This tournament has been historic. It will always be remembered as the first World Cup to go to Africa, in particular, to South Africa – a country that has suffered so much oppression, that has fought to show the world that it is safe and that has shown the world that white people and black people are co-existing in peace.

The competition started slowly as teams seemed to be still adjusting to the conditions and there were clearly some nerves. The first round of group stage matches produced only two games where three or more goals were scored (out of a possible sixteen games). The first round was so dull that two games ended 0-0; there were six 1-0 wins; and four 1-1 draws.

The first round of games did produce some special moments though. The opening goal of the World Cup was fittingly scored by a South African – Siphiwe Tshabalala. It was a fantastic goal that got the country dancing – their competition had finally started. Elsewhere both finalists from 2006 were held to draws, France by Uruguay and reigning champions Italy had to come from behind against Paraguay. There were shocks as New Zealand scored a last minute equaliser against Slovakia; and no one foresaw that Spain would lose to Switzerland.

My favourite game of the first round was Brazil vs. North Korea. The Brazilians played some brilliant football in patches but it was the North Koreans who intrigued me. They were incredibly disciplined and were not at all in awe or afraid of the five time winners. North Korea kept possession well, defended with passion and had the confidence to shoot from any distance. The North Koreans deserved Ji Yun-Nam’s fantastic late goal and very nearly snuck a draw.

The individual performance of the first round belonged to Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama. The goalkeeper pulled off save after save after save to thwart Argentina who could never add to Heinze’s early goal. If it wasn’t for Enyeama then Argentina may well have hit double figures!

The second round of group stage fixtures saw some normality return to the results. The higher ranked nations started to grind out wins but not everyone was having it their way. The French followed up a draw against Uruguay with a 2-0 loss to Mexico; whilst Germany lost against Serbia by a single goal after Klose was harshly sent off. Like France, Italy were still finding it tough and they once again had to come from behind to draw with New Zealand.

Argentina provided an attacking masterclass to beat South Korea 4-1, but the game that everyone will remember from the group stages was the 7-0 drubbing that Portugal handed to North Korea. It was the largest winning margin and the game that product the most goals in the tournament. North Korea held their own for an hour and looked like they may find an equaliser to Meireles’s first half strike. However, the wet conditions and slick pitch allowed Portugal to play quick attacking football and the North Koreans fell apart.

The last round of fixtures in the group stages became a knockout situation for some countries. South Africa bowed out of the tournament, becoming the first host nation failing to progress from the group stage. They did however give the country a reason to party as they beat France 2-1, extinguishing the World Cup campaign of the 1998 winners as well as their own.

Nigeria disappointed at the tournament but at least walked away with a point as they drew 2-2 with South Korea in a game that provided the miss of the tournament. Somehow Yakubu put the ball wide from no more than 4 yards out, in the centre of an open goal and under no pressure. Elsewhere, the USA left it till the last minute to get a winning goal against Slovenia that meant they topped their group. Serbia just needed to win to qualify but fell to a surprise defeat against Australia – both teams went home.

One of the most exciting games of the tournament could have been Portugal vs. Brazil. Portugal were confident after annihilating North Korea, and Brazil had been comfortable so far. What was witnessed was a dull 0-0 that meant both sides qualified. Spain were the last team to qualify. They beat the 10 men of Chile 2-1 but were arguably given a dose of their own medicine as Chile even reduced by one, passed the ball well and used space fantastically. Both teams qualified.

The biggest surprise of the last round was Italy’s 3-2 defeat against Slovakia. It meant the 2006 champions were sent back to Italy having been knocked out at the earliest possible opportunity with only two points from three games.

I haven’t mentioned the trials and tribulations of England until now. I feel like I’ve spent a lot of time discussing the fortunes of my country over the past month and didn’t want to drag myself into the details of it all over again. So, if you didn’t already know…England qualified second in their group having played poorly in the group stages. They ended with a record of played three, won one and drawn two. It meant a date with Germany awaited in the last 16.

Off the pitch, both France and England ensured that drama ensued. The French sent Anelka home and so the players revolted and refused to train. As if that wasn’t enough, Ribery decided to interrupt a live interview with Domenech and he emotionally addressed the watching French nation himself. Meanwhile, in the England camp, John Terry lead a very English revolt – in which no players actually revolted. Terry told the media that some of the players were not convinced by Capello’s tactics and they would confront him in a team meeting. It became apparent that there was no player confrontation and Capello publicly said that Terry had made a “very big mistake”.

With the group stages over a look at the teams in the last 16 showed that Africa’s sole representation now lay with Ghana. In the meantime all the talk was of how impressive the South American teams had been, all five had made it through beyond the group stages.

The South American success at the tournament continued as the knockout stages began. Uruguay beat South Korea whilst Ghana kept the African dream alive as rising star of the World Cup, Asamoah Gyan scored in extra time to knock out the USA.

The games on the 27th June will be remembered for three things: German ruthlessness; English disappointment; and linesmen. England were outplayed, outclassed and emphatically beaten 4-1 by old foes Germany. Argentina removed the Mexican threat by beating them 3-1. Both games hinged upon incorrect decisions by a linesman. With Germany winning 2-1, Frank Lampard’s shot clearly crossed the line but the linesman did not see it. At 0-0 in the Argentina vs. Mexico game, Tevez was incorrectly considered onside (by some margin) and he put Argentina ahead. These two events lead to an apology from Sepp Blatter and Fifa admitted that technology may have to be seriously considered after the World Cup.

The World Cup managed to continue without Mexico and England. The Netherlands progressed by beating Slovakia 2-1. They had gone rather unnoticed through the early stages of the tournament and along with Argentina were the only other nation to have won three from three in the group stages. Brazil ended Chile’s run by beating them 3-0. Chile became the first South American nation to be knocked out.

Paraguay vs. Japan lasted for 120 minutes and not a goal was scored; so the competition had its first penalty shootout. Paraguay won 5-3 and ensured that half of the teams in the quarter finals would be from South America. Spain were the last team to secure a quarter final spot as they beat neighbours, Portugal, by a single goal.

Even before the last 16 games were completed, the inquest into English football had started. Whilst a lot of the focus had been on brilliant Brazil and awesome Argentina, Uruguay had confidently stridden through to the quarter finals and the prospect of a first semi final in 80 years was just one game away.

