Enjoy FIFA World Cup 2010 - Play Online For Free!

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The festive season has begun and the 2010 FIFA World Cup is underway in South Africa. The whole world, glued to the television sets and computers to watch this epic tournament, is excited and frolic. So, what do you do when the match is over, and you just cannot wait for the next match to begin?

If you're at the office or even at home for that matter, a really fun and easy way to kill time between games, and keep the spirit of the game alive, is to play some online Fifa WC games. These are aimed at people on the move and just cannot wait to get some football action. The number of online games available on the internet for the 2010 Fifa WC South Africa are quite high, and users have a wide variety to choose from. Let's name a few to break it down for everyone. FIFA World Cup 2010 play online for free at these sites mentioned.

First one is a low graphics enabled, yet entertaining version of the 2010 Fifa World Cup game, available at freegaming.de/onlinegames/Sports. The game provides the player options to choose a team and go on and win the glory. The controls are fairly easy and just about anyone can play this game.

Another fun game to try out is the World Cup 2010 freekick game available on mousebreaker. The game involves the user to bend the freekick so as to score at the 2010 Fifa Cup. The controls again are very easy to use and the game is extremely easy to play.

You can enjoy FIFA World Cup 2010 & play online for free, and get daily 2010 Fifa WC updates on periscope-the-magazine.com/fifa-worldcup

FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa

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The tournament is not complete but the two week journey of my 13 year old son and I has come to a close. Having attended other world cup finals (1994 USA, 2002 Japan Korea and 2006 Germany) we were looking forward to an amazing time in Africa and we were not disappointed - except for the final goal in Rustenburg.

Starting with some of the best of the tournament which in my mind is the rebranding of South Africa from Apartheid to the Rainbow Nation and no longer being seen as a third world country; the message of Mandela and the power of reconciliation is a lesson for all mankind.

It is pure joy enjoying the father - son experience of traveling together and the highlight of all of the soccer games we attend (domestic or international) is kicking together at halftime. The World Cup makes that even more spectacular as it involves kids and people from all over the world united by the touch of the

Other highlights included:
*The early goal by Shabalala and the quality performances by the Bafana Bafana despite being the first host nation not to advance to the knockout stages.

*The contrite English fans who claimed they beat USA except for the goalkeeper error. Hello soccer gods. About 95% of all soccer goals are due to defensive mistakes in one form or another - including the one you got on USA.

*The Minnow surprises made early matches exciting:
-New Zealand Italy 1-1 a country that has played in 4 world cup final matches vs. a country that has won 4 world cups.
-North Korea surprisingly competitive match against Brasil; the 2-1 result was not televised in North Korea as the their little 'Little Kim' felt as though the expected one-sided match would be too much for his nation to handle. Instead, they missed out on a great fight by their team and aired the following match where they were dismantled 7-0 by Portugal. I'd hate to be the senior advisor who recommended that to Little Kim.
-Switzerland upsetting Spain 1-0
-Greece with their first world cup finals victory courtesy of Nigeria 2-1.

*Speaking of fish, it was interesting to visit the KwaZulu Natal Shark Boards and learn about their work with great whites. Durban has a long history with sharks and the implementation of shark nets off the coast has apparently proven successful in avoiding human tragedy.

*Weather was wonderful with many days in the 80's.

*Durbin. A world cup on the beach. I know that in southern California we like to say you can surf and swim in the same day but in Durbin they advertised 'take a dip at halftime'; although the warm Indian Ocean felt as cold as the Pacific.

*We were somehow able to move ourselves into the front row for four of the five matches we attended:
ARG MEX 3-1, POR BRA 0-0, NED SLK 2-1, USA GHA 1-2 and KPR NIG 2-2.

*We were able to sell off all of our extra tickets (the wife and daughter barely make it to a LA Galaxy game every season, let alone South Africa), except the rural Rustenburg match which basically was equivalent to having a Super Bowl in San Luis Obispo - the roads were only two lane which made 34,000 (capacity was 44,000) fans and their cars drive hours to a match. It was like driving the grocery store parking lot for 5 hours on the way home from the game. The extra tickets for that match were dispensed to the local kids courtesy of an impromptu juggling contest.

*President Bill Clinton attended several matches as he continues to lead the USA charge toward hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.

*The vuvuzelas were loud and fun and a hallmark of the 2010 world cup finals.

"Howz it" is the standard greeting of the people and the rainbow nation and all of it's people were very friendly.

Some lowlights of the tournament included:

*Nelson Mandela's great granddaughter tragically being run down and killed by an alleged drunk driver the night of the opening ceremonies.

*The ball. Jabulani is the 11th world cup finals ball provided by Adidas and looks fantastic with it's unique design and 11 colors - the same number of official languages spoken in South Africa; but it really does sail away like the ones you would buy at a grocery store. Just take a look at the many restarts delivered into the upper seats by some of the best finishers in the game.

