch.
The Dutch had more possession after the break but it was Uruguay who created the better openings.
Alvaro Pereira's chip was headed off the line by Van Bronckhorst and Forlan's curling free kick forced Stekelenburg to turn the ball away at the foot of his near post.
Robben then wasted a golden chance for the Dutch when he fired wide when a rebound landed on his weaker right foot.
But Sneijder put the Dutch back in front with a shot through a forest of legs for his fifth goal of the tournament to become joint top scorer with Spain's David Villa.
Three minutes later, Robben scored with a perfectly placed downward header after Kuyt's cross from the left and although Uruguay got a second goal through Pereira the Dutch triumphed.
European champions Spain play Germany in Durban in the other semifinal on Wednesday with the winners playing Netherlands in Sunday's World Cup final at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
It will be Europe's 10th World Cup win in 19 finals but the first by a European side outside their own continent.
The Dutch lost both their previous finals in 1974 and 1978 to hosts West Germany and Argentina respectively.
Brazil and Argentina are the only teams to have won the trophy on a foreign continent with Brazil successful in Sweden in 1958, Mexico 1970, the United States in 1994 and Japan in 2002, while Argentina won in Mexico in 1986.
A European victory in Sunday's final at Soccer City, Johannesburg, means they will have 10 World Cup successes, one more than South America.

Netherlands sent Brazil packing (2-1).

 Not after the way the Netherlands rallied to upset five time champion Brazil 2-1 in the World Cup quarterfinals Friday.

After waking themselves up at halftime, the title that has eluded the Dutch for all these years is now just two wins away.
“For 45 minutes we went full throttle,” said Wesley Sneijder. “We were rewarded.”
One of the shortest players on the field, Sneijder put the Netherlands ahead in the 68th minute on a header—a thrill so huge he ran to a TV camera, tapped the lens and stuck his face in for a close up.

“It just slipped through from my bald head and it was a great feeling,” Sneijder said.
He was in the middle of the post-game party, too, as his teammates swarmed him when the final whistle blew. John Heitinga picked up Sneijder and slung him over his shoulder as Netherlands captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst, a Brazil shirt in hand, leaped up and rubbed Sneidjer’s closely shaved head.
The result was a case of role reversal for both sides.
The top-ranked team in the world and one of the most impressive squads in the tournament until Friday, Brazil lost its composure after falling behind and defender Felipe Melo was ejected in the 73rd minute for stomping on the leg of Arjen Robben.
The Dutch made the championship match in 1974 and ’78, lost both, and rarely have lived up to their talent in other World Cups. They did this time, helped by an own goal off the head of unfortunate Felipe Melo that brought them into a 1-1 tie in the 53rd.
“I’m devastated. It was hard to see the players crying back there,” Felipe Melo said after emerging from the locker room.
“I have to apologize to the Brazilian fans. I came here thinking about giving Brazil the title, but I’m a human being. Everybody can make mistakes.”
He was almost the hero.Robinho gave the Brazilians the lead on Felipe Melo’s brilliant low pass up the middle of the field that the striker put home with a low shot.
But the second half presented the unusual sight of the Brazilians scrambling wildly to find an equalizer.
It never came.Instead, it was the Oranje and their fans doing the dancing as Brazil’s players lay on the turf.
Brazil also lost in the quarterfinals four years ago, falling to France 1-0. Former team captain Dunga was hired to coach the team after that defeat, despite having no previous managerial experience.
“We didn’t expect this,” he said. “We know that any World Cup match is about 90 minutes. In the first half we were able to play better and we weren’t able to maintain that rhythm in the second half.”
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk agreed that everything changed at the break.“We could have lost it in the first 15 minutes,” he said. “At halftime, I made it very clear to the players. I told them time and time again, ‘You have to play your own game. You have to have patience against Brazil.”’
Said Sneijder: “At halftime we said to each other that we had to improve things and put more pressure on the Brazilian defense.”
The Netherlands reached the semifinals for the first time since losing to Brazil on penalty kicks at the 1998 World Cup, and will next face either Uruguay or Ghana, which play later Friday.
Having won all five matches so far, the Netherlands extended its team-record unbeaten streak to 24 games, stretching back to a September 2008 loss to Australia.
On a warm afternoon before a sellout crowd of 42,286 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Brazil
controlled the tempo early on. Before the Dutch comeback, goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg timed his leap perfectly to deflect a shot by Kaka that was headed into the right corner of the net.
The one-goal lead wasn’t enough. Brazil began to unravel when Felipe Melo jumped in front of keeper Julio Cesar and inadvertently headed the ball into his net.
“We had two players going for the same ball and what happened happened,” Julio Cesar said, his eyes filled with tears.
Sneijder’s goal followed a corner kick from Robben. Dirk Kuyt flicked the ball with his head to Sneijder in the middle of the 6-yard box and he rose high enough to deflect it into the left corner of the goal.
“It was an amazing game. I think we showed the whole world how we can play,” Sneijder said. “Finally we won, we beat Brazil.”