Whenever a World Cup comes around, Brazil are always considered a team who have a good chance of winning the competition. This year was no different. I was a little bemused by the confidence that the media had in them. This was a Brazilian side whose star player was underperforming and who had only produced patches of good football. Brazil in my mind were there for the taking, but I did not expect the Netherlands do be the team who troubled them. Brazil were excellent for 55 minutes and then a Sneijder goal for the Dutch signalled the end of the Brazilian challenge. The Netherlands controlled the remainder of the game and Sneijder whose influence on the tournament was growing, got his second. Brazil, unthinkably, were out of the tournament at the quarter final stage.

Uruguay and Ghana were paired in the least attractive of the four quarter finals. Ghana had the backing of the neutrals as Africa’s last nation. A poor game had one of the most dramatic of finishes. In the last added minute of extra time Ghana pressed for a final chance. Stephen Appiah had an effort blocked by Luis Suarez, following up was Dominic Adiyiah who thought he had scored until Suarez blocked his attempt, but illegally with his hands. Suarez was sent off and Asamoah Gyan had the chance to put Ghana into the semi finals. The image that will remain with me, is of Luis Suarez celebrating like a martyr as he walked down the tunnel having seen Gyan’s penalty thunder away off the crossbar. The game went to penalties and Uruguay triumphed 4-2.

Ghana come out of the World Cup as one of the success stories. Without their star player, Michael Essien, they found new heroes in Kevin Prince-Boateng and Asamoah Gyan (even after missing the penalty). This Ghana side will have inspired a new generation of African football fans as one of their teams made it to the last 8 in the world.

The quarter finals threw up a classic match, a game where two footballing giants would meet. Argentina vs. Germany is a game with a lot of history, pride and passion. This year it pitched the form side, Germany; against a team managed by a footballing icon and legend, containing the best player in the world, Argentina. Maradona’s men were quietly fancied by a lot of people as favourites to win the competition. They found themselves up against a young, hungry and typically disciplined Germany side though. I would imagine that watching this game made English fans feel a tiny bit better about losing 4-1 to Germany. Schweinsteiger dominated the midfield and in ruthless fashion, Germany won 4-0. For Argentina, history repeated itself and this loss will now add to growing list of defeats that Germany have inflicted upon Argentina in recent World Cups. Miroslav Klose bagged two goals to equal Gerd Muller’s record of 14 goals at World Cups for a German player.

Paraguay took on Spain in a closely fought and intense last semi final. Both sides missed penalties (although Spain did score their penalty it had to be retaken and was then missed) and it took a late goal from David Villa to seal a place in the semi finals for Spain.

Having had a South American dominance in the quarter finals, the semi finals saw a shift of power towards the European teams. There was now a real possibility that the final would be an all European affair, as it was in 2006. Only once before had two successive finals been all European, 1934 and 1938. Another final like this would break a curse that seems to hang on European countries – never before had a nation from Europe won the World Cup in another continent. Now there was a real chance of that.

The World Cup manages to go in stages where the public, often swayed by the media jump on the bandwagon of a certain country, believing they will get to final and surely won’t be beaten. In this tournament Brazil and Argentina were the two sides that couldn’t be beaten. Then, after beating Argentina it was Germany. Going into the semi finals there was a real belief that Germany could upset the European champions, Spain.

The first semi final saw the Netherlands take on the last non-European nation left, Uruguay. The progress of the Dutch had gone rather under the radar. In a way they were fortunate in the group stages, winning a game through an own goal and another through a goalkeeping howler. Their progression though had highlighted the importance of Robben and Sneijder to their team. Uruguay would be without the suspended Luis Suarez, but talismanic captain, Forlan, was in great form at the tournament and would try and lead his side unbelievably to the final.

This first semi final produced for me, the goal of the tournament. Dutch captain, Gio van Bronkhorst was high up the pitch from his left back area. There seemed to be nothing on for him, so with a little shift of the ball in front of him he decided to give it an almighty whack. From 35 yards out, on an angle, the ball flew into the top right corner. It was stunning. The much criticised, World Cup football didn’t even wobble about that much, no keeper was ever going to have stopped that shot.

Uruguay gave as good as they got and were level before half time. Forlan continued his form with another good goal. Holland controlled the game, but until the 70th minute, Uruguay were never troubled. However over the course of the next three minutes the game was over. Two quick Dutch goals from Sneijder and Robben meant the Oranje were all but in the final. A late second goal for Uruguay was not enough and the Netherlands were in their first World Cup final for 32 years.

Semi final number two saw form side Germany (minus suspended Thomas Muller) take on tournament favourites, Spain (minus Fernando Torres who was dropped for Pedro). Whilst Germany had found the perfect balance in their recent performances, Spain had not hit form yet. David Villa’s goals had got them this far and at times they had looked vulnerable. Fernando Torres had not scored at all and whilst still recovery from an injury he had none of his usual sharpness. This game was a repeat of the Euro 2008 final fixture.

The game turned out to be another close one. Spain, as they so often do, controlled large patches. Once again though, they failed to create good chances. The longer the game went on, the deeper Germany sat, allowing more Spanish pressure. Spanish persistence and possession eventually paid off, but from a set piece. A Xavi corner was met with a bullet header from Puyol and with 17 minutes to go, the game had its only goal. Germany may regret not pressuring Spain as hard in the second half, but the Spanish did produce a masterclass in how to keep the ball.

Spain have been the best side in the world over the past four years and their place in the final was richly deserved. It is a testament to the individual quality of their players that the team had not really performed that well in the tournament but still had made it to the final. A final of Spain vs. Netherlands awaited, and the tournament was guaranteed a first time winner.