*The lack of Ireland due to the cheat of France in qualifying matches. France's participation in the finals was riddled with unrest within their camp, horrible performances, mutiny amongst the squad and capped off by the French bozo coach refusing the shake the hand of the class South African coach following their final group match.

*The USA Ghana match was a tough loss to handle; especially after the fact knowing that American viewers would have been treated to a real delight of a match the following Friday in Soccer City. It was reported that a record 19 million American viewers watched the loss and the numbers for the next game might have been doubled.

*The USA's slow start in every single match including the overtime start against Ghana.

*The referee performances included low rank mistakes of no goal in England Germany (which I dubbed the "Mind The Gap" match referencing the gap in the subway entries so widely noted across the tubes in England), the Mexico Argentina no-offside call and the disallowed (game-winning) goal for USA in the closing minutes against Slovenia.

*Edson Buddle should have come on for Altidore in the USA Ghana overtime instead of Hercules Gomez - it is an African side and Buddle has the size and speed to perform in that tough scenario.

*FIFA ticket processing was poor. Many matches were not sold out dispute many, many fans waiting in line for hours only to be turned away. How so many could wait in lines for over 10 hours and seats be empty is beyond me.

*The most anticipated match for us was Portugal Brasil Friday night in Durban but the 0-0 result made it less appealing than most of the other matches we attended.

*The private security firm of Fidelity was absurd in the USA Ghana match, almost ejecting my son and I from the stadium for (get this) "standing" in the American section where ALL fans stand the ENTIRE match. The fat, bald headed, idiotic leader was a man calling himself Warren. Warren has no right to be around anyone playing soccer anywhere. He simply does not understand The Beautiful Game.

*The final pool play matches were scheduled at the same time for each group to ensure no advantage of knowing your competitions score line but somehow that stopped the television broadcasts and stadium updates from the other matches - a little ridiculous in this age of instant communications.

Away from the soccer pitch, Table Mountain in Cape Town is an amazing experience - it's as if the Grand Canyon was beach front property. Many roads in Durban incorporated Roundabouts instead of four-way signal intersections and America would do well to consider adopting these to keep traffic moving freely. The Gateway Mall in Durban was spectacular and touted as the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere.

Prostitution was supposed to be huge during the event, as was crime. We didn't see much of either actually although a news story about the working girls being ignored due to soccer fans focusing on the games did include a comment that the German and Australian fans were an exception and seemed to be their only customers. The other thing we did not see was wildlife and safaris (other than a few monkeys crossing the street near a suburban land reserve); our world cup travels are focused on football so no time for safaris and countryside pursuits; the upside being we didn't have to deal with the malaria pills.

The starting eleven have not been announced yet but Landon Donovan should be on the list - well done LD and well done Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jay Demerit, Benny Feilhaber, Jozy Altidore, Jonathan Bornstein and the rest of the USA squad.

Zakumi (ZA means South Africa and Kumi means ten) was a legitimate mascot.

Finally, the travel: 40+ hours door-to-door can be brutal - especially in economy seats. The departure flight out of South Africa included a surprise courtesy of the World Health Organization (WHO): apparently the flight attendants have to spray insecticides all through the cabin just prior to lift off - good thing I can hold my breath for over a minute at a time.

Thank you South Africa for a wonderful experience!

If you have not yet signed the petition for USA to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022, please do so immediately. Word is that both host countries will be decided this coming December.

Go USA!

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Japan - World Cup 2010

Profile of the National Football Team of Japan AFSO Sports Report Monday's 8:00PM - 9:00PM(PST) on Noor TV www.afso.org - www.noor-tv.com

World Cup 2010 Finals - Netherlands vs Spain (Sim)

Who will take sport's ultimate prize? Find out in our 2010 FIFA World Cup sim.

Pepe Reina Show | English subtitles | World Cup 2010

Good night Madrid, good night Spain We love you all so much Spartans, which is your profession?... AU! AU! AU! Well now, i want to thank to every people who are here, every people who are in their home and every people who supported us in the world cup Your strength has arrived to us and here you have this world cup In Special, before talking of the players: These gentlemen who are here, to make easier our job The merit of this cup is also yours also ours With the 1. the 20th May from 1981 is born a Saint in Mostoles Stops a penalty to Paraguay in Quarter final Stops all in Semifinal against Germany Stops to Robben with the foot in the Final Stops to Robben with the hand in the Final IKER CASILLAS!! With the 2. The friend of famous...he looks for pins like mad He loves Blackberry and his breath stinks RAUL ALBIOL With the 3. The friend of the "farandula" the "dandy" of Spain, the central defender of the world GERARD PIQUE!! The 4. The "bat" of Spain 55... 55 matches invictus No one can do it, the father CARLOS MARCHENA !! With the 5. The head of Spain. Thanks to him we went to the Final with his head and his 'Tarzan hair' from Africa. The man who eats shinbone CARLOS PUYOL!! With the 6. Sweet Sweet Iniesta the man who wrote the final script the man who the whole Spain love ANDRES INIESTA!! The 7. The goal of Spain, the goal of Spain has a name, the "guaje" DAVID VILLA!! The 8. The Baton For there, for here, I steal it now, I give it now. XAVI HERNANDEZ The 9. All ...

