Vuvuzela South Africa

Strand Tower Hotel in Long Street, Cape Town

Are you looking for accommodation in Cape Town for the Argentina vs Germany quarterfinal on Saturday?

On Saturday 3 July in Match 59 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Argentina meets Germany at the Cape Town Stadium at 4pm (local time) to determine a spot in the semi finals.

Epic Encounter

Many soccer fans have been waiting for this epic encounter and will be flying in to South Africa especially for the match. Many even say the final is happening in the quarterfinals, as these two teams are the best at this World Cup.

I am sure they will be happy to know that there is still a range of accommodation available in Cape Town at really good prices.

The 2006 games between Argentina and German is still being talked about and rated as one of the all time great games.

How they got to the Quarterfinals of the World Cup

Argentina qualified from Group C and faced Mexico. A brace from Carlos Tevez, and another from Gonzalo Higuain helped Argentina cruise to victory over the North Americans.

Germany drew its historic rival England in the first knockout match. The Germans cruised to a comfortable 2-0 lead before England fought back, scoring once while wrongly having another goal disallowed. Despite the controversy, Germany deserved their 4-1 victory.

Take a look at the affordable accommodation in Central Cape Town – Special 2010 World Cup Rates

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It is a beautiful sunny day in Durban. At 4pm, this afternoon Netherlands will take on Slovakia for a place in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Holland’s best performance in the World Cup have been two trips to the final in 1974 and 1978, led by the Dutch legend Johan Cryuff. They have always been perpetual favourites due to the exciting brand of total football that is the hallmark of Team Orange.

Netherlands – Plenty of Quality Players

After winning all of their matches in Group E, the Netherlands aim to stay on the winning track against Slovakia in the round of sixteen. Bert van Marwijk’s 2010 World Cup side boasts plenty of quality and match winners with Champions League winning playmaker Wesley Sneijder, Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben, Arsenal’s Robin van Persie and Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart. It is time for Hop Hop Holland to put foot to the metal and shift into top gear.

The Dutch have typically been known as underachievers at the World Cup and cannot afford any mistakes now. If they can play to their potential, Slovakia will fall by the wayside and the Oranje camp will be in excellent shape ahead of a potential quarterfinal clash with Brazil or Chile.

If they do not, the Slovakians, will exploit their weaknesses and run right through them like they did with Italy.
These teams have never met at the World Cup, but the Dutch did lose 3-0 to Czechoslovakia in the first round of the 1938 World Cup in France. This might not be very relevant to today’s Slovakia vs Netherlands match.

Van Persie Believes Holland will Win the Title

According to breakingfootballnews Robin Van Persie Believes Holland Will Win Title.

Netherlands can beat Slovakia and go all the way to the final of the 2010 World Cup and even lift the trophy, claims Robin Van Persie. The Holland striker believes that the Dutch have the perfect balanced squad of anytime in Dutch football’s recent memory, and should take advantage of their strengths to become champions of the world for the first time.

Arjen Robben – Will he Start?

Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk will surely again plan to play it safe with regards the fitness of star man Arjen Robben, despite the Bayern Munich ace making his first appearance of the World Cup last Thursday evening

The Dutch winger made a successful comeback from a hamstring injury the last time out, playing 20 effective minutes as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 win over Cameroon. It will be interesting to see what kind of influence he can exert as a starter, provided he gets the nod from Coach Bert van Marwijk, who is keeping an eye on his star.

Rafael van der Vaart appears to have pulled a muscle in training on Sunday and is unlikely to feature against Slovakia, according to the team’s medical staff.

Netherlands On Yellow Cards

Nigel de Jong, Robin van Persie, Gregory van der Wiel, Giovanni van Brockhorst, Van der Vaart and Dirk Kuyt were all booked in the group phase and are on yellow cards. They would miss a potential quarterfinal if they concede another card in the round of sixteen.

Slovakia at 2010 World Cup

Slovakia have has an almost Jekyll and Hyde campaign at the 2010 World Cup. After their opening two matches, in which they were extremely disappointing against New Zealand and Paraguay in Group F, no one gave Slovakia a chance against the world champions, even if Italy had not been up to scratch themselves. Nonetheless, the players finally clicked in unison and engineered one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history as they advanced to the second round and eliminated the 2006 winners in the process.