Spain’s progress, playing their possession football has reignited the debate about whether it is the best type of football. Like, club side, Barcelona, Spain can keep possession for long periods of the match and when they need to, they can unlock a team with swift, deadly passing. This type of football has been labelled by some to be boring. Watching Spain in the tournament had at times been a nit painful – mainly due to the fact that the team hadn’t actually been playing well. There is something dull about watching a ball move between players in the middle area of a pitch for five minutes. At the same time it is incredibly admirable that Spain can do that. Few nations are able to keep a ball so easily. Is this the elite form of the game though? Germany are able to soak up pressure with a disciplined formation and then counter attack at great pace – arguably due to the patience, discipline and speed of attack, that type of football at its best is equally impressive, maybe not as easy on the eye though. I believe that because the way Spain play football is so rarely tried and achieved, it becomes slightly overhyped in that it is the best way to play. A nation should play the way that best suits the players available; in Spain’s case, this is the way to get the most from their players. It had got them to the final where they would hope to finally hit top gear and win in the fashion that many had expected before the tournament – with style and a sense of entertainment.

Before the final, there is the slightly meaningless playoff for third place. Germany changed their line up and withdrew Klose who wouldn’t have the chance to get a 15th World Cup goal and pull alongside Ronaldo as the tournaments greatest ever goalscorer. Uruguay and Forlan wanted to be able to say they are the world’s third best team and named a strong side. The game that followed was very watchable and entertaining. Germany took an early lead through Muller but went in level at half time due to a Cavani equaliser. In the second half Forlan volleyed Uruguay into the lead but Germany were level within five minutes as Jansen equalised following an error from goalkeeper, Muslera. Khedira got the winning goal for Germany, eight minutes from the end but there was still time for Forlan to hit the bar in injury time. Germany won the ‘bronze medal’ and ended finishing the tournament third.

The third place playoff is often considered a waste of a game but this year it turned out to be very entertaining with both sides wanting to win it. Uruguay exceeded all expectations in finishing fourth. Germany have a young, talented team that will be together for the next few years. The signs are that German football is in a good place at the moment and can only get better.

And so to the final…Netherlands vs. Spain

The big news ahead of the final was that Fernando Torres would once again be only on the substitutes bench. The game was tense and cagey. Howard Webb, the referee in charge had to stop play more often than anyone would have liked as the Netherlands gave away their tactics early on. Some would call it ‘anti-football’ but the Netherlands realised they would have to break up the Spanish possession however possible.

The first half was feisty. Five players had been booked after half an hour and no clear openings had materialised for either side. Sergio Ramos came close twice in the opening five minutes but otherwise long distant efforts were saved well by both goalkeepers. Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape being sent off after he planted a foot into the chest of Xabi Alonso.

The best chances in the second half fell to Arjen Robben. Twice he was played through clean on goal and twice he missed. Iker Casillas has come in for some criticism during the tournament but he was truly in form to deny the Netherlands on a couple of crucial occasions. The Netherlands learnt from Germany and made sure they pressed Spain high up the pitch. The problem with doing that however is that fouls and free kicks are inevitably given away.

As the game went into extra time, John Heitinga made on foul too many and he received his second yellow card of the match, followed by a dooming red card. With four minutes remaining, substitute Fabregas was able to slide a ball through to Iniesta who drilled the ball into the net to seize the winning goal for Spain. As the final whistle went, the jubilant Spanish players poured onto the pitch, some shedding a tear, some not knowing how to celebrate at all other than to hug the nearest person.

The final was not a classic. The football played was not exceptional. What is important is that the best team, the most consistent team over the past four years came out victorious. Spain may not have played some of the football that everyone is aware they are capable of, but there is no doubting their quality. It was fitting that Andres Iniesta got the winning goal. He has arguably been one of the best players in the world over the past few years and no one is as important to Spain as he.

The Netherlands in my opinion overachieved in this tournament. Their squad was strong but not as good as some. Apart from their match against Brazil, they had an agreeable route to the final. On the night they simply didn’t take their chances. Their tactics of fouling the Spanish worked until deep into injury time when one of their players was eventually sent off. Their squad is not old, and they will be able to bring through a few young players to solidify what they already have. This was sadly their third defeat in a World Cup final, but if they were to lose to anyone it would have had to have been this talented Spanish side.

As it all comes to a close, congratulations must go to Spain for winning the competition; Diego Forlan for winning the best player award, the Golden Ball (with nearly a quarter of the vote); and to Thomas Muller for winning the Golden Boot (5 goals and 3 assists). Spain won this tournament by only scoring 8 goals in 7 games, but that was enough. I am proud to say I predicted that Spain would win the competition (I’m less proud about some of my other predictions!). The competition ends with a first time winner and amazingly the only unbeaten side in the tournament was New Zealand!

Now the World Cup is finished until Brazil 2014. We have learnt that performances count for little; individuals put together don’t make a team; Africa can host a major tournament; European nations can win the tournament on another continent; the best team always wins the competition; Spain are the best team in the world…and of course, always believe an octopus called Paul!

Congratulations to worthy winners Spain, and see you in 2012 for the qualifiers!

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Holland have beaten Uruguay 3-2 in the first World Cup semi final. The result means that the World Cup final will be an all-European affair as it was in 2006. This is only the second time in World Cup history that consecutive finals have been all-European; the last time it happened was in the 1934 and 1938 finals.

Holland opened the scoring thanks to a 35 yard rocket of a shot from their captain, Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Muslera stood no chance as the ball thundered into the top right hand corner from the left side of the pitch. Before half time Uruguay were level as the their captain, Diego Forlan struck a left footed shot from 25 yards with power and although Sekelenburg in goal got a hand to it, he couldn’t keep it out.

Uruguay had been comfortable all game, in particular it was admirable how Caceres as a make-shift left back thwarted Robben from making a real impact in the game. Midway through the second half, Sneijder scored to give Holland the lead again, his shot was deflected off Maxi Perreira but as it went towards the goal Robin van Persie stuck out a leg to try to shoot and although at best the ball may have ever so slightly brushed his shin it still went in. Uruguay were far from happy as van Persie was in an offside position at the time – swinging a foot at the ball does make him active in the move but the linesman didn’t raise his flag.

Within minutes of their second goal, Holland were out of sight. Kuyt cut back on the left hand side and played a cross in, Robben was unmarked and guided the ball in off the post with an accurate header. Uruguay looked deflated and withdrew Diego Forlan – no one has contributed more to their World Cup adventure than him.