España Vs Polonia 6-0 Highlights & Goals Amistoso Preparacion Mundial Sud-Africa 2010

Paseo militar de España en Murcia... con susto para Iniesta. Goles: 1-0, Villa (11'); 2-0, Silva (13'). 3-0, Xabi Alonso (50'). 4-0, Cesc (58'). 5-0, Fernando Torres (75'). 6-0, Pedro (80'). España cierra su preparación para el Mundial con una estrepitosa goleada ante una débil Polonia por 6-0, pero la noticia negativa, aunque no preocupante, fue la retirada del campo de Andrés Iniesta antes del descansoSouth Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France, Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece, England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia, Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana, Holland, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon, Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia, Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile. 2010 Copa del Mundo FIFA Sudáfrica Sudáfrica, México, Uruguay, Francia, Argentina, Nigeria, Corea del Sur, Grecia, Inglaterra, Estados Unidos, Argelia, Eslovenia, Alemania, Australia, Serbia, Ghana, Holanda, Dinamarca, Japón, Camerún, Italia, Paraguay, Nueva Zelanda, Corea Norte, Eslovaquia, Brasil, Costa de Marfil, Portugal, España, Suiza, Honduras, Chile.

Benefits of Hosting World Cup Soccer

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The FIFA World Cup is an amazing international event held every four years. Fans from all over the world descend on the host country bringing with them an outpouring of color, passion, energy, and culture. The world game is a wonderful accolade to the country that plays host plus the event holds much promise to global broadcast, tourism, and injection of millions of dollars into the economy.

FIFA the international governing body for soccer (football) requires the host nation to comply with detailed regulations and specifications including security, transport, accommodation, training facilities, opening and closing ceremonies, marketing, promotions, ticketing, insurance, and other administrative matters.

Are there financial risks worth hosting such an event? Infrastructure issues (like airports, roads, stadiums, and public transport) for hosting such an event are usually among the major complications. When Athens hosted the Olympic Games in 2004, its budget went from US$1.6 billion to US$16 billion: Beijing in 2008 went from US$1.6 billion to around US$40 billion. London's price tag for the 2012 games has blown out from US$5 billion to around US$20 billion. So far, South Africa is estimated to have spent US$5 billion and FIFA US$1.1 billion on preparations before the kick-off of the 2010 World Cup.

Potentially millions of dollars from tourists are injected into small businesses, hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, tours, and transport from hosting the FIFA tournament. However, the costs associated with a significant influx of visitors is the provision of security to fans and all the teams, counter-terrorist activities, policing racial sensitivities, and purchase and installation of high-tech monitoring equipment.

The revenue from the sale of tickets to the games if not achieved would back fire on the host country as it may take years to recover the outlay for hosting such a global event. History will determine the success of hosting the FIFA tournament. The global exposure of this world event may benefit the host country and its local suppliers/industries in years to come.

The study of a US economist on the historical experience of host nations since 1954 revealed that in 7 of the 13 tournaments since 1954, economic growth has been slower in the World Cup year than in the two years leading up to the event. On the other hand, 9 of the 13 host nations since 1954 has shown faster economic growth in the 2 years following the event.

What the FIFA World Cup does is that it brings the world together through competition fostering cross-cultural interaction and international understanding. In a world plagued by wars, racism, and religious intolerance, the FIFA World Cup contributes to universal brotherhood, whose benefits to humanity is impossible to quantify.

Around 6 billion people watch the Olympics but this is pale in comparison to the 26 billion who is estimated to watch the FIFA World Cup.

South Africa is hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup in June to July. The next FIFA World Cup will be held in June to July 2014 in Brazil, a nation who was crowned the world champions in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002.

For a comprehensive schedule of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, go to:

http://www.worldcupsoccersite.info.

All 32 teams who qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup are discussed and analyzed in detailed.

PS3 Game Review - 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

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EA Sports' FIFA Soccer series is wildly popular, and they wring more money out of the franchise however they can. One way is by seriously downplaying the international teams in the base FIFA series and releasing a special World Cup or Euro Tournament edition every two years, making suckers like me buy more than one soccer game in a year, over and over again. It's not quite manipulative, but it still makes me feel like a junkie reaching past FIFA 10 to pick up yet another soccer game off the shelf. There's nothing I can do about it, it just works.

FIFA World Cup South Africa lets you take any of 199 international teams all the way through the process of World Cup Qualification and into the Finals, any of them theoretically having the chance to win it all, even New Caledonia or Luxembourg. The base game mechanics are virtually indistinguishable from FIFA 10, except for a renovated, more detailed penalty kick system. The "Virtual Pro" mode, which lets the player control a single position player rather than the entire team, returns under the name "Captain Your Country," and "The Story of Qualification" lets you take on smaller bits of interesting real-life games over the past few years and try your hand at them.

