What an amazing start to the new Premier League 2010/2011 season! Defending champions, Chelsea kicked off their campaign with two successive 6-0 wins, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to declare that Chelsea are playing "Playstation football" at the moment. It's not the first time the Blues have thumped Wigan - last season they put eight past Roberto Martinez' Latics.
While it's true that West Brom and Wigan are among the relegation strugglers in the Premiership, to score six goals in two matches (and not conceding) is a feat to be lauded in any league. Not to be outdone, Arsenal blasted six of their own against Blackpool last weekend. Theo Walcott's second and third goal were reminiscent of a former French Arsenal legend. Will this season be the one in which Theo finally fulfills Wenger's belief that he can be a devastating striker?


And if three 6-0 matches were not freaky enough, newly promoted Newcastle decided to join the club with an emphatic six goal salvo against the Villans. Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan clearly enjoyed their return to Premiership football scoring three goals between the two of them. Aspiring Toon legend, Andy Carroll opened his Premiership account with an impressive hattrick. All three goals were despatched with his left foot.
So far, six goals have been the highest winning margin this season. I'd imagine that could be surpassed since Chelsea and Manchester United are yet to meet Blackpool. But would the Premiership highest scoreline fall this season? Chelsea came close last season, scoring eight against Wigan, one short of the Premiership record held by Manchester United.

Manchester United beat Ipswich Town 9-0 in a 1994-1995 Premier League match at Old Trafford. A match in which Andy Cole scored five goals. The video, though grainy, shows us what a great team Sir Alex Ferguson had at that time and the rise of Manchester United as the dominant force in Premiership football.



Prior to the Premier League, Liverpool recorded their biggest ever First Division win against Crystal Palace, also by a nine goal scoreline. Eight Liverpool players scored on that night, which was another record. Liverpool went on to win their last league championship in that 1989-1990 season. It has been twenty years of hurt and frustration as the Red Devils inched their way to match Liverpool's 18-title haul.


Will the record of nine goals still stand as the highest winning margin? With five amazing strikers in Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez, Owen and Macheda, Manchester United have West Brom and Blackpool to try and extend the record that they currently hold. If the Red Devils fall short, perhaps their Blue city rivals will pick up the gauntlet and put one over their neighbours. Tevez, Roque, Adebayor, Balotelli and Robinho are well capable of  scoring big against Blackpool, Wigan and West Brom.
This 15-year record is ready to fall....or is it?

Gareth Bale capped a superb personal performance by scoring a sublime second goal which won the match for Spurs against Stoke City. If the first goal was a little fortuitous, there was no denying that the second goal was testament of what a wonderful left foot the Welsh star possesses. Easily man of the match, I was awestruck by the technique, power and accuracy of his volleyed goal. No keeper in the world could have saved that shot.

On the 29th minute, Aaron Lennon decided to take on two Stoke City players and ran towards the edge of the penalty area. Gareth Bale ghosted in on the left of the Stoke defence, virtually unmarked as the Stoke leftback was napping. With all attention focused on Peter Crouch, Lennon (for once!) lifted the ball over the entire Stoke defence in the direction of Bale. Everyone in the Britannia Stadium watched as the Welshman judged the flight of the ball to perfection and connected sweetly to send the ball past Thomas Sorensen into the top right corner of the Stoke goal. Amazing stuff from the lethal left foot of Gareth Bale!

Enjoy this video by AndreaHotspur.



This Gareth Bale volley gets my vote for Goal of The Week. I'd think we would never see an even better goal all season, so this Bale goal is also my Goal of The 2010/2011 Season!

In West Ham's second game of the new 2010/2011 season, there is a feeling that they will struggle again. Whatever that Avram Grant have managed to instill into the team, it still looks like deja vu all over again for the Hammers. Just like last season, West Ham plays well in the first half and then capitulate in the second. I remember vividly how at one stage last season the Irons were in 8th league placing based on first half performance only. The same situation seemed to be recurring and is not improving.
Beaten again by bogey team, Bolton once more at home, this defeat makes it three losses in a row against the Trotters at Upton Park. Some may say that Bolton got lucky and that West Ham were all over them in the first half. Although it is true that Grant's players were great in the first half, the developing pattern is frighteningly familiar. I fear the phrase "West Ham turning the corner very soon" will once more be a well-used statement to describe how good the boys are playing but that "corner" will remain, like last year, elusive.

West Ham were brilliant in the first half, denied only by an excellent Jussi Jaaskalainen. And to think that this 35-year old keeper was snapped up by Bolton for only £100,000! The Finnish keeper is turning out to be an immense legend for Bolton Wanderers. He made seven saves against West Ham, the pick of which was denying Kieron Dyer when put through by Parker.
Mexican Pablo Barrera lit up Upton Park with an extremely competent display. He looks a genuine article and it has been a long long time since the West Ham faithful have seen a more polished performance out on the right flank. "Dynamite" Barrera was a constant creative threat against Bolton, showing all that he could run with the ball and provide accurate and dangerous crosses. Diamanti (assuming he is staying) on the left could generate the same kind of excitement. If nothing else, at least the Irons will have a specialist penalty taker on the pitch.
Stuart Holden, for me, was the standout player in the Bolton team. Fully recovered from his broken leg, he showed excellent mobility, passing, vision and anticipation. Stu was clearly missed by Bradley's Team USA at the World Cup 2010. In contrast, Noble and Parker played much too deep for my liking, it will be interesting to note which player will be dropped once Hitzlsperger is ready to start.
In the end, Avram Grant got the right performance from his team but not the result. With Manchester United and Chelsea to come in the next two games, it will need a ten out of ten performance from ALL eleven players to get anything against the Red Devils and the Blues. The positive point is that Wigan is leaking more goals than the Irons, but though it's early days, the relegation battle is shaping up already...worryingly.