With Uruguay pressing, and the game becoming stretched, van der Vaart and Robben both had chances to extend the lead. Uruguay pulled a goal back in injury time as Maxi Pereira’s left footed shot from the edge of the penalty area skidded into the left hand corner. Although they lumped the ball forward desperately, Uruguay could not get a late equaliser and Holland progressed to their first World Cup final for 32 years.

Holland have got this far playing without really hitting top form. They have been grateful to an own goal against Denmark, a goalkeeping howler against Japan and a goalkeeping error against Brazil. In Sneijder and Robben they do however have two of the tournaments most effective players. Sneijder is the tournament’s joint top scorer with 5 goals and he has pulled the strings for Holland throughout the campaign. Robben is their go-to man, the player who can produce something from nothing, he beats a man with ease and makes hard things look easy – although he gets stick for going down very easily he has been exciting to watch. The Dutch’s luck has stretched to Mark van Bommel – who has managed to survive the quarter final and semi final with only a booking. It is baffling how he was not sent off in either game after putting in some reckless tackles.

The Dutch will be confident going into the final. Some of their key men are in form and they have no players suspended. Robin van Persie who is yet to make a real mark on the tournament will be hoping to time his form perfectly and peak in the final. Holland seem to have great team spirit about them and this will have been a big factor in them getting this far.

The winners of Spain vs. Germany tomorrow will join Holland in the final. Johannesburg better be prepared for an Oranje invasion on Sunday – the Dutch are in the World Cup final.

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The semi finals start tomorrow and are heavily dominated by Europe. Having suggested only a week ago that the South American teams were doing so well the dominance by one continent at the World Cup has again shifted.

Uruguay are now the only remaining South American country in the World Cup. Their quarter final with Ghana had everything you want from a game of football (as a neutral) in the last two minutes. A red card; a dramatic last kick-of-the-game penalty; a penalty missed; and then the agony and ecstasy of a penalty shootout. Asamoah Gyan was a matter of inches from sending Uruguay out of the World Cup. Luis Suarez, who has had an impressive World Cup will miss the semi-final after ‘cheating’ or ‘taking one for the team’ – depending which camp you sit in. The winning penalty from Sebastian Abreu had an element of class about it as he dinked it over the goalkeeper. Luck seems to be with Uruguay, so should it be a surprise if they go on to beat the Netherlands tomorrow?

The Dutch got to the semi finals by knocking out Brazil. Whenever there is a World Cup, Brazil are fancied. For me, this Brazilian team didn’t have enough about them. Kaka was poor; they missed the injured Elano; and I couldn’t help but think that when they needed a goal or something different, if only they had Ronaldinho or Pato on the bench. Credit to the Dutch though. After a poor first half, they played fantastically in the second half. They seemed to suit the fact that Brazil lost their attacking discipline and men behind the ball meant Brazil just couldn’t break them down. Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben have both demonstrated that they are of vital importance to the Dutch side. Sneijder in particular is pulling the strings and in the year he won the domestic treble, the World Cup final is just a game away now.

The other semi final is an all European affair. Spain against Germany. Spain were a lot of people’s pre-tournament favourites, including myself. They were the last team to get through to the quarter finals and then the last team to progress from the quarter finals. They beat Paraguay to get to the semi finals in a game that will be remembered for three penalties in two minutes. First, Cardozo of Paraguay saw his penalty saved by Casillas; a minute later a penalty awarded to Spain was scored by Xabi Alonso; Alonso’s penalty had to be retaken and then was saved by Villar. Spain snuck through thanks to one goal from David Villa – who is proving to be worth every penny Barcelona have paid for him. Spain are yet to find any real rhythm and with Torres misfiring both they and he have got this far playing averagely. It therefore doesn’t bode well for Germany that Spain are due a performance.

Germany in some ways have been the surprise package at this tournament. They’ve played the best football and in doing so they demolished England and Argentina convincingly. There is no doubting that they are the form team. Their victory over Argentina in particular was impressive. Lead by Schweinsteiger they made sure that Argentina’s 20 years of hurt continues for at least another four. Germany’s tactical discipline in keeping their shape and having specific player roles will be tested like never before against Spain. Germany’s tactics so far have been to press the ball and opposition players hard and relatively high up the pitch. That is what Spain like, they like to draw a team out and pass around them. Whether Germany try to repeat the same tactics remains to be seen but if they aren’t careful they may just play themselves right into Spanish hands.

Europe is guaranteed at least one finalist. An all European final would mean that only for the second time in history there would be consecutive all European World Cup finals (the last time was 1934 and 1938). This year, after a slow start the matches are hotting up at the right time – roll on the semi finals…

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Once again, the result of Germany vs. Argentina has sided with modern history. I eluded briefly to the history behind this fixture in a preview to the quarter finals and like in 1990 and 2006 it’s the Germans who have emerged victorious. Germany continued their superb form through to the quarter final match and won 4-0 with goals from Muller, Klose (x2) and Friedrich. Germany seem to have the game one in every area of the pitch.

In defence, Germany were disciplined. At no point were silly challenges made in the box on any of the technically brilliant Argentinean players. A couple of free kicks were conceded but they were all far enough out that Neuer was never troubled.

In midfield, Schweinsteiger and Khedira were able to control the game. In particular, Schweinsteiger set the tempo and was able to spring attacks with a few swift passing moves. It shouldn’t be overlooked that the midfield were helped by Muller, Podolski and Klose all getting back to help defensively. Ozil had his quietest game of the tournament but still showed glimpses of his talent.

In attack, the German forwards had too much pace out wide. Argentina could not handle the runs that were being made and their defence was made to look very average and clumsy. Germany will miss Muller in the semi-final due to suspension. Klose’s second goal equalled the German record set by Gerd Muller for goals in World Cup competitions – 14.

As soon as Germany went two goals up the game became very stretched and open. As witnessed against England, Germany’s counter-attacking ability is frightening.

For Argentina and Maradona it’s the end of the road. They were totally outplayed. Personally, I felt Lionel Messi was incredibly disappointing. He failed to score in the tournament and in my opinion failed to make his mark. He was playing in a team that provided him with consummate freedom to express himself but he failed to take advantage of it. No one to date has had more shots on goal than him. As the best player in the world – I was expecting to see more from him.