Robert Vittek had a breakout game against Italy, scoring two goals to send the Azzurri crashing out of the tournament in the first round. He has stepped up in a big way for his country, while headline midfielder Marek Hamsik has toiled in virtual anonymity.

If coach Vladimir Weiss and his team can repeat the intensity and focus of the team that took down the Azzurris, Slovakia may pull off a win over the Netherlands, but it does not really seem that likely.

Slovakia – on Yellow Cards

Jan Durica, Vladimir Weiss, Stanislav Sestak, Jan Mucha, Peter Pekarik and Robert Vittek are all at risk of missing the quarterfinals and will need to avoid cards in this game. Zdeno Strba was already booked twice which means he is suspended for the match against the Netherlands.

Both sides have scored four goals at this tournament, and both left three of them for the second half of their games. As such, it may be expected that most of the goal action in this match is to take place in the second half as well.
Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban

Netherlands vs Slovakia will take place at the  Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, which is to see its sixth match at this World Cup. The game is scheduled to start at 16:00 (4pm) local time and the referee appointed is Spaniard Alberto Undiano.

Image: Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie of Netherlands by Tsutomu Takasu

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Paul the psychic Octopus has predicted a German win in the epic England vs Germany encounter in the Final 16 in the 2010 World Cup in Bloemfontein (Mangaung) this afternoon at 4 (local time).

Paul — an octopus at the Sea Life public aquarium in Oberhausen, western Germany — has so far correctly predicted the outcome of each of Germany’s World Cup matches.

He believes that Germany will win the “Battle of Bloemfontein” this afternoon when the Germany vs England clash reverberates around the footballing world – but Paul the Octopus didn’t say anything about penalty shootouts…

Josh Layton from Cryptozoology Online says that Paul the Octopus is a sucker pundit.

England’s World Cup hopes have been dealt a blow – by a psychic octopus.

Paul the octopus has correctly predicted all of Germany’s wins and defeats in the World Cup so far – and he is tipping them to beat Fabio Capello’s team tomorrow.

To get his predictions, food is lowered into Paul’s tank in two containers with the flag of each country on the front. The one he goes for is his tip to win.

For this last 16 clash in Bloemfontein, Paul opted for a mussel in a glass of water marked with the black, red and yellow flag of our fierce rivals.

To rub salt in England’s wounds, two year-old Paul lives in Oberhausen Sea Life centre in Germany but is originally from Weymouth, Dorset. read more

Great Photos of Paul the Octopus

Read the full story of Paul the Octopus on Spiegel online and see a wonderful galley of photos of Paul the Psychic Octopus in action.

Image:Spiegel  online: Paul the Octopus chooses Germany

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Germany meets England in Bloemfontein (Mangaung) today (Sunday) The prize? A spot in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

One of soccer’s greatest rivalries will be renewed Sunday in Bloemfontein with a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the line.

Fifth World Cup Germany v England Meeting

This will be the fifth World Cup meeting between England and Germany, and they have been tied after 90 minutes in each of the previous four. So it is no wonder that penalty shootouts and goal keeping wizardry are much talked about topics in both the England and German camps.

Penalty Shootouts

Of their 27 meetings, England leads with 12 wins with five ending in a draw. And wearing their Red shirts, England will run on the field today feeling confident – although England have never won under a Uruguayan referee.

Telegraph.co.uk reports that David James’s German counterpart, Manuel Neuer, talks of playing the “memory game” if Sunday’s World Cup round of 16 game climaxes in a shoot-out. This involves Neuer remembering all the advice from the German technical staff on which way to dive for which player. At the last World Cup, Jens Lehmann frustrated Argentina by checking on their players’ preference from a slip of paper shoved down his sock.

James and the players are not as obsessed with the history of the fixture as everybody is outside the dressing room. “The one comment [between players] that has been made is, ‘What about Berlin – we beat them 2-1′. So there was an achievement [in 2008] that a large nucleus of this group of players have been involved in. So we are talking about our achievement.”