A solid pre-season, a string of "astute" signings and an experienced manager in Avram Grant would have filled most Hammers fans with renewed optimism. I was also pleased from reading reports about victories at Monchengladbach and thought that last season's poor showing will be forgotten.
Unfortunately, the same West Ham (bar Winston Reid) lined up against a managerless Villans and were made to look pretty much like what they were last season, utterly hapless. Watching the first-half performance could have made a grown man cry and the Hammers clearly could not settle into any sort of rhythm. Passes were terrible and the one West Ham threat, Carlton Cole was forced to come deep to collect the ball. The big Hammers striker did have one good run towards the Villa goal, outpacing Dunne but forced wide, Cole dragged the shot wide of goal.

Rob Green's inability to handle any kind of crosses or high balls into the box continue to haunt West Ham. It was his preference to punch the ball rather than catch it that allowed the impressive Marc Albrighton to cross-volley the ball which eventually made its way to Stewart Downing to score the first Premier League goal of this new season. Avram Grant should be shopping for a second goalie just in case Green cracks.
Villa were fully deserving of their two-goal lead by halftime. Although Green took some credit for tipping over Ashley Young's lob, the West Ham defence continually struggled to stop the Villan's game plan with Young and Albrighton causing all sorts of problems down the flank. Last season's problems down the flanks were resurfacing.
Perhaps it is not a change of manager West Ham needed but really a change in playing staff.
A very brave Avram Grant said this after the match, “We didn’t play well. They were better than us. Villa played sharp and quick like we planned to do. It was not so good. One thing you see in all my teams before is that they react well to a defeat like this. There is a lot to learn from this game and I am sure the season will look much, much better.”Let's hope he is right, if not, it will be a long hard struggle yet again. Missing Thomas Hitzlsperger and Manuel Da Costa are already looking like key players early on as the Hammers look lacking direction and leadership yet again in their opening match to the new season.
Come On You Irons!

Written by Martin Domin, a Scottish football enthusiast
In the not-too-distant past, Scotland's top footballers were prevalent in England's top flight. Archie Gemmill, Denis Law, Billy Bremner and Graeme Souness are but four who played in the old English First Division in the 1970s and 80s. Indeed, 15 of the 22 players who went to the 1978 World Cup plied their trade south of the border, including four who were on the books of Manchester United. Now, 30 years on, Scotland's finest are once again making themselves at home in England including 13 of the original squad named to face Sweden, eight of whom play in the Premier League.

There is little doubt that Scotland can only benefit from these players' presence in what is widely considered to be the best league in the world. The gulf in class between England's top flight and the Scottish Premier League is growing ever larger with more and more players electing to make the move. What is of concern however is the number of Scots who have moved from the SPL to the Championship. Middlesbrough's Scottish spending spree has been well documented with Kris Boyd, Kevin Thomson, Andrew Halliday, Stephen McManus, Barry Robson and Lee Miller all moving since the beginning of the year. Indeed, four of those players have swapped European football and the prospect of winning trophies with the Old Firm for England's second tier.

The conveyor belt of talent leaving Glasgow in particular, and the SPL as a whole, is a damning indictment of the SPL, and it hardly comes as a surprise. Kris Boyd recently alluded to his delight at escaping from the goldfish bowl that Glasgow often become for Old Firm stars while the prospect of playing four games against Inverness and St Mirren every season is enough to drive any player to a division which has twice as many clubs and which offers the chance of a path to the promised land, something Charlie Adam will happily attest to.


Of those players who skipped the Championship and headed straight for the top table, Steven Fletcher and Craig Gordon are among the most successful. Fletcher enjoyed a credible season with Burnley with his eight league goals enough to secure a move to Wolves. He will have to battle with Kevin Doyle for the lone spot up front but the club's record signing has impressed in pre-season. He  joins another Scot, Christophe Berra, at Molineux. Craig Gordon has struggled with injuries of late and will miss the start of the Premier League season but is undoubtedly Scotland's number one. It is a surprise that he has not been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal this summer given Arsene Wenger's seemingly obvious need for a goalkeeper. Allan Hutton has struggled to nail down a place in Harry Redknapp's starting eleven at Tottenham and spent the end of last season on loan at Sunderland. He is another who has struggled with injury and may need to leave White Hart Lane if he is to play regular football and if Scotland fans are to enjoy his rampaging runs as witnessed so prolifically in the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

Darren Fletcher has proved himself to be a key part of Manchester United's midfield over the last few seasons, something that look set to continue after an austere summer at Old Trafford. The build up to every Scotland match tends to revolve around why Fletcher doesn't perform in the same manner for his country but not only does he have better players around him at United but his duties are different. With Scotland he is expected to get into the opponent's box rather than simply dictate play and allow others to finish off the move. If Scott Brown can shake off his persistent injury worries and rediscover the form he showed for Hibs, he will take some of the pressure off Fletcher in the middle of the park. Around them, Charlie Adam and Graham Dorrans will fancy their chances of filling the other midfield berths. Both players enjoyed successful seasons in the Championship but it is Adam's story in particular that stands out. Often the subject of abuse at Ibrox, he joined Blackpool and was subsequently appointed captain before going on to score 18 league goals last season. While his side will struggle to avoid relegation, a good season from the midfielder will surely earn him a move next summer.

One player who has grabbed his second chance in the Premier League is Barry Ferguson. Having ruled out a return to the Scotland squad, he is instead focused on enjoying another successful season with Birmingham. Having failed to adapt to life away from Glasgow when he left Rangers for Blackburn in 2004, Ferguson has thrived this second time round. His success will have come as a surprise to many who felt his best days were behind him as he came to the end of his second spell at Rangers but working with Alex McLeish has brought out the best in the midfielder who was described as “phenomenal” by team mate Sebastian Larsson. Among the other Scots in the Premier League is Ferguson's team mate James McFadden, Scotland's talisman, and Gary Caldwell who must improve if he is to establish himself at Wigan. The DW Stadium is quickly becoming another home from home for players from north of the border with former Hamilton youngsters James McCarthy and James McArthur making the same move over the last 12 months.