The real let down with Argentina was in defence though. The four defenders in Otamendi, Burdisso, Demichelis and Heinze were too slow and not good enough. Maradona was unable to react to the fact that Germany pressed Argentina all over the pitch and didn’t allow any freedom for any of their players.

Germany are going to take some beating and will fancy themselves against Uruguay for a place in the final.

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This assessment comes in three parts: vs. Germany; the tournament as a whole; and the future. As with my last post, I am very keen to get a discussion going at the bottom of the article. As I have experienced this afternoon, everyone has an opinion on what has happened and where to go – there is no right answer, so have a read of what I think and then I want to see what the World Cup Statistic’s readers think. We’ve been accustomed to England Football Jokes over the years, now we want to know what you think!

Vs. Germany:

It’s very simple, England were not good enough. Both individually and as a team, England did nothing to suggest they should have advanced instead of Germany.

Frank Lampard did hit the bar and have a goal wrongly not given, but by the time Lampard’s shot crossed the line England should have been four goals behind anyway.

Fabio Capello picked the same team that got so much praise for their performance against Slovenia but yet the team couldn’t gel today. To criticise the starting XI would be hypocritical after the lavish praise of the press for picking Milner and Defoe post-Slovenia. England lost chasing the game, most of Capello’s substitutions were irrelevant, the game was already lost.

I believe the Germans were spot on with their tactics. They pressed England on the ball and targeted in particular the English centre backs, forcing them to play long balls. They identified a lack of pace in the middle and hit England hard on the counter attack, playing some excellent football. Schweinsteiger, Ozil and Muller stood out. In particular it is refreshing to see so many attacking players given the freedom to play their natural game and express themselves.

England suffered from too many individual errors whilst not looking like a team. They were outplayed and outclassed.

The tournament:

The biggest problem with England at a major tournament is the press. The press are excellent at influencing the mood of a country. The press are outstanding at defining England’s chances and identifying players who should perform, whilst crashing down and destroying the players who didn’t perform.

Going into this World Cup once again England had a ‘golden generation’ with one of the world’s best players – Wayne Rooney. The expectation on England to deliver was immense. Quite true however was the fact that England had some fantastic individual players, a top coach and had qualified for the tournament with relative ease. The ‘Golden Generation’ tag never helped England but fuelled the expectations of the fans. As Frank Lampard said post-match today, “The golden generation tag was stupid, it was something that we never believed, it was something the media came up with”.

As it played out, England couldn’t have performed worse and having sneaked through to the knockout stages they were outplayed by Germany.

England’s preparations were hampered before the World Cup with the injury to Rio Ferdinand. As it played out, with the defence looking shaky at times I think the injury to Rio was more important than first thought. England lost a very very good defender as well as their leader and captain.

England’s qualification to the World Cup arguably was part of the downfall. England qualified with such ease that the formation and personnel became the clear way forward for Capello. After the draw with Algeria I questioned why England don’t play a different way – upon reflection I understand that the time to try a new formation is not in the middle of a World Cup but with the players at his disposal it does seem strange Capello never tried a change of formation in any friendlies.

As I’ve said, individually England are brilliant. However, there are so many egos in the side. The noises coming from the camp suggested something wasn’t quite right. The atmosphere amongst the team didn’t appear that relaxed and I think that was reflected by the team’s lack of coherence and togetherness on the pitch.

Too many players did not deliver individually. It is hard to know why. The system may be the reason but it had worked before. I have previously suggested that Rooney is the most feared England player and therefore it was important to play to his strengths which England did not do. Of course it is impossible for me to defend Rooney or the other players for poor touches or for not being able to string passes together. I can’t explain that or get my head round it.

I feel that fatigue was a huge factor for England. The players looked drained. I warned against this before the World Cup when so many players were getting injured. I would stress again that I believe that the Premier League has become the elite form of football. Players have to be so conditioned and fine tuned for it that when it comes to international football, it is a step down and is hard for the players to adjust to it.

I feel that the FA must consider what the World Cup means to them and where it ranks in their priorities. I feel the answer is that it ranks highly, in which case, it baffles me that the FA have not tried to create an environment for the best possible achievements at the World Cup. By that, I mean they have not adopted the proven ‘winter break’ and they did not start the season early enough so that the players would have a suitable rest before the World Cup. It meant, Rooney for example was thrust straight in to training with England after the season had ended. I choose Rooney as my example because he in particular could have done with the break having been injured at the back end of the season when he was thrust back into the Manchester United side whilst not fully fit. More drastic still, the FA could scrap the League Cup – a competition which many of the top sides in the country don’t take that seriously.

The set-up of England as a whole seemed good. There were leaders, experienced players, younger players, good coaches, a fantastic role model (Beckham) but one thing left me confused – the press. I know the press had been kept further from the players than ever before but I wish there had been a gag on them. Sometimes you just want the coach to be left alone with his players to get on with it. The press are much more real and approachable these days due to Twitter. There are so many journalists and ex-professionals offering their own ‘expert’ opinions that footballing journalism just became saturated – it must be so hard to avoid it entirely for the players and the coaches. I have to admit I am intrigued to see the tone the journalists adopt tomorrow – pretty much all of them were so confident of an England win today.

Confidence is an interesting thing. Typically, England fans get overconfident. I think English expectations really need to be re-aligned a bit. England are a good footballing nation but there are a lot of teams who play better, are better and critically, have the experience or ‘know-how’ of how to win on the biggest stage. England play with fear at times, it’s not healthy. This can and should be addressed by throwing in some of the new generation.

The tournament was a disaster. Players played badly, the tactics were strange at times, the team didn’t appear to be playing together, and England in my opinion got what their performances deserved. I don’t believe in scapegoats, you win and lose as a team – every player and member of staff is culpable for what has happened.

The future:

Firstly, importantly, for me, Capello must stay in charge. This isn’t truly his side. Scars still exist from McClaren and Eriksson. Capello has the same core to his team that they had. Continuity is great but coaches are too scared of messing with the core. Capello’s experience and qualities mean he is still the right man for the job. I don’t think he’s scared of egos or change.

Capello must sort out the Lampard/Gerrard mess and plump for one or neither. There are older players in this team who should now be exiled. As Gary Neville has always suggested, players should not retire from international football but accept when they are no longer having a positive effect – they should always be available for consideration.