Germany vs England – Old Rivalry on the Football Field

It is true; few rivalries in sport capture the imagination quite as much as encounters between England and Germany on the football field.

Events away from the pitch may have added to the feud over the years, but these two old adversaries having been locking horns for well over 100 years.

The origins of this iconic clash can be traced all the way back to 1899, when England faced German opposition for the very first time.

Whatever happens, the fixture in Bloemfontein is sure to offer top-drawer entertainment – so to get you in mood skysports.com has trawled the archives to offer up a selection of memorable England versus Germany contests from years gone by. Take a look at England vs. Germany FIFA World Cup 2010: History and Preview of Old Rivalry.

Group C Matches

England has made it through, but not in a brilliant fashion. They drew 1-1 with USA in their opener, drew 0-0 to Algeria and beat Slovenia 1-0 to finish second in Group C. They showed an inability to transfer their displays on the training pitch into high-pressure situations.

Germany opened with a crushing 4-0 win over Australia, but lost to Serbia 1-0 and beat Ghana 1-0 to book their knockout with England.

Paul the Psychic Octopus predicts a Germany win – read all about this suckerfooted pundit and his predictions.

England vs Germany Game Heavily Policed

The Germany vs England match will be one of the most heavily policed of the 2010 World Cup with previous fixtures having attracted large numbers of hooligans.

The last time the pair met in a major competition a decade ago during the European championships in Belgium, the streets of Charleroi were reduced to a battle zone as more than 500 fans were arrested during two days of violence.

Never Underestimate England

Although the Germans have looked much sharper on the field throughout the 2010 World cup so far, it would be a terrible mistake to underestimate England just because they had a few problems in their group. They will raise their game for the knockout matches. It is known that England starts slowly in the World Cup and like then or not, only a fool would underestimate an England team with Wayne Rooney up front, and have Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in midfield.

Germany – Youngest Squad in 76 Years

Die Nationalmannschaft’s youngest FIFA World Cup squad in 76 years boasts obvious potential nonetheless, with Mesut Ozil stepping in spectacularly for the injured Michael Ballack, and they will be keen to show they can be every bit as ruthless as their illustrious forebears in the business end of the competition.

Germany Injuries

Germany striker Cacau has been ruled out with a stomach muscle injury so Miroslav Klose, who is available again after suspension, will come back into the side.

Coach Joachim Loew has concerns over key midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger following the hamstring strain he picked up against Ghana. Jerome Boateng is troubled by a calf strain and could be replaced by Holger Badstuber.

On Yellow Cards (one game from suspension)

Germany: Cacau, Khedira, Lahm, Oezil, Mueller, Schweinsteiger
England: Gerrard, Johnson, Milner

Venue: Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein (Mangaung) Date: Sun, 27 June Kick-off: 16:00 local time

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USA vs Ghana is going to be a very big match for Bob Bradley’s men and for the Black Stars who are carrying the hopes of the African continent.

Well it looks like the US is getting Soccer Fever. I’ve had reports from friends that bars in some cities/states are allowed to open at 8 in the morning (time zone difference) to Watch World cup Matches and people are packing arriving in droves to watch the games.

The USA should be proud of their team. Because Bob Bradley’s boys are one of the most under-rated teams in the history of football (sorry, soccer) Read this great story U.S. finally catches World Cup fever.

Although they have a respectable FIFA Coca Cola World ranking of 14, pundits always, seem to overlook this team with so much heart. So when USA line up against Ghana in the Round of 16 in Rustenburg today, payback will be a natural motivation.

Four years ago, the Black Stars claimed second place behind eventual champions Italy from Group E after beating the Americans 2-1 in the decisive final group match in Nuremberg.

This is the Americans’ fourth appearance in the last 16, a further shot in the arm for an increasingly popular sport stateside, while the Black Stars are carrying the hopes of an entire continent as they seek to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

Ghana Last African team in African World Cup

Ghana who edged out Serbia in their pool and gave Germany a stiff examination before going down 1-0. carry the hopes of the African continent and the increased expectations of a second consecutive appearance in the knockout rounds, while the US – riding the wave of a media frenzy back home – are dreaming of a run to the semi-finals that would cement their rising status in world football.