The largest difference between FIFA 10 and FIFA World Cup is the teams themselves. While FIFA 10 has international teams, they aren't really included in any of the basic modes, there aren't that many countries, and the squads have no life or color to them. In FIFA World Cup, you can choose (from a limited pool) which players will represent their countries, which is an even more satisfying managerial choice than choosing squads at the club level. I think it's ridiculous that Vincenzo Iaquinta is a starting striker for Italy, so I can replace him with Giampaolo Pazzini any time I like. Coaches for a large number of teams are even modeled in-game, a nice bit of color for real fans. The entire game is basically made up of all-star teams, so the match-ups are just that much more interesting, and the nationalistic rivalries are more exciting to ponder than the local rivalries club teams usually deal with. If you start up a game between Cuba and the United States, the commentators will actually talk before the game about the tense history between the two countries, an awesome addition to the game.

The new penalty system adds more detail and tension to an already interesting meta-game within FIFA. Penalties are especially important in the World Cup (the last World Cup ended with a penalty shootout, after all) and the new system lets you try virtually everything a real player can do. There's an extra variable to worry about in the composure bar, which determines the amount of error in your shot, and you have to be gentle with aiming your shot so as not to kick it too far left or right. If you're feeling cocky and want to try a chip shot, you're welcome to, but the shot will be much harder to keep on frame. Or if you feel like attempting the famous Cristiano Ronaldo tactic of a sudden studder-step to try and see the goalie's diving intentions, it's all allowed in-game.

The "Captain Your Country" mode is a nice addition with a few flaws. There just aren't as many matches for a single player to worry about in international soccer, which is both good and bad for this mode. It's good in that it doesn't take forever for anything to happen. It's bad in that even on the harder difficulties, you'll have virtually no trouble soaring into the starting eleven of your country's team. There's not a lot of challenge to it if you can play competently. Another issue is that if your team fails to qualify for the World Cup or otherwise disappoints, then you're done. There is no next year to hope for, because that will have to wait for the next FIFA World Cup game.

FIFA World Cup isn't as detailed as FIFA 10, but it's still incredibly hard to resist for fans of international soccer. The graphics are even more beautiful, the gameplay is slightly improved, and the matchups are more interesting. The atmosphere of a World Cup is conveyed pretty well, and you just get the sense that every victory is that much more important than anything your club team did in FIFA 10. It's not a real game improvement but instead a natural advantage that FIFA World Cup has, but that doesn't make it any less valid for the player.

Nathaniel Edwards is a writer who specializes in covering controversial video games, the subject of his blog at http://www.legalarcade.com. He serves as gaming writer for http://www.kidzworld.com and contributes articles and reviews for BlogCritics Magazine.

Mata Nutmeg Albiol - BEST NUTMEG EVER HD

Mata Nutmeg Albiol in training session with repetition Mata regate + caño a Albiol | Cámara lenta REPETICIÓN Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.The audio in my videos have been purchased with iTunes. I can assure third world parties that the audio is just used for entertainment and no illegal action is thou being taken. It is not to be used for copying and selling. No copyright infringement intended.0-7 IGNORE TAGS : Danmark vs Japan Cameroon vs Netherland Spain vs Honduras 2:0 Portugal vs Korea DVR 7:0 Usa vs Algeria 1:0 Paraguay vs New Zeeland 0:0 Italy vs Slovakia 2:3 Germany vs Ghana 1:0 Brazil vs Cote D'Ivoire 3:1 Italy vs New Zealand 1:1 Slovakia vs Paraguay 0:2 Cameroon vs Danmark 1:2 Ghana vs Australia 1:1 Netherlands vs Japan 1:0 England vs Algeria 0:0 Slovenia vs USA 2:2 Germany vs Serbia 0:1 France vs Nigeria 0:2 Greece vs Nigeria 2:1 Argentina vs South Korea 4:1 South Africa vs Uruguay 0:3 Spain vs Switzerland 0:1 Honduras vs Chile 0:1 Brazil vs North Korea 2:1 Portugal vs Cote D'Ivoire 0:0 New Zealand vs Slovakia 1:1 Italy vs Paraguay 1:1 Japan vs Cameroon 1:0 Netherlands vs Danmark 2:0 Germany vs Australia 4:0 Serbia vs Ghana 0:1 Algeria vs ...

5 Tips For World Cup 2010 Visitors in South Africa

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As the South African Nation prepares for World Cup 2010, an estimated of 500,000 soccer fans from around the world are looking for World Cup Accommodation in the nine different cities that are hosting World Cup Matches. A majority of which are visiting South Africa for the first time. And like many visitors to foreign countries, there are many safety precautions one should take before and during their visit. It's well known that the crime rate is relatively high in South Africa. But this shouldn't dissuade you from visiting a beautiful country that is both rich in culture and wildlife. Common sense and a little preparation will ensure a safe and fun filled trip. So for the weary traveler, I present to you 5 tips for visiting South Africa for the World Cup. This list is in no particular order.