Capello must start to bring through the next generation of England players properly. There needs to be a total overhaul. Capello should keep Beckham close as he is the ultimate role model. Capello must be given the freedom to do it all his own way. Capello must pick a team, he must not be afraid of leaving players out, the South American heavyweights are showing the world that route.

The English youth teams have had enough success lately, playing good football, using technically gifted players and that won’t have been missed by Capello. It’s time to make Joe Hart the clear number one whilst I would like to see a lot of the younger players thrust in to the squads and at the deep end. I’m thinking along the lines of: Gosling, Micah Richards, Gibbs, Rodwell, Wilshere, Agbonlahor, (more of) Milner, Shawcross, Lennon, Walcott, Adam Johnson, Huddlestone, Ashley Young, Cattermole, Sturridge etc. These players can come in and play with no fear – England need that. The England squad and starting XI should not be chosen based on ‘names’, sometimes you need players who are good at performing a certain role, such as what Gilberto Silva still does so well for Brazil.

Importantly, Capello must not be scared of realising that it wouldn’t necessarily be a mistake to build a team around Rooney (who will turn only 25 later this year). Rooney can be vital to the future success of the England team. Capello must also however consider life without Rooney. There is no one else really who can come in and play like we know he can up front. Hence Capello needs a good Plan B. England are in what should be a straightforward group for Euro 2012 (Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro). If England qualify with games to spare it may be important for Capello to try his Plan B in a real game.

Just as a final thought, I wonder if the FA have distanced themselves and the team too far from the fans. I feel like the FA are a little out of touch with what the national side means to the supporters. The FA have to repair some bridges and build some new ones over the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

The future of the England national team can be a bright one. Capello must first make some bold calls and then really focus on a squad that works together and plays as a team. The English brought the game to Brazil, but now might be the time to learn from them.

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That weekend felt draining. I don’t think I’ve experienced so much footballing information in such a short space of time. Saturday started with the England hangover. Everyone has their own opinion as to why England continued their poor form with another failure. England fans weren’t the only ones feeling angry. The USA’s fans awoke to their own frustrations. They felt, quite rightly, that their side had been denied a 3-2 victory against Slovenia which would have capped an excellent turnaround having been two goals behind. Maurice Edu’s late goal was harshly ruled out by the referee.

Having had 5 goals on Friday, Saturday went one better and delivered 6. The opening game of the weekend saw the Dutch beat Japan 1-0 thanks to a Wesley Sneijder goal. The Dutch were impressive without seemingly getting out of first gear. Dutch fans might be concerned that they couldn’t add to their goal tally but the performance of Dirk Kuyt and an impressive substitute cameo from Ibrahim Affelay will keep morale high.

The second game saw an African heavyweight, Ghana meet the Socceroos, Australia. As in their first game, Australia harshly went down to ten men when Harry Kewell was sent off. This happened when Australia were already a goal up thanks to Brett Holman poking home after Wigan’s Richard Kingson spilled a shot. The game’s key moment happened on 25 minutes when Kewell handled on the line. It seemed a combination of arm and chest that could not be avoided. Kewell was shown red and Asamoah Gyan confidently scored the penalty as he did in Ghana’s first game. It proved to make for an exciting game. Australia worked very hard and had some excellent chances to get a second goal. Ghana were the more dominant side and had more chances than Australia but few were particularly good. The game ended with Ghana topping group D and Australia bottom.

Saturday ended with Denmark beating Cameroon 2-1 in an exciting game. Cameroon took the lead through Eto’o but that was pegged back by Bendtner. Rommedahl got the winning goal. The result was significant as Cameroon became the first country to be knocked out of the World Cup.

Along came Sunday…the England debate still rolling on with no sign of ending or answers. Then the French decided the World Cup needed drama.

The French Football Federation announced Nicolas Anelka had been sent home from the World Cup after a bust up with coach Raymond Domenech. Anelka has always liked an argument and a sulk, at least he can now finally say he’s played at a World Cup. That news broke on Saturday. The French took it up a notch on the Sunday. Domenech was in the middle of doing a live interview on TF1 whilst into the studio in flip-flops and shorts strolls Frank Ribery. Ribery, on the verge of tears wanted to deny any suggestions of a bust up with teammate Gourcuff that was alleged to have happened on board a flight.

The host of the interview was Bixente Lizarazu, the former French full back. He then engaged in an argument with Domenech after the French coach insisted the French players boycotted the press in 2000. Lizarazu accused him of being a liar (true – only Deschamps boycotted the press then).

As if the French had ended their drama for the day!? A rumour emerged that the entire French squad had pulled out of training and walked onto their bus. News filtered through that French captain, Patrice Evra had clashed with fitness coach Robert Duverne. Domenech had to separate the pair as Duverne stormed off and the players went onto their coach. Within twenty minutes, Jean-Louis Valentin, a French official quit his role citing that it was all getting ridiculous and was too much for him.

Another thirty minutes passed and a brief statement from the French players said they refused to train as they opposed Anelka’s exclusion from the squad. The French players were annoyed the Anelka-Domenech row had become so public and believed there was a traitor amongst the squad. Evra confirmed the squad don’t believe Duverne is the traitor and Duverne confirmed Evra was not rude or abusive but that he was merely trying to convince Evra to train.

The day began with Ribery’s unexpected apology to the French nation live on TV and ended with President Sarkozy calling the entire French squad to account.

England don’t like living in the shadow of the French and so John Terry’s press conference pulled England into the headlines alongside the French. John Terry gave an honest and frank press conference. He admitted England were not good enough. He admitted England were bored due to Capello’s strict rules. He admitted players’ would be speaking out at the team meeting on Sunday evening. John Terry suggested that the some of the player’s suggestions at the meeting that evening might upset Capello and that if that was the case it wouldn’t bother the players. This meeting that was to review the Algerian nightmare soon got spun by the press into a ‘crisis’ meeting. Terry suggested that the players may hint that they’d like a change of shape and personnel in the England starting XI.

Terry acted as if he was still England captain. He acted like a leader. It was probably what England needed – someone to give them direction. Terry was rash, he said some clumsy things, he contradicted himself a few times but the emotion he showed will have gone a long way to convince fans that the players care and want to fix the situation.