As the Premier League campaign kicks off this weekend, there will be many keeping a close eye on the development of the Scottish contingent. Scotland manager Craig Levein will be desperate to see his key players performing week in week out while players in the SPL will be evaluating their prospects of a move south. Plenty of attention will also be directed at the Riverside as Gordon Strachan attempts to secure a tartan promotion. Failure to do so is likely to prove costly for the fiery Scot which could leave Kris Boyd and co with plenty to ponder come May.

Martin Domin is a valued guest contributor to The Flat Back Four. He is an award-winning freelance journalist, and can be found at TotalFitba.com.

It was a statement of intent by Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Their 14th FA Community Shield capture is a record for the Red Devils and they are looking in good nick as the new Premier League season starts next weekend. Chelsea were unable to snap out of their pre-season slump and succumb to their fourth pre-season loss, this time at Wembley. The good news for Blues fans is that they start the season next weekend against relegation candidate WBA at home.
Antonio Valencia set United on their way to victory with a sweeping move which exposed the lack of pace in the Chelsea defence. Wayne Rooney created that goal but he had a quiet game by his high standards. However, the Red Devils did not have to rely on Rooney as much in this match. Valencia had the better of Ashley Cole all afternoon and he exploited it to the best of his abilities.


The second goal came from Valencia outsprinting a lethargic A Cole to then square the ball across the penalty area for Chicarito to score on his English debut. Javier Hernandez has been compared favourably to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but the manner in which the young Mexican star scored the goal was more from the Dion Dublin scrapbook instead. Yet, it was a great opportunistic goal and thus the comparison with the Babyface Assassin may eventually prove accurate.

Dimitar Berbatov's exquisite lob for the Red Devil's third goal in injury time also confirmed that the graceful attacker is ready for the new season. Berbatov, Chicarito, Rooney, Macheda and Owen represents an interesting quintet of strikers for Fergie, allowing the legendary United boss to have a myriad of attacking options in the final third, combining pace, vision, creativity, work rate, finishing ability and big-match temperament to maximum effect.

Chelsea were simply too slow and lethargic to threaten United today. It is clear that any opponent with pace and movement will cause panic with Chelsea's aging defence. What used to be their strongest area is now the weakest part of their game. Since 2000, the Blues have never conceded more than 1 goal per game average. I doubt that Chelsea can repeat their awesome defensive record of previous years this coming season.

And so Chelsea go back to the training ground and will need to put right their defensive frailties. Hilario could not be faulted against United but the return of Petr Cech next weekend will boost Chelsea's defence ahead of former great Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom.
An excellent curtain raiser to next weekend's English Premier League start. Manchester United has once again sent out warnings that they are the team to beat in the new season.

At the tail end of last season, Liverpool FC looked to be in free fall. Heavily in debt, American owners that nobody liked and a manager who had outstayed his time at the club. Since then, the club has at least three suitors negotiating club purchase, the elder statesman Roy Hodgson became manager, inexpensive but quality signings walked into Anfield and suddenly optimism is high among Liverpool fans.

Joe Cole was perhaps the highest profile free transfer signing of the season. The fact that he chose to join Liverpool boosted the sagging confidence of the players at the club. His experience as a Premier League winner will help a Liverpool squad short on title challenge experience. Cole will undoubtedly be the most important influence on Liverpool's 2010/2011 season.


Cole was brilliant in the Europa League in mid-week for Liverpool as you can see from this footage compilation below. That creative output in the final third provided by Cole was lacking for Liverpool last season, making this signing even more logical. The former Chelsea star have the skills and vision to turn Liverpool into a top four side again.



Successfully keeping Gerrard and Torres at the club can be deemed like having two major signings for Hodgson. Re-signing Fabio Aurelio smacks of desperation but the way he destroyed Manchester United two seasons ago, I'd signed him once more just for that!

Milan Jovanovic is a versatile attacker, able to play as a striker or an attacking midfielder, he will add sharpness and big-game experience to complement Torres and Kuyt. Although a Rafa signing, Roy's excellent man management skills should bring the best out of this big man.

Cultured defender Danny Wilson was surely signed with an eye on the future. The new Alan Hansen definitely has high potential as he had shown while in Rangers colours last season. Soon to be 19 years old, he will be one for the future. The Scottish U-19 captain is being earmarked as a future Scotland captain, following in the footsteps of Hansen.

So who says quality signings cannot be done without money? Liverpool had just pulled off four top signings, spending only £2mil. Roy Hodgson has steadied the ship and whilst the opening match against Arsenal will prove more difficult than Rabotnicki, there is every reason to feel optimistic as a Liverpool fan.

No Liverpool manager since Souness has failed to win a trophy. Roy Hodgson has all the credentials and managerial acumen to keep that trend going. I rate Hodgson with his international management exposure as a European-level manager and already his experience is moving Liverpool in the right direction.
With Christian Poulsen lined up to potentially replace Monster Masch, there will be no lack of bite in the tackles. Poulsen is as hard as Mascherano and the memories of Jan Molby ensures that Liverpool fans will always have a soft spot for Danish midfielders.
After all that unwelcome chaos of last season, the unassuming manner in which the club is conducting itself, from the transfers to the purchase of club is bringing about a wave of positivity. Roy Hodgson is stealthily leading Liverpool out of the hangovers of last season.