1. Do your research

Before you arrive to your city destination, you should do some research of the surrounding area for your place of accommodation. Research nearby restaurants, parks, stores, bus routes etc. and their locations so you are able to plan out your daily activities and how to get to them. Also, you should speak to the people you will be staying with about where the safer areas of the neighborhood are. This way, you aren't spending your days aimlessly venturing out in an unfamiliar city, putting yourself at risk of getting lost or ending up in a bad neighborhood.

2. Travel in groups

Avoid traveling alone. It is less likely that you will be become a victim to a crime if you are traveling with another person or in a group. If you must travel alone, make sure you are visiting areas of the city that have a lot of foot traffic.

3. Keep photocopies of important documentation

You should make sure you have photocopies of your passports, ID, and credit cards. This will speed the process of getting documents replaced should they go missing.

4. Try staying in a locals home

If you really want a sense for life in South Africa and want the inside scoop for where to go and what to do, stay with a local. There are a few websites that give you a great selection of places to stay, like iStopOver.

5. Don't feed the animals

South Africa is known for their wild life and abundance of game reserves. If you are planning to venture out of urban areas, you are bound to come across some wild life. Although it's hard to resist the temptation of getting up close and personal with them, it would be strongly advised to keep a safe distance as South Africa contains a lot of dangerous wildlife. Lion cubs may look cute and cuddly but there is surely a hungry mother looking for lunch not far away.

This list is by no means exhaustive and definitely not limited to these 5 tips. So I strongly suggest readers to post their own suggestions!

Randy Chu World Cup Accommodation

The Sims 3: How to Create a World (Part 2 of 2)

I'll show you guys how to use every little part of the new Create-a-World tool recently released by EA to allow us to make our own neighborhoods or 'Worlds' as they call them. Grab a cup of coffee, this is a long one!

Fifa World Cup 2010 Accommodation in South Africa

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South Africa went into celebration mode at the final word of hosting the Fifa World Cup 2010 Soccer. This is amazing and a fantastic opportunity to show the world just what South Africa has to offer.

Major preparations are underway for this great event. Aspects include preparing the international airports to cater for the traffic inflow expected. Significant renovations are underway improving airport access, parking and baggage handling.

Stadiums are being built in the major areas where the games will be played and tourism establishments are stepping up the pace to offer world class accommodation adequately catering for more people.

Even tour companies are making sure that visitors - both viewers and participants of the Game will have a throughly wonderful experience when not within the stadium confines.

South Africa is making tremendous progress in this regard. The whole country is on board and so excited to show case the very best of South Africa.

Fortunately as the Games will be played in various of South African cities, there is a perfect chance to view plenty. Winelands, culture and beautiful beaches in the Western Cape, wide open spaces in the Free State, safari expeditions in the North West, mountains, mist and sites of amazing natural beauty in Mpumalanga, battlefields and beaches in Kwazulu Natal, peaceful and warm beaches in the Eastern Cape, as well as the world's biggest elephants, additional safari expeditions in Limpopo as well as culture galore in Gauteng.

South Africa welcomes the world to enjoy and savor its accommodation, dining and other experiences.

Visit Guest Files to find South African Accommodation and 2010 Accommodation as well as all your other Southern African tourism needs.

Guest Files also distributes a complementary tourism newsletter every two weeks.

Are photo shoots any fun? What does Iman eat for dinner?

We hit a Harpers Bazaar party for the Tate museum. Russian Tatlers sexy photo shoot. What really goes on behind the scenes? Naomi Campbell jump ropes! She's not Precious, she's Gaborey Sidibe and she shouts out to Chic. Intern at Vogue.

Brazil in Soccer World Cup South Africa 2010

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Brazil were the favourites of the press and the analysts together with Spain. Just like the champion, Brazil team was one of those that got to South Africa with everything proven and well oiled. They had evinced their condition the previous years in the preliminaries, winning both competitions in a fantastic way. Very solid at the back with the goalkeeper Julio Cesar and two central players of the best in the world, Juan and Lucio, the permanent moving upwards of Maicon by the right band, a midfield of Elano with technique and kicking, and the offensive trio with KAKA, Robinho and Luis Fabiano, lethal in counterattack. Coach and players had no doubts.

After a discrete start against South Korea, the quality and authority appeared in front of the Ivory Coast, though it was not too powerful rival. Afterwards, with the qualification secured, they played a tight match against Portugal, 0 - 0, in which they basically tried not to lose their first place in the group, something important in the round of sixteen.

That is how they evaded Spain and had to play against Chile, which they surpassed with latitude and easily, by 3 - 0. Once again the attacking trident was lethal. The second goal by Luis Fabiano, was a model of counterattack prepared by Kaka and Robinho, in whom speed, precision, and beauty were mixed.