The question of player power must also be asked. Some of the world’s top managers would not have accepted some of the things Terry said. Terry openly said that he didn’t care if Capello would be upset by some of the things the squad would say to him later that evening. At a time when Terry emerged as a leader, Capello must stamp his foot down to remind the squad that he is in charge.

(I should point out that having suggested Terry was a hero yesterday, the press today seem to be suggesting that Terry has made a complete mess of the situation and have taken a very negative slant on it).

(Additionally, Lampard is speaking live now and suggesting that the meeting didn’t quite follow the path Terry suggested it might. Lampard is desperately trying to save Terry’s blushes after admitting the meeting was almost entirely about the Algeria game and that what Terry said was wrong and didn’t happen).

There was also some football played on Sunday!

I enjoyed Slovakia vs. Paraguay. The South American side won 2-0 and played some good football. It was refreshing to see an actual 4-3-3 formation with three clear forwards. Slovakia were surprisingly negative and were outplayed. Both of Paraguay’s goals were good finishes, from Vera and Riveros (who is to join Sunderland after the World Cup).

The second game saw Italy take on New Zealand. Unbelievably New Zealand took the lead through Shane Smeltz – a player who has played non-league football in England. Arguably Smeltz was offside but I’m not sure that anyone bar Italian fans cared. We had ourselves an amazing story. It took just over 20 minutes for Italy to equalise. Tommy Smith pulled down Daniele De Rossi, a soft penalty given and Vincenzo Iaquinta scored. That’s how it remained. Italy dominated the game but like England failed to excite or create good chances. The European curse continued. Do European players play too many games?

The final game saw Brazil take on Ivory Coast in a potential corker of a game. Brazil won 3-1. They played well and showed flashes of brilliance but the Ivory Coast were poor. They looked too reliant on an unfit Drogba and had no clear plan b. Luis Fabiano scored two very good goals and a third was rounded off by Elano after a good move. Drogba did get a late conciliation goal for Brazil. The game however was marred by the sending off of the under-performing Kaka for two bookable offences. Both offences were yellow cards but the second yellow card was for an elbow to Keita in the stomach, yet the Ivorian went down holding his face. Cheating from the Rivaldo school of ‘going-down’.

So the weekend closed with the South American teams doing well. Italy making England’s position look not so bad. The French and the English in ridiculous situations but for once not involving each other. The former best player in the World had been sent off. And a European had actually won a Major Golf tournament (well done Graeme McDowell).

The new week starts with sunshine in London for the beginning of Wimbledon and the prospect of two more big upsets today as Portugal play North Korea (looking to emulate 1966) and Spain play Honduras…bring it on!

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Cameroon have become the first nation to be knocked out of the World Cup. Boasting a strong squad made up of a lot of European-based players more was expected of Paul Le Guen’s side. After a 1-0 loss to Japan they lost 2-1 to Denmark yesterday to sit rock bottom of Group E. They will play merely for pride in their final group match against the Netherlands later this week.

Cameroon played well against Denmark and took the lead 10 minutes into the match after a wayward pass from Christian Poulsen was played via Webo into Samuel Eto’o who finished well. Denmark were level after 33 minutes when a super 50 yard pass from Kjaer set Rommedahl in behind the Cameroon defence and he played a low cross in for Nicklas Bendtner to finish easily. Just after an hour of football Denmark took the lead as Rommedahl’s pace took him past Makoun and he slotted the ball into the corner of the net.

Cameroon had chances to score, Eto’o hit the post whilst Bassong, Emana (twice) and Idrissou all missed very good chances. Alex Song sat deep and was excellent for Cameroon, breaking up play and dictating the tempo. Eto’o played centrally (unlike his deployment out wide against Japan) and looked a constant threat. Cameroon were strong, organised and on top for a lot of the game but couldn’t add to their goal tally.

Cameroon coach, Paul Le Guen insists he won’t walk out on them, “I will not resign but you have given your view and I respect that. I don’t have any regrets and that’s not how I operate”. The Danish goalkeeper, Stoke’s Thomas Sorensen had a fine game in goal but even so, Le Guen felt his side didn’t make the most of the chances that came their way and he admitted that, “it’s a serious disappointment for both us and the Cameroonian nation as a whole”.

Before the World Cup, Cameroon were the highest ranked African side and were also the first African side to truly make their mark on the World Cup tournaments in 1990 with Roger Miller. Today they are the first nation and African side out of this World Cup.

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Following England’s draw with the USA last Saturday, WCS blogger Doron has put together a number of player ratings, where 1 is the worst, 10 is the best and 6 is your average solid performance. England will be hoping to get their World Cup hopes back on track when they play Algeria this Friday.

Rob Green – 3
When you are a goalkeeper playing for a good team, concentration is as important as any other attribute. When the one moment to make a save comes around you must be ready for it. Rob Green cannot blame the movement of the World Cup ball – the jabulani – for his fumble that lead to the USA equalising. He was not concentrating and did not have his body fully behind the ball. From that mistake on, Green seemed to be nervous and put everyone on edge. The media talked up a “fantastic” routine save at his near post from Altidore, yet replays show he very nearly messed that up. Green was not helped by a changing back four in front of him but his mistake may be costly – he may be dropped.

Glen Johnson – 6
Johnson had a very solid game for England. Going forward he was particularly good and nearly scored a fantastic solo goal. However, for an attacking full back, Johnson’s crossing and final ball into the box were not good enough. He has a tendency to over-hit or slice his crosses. Defensively, I believe there are still question marks over him – his positional play does often leave the right back area exposed but he generally got away with that against the USA. He did however sometimes not recognise the American wide players coming in off their flanks.

Ledley King – 4
King had a poor game. He appeared to pick up an injury early on in the game but he was off the pace. He looked shaky, slow, mis-read balls, missed tackles and often stepped up too early leaving Terry exposed 1 vs. 1 at the back. Regardless of his injury, King is a fine player who had a very off day. I was really surprised by his poor performance, it was a worrying sign for England. His injury he sustained meant he was substituted at half time and now is definitely out of the Algeria game and possibly out of the World Cup.