Ghana Black Stars – Hopes of a Continent

Ghana now represent the hopes of an entire continent, they are the last of the African nations still competing in Africa’s first World Cup.

Ghana’s youth team won the FIFA U-20 World Cup late last year and a senior team utilising a number of those players finished second in January’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

The last World Cup saw Serbian Ratomir Dujkovic guide the Black Stars into the last 16 at their first attempt, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat to Brazil. This time around, another Serb Milovan Rajavac has matched that feat and given them a chance of reaching the quarterfinals.

At first people did not take the Ghana coach seriously, by Rajavac not only lead the Black Stars to the World Cup finals but also to the African Cup of Nations Final where his injury-ravaged side were beaten by Egypt. For this Ghana vs USA match they will be sorely missing their biggest player in Michael Essien, who has been out of the entire tournament injured.

Ghana vs USA

The Americans stunned the world by reaching the FIFA Confederations Cup final last year after knocking the number one team in the world, Spain, off the perch of their undefeated run.

Ghana v USA at the 2010 World Cup will be a collision with an eye back to what Landon Donovan called a “tentative” and “disappointing” loss in 2006.

For this World Cup teams have new coaches since the 2006 World Cup, and each side have only six players in the squad that took the field in Germany.

Biggest Support at South Africa World Cup 2010

Urged on by the biggest support at South Africa 2010, the Stars and Stripes scrapped and fought their way out of the group phase, coming from behind against both England and Slovenia and snatching a last-gasp winner against the Algerians.

For the USA this is their sixth consecutive visit to the 2010 World Cup Finals.

Former national team youth Coach Bob Bradley has drafted several untried youngsters into a well-oiled side that has fulfilled the promise it showed in reaching the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009.

The weakness in the USA team is their defense, which looks a bit shaky at times and can expect to be under fire from the Ghana strikers, but in contrast to the Americans, The Black Stars have been underperforming up front, scoring only two goals so far, both from the penalty spot.

Americans Always Likely to Score

Energetic, robust and very much all action the Americans are not a side to sit back, they scored in all of their qualifying games and have netted in all of their group games in South Africa. At times, that exuberance can leave them exposed defensively but with Clint Dempsey and Jozy Altidore, joining Landon Donovan they are always likely to score and create chances,
Ghana v USA will take place at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenbverg at 8.30 pm on Saturday 26 June 2010 (local time)

RUS v Ghana Squad lists from fifa.com

USA Team

•    1 Tim HOWARD

•    18 Brad GUZAN

•    23 Marcus HAHNEMANN

•    2 Jonathan SPECTOR

•    3 Carlos BOCANEGRA

•    5 Oguchi ONYEWU

•    6 Steve CHERUNDOLO

•    12 Jonathan BORNSTEIN

•    15 Jay DeMERIT

•    21 Clarence GOODSON

•    4 Michael BRADLEY

•    7 DaMarcus BEASLEY

•    8 Clint DEMPSEY

•    10 Landon DONOVAN

•    11 Stuart HOLDEN

•    13 Ricardo CLARK

•    16 Francisco TORRES

•    19 Maurice EDU

•    22 Benny FEILHABER

•    9 Herculez GOMEZ

•    14 Edson BUDDLE

•    17 Jozy ALTIDORE

•    20 Robbie FINDLEY

Ghana Team
•    1 Daniel AGYEI

•    16 Stephen AHORLU

•    22 Richard KINGSON

•    2 Hans SARPEI

•    4 John PANTSIL

•    5 John MENSAH

•    7 Samuel INKOOM

•    8 Jonathan MENSAH

•    15 Isaac VORSAH

•    17 Ibrahim AYEW

•    19 Lee ADDY

•    6 Anthony ANNAN

•    9 Derek BOATENG

•    10 Stephen APPIAH

•    11 Sulley MUNTARI

•    13 Andre AYEW

•    21 Kwadwo ASAMOAH

•    3 Asamoah GYAN

•    12 Prince TAGOE

•    14 Matthew AMOAH

•    18 Dominic ADIYIAH

•    20 Quincy OWUSU-ABEYIE

•    23 Kevin Prince BOATENG

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