That devastating formula learned by heart, seemed indestructible, especially because of the certainty that the team evinced from midfield backwards. But there appeared a difficult and uncomfortable rival the Netherlands and unlucky match. The hexagonal championship dream was shattered. Brazil were winning and they played a good first half. They seemed about to increase their advantage. Nevertheless, a centre by Schneider on the area complicated matters for Julio Cesar, grazed Felipe Melo and got into the goal.

The only defeat left Brazil out form the semifinals, the team minimum objective which will now have their retaliation as locals in four years' time.

Alvaro Silva

Predicting the World Cup 2010 Winner

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What does predicting the economy got to do with predicting the World Cup winner? A lot if you listen to Swiss Bank UBS.

In the World Cup 2006, the economists and analysts at the Wealth Management Research at UBS used the statistical model that enabled them to predict market trends and investment decisions and applied it to predict the World Cup winner.

They correctly predicted that Italy would be the champion. They also succeeded in getting six of the eight quarter-finalists correct. Their track record also included correctly forecasting three of the four semi-finalists.

UBS's model is a purely quantitative analysis and the criteria used are past performance, home advantage and teams' strength. Now let's discuss the model:

For past performance, so far seven nations have won the championship. (Brazil five times, Italy four times, Germany three times, Argentina and Uruguay two times, France and England one time each). So according to UBS, if you pick one of these seven teams, it appears to be a safe bet.

As for the home advantage, a third of the past world cups was won by the host country. Now:

# The weather is mild winter in South Africa and it appears that the host nation may not have the climate advantage. This applies similarly to the African nations in the finals.

# Some matches will be played at venues at high altitude. This is a clear advantage to the host and the South American teams like Brazil.

# In every tournament, there is speculation of referees favoring the Home team. Will there be many controversial calls helping the host?

# This being Africa's World Cup, there are many who wonder if an African nation will advance past the group stage into the quarter-finals for the first time. In every tournament, there will always be a team which will be the surprise package. Will this team come from Africa?

# And lastly, there is this "outside-of-Europe" syndrome. So far every World Cup had been won by either an European team or a South American side. No European team has won outside the comfort of their own continent. Now in South Africa, many pundits believe that the South American teams will have so-called ground advantage.

Regarding the strength of the teams, UBS took into consideration the FIFA ranking and the bookmakers' odds.

So which team has UBS picked to be WC 2010 champion? Brazil.

Well, your guess is as good as mine on which team will win. My trusted crystal ball tells me it is Spain.

In every World Cup, betting wise, it is a true challenge. The tournament is held every four years and qualification ends months before the ball is kicked in the first game of the finals. During this time, a lot can change in the football world.

World Cup means patriotic fervor comes into play. We all have passionate feelings for a certain team or a certain player which will determine our decision.

There are 32 teams in the finals so technically there are 32 potential winners. It is interesting to note some characteristics of these teams:

* Some teams have a good striking department with tons of firepower, but lacking everywhere else.

* Some teams have great talented players but have insane coaches.

* Some are perceived as perennial underachievers like Spain and England who seem to choke on the big stage.

* Some are tournament teams like Germany and Italy who may be underrated before the finals, but know how to grind out the results. Well this is according to past performances.

* Experts have expected Spain to win the last two World Cups - but they never have.

* England are going to win it every time according to the English - but they never do.

And there are some interesting statistics:

# No team has successfully defended the WC for a long while. Would the 2006 winner Italy be the exception? But Italy has an aging squad and may not be expected to last all the way. It is easier to reach the top, but much harder to stay there!

# Only once in the last 21 group games has the WC host lost, so would South Africa be the surprise package?

Why Spain will Win

With one loss in their last 46 matches, Spain arrived at South Africa as one of the best teams. They are the favorites to lift the World Cup on July 11. They are ahead of Brazil in the eyes of the bookmakers and pundits.

Spain (Rank 1) play in Group H against Chile (Rank 17), Switzerland (Rank 18) and Honduras (Rank 38).

They have been dubbed by the media in the past as "perennial underachiever". But the faith of their fans may be justified this time as they have completely turned the corner after winning Euro 2008. They had built on this success and thereafter had won all of their qualifying games for WC 2010, the first team to achieve such a record.

The Talents

Spain is a team with polished gems. They boast the talents of Fernando Torres and David Villa up front, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas in the middle, Carles Puyol and Gerrard Pique at the back, and Iker Casillas in goal. The reigning European champion look a formidable bunch.

They are stacked with players from the elite leagues in Europe like Barcelona and Real Madrid. The squad has so much depth that even the impressive Arsenal captain Fabregas, whom many consider as one of the best midfielders around, has to warm the bench as a substitute.

A well balanced team is needed to have the consistency to get through such a high level tournament. Look at Argentina. The hope of the entire nation rests on the shoulders of young Messi. But Messi does not perform for his country like he does for Barcelona because he does not have the midfield marshals like Xavi and Iniesta behind him to pull the strings. And I shall leave the Argentina manager alone.

