2010 World Cup South Africa

Number of participating teams: 32

Top scorer: Germany’s Thomas Müller and three others (5 goals)

Number of games: 64

Total goals scored: 145

Average goals per game: 2.27

Highest scoring game: Portugal’s 7-0 win over North Korea on June 21..

Total attendance: 3,178,856

Average attendance: 49,670

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

The top teams from each of the eight groups advanced to the knockout round.

THE FINAL

As a sporting spectacle, the final between Spain and the Netherlands was a disappointment. English referee Howard Webb handed out a World Cup final record 14 yellow cards and sent off Dutch defender John Heitinga in extra time. The foul-filled matched never fell into a rhythm, depriving the 84,490 fans in attendance at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium of their money’s worth.

The Spaniards’ tried to use their beloved Tiki Taka to wear down their opponents. But it’s hard not to walk away without bloody knuckles when you’ve been dragged into a street fight and are no longer playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules. Such was the situation the Spaniards found themselves in against the Dutch.

Spain dictated the pace of the match for the opening 45 minutes, but were continually thwarted by an aggressive and destructive Dutch side that kept kicking at their heels. The physical and tough-tackling Dutch managed to contain Spain’s dynamic midfield trio of Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Xabi Alonso in a first half that saw goalkeepers Maarten Stekelenburg and Iker Casillas both make big saves.

Spain was rattled, and clearly thrown off its game. Stray passes and harried sequences of play became the norm from the Spanish in the second half, as the Netherlands began to lead the dance. With eight minutes left in regulation, Arjen Robben breezed past defender Carles Puyol, but he dawdled inside the penalty area, allowing Casillas to rush out and smother the ball.

The game seemed destined for a penalty shootout. Then came the turning point, in the 109th minute, when Heitinga earned his second yellow card, this time for tugging down Iniesta. Seven minutes later, the Barcelona star made the Dutch pay for their lack of discipline, breaking into the penalty area and taking a pass from teammate Cesc Fabregas before slotting it by Stekelenburg. It was a brilliant finish by Ineista, scored with typical Spanish flair and fluidity, and worthy of World Cup winning goal.

Group A

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Uruguay	3	2	1	0	4	0	+4	7
Mexico	3	1	1	1	3	2	+1	4
South Africa	3	1	1	1	3	5	−2	4
France	3	0	1	2	1	4	−3	1

South Africa 1-1 Mexico
Uruguay 0-0 France
South Africa 0-3 Uruguay
France 0-2 Mexico
Mexico 0-1 Uruguay
France 1-2 South Africa

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Argentina 3 3 0 0 7 1 +6 9  South Korea 3 1 1 1 5 6 −1 4  Greece 3 1 0 2 2 5 −3 3  Nigeria 3 0 1 2 3 5 −2 1

South Korea 2-0 Greece
Argentina 1-0 Nigeria
Argentina 4-1 South Korea
Greece 2-1 Nigeria
Nigeria 2-2 South Korea
Greece 0-2 Argentina

Group C

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  USA 3 1 2 0 4 3 +1 5  England 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5  Slovenia 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4  Algeria 3 0 1 2 0 2 −2 1

England 1-1 USA
Algeria 0-1 Slovenia
Slovenia 2-2 USA
England 0-0 Algeria
Slovenia 0-1 England
USA 1-0 Algeria

Group D

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Germany	3	2	0	1	5	1	+4	6
Ghana	3	1	1	1	2	2	0	4
Australia	3	1	1	1	3	6	−3	4
Serbia	3	1	0	2	2	3	−1	3

Serbia 0-1 Ghana
Germany 4-0 Australia
Germany 0-1 Serbia
Ghana 1-1 Australia
Ghana 0-1 Germany
Australia 2-1 Serbia

Group E

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Netherlands 3 3 0 0 5 1 +4 9  Japan 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6  Denmark 3 1 0 2 3 6 −3 3  Cameroon 3 0 0 3 2 5 −3 0

Netherlands 2-0 Denmark
Japan 1-0 Cameroon
Netherlands 1-0 Japan
Cameroon 1-2 Denmark
Denmark 1-3 Japan
Cameroon 1-2 Netherlands

Group F

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Paraguay 3 1 2 0 3 1 +2 5  Slovakia 3 1 1 1 4 5 −1 4  New Zealand 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 3  Italy 3 0 2 1 4 5 −1 2

Italy 1-1 Paraguay
New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia
Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay
Italy 1-1 New Zealand
Slovakia 3-2 Italy
Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand

Group G

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Brazil 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 7  Portugal 3 1 2 0 7 0 +7 5  Ivory Coast 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4  North Korea 3 0 0 3 1 12 −11 0

Ivory Coast 0-0 Portugal
Brazil 2-1 North Korea
Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast
Portugal 7-0 North Korea
Portugal 0-0 Brazil
North Korea 0-3 Ivaory Coast

Group H

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts  Spain 3 2 0 1 4 2 +2 6  Chile 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6  Switzerland 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 4  Honduras 3 0 1 2 0 3 −3 1

Honduras 0-1 Chile
Spain 0-1 Switzerland
Chile 1-0 Switzerland
Spain 2-0 Honduras
Chile 1-2 Spain
Switzerland 0-0 Honduras

Knockout stage