France's record goal scorer, Thierry Henry recently added his high profile name onto the MLS soccer roster. This once again puts the MLS on the road towards global recognition. Henry joined the New York Red Bulls late last month on a designated player contract and will link up with fan favourite Juan Pablo Angel in a mouthwatering frontline.
Almost legendary for his footballing exploits, he sullied his reputation by two deliberate handball in a crucial World Cup playoff match against Republic of Ireland. To go to New York which has a substantial amount of Irish immigrants and descendants would literally be like walking into the lion's den. How the Irish community will take to this obviously talented footballer is anybody's guess.
Here's an animated spoof of Thierry Henry at Heaven's Gate confessing his "sin". It's great stuff.



Le Cheat, as he is known within the Irish community, will have to play out of his skin in every MLS match to gain back the respect and reputation that he has built over his playing career. He has the mentality to do so as he has proved in his first match for the Red Bulls against Spurs in the recent friendly.
So I'd say forget about the handball incident, any footballer would do the same in the situation that Henry was in. His desire and winning mentality should be applauded instead. That's what he will bring to the Red Bulls apart from his obvious magical skills on a football.

News have filtered through that Winston Reid is the fifth player to sign for West Ham in time for the 2010/2011 season. He completed his medical on Thursday and will begin life to become a Hammers legend. New manager, Avram Grant has gained my respect by making the right moves in the transfer market.

Firstly, the lack of width has been addressed through the signing of Pablo Barrera who excelled in Mexico's World Cup campaign. Then, stone-faced Grant convinced Frederic Piquionne to sign on the dotted line, providing cover and competition for Carlton Cole. Thirdly, the lack of a quality playmaker was alleviated when Thomas "Der Hammer" Hitzlsperger joined the Hammers. And now, that final piece of jigsaw is complete once Kiwi Reid steps through Boleyn Park. He is the right type of versatile defender West Ham need, able to play in that problematic right back slot as well as provide cover for Da Costa and Upson at centreback.


His performance for New Zealand had been very impressive and I like the fact that Reid has the look of a composed and cultured footballer. Central defenders are typically commanding and Reid showed that he has the height, build and athleticism to shore up the West Ham defence.

Here's a tribute from Thefcmidtjylland on Winston Reid. Their loss is West Ham's gain.



With Ryan Nelsen and Chris Woods also plying their trade in the English Premier League, Winston Reid will have company and the needed guidance to be a success in Upton Park. West Ham have indeed found themselves a great bargain in this young brilliant international who has the mentality and ability to be a Hammers legend.

Written By Abir Ahmed Chowdhury
Abir takes a look at the youngsters at Old Trafford who are ready for a major role in the upcoming season. These are, in his own words, Fergie's whiz kids at Old Trafford.

Nearly all United fans have expressed that Sir Alex won't be able to move on to greater things next season, unless he splashes-out on a new striker or midfielder (or both). But if you take a look at players like Kiko and Chicharito - who needs to spend when you have the most valuable asset of all: Youth...

Chief executive David Gill reiterated this week that Sir Alex Ferguson has cash for new signings if he needs it. However, most fans fear the money needed to service the huge debt heaped on the club by the Glazer family means their manager has no choice but to build from within.
With fans hoping that United will buy at least one more 'quality' player before the end of the transfer window, Fergie insists there is no value in the transfer market for the second summer in a row. For the likes of Giggs, Scholes, Van Der Sar and Neville, this season may be their last. Owen Hargreaves has been out for two years and he will never be the same player again. In this present situation, there are many who feel United will fail to win a trophy this year.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson has staked Manchester United's future on his new generation of players and promised that they will be his legacy when he quits Old Trafford. He is adamant they will reward his faith by becoming United's new 'golden generation'. No one knows the youngsters as well as him and it would not be wise to back against the kids. He isn't one of the best managers in the world for no reason!
Although Cleverley and Welbeck are poised to go on loan to Newcastle and Sunderland respectively, there is enough young blood in the United ranks to clinch their historic 19th league title. Here, we take a look at some of the names who could play a 'major' part for United in the 2010/2011 Premier League season.
Federico Macheda: The Italian striker burst onto United's first team scene in April 2009 with a sensational debut goal against Aston Villa, but he has seen his career stall after suffering from a series of niggling injuries. A perfectly legitimate goal against Chelsea - unlike the previous goal in that game - is all Macheda has got to show for his efforts last season but it is still at least something. A brace against the MLS All-Stars last week showed how deadly he can be. At the age of 19, time is well and truly on his side. Sir Alex has already ruled out a loan move for Macheda showing how much faith he has on him.



Jonny Evans: It seems a bit strange labelling Evans a youngster as he has been a semi-regular fixture in United’s defence for two seasons now. At 22 he is still fairly young and has arguably been United’s best youth product of the past decade. Evans has been immense for United in many games and although he can occasionally be guilty of the odd lapse, he is looking more and more like a magnificent defender. The Northern Ireland centre-back is an intelligent defender who combines an uncompromising physical approach with the ability to pass the ball out from the back. With Rio Ferdinand suffering yet another injury setback, Evans will have a key role to play in 2010/2011.





Darron Gibson: The same age as Evans, the Republic of Ireland midfielder has found himself in the starting line up for some big games lately - in both Europe and the Premiership.Gibson’s game has developed noticeably as he has gained more top-level experience, to the extent that he’s no longer an understudy but a genuine contender to start in midfield.With a fierce shot and the confidence to use it, ‘Gibbo’ has a decent goal return and does seem to be going in the right direction. His 20-yard free kick goal against the MLS All-Stars was just the sign of great things to come from him.







Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez: The Mexican sensation is a genius. He was the fastest player in the World Cup (32.15 km/h) and his pace could give defenders a nightmare. An out-and-out striker, Chicharito is quick, two-footed and strong in the air, qualities that have already seen him likened to Reds' legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. His performances in South Africa and pre-season so far have been very impressive. He has settled quite well in his new club and is surely the player to watch out in the English Premier League. He may be behind Rooney and Berbatov in the pecking order but he has the potential to make a huge impact from the bench.





Gabriel Obertan: United secured the signature of French starlet Gabriel Obertan last year, with the highly-rated winger joining the Red Devils from Bordeaux. Obertan has made a decent start to his United career and looks very promising. Obertan’s cracker against Liverpool last season for the reserve team earned him high praise from the coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 'Gabby' has shown that he has skill in abundance and an energy that could well be utilised in the upcoming season. The pacy winger has had a good pre-season so far and will be looking for more first-team action in the coming season.


Chris Smalling: A quick, clever central defender, Smalling played cameo roles for Roy Hodgson’s Fulham in both domestic and European competitions during 2010. Those performances were enough to catch the eye of United scouts who identified him as a talent too good to miss out on.
The 20-year old has had a mixed pre-season tour so far, conceding a penalty in his first game but scoring a great header three games later. He has been tipped as the future replacement for Rio Ferdinand and will have his fair share of chances to prove himself.
Rafael Da Silva: At 19 years of age, Rafael has already shown enough potential to have many pundits claiming he may just be the perfect replacement for Gary Neville at right back. He was highly praised for his exceptional performance against Milan in the Champions League last season. Better at going forward than he is at defending, there are signs that Rafael is improving in both departments and if he can stop getting himself and United needlessly into trouble he looks as though he could make the grade.


Players like Kleberson, Kieran Richardson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and David Bellion all had their chance to shine at United, but ultimately did not make the grade at a club where to succeed being good is not enough. You have to be exceptional, with an attitude to match your remarkable ability. Just as Giggs, Scholes, Neville and company did in the 1990's, the current crop of young players must seize their chance when it arrives. Only time will tell if Ferguson's young players grow into the stars he thinks they will be.

This is a compilation of all the results, top scorers, key tournament statistics and winners cash pot allocation from the 2010 World Cup. It's a great one glance look at how the teams performed, who picked up the coveted awards and who the goalscorers were.

Our friends at Footyfactor.com captured the best moments from the recently concluded 2010 World Cup in this one-pager which they fondly refer to as a matrix. It's a great summary of the World Cup competition, sort of like a memory map. I do believe though that the standard of refereeing and the extremely talented Oranjemen "ugly" football approach should warrant some inclusion.

You can find some great articles at Footyfactor.com. While there, look for great pictures at the World Cup 2010.

Spain is officially the eighth nation to win the World Cup and best of all, they become the first European nation to win the prestigious World Cup in the Southern hemisphere. Andres Iniesta was brilliant throughout the match admidst very tough tackling by the Netherlands. He immediately dedicated his goal and Spain's World Cup triumph to the late Dani Jarque who died from a heart attack in August last year.

The Oranje battled hard and did whatever they could to disrupt the rhythmic passing of La Furia Roja. De Jong's "almost unintentional" kick aimed at the chest of Xabi Alonso was the pinnacle of nasty tackles that littered the whole game. Holland overcame Brazil by employing the same roughhouse tactic and so it did not surprise me that they would try the same again in the final. It worked up until the 116th minute when Iniesta was left unmarked on the right and he duly drilled a shot past Stekelenburg.
Spain started looking threatening as soon as Fabregas and Jesus Navas came on. The two introduced some much-needed attacking thrust and direct running needed to break down a Dutch defence excellently marshalled by Heitinga and Mathijsen. Cesc and Jesus brought a freshness to the final which meant that Spain exerted their superior possession play in extra time and was finally rewarded with a fantastic goal. The Red Fury's patience finally paid off and now they are finally World Cup Champions.

In an unfitting end to a very impressive tournament, the Dutch will be remembered for their "dirty" football rather than the supremely technical skills of Sneijder, van der Vaart, Kuyt and Robben. Heitinga was finally red-carded but Van Bommel, De Jong and Mathijsen were indeed walking a tightrope all match. Howard Webb had no choice but to dish out eight yellow cards to Dutch players as they truly tested Spain's desire to win the World Cup. It is perhaps an unfair assessment of the Oranjemen as they had reached the final with a 100% record.



The best team in the tournament had won the cup and Vicente Del Bosque, unlike Fabio Capello, was man enough to realise that the unfit Torres is not ready for this year's World Cup. That change in the knockout stages proved pivotal to Spain's final success. Having said that, it was heartbreaking to watch Torres breaking down yet again, this time it looked like his hamstring may have given way. His struggles with injuries have been tough in the past two years but let's hope the summer rest will help his rehabilitation. I still can't believe how untested defensively Sergio Ramos had been all competition, the marauding rightback went on 31 solo runs and unleashed 11 shots at opposition goal during the competition. Nevertheless, he was quite simply the best rightback in this year's World Cup.

Like Barcelona, this Spanish side is now being touted as the best national side ever just as Barca is arguably the best club side in history. For the first time ever, this wonderfully talented team have united their country so much that sustained success may prove to be inevitable. The sense of collectiveness and team spirit within La Furia Roja are so strong that success must surely follow for years.
Vamos Espana! well....until 2014 in Brazil then....oh and by the way, I saw how Puyol was coddling young Cesc during the celebrations, expect moves by cash-strapped Barcelona for the Arsenal captain this summer. I am convinced that Arsene Wenger would have been tempted if Welsh Dragon, Aaron Ramsey had not suffered that horrific leg break.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he was determined to prove Paul the octopus wrong by beating Germany in the third-place play-off on Saturday. Unfortunately Oracle Paul was proven correct once more when Die Mannschaft won the most entertaining match in the World Cup so far. Sami Khedira pounce on some haphazard La Celeste defending to guide a header past Muslera in the 82nd minute.
It was another five goal thriller which Uruguay unfortunately ended up on the losing end. There are no complaints though as Forlan and team were beaten by another great Germany performance. Jogi Loew braved his own flu condition to take his place on the team bench and he witnessed another masterful display from Schweinsteiger. Basti capped a great World Cup outing by captaining Germany in Lahm's absence.
Two mistakes from Muslera gifted Germany goals duly despatched by Mueller and Jansen. Diego Forlan's long range shooting has been a highlight of this World Cup tournament and he did not disappoint with another contender for goal of the tournament. Finally Khedira popped up with the winning header for the fully deserving German side. 