The Spanish squad has been largely unchanged from the team that won Euro 2008. Playing together for years can only foster better understanding on the pitch. The Spain of today exude calm and confidence. Wearing the European crown does such things to you.

Injury

Of course injury is a concern but this is the same for every team. Torres and Fabregas missed playing the tail end of the league due to injuries. To look on the bright side, this could actually be a blessing in disguise as they are totally rested for the World Cup.

Spain has a deep squad with comparatively able replacements. They are not a one or two men team like Ivory Coast relying on Drogba.

If injuries are inflicted on play-makers, any team will suffer like Rooney for England, Lucio and Kaka for Brazil, Messi for Argentina, Sneijder for Holland, etc. Serious injuries are a disaster for every team.

Pressure

Being ranked No. 1 and as hot favorites, expectations are high. Will Spain crack under the pressure?

Much was made out of their 2-0 defeat in the Confederations Cup semi-final to USA last June. This ended their 35 match streak without a loss. Some said Spain buckled under the pressure in that match because they wanted so much to break Brazil's 35 match streak of not suffering a loss. To many this is considered a great weakness to cave in to pressure.

A lot of teams lose matches that they should win. Most important is to learn a lesson from the loss. I believe the Spanish had indeed learned a valuable lesson. From then on, they had not lost again.

Mental Strength

Psychologists often stress that half of the battle is won in the head. Unfortunately, Spain have the unwanted tag of perennial choker on the big stage. In the past when the going gets tough, they have gone missing.

But now all the players pledged that they know their biggest enemy is themselves and they have developed greater self belief.

Complacency

There is a great threat of complacency when facing the likes of Honduras, Chile and Switzerland. I am confident that with an experienced coach in del Bosque, the players will know in no uncertain terms that a place in the second round is not a formality.

Assurance and over-confidence is divided by a very fine line. The last thing they will think is they have already won the match even before the ball is kicked.

How To Beat Spain

Some said the way to beat Spain is to follow the tactics of Jose Mourinho whose Inter Milan succeeded where virtually everybody failed by knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League. The tactic is to have the players defend deep in their own half, soaking up the pressure thrown at them and rely on swift counter-attack to score. Well, I am not sure whether there could be another "Special One' around.

Conclusion

If Spain keep their heads they will win World Cup 2010. If they don't, they are simply beaten by themselves.

Stanley O is a Chartered Accountant and soccer has been his passion since young. He has extensive experience in soccer betting. You can "crack" the soccer live betting market and make the "big bucks" once you know how to identify the money making indicators in the odds movement. The #1 complete soccer live betting system available containing 10 winning strategies with STEP-BY-STEP screen-shots showing you how to spot and make profitable live bets. Be sure to claim a free copy of the winning "Midweek Strategy" by visiting http://www.TheLiveBettingSystem.com.

Uruguay 1930 - South Africa 2010 - The Brazilian Men's Football Team

Image : http://www.flickr.com

History:

1900-1948 The national football team did not participate in the Olympic Games (Paris'00, St.Louis '04, London '08, Stockholm '12, Antwerp '20, Paris '24, Amsterdam '28, Berlin '36, London '48).

1920-1979 Brazil only won a South American Cup title.

1930 At the World Cup in Montevideo (Uruguay), the Brazilian squad finished sixth...

1934 The Brazilian national team placed 13th at the FIFA World Tournament.

1938 The national squad finished third in the World Championships in Europe.

1940 Edson Arantes do Nascimento, also known as Pelè, was born on October 23, 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Under his leadership, Brazil earned three World Cup titles (1958, 1962, 1970). At 17 years old of age, he was already a first class player. He became one of the most famous athletes in the world.

1950 Brazil hosted the World Cup.This was the second time the World Cup had taken place in Latin America. During the World Cup final, the local team suffered one of its most humiliating defeats: Uruguay beat Brazil.

1952 The Brazilian men's soccer team competed in the Summer Olympic Games for the first time. Brazil became the fourth South American country to qualify for the Olympic Games...

1954 The national squad placed sixth at the FIFA World Championships.

1958 World Cup in Stockholm, Sweden. Seventeen-year-old footballer Edson Arantes of Brazil caused a sensation when he led the Brazilian team to World Cup title. Pelè became the youngest Latin American World champion ever...

1959 Pan American Games in the United States. The Brazilian men's soccer team made its first continental appearance...

1960 Rome, Italy. Brazil took part in its second Olympic Tournament.

1962 World Cup in Santiago de Chile. The national squad surprised everyone by finishing first. The soccer star Garrincha, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, was named the Most Valuable Player.Brazil became the second Latin American nation to win the World Cup...

1963 At the Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, host country, won the men's soccer tournament...Santos (Brazilian club) won the Intercontinental Cup for the second consecutive time...

1964 The national team qualified for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

1964-1975 Brazil did not win any Copa Libertadores title.