John Terry – 7
I felt Terry’s performance went under the radar a little bit. It was overshadowed by other events and became a non-talking point. Terry was very good. He may not be the captain anymore but he lead very well and was vocal throughout. He was first to every header, in every tackle and to every loose ball. His performance was everything you want from a centre back and a little bit more.

Ashley Cole – 6
Cole did ok for England. In my opinion he did all that was asked of him. He got forward a lot and overlapped well with players ahead of him. He wasn’t troubled too often and when he was he defended perfectly well. Like Johnson, he wasn’t always aware of his opposite winger drifting in-field off the flanks but this is merely a minor point.

Aaron Lennon – 5
On the face of it, this may seem harsh. Lennon didn’t see the ball too much in the game, but he plays in a position that is associated with excitement for England. When he did have the ball, the expectation is that things will start to happen. Lennon got to the byline twice all game, once putting a good ball in and once nearly finding Rooney. He did play a great ball through to Heskey who should have scored. Lennon himself should have scored when played in by Rooney but he dallied on the ball and wrongly opted for a cross instead. Lennon’s role in the side is to find the strikers by putting good balls in and getting to the byline to cut the ball back. Lennon should pin the left back down and force him deep. Too often he picked the ball up static, passed backwards and he didn’t take on the opposition left back enough. There were signs of positive things from Lennon but he was too quiet and looked a little out of his depth.

Steven Gerrard – 7
Gerrard played very well. He set the tone from the beginning for England, leading superbly. He made a great run for his goal and finished the move very well. All game he was looking to try and spark England into life. The downside to his game was that his partnership with Lampard did not work. Gerrard failed to cover for Lampard when Lampard went forward too often and England kept being caught out in the middle. Gerrard’s impact on the game was tethered by the lack of English possession to which I feel he is partly to blame.

Frank Lampard – 5
Lampard was one of the big disappointments for me. His partnership with Gerrard did not work. Lampard should never be asked to sit and hold. He had to do this when Gerrard went forward, which was quite often. Lampard is not a sitting midfielder and it showed. Too often men ran off him. His passing was not quite as sharp as usual and looked a bit slow. Lampard is best when breaking through the middle or just holding his run outside the box – none of these assets to his game were exposed.

James Milner – 4
It’s hard to judge Milner. He was subbed off in the first half and was clearly struggling with the pace and altitude. Milner had been ill prior to the game and missed three days of training with a virus. It became apparent he just was not ready to play. He persistently fouled and got booked early on in the game. On the ball he was very sloppy. It was a big confidence boost for him to be selected and it was a shame he was not fit.

Wayne Rooney – 6
Rooney has had better games. He was playing deeper than he would have liked and struggled to get involved in the first half. His link-up play was however very good and he played some clever balls through to set Heskey, Lennon, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Gerrard through one on one. He got more involved in the second half and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. Rooney picked up some brilliant positions and frequently was able to loose his marker but the service in to him and the crossing was not good enough.

Emile Heskey – 8
Heskey was the star man for England. His contribution was immense. He constantly won the ball, held it up and laid it off for a teammate. He played a fantastic part in Gerrard’s goal and whilst he should have scored when played through on goal his all round contribution in leading the line meant he created space and opportunities for his teammates. On the few occasions he was able to link up with Rooney he showed a clever understanding of the game and the pairing looked smart.

Subs:

Shaun Wright-Phillips – 5
He came on to replace Milner on his less favoured side. He struggled to have an impact on the game. He often ran into corners and gave the ball away. He did however work back well and helped out defensively whilst on a couple of occasions he looked dangerous on the break, beating his man with ease. His final ball lacked consistency and was too often not good enough.

Jamie Carragher – 4
Came on at half time to replace the injured King and was very poor. He looked incredibly slow and resorted to tactical fouling to compensate for his lack of pace. His partnership with Terry looked shaky and Carragher in particular was the liability. He failed to bring the ball out of defence and carry it out to the midfield. England should be concerned if Carragher is to start ahead of King now.

Peter Crouch – N/A
Crouch wasn’t on long enough to make any kind of real impression.

Coach:

Fabio Capello – 5
I always back him and think he is a fantastic coach, but I felt he got it wrong with Rooney and was wrong not to involve Joe Cole.

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Three times World Cup winners Germany prepared for the World Cup by beating a selection local players aged under 20 from Eppan in South Tirol by 24 goals to nil. The Germans, who beat Hungary in the 1954 final, Holland in the 1974 final and Argentina in the 1990 final – have thumped a few sides in their time, however the biggest World Cup victory remains the 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2002.

Each half was only 30 minutes long and coach Joachim Loew used 20 players in total. Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose each scored 5 goals. Other players to score were: Piotr Trochowski – 3, Cacau – 2, Stefan Kiessling – 2, Andreas Beck – 2, Toni Kroos – 2, Arne Friedrich – 1, Sami Khedira – 1, and Lukas Podolski – 1.

Other than to boost the confidence of the German forward players, the point of this game appears to obscure. Germany are in Group D at the World Cup and will face tricky opponents in Ghana, Serbia and first Australia on the 13th June.

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Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi shone in Barcelona’s 1-0 victory over arch rivals Real Madrid, which was settled eleven minutes after half time with a Zlatan Ibraminovic goal. The Swede might not be going to South Africa next summer, but the talented forward volleyed home a left footed shot after good work down the right by Daniel Alves.

The greatest derby in the world saw a superb strike, two dismissals and an epic performance from Barcelona’s number 10 – Lionel Messi. His close control, acceleration and innovation were all on display. The potential Ballon D’or winner outshone both Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka and should have got on the score sheet himself. Brazilian flying fullback Daniel Alves put in a superb low through ball from the right hand side for Messi to latch onto. Spanish number one Iker Casillas made a superb stop from Messi to deny Barcelona a second.

Barcelona leap frog Real Madrid to top the La liga table with thirty points, whilst the nine times European Champions Madrid are on twenty eight points. Elsewhere in La Liga – Sevilla salvaged a 2-2 draw against Malaga after being two goals down. Valencia close the gap on Sevilla to just a single point after a 3-1 victory over Osasuna – with potential Manchester United and Chelsea target David Villa getting on the score sheet.