Thomas Mueller shot himself into the five-goal club and he is now in the lead (due to more assists) for the Golden Boot award. David Villa and Wes Sneijder will have added pressure to score in the final if they want to take the top scorer award as well. His goalscoring presence in this match made me wondered how much he was missed against Spain. The 20-year old German will be a worthy winner of the Golden Boot in my opinion.

I totally agree with Joachim Loew after the match, who touched upon regaining that winning confidence after that loss to Spain.The last match at a tournament is always important, because it shapes the feelings you take home with you. After tonight, we’re not going home empty-handed. My team deserved to win, based on the second half alone. We played well and fought hard. Taking the tournament as a whole, my team has been magnificent. Just looking at the way they’ve put a bitter defeat to Spain behind them, their performance as a whole at the finals, and the number of goals they’ve scored, you have to be delighted. We can go home now feeling justifiably proud.This German team will be even stronger as the whole group matures in the next 2-4 years. Question is, will Loew stay to finally win something with the team he built? Does his absence from the picture above any indication of his intent?
Diego Forlan who has had a sterling tournament and have scored four long range shots with Jabulani, said,"We’ve got nothing to complain about. Finishing in the top four at the World Cup is incredible, and if you’d given us that result at the start of the tournament, we’d have definitely taken it. We came really close to third place today. We were a goal ahead and playing very nicely but unfortunately for us we couldn’t quite make it. We made a couple of mistakes and the game slipped through our grasp. Even so we’ve enjoyed this experience a lot. We’ve played seven games and we almost reached the Final. All in all it’s been unforgettable."Uruguay have punched above their weight that's for sure. They were helped by the unexpected absence of England, Brazil and Italy. Oh and not forgetting that horrific Gyan penalty miss in the epic quarterfinal.
Only the final between Spain and Netherlands to go now, and it has all the ingredients to be a memorable match. The Flat Back Four got a mention in Univision Futbol article titled "Experts back Spain to win World Cup" where I gave my opinion on who will finally win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Go have a read while waiting for the match to start, it's brilliant!

It's been quite an eventful World Cup in South Africa. We have had the whole works. Vuvuzelas, fans missing games due to airport congestion, Larissa Riquelme with her strategic mobile phone placement, an oracle octopus with 100% prediction, French mutiny and Bobbi Eden offering oral sex if the Netherlands win the Word Cup. And the football ain't half bad either.
As for Paul the octopus, he has attain worldwide status with his intensely accurate prediction about Germany's match results. He has now stepped out of his comfort zone and predicted that Spain will win the World Cup final. Paul also went back to Germany to triumph over Uruguay for third place.
As far as animal pundit goes, in Singapore Mani the Psychic Parakeet predicts a Dutch victory. So for two top quality teams, the animal pundits are unable to unanimously agree on a victor.
However, Imagine Games Network (IGN) simulated the upcoming Spain v. Netherlands World Cup Final and their prediction is a Dutch win after an extremely tense penalty sudden death shoot-out. Gerard Pique disappoints Spain with an effort that is too close to the keeper.


More 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Info
The chaps at GameSpot have also simulated the Netherlands vs. Spain World Cup finals match to predict the outcome. Klass Jan Huntelaar scored a superb goal to turn Holland into first time World Cup winners.

There you have it. Animal pundits are split on the winner. Game simulations predict a Dutch victory, although the margin and manner of victory differed. Both simulated finals portrayed an excellent, exciting and high quality final which I believe will be the case.
There are interesting match-ups all round the pitch,1. Sneijder, van der Vaart and Robben (former Real Madrid) against Capdevila, Ramos, Pique and Puyol2. Gio van Bronckhorst and Mark van Bommel against Xavi and Iniesta (the former Barcelona connection)
3. Iker Casillas against Klass-Jan Huntelaar if he plays (the former Real Madrid connection)
4. David Villa against Wesley Sneijder for the Golden Boot honours
The two best teams are in the final, Oranjemen with six successive wins and La Furia Roja with the most clean sheets in the tournament (4). Look out for Torres to explode in the final!

It took an immensely powerful header to bring tears to German eyes. At that "twilight zone" period of the game, Carles Puyol rose virtually unchallenged to direct a bullet header past Manuel Neuer. There was no coming back for the Germans from that. Unaccustomed to coming from behind, the Germans will have to be contend with their outstanding performances against England and Argentina.
Perhaps Germany outdid themselves with those stunning four-goal victories in the earlier rounds. They succeeded in putting the spotlight on themselves and unfortunately, made all the would-be contenders take note of their strengths. You could say that Jogi Loew's exciting young side were definitely outsmarted by Del Bosque's tactical intelligence.
Carles Puyol represents the new ethos of La Furia Roja - a combination of intelligence, hard working, humility and dedication in a single flexible package. Spain these days are made of sterner stuff, not easily disheartened when things do not go their way. They have a zen-like patience to persist with their famed tiki-taka approach knowing full well that it will 100% bring goals and victories. The fact they are grinding out 1-0 wins while completely dominating possession is testament of their trust in their style of play.