Sharad Pawar is the new ICC president.

Sharad Pawar, the former BCCI chief is now the new ICC President. He has taken over the post from England's David Morgan following the body's annual conference in Singapore.Sharad Pawar has served as deputy of Morgan for two years before taking over the post from him. Pawar will lead the ICC for two years, the most powerful post in cricket administration. He is the second Indian to hold the post after Jagmohan Dalmiya in the late nineties.

India's Tour of Sri Lanka, June-July, 2010

No doubt, MS Dhoni's boys ouplayed the Lankans in the finals of the prestigious Asia Cup, June, 2010. However, will the so called "Men In Blue" under Dhoni be able to maintain the same winning spree?

INDIA CAN HANDLE MENDIS - DRAVID

Rahul Dravid is confident India can handle the threat posed by "mystery spinner" Ajantha Mendis on the tour of Sri Lanka next month. Mendis tormented India's batsmen in 2008, taking 26 wickets in what was his debut series, as the home side emerged 2-1 winners over three Tests.
Dravid said India had figured out Mendis over the last two years and should be able to play him well. "He is still a good bowler," he told reporters. "He was completely new to us when we toured Sri Lanka last time. He got the measure our team last time, there is no doubt about it. He played a major role in the series. But hopefully, we have learnt our lesson.
"I think we played him pretty well when he came to India. We learnt how to tackle him. Having said that international bowlers keep on improving, international bowlers come up with new tricks every time. But hopefully we will have the answers [to] whatever Mendis throws at us this time."
Mendis played just one Test on Sri Lanka's tour of India last year, taking two wickets while conceding 162 runs.
The last time Dravid played international cricket was in January, when he scored an unbeaten century against Bangladesh in the second of two Tests. Injury ruled him out the subsequent series against South Africa, but he was part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team that finished third in the IPL. He said he needed a little time to get back into the rhythm of Test cricket.
"Sometimes, it is little bit of challenge to return to Test cricket after a long break but there is preparation time in Sri Lanka. I am looking forward to some match practice before the series."
However, Dravid said the break from cricket was good for him and he has been training hard over the last six weeks to get ready for the tour. He predicted a close contest between two rivals who have seen a lot of each other in recent times.
"Sri Lanka is a very formidable team and they play tough cricket at home. In the last two times we travelled there, we won a Test match but did not win the series. It is a positive sign to win a Test there but it is now important for us to keep that performance going right throughout the upcoming series.
"It is going to be a challenge but we have got a good team. We have got bowlers who are capable of taking 20 wickets, which is important to win a Test. If we can put runs on the board, hopefully we will have a good series."
Galle will host the first Test, which kicks off on July 18, while the next two matches will be held in Colombo, at the SSC and the P Sara Oval. The second and third Tests are between July 26 and 30 and August 3 and 7 respectively.