Die Mannschaft could not get into their stride and it is apparent that Spain were better prepared tactically. Germany just did not get to grips with Pedro. In the 6th minute, the lively young Barca winger threaded a through ball to Villa who failed to convert due to excellent goalkeeping from Manuel Neuer. That sixth minute scare caused the young Germans to doubt their natural ability, hence made them sit back, defend deep and generally played into La Furia Roja's strengths.
When Spain had the ball, Schweinsteiger and Khedira went looking for it enthusiastically. However the Spaniards kept and passed the ball so well that Germany took a long time to get the ball back. When they did get it back, the Germans quickly lost possession in their haste to launch their trademark counterattacks. Klose, chasing his Ronaldo-tying goal, had to live on scraps and the German frontline cannot thrive without midfield supply.
Only the Netherlands stand in the way of "The Red Fury" now. A Dutch side who, like Spain, have found a way to overcome their internal differences and played to the level that their nation expects. The key Oranje players have a history and score to settle with Spain. Sneijder, van der Vaart and Robben will relish the chance to reassert that Real Madrid erred in sidelining them.

Against Spain, I think we should see the return of Torres to the first team. He makes David Villa shine by drawing opposition defender's attention away from the aspiring Golden Boot winner. Without Torres, El Guaje's effectiveness was stifled against Germany. El Guaje is Spain's only goalscorer and Del Bosque knows he must perform if Spain is to win the final. Besides, we could finally see Torres explode at the biggest stage of the World Cup.

A new World Cup winner is about to be revealed on Sunday, the quality and talent on display is as good as it can possibly get. It will be an exciting World Cup final in Soccer City.

There was a fear that the first semifinal of the 2010 World Cup between Uruguay and the Netherlands was going to be a tedious, hard fought match which will climax in a penalty shoot-out. I am glad we did not have to sit through that. Instead we witnessed a high-scoring match, two unstoppable long range shots and the best Oranjemen performance so far in this World Cup.
The absence of Nigel de Jong allowed for the introduction of Demy de Zeeuw. The Ajax defensive midfielder did not last long and had to be replaced at halftime. That turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game as Rafael van der Vaart came on and gave the Oranjemen the boost to emerge victors. Martin Caceres must be distraught as it was his overhead kick in the 27th minute that floored the Ajax man, resulting in the enforced substitution. A substitution which handed Holland the game winning initiative.

Mark van Bommel was immense with his tackles last night. He retrieved the ball 31 times off Uruguayan opposition and generally did two people's dirty work in midfield yesterday. Jabulani's unpredictablility  also had an impact on the match. A stunning rocket from van Bronckhorst gave Holland the lead until a wicked swerve from Jabulani deceived Stekelenburg and Forlan got his fourth goal of the tournament.Those two great goals proved Juninho's statement true, that all you need is a bit of practice on the ball they call "Rejoice". Holland dominated the match after half time with van der Vaart pulling the strings in the attacking third. Sneijder again scoring a lucky deflected goal and Robben put the issue beyond doubt with a smartly headed goal. The Oranjemen had too much in the tank for Uruguay and the gap in class began to show.
Holland steps into the final, knowing that they have the quality and steely determination to win when it matters. Their ability to change the match at will makes them very dangerous customers indeed. The fact that they have so many match winners (Robben, Sneijder, van der Vaart, Kuyt or van Persie) means that unlike Spain (Villa) or Germany (Klose) with one clear goalscoring threat, every Dutch player require careful attention.
The Dutch were beaten finalists in the '74 and '78 final, therefore they will be hoping that it is third time lucky. The class of 2010 is obviously motivated to go one better than the great Dutch sides of the late 70s and add the World Cup trophy to the Gullit-inspired European championship trophy. Van Marwijk's men have won six straight matches in this year's tournament and now they are a seventh win away from adding a new name to the elite group of World Cup winners.

Spain's second 1-0 victory allowed them to squeeze past Paraguay in the World Cup quarterfinal. Once again, El Guaje pulled La Furia Roja through the finishing line. Also for the second match running, Spain dominated possession (60%) over the opposition. They must be excited at the prospect of an open semifinal encounter against the counter-attacking Germans. Well, Del Bosque will have to think otherwise as the Germans also defend in numbers, just ask England and Argentina.

Like in the Portugal match, the Barcelona connection again proved effective as Iniesta-Pedro-Villa put paid to La Albirroja's dream of being first time semifinalist. Paraguay's exit is due to them not scoring enough goals. The loss of Salvador Cabanas was a total blow to Gerardo Martino and that firepower could not complement the excellent defensive solidity.

Due to the lack of goals from Santa Cruz and Barrios, Martino took a gamble and rang in the new striking cavalry - Oscar Cardozo, Nelson Valdez and Jonathan Santana. The trio worked well with each other, having Paraguay's best spell in the first half, with a Valdez goal disallowed.


This match was amazing in the sense that we had three penalties and yet all three had no bearing on the match result. Two missed penalty in quick succession on either end of the pitch livened up the game and instilled some fire into the match. The ref in overlooking Justo Villar's foul on Fabregas, proved that the men in black lack the "cojones" to make pivotal game changing calls.

Without playing particularly well, and without any ability to change the game tempo, Spain have stumbled into the semifinals of the 2010 World Cup. Praise, therefore has to be given to the winning mentality that Del Bosque has developed. Legendary Spaniard, Fernando Hierro singled out the key difference between Del Bosque's La Roja and previous ones,
"What has changed is the mentality. After 44 years, Spain are now the European champions. This is showing now in this tournament with the team reaching the semi-final. The team now has momentum, but what the win in 2008 has done is give the team more confidence and they have matured as well."Spain have been lucky, thus far, and this luck could run out against the Germans. The tiki-taka football of Spain is stuttering at best, Torres is clearly match-fit, Llorente should be worth a gamble in Spain's biggest game this year. I quite like the idea of Villa as an inside left forward, he has scored four of his five goals from there already, against Honduras, Chile, Portugal and Paraguay. Phillip Lahm will have to curb his attacking instinct to keep Villa quiet, thereby cancelling each other's potency out. With La Furia Roja's heavy reliance on Villa's goals, that will undoubtedly play into German game plan hence the need for Llorente rather than the off-form Torres.

Spain hasn't got a great head to head against Die Mannschaft in World Cup matches. Of the three meetings, La Furia Roja have lost all and conceded five goals. None, however holds more meaning than tomorrow's semi final meeting. It's building up into a classic match up, Spain will be dominating possession and probing  patiently while Germany will be waiting to pounce on any loose ball in midfield to launch those swift counter attacks that we have seen all tournament.
Head to Head Record
1994    Chicago     21/06/1994    GER    1:1 (0:1)    ESP     Group matches
1982    Madrid     02/07/1982    FRG    2:1 (0:0)    ESP     Second round
1966    Birmingham     20/07/1966    FRG    2:1 (1:1)    ESP     Group matches

More importantly, Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the Euro 2008 final and Jogi Loew must definitely be thinking of exacting revenge on Del Bosque this time round. Spain's weakness down the flanks is well known and Germany will look to exploit that with their fast breaks.

What can I say? I had thought that Argentina would be a real test for the young Germans. Argentina who had the most potent attack in the World Cup this year and also had only let in two goals all tournament, were as the English before them, outclassed by the young Germans!

Bastian Schweinsteiger was simply superb at the centre of the pitch, directing play, spraying the ball left, right or down the middle as he deemed suitable. Thomas Mueller, who will miss the semi final, once again played in a manner that belied his 20-year old age. His runs, passes and movement were a joy to watch. Schweinsteiger showed his new-found leadership when he consoled Mueller when he was clearly upset over his yellow card. Schweini's second World Cup campaign at 25 makes him an elder statesman compared to Oezil, Khedira and Mueller.
Germany's fourth goal against Argentina typifies the new Die Mannschaft footballing philosophy. An attack broken up by the German defence, a quick ball forwards to Podolski. Seeing the run of Oezil, Podolski laid it on to him who supplied a pinpoint cross for Klose to volley home. Shades of Manchester United at their counterattacking best, no wonder Jogi Loew attributes his team's success to a mixture of English energy, Spanish flair and Italian catenaccio.

Argentina were made to look slow, weak and lazy by Joachim Loew's team. Everytime an Albiceleste player had the ball, all space were closed down. There was simply no one to pass to, and eventually the ball goes back to Germany. Messi exits this tournament without a goal to his name but he can hold his head up high and claim that he had a great competition.
Klose is reaching legendary status day by day. His 14th goal now leaves him only two to surpass Ronaldo's World Cup record. With two games left, Klose could be the best ever World Cup goalscorer. He missed a gilt-edged chance on the 23rd minute when he skied a shot once put through by Thomas Mueller.
Die Mannschaft were simply too fast, too clever and too hardworking for the Argentines. Could they be champions this time? Well, they'd have to face a resurgent Spain who has yet to reach the high standards that the La Furia Roja set themselves over the last two years. Unless Nando Torres decides to explode on the scene, it's almost a guarantee the Germans will be too quick for the Spain backline and that will be the crucial decider.
Thommi Mueller will definitely be missed against Spain. Cacau, Trochowski and Mario Gomez are touted to be his replacement for the semifinal. Mueller has scored four goals and bagged three assists in this tournament, and he did so by displaying amazing speed of thought, intelligent passing and pace. None of Cacau, Trochowski or Gomez possess the dynamic skills of Mueller. In order to continue playing the fast counter attacking game, Marko Marin would be a better replacement for Mueller.
Germany's quick transition from defence to attack (with more than five players breaking forward) will put the slow Spanish defence on the back foot for sure. With only David Villa the only La Furia Roja's hope of scoring, Phillip Lahm will put the shackles on him. Schweini and Khedira will relish the midfield duel against the best midfield duo in world soccer.
Loew said that against Argentina, the tactical game plan was, "We closed down Messi very well - without resorting to fouls."The same game plan could well work against the Spaniards, Xavi and Iniesta, barring the incredulous thought that maybe just maybe the Germans have peaked with that incredible 4-0 win over Maradona's Albiceleste army.

It was not a quality match. Surely not. What it was, it was a competitive match. Ghana played without fear and got the opening goal. Uruguay then stepped up their game and through the excellent Diego Forlan, they got their coveted goal. Once both teams were tied at 1-1, it was a tense match all the way. One goal, one opportunity would have sealed it.
A late late injury time Ghana attack caused panic in the Uruguayan defence, one unavoidable Luis Suarez handball later, Asamoah Gyan stepped up with the chance to be Africa's hero in extra time. And he struck the crossbar!! Penalties were needed to decide this extremely tough match.

Ghana were woeful at penalties, most likely affected by big Gyan's earlier miss. That disbelief spread through the penalty takers and Ghana failed to convert two. Sebastian Abreu then approached the spot and chipped the ball past the sprawling Kingson.


Unwittingly, Luis Suarez' deliberate handball won La Celeste this absorbing match. There is a price to pay though, Suarez would have relished a semifinal meeting against the country in which he built his burgeoning reputation. Without him, Uruguay will find it hard to beat the Oranjemen.
Though he led the line bravely for Ghana, the fragile state of Gyan will surely mean that he will retire for good from international football after the heartbreaking finish. He looked inconsolable after the shoot-out. The potential loss of Diego Lugano will also hurt La Celeste defensively. Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder are looking forward to the semifinal showdown.