1966 Brazil placed 12nd at the World Championships in London, England...Edson Arantes do Nascimento wrote in Sports Illustrated, "Nobody in the game had more fun than I did when I first became a professional. This honeymoon came to an abrupt end sometime around 1960. I was continually marked the whole time whenever and wherever I played, and if I avoided the marking, the boot went in. I've been kicked from pillar to post, particularly in those up-country league games where the home team decide this is the only way to stop Pelè and Santos. At first I was shocked, and then I became angry. Sometimes I hit back and because my name was Pelè, news of such incidents made every newspaper in Brazil..."

1968 Mexico City. At the Olympic Games, Brazil disappointed fans by finishing in 11th in place...

1970 Pelè led Brazil to victory in the World Championships in Mexico. The Brazilian squad won all its matches.

1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Brazil could not qualify for the semi-finals. In the first round, they were beaten by Denmark and Iran...

1974 The national team placed fourth at the FIFA World Championships. They were favorites...

1976 The Brazilian soccer squad was eliminated in the semi-finals at the Summer Olympic Games in Montreal (Canada).

1978 The national team placed third in the World Championships in Buenos Aires-behind Argentina (host country) and Holland. Carlos Roberto de Oliveira and Dirceu Josè Guimaraes were the best players...

1979 The Brazilian team finished fourth at the Youth South American Tournament, but did not qualify for the Youth World Championships in Asia.

1982 World Championships in Spain. Brazil could not win the universal trophy. The Latin American squad was one of the favorites to win the global trophy...

1983 Brazil beat Argentina to take the World title in the men's football at the FIFA World Youth Cup in Mexico City...

1984 The national team claimed silver at the Summer Olympic in Los Angeles, California, USA. In the gold medal match, France beat Brazil 2-0.The best players were Gilmar Popoca and Carlos Caetano Bledorn ("Dunga").

1986 Mexico City. For the fourth time, Brazil failed to win the universal title.

1988 Brazilian people were amazed when they known that the Brazilian men's football team did not win the gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. This South American team was one of the favorites. The best footballer was Romario de Souza.

1990 World Cup in Rome, Italy. The Brazilian men's soccer team placed 10th...

1991 Brazil did not participate in the Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba.

1992 The Latin American squad did not qualify for the Olympics in Spain.

1994 Under the direction of Carlos Alberto Parreira, Brazil became World champion in the United States. This South American nation was the 15th World champion. Ronaldo, 17, was the youngest member of the Brazilian team. Romario de Souza was named the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament.

1995 During the Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Honduras beat Brazil 1-0.

1996 During the Atlanta Olympic Games, the Japanese men's soccer team defeated team Brazil, which has never won an Olympic gold medal, 1-0. Japan gave a lesson of soccer...The squad South American took part in nine editions of the Summer Olympics between 1952 and 1996.

1996-1997 Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima, the undisputed leader of the Brazilian team, was elected the Most Valuable Player in the world. He has competed for Brazil in the past World Cup and the last Olympic Games.

1998 Paris, France. The national squad was runner-up at the FIFA World Cup. Like France, Argentina and Germany, Brazil was one of the favorites to win the universal title...

2002 South Korea & Japan. The Brazilian men's soccer squad earned the global title. During the World Cup final, Brazil played one of the best matches of its history against Germany. The score was 2-0...

2004 Kakà, whose original name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, became the United Nations World Food Program's Youngest Ambassador...The Olympic Soccer Tournament took place without Brazil.

2006 Brazil placed 7th at the FIFA World Cup in Germany...Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, created a task force, with experts of the ministry of foreign relations, human development, justice, economy, tourism and sports, to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), said, "With this procedure we intend to show FIFA, its president Joseph Blatter and the whole world football community how seriously the Brazilian government is working to make Brazil the host country for the 2014 Championship. I believe that, with this support, the process of candidacy is already at an advanced stage".

2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The local team placed fifth, behind Ecuador (gold medal), Jamaica (silver medal), Mexico (bronze medal) and Bolivia. In the first round, Ecuador beat Brazil 4-2...The FIFA chose Brazil to host the World Cup in 2014-30 percent of the facilities are already in place.

2008 Unlike Argentina (Athens 2004 & Beijing 2008), Uruguay (Paris 1924 & Amsterdam 1928), France (Los Angeles 1984), Great Britain (Paris 1900, London 1908, Stockholm 1912), Brazil did not win the Olympic gold medal... The Brazilian team is one of the favorites to qualify for the World Cup in 2010. This South American squad has qualified for all World Cups (1930-2006).

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso". He is an expert on foreign affairs. Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latin America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), José Gamarra (former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, 1970- 1982), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). Alejandro said: "The person who I admire the most is José Gamarra. He devoted his professional and personal life to sport. José played an important role in the promotion of Olympism in Bolivia -it is one of the Third World`s poorest countries- and Latin America. His biography is interesting". The sportspeople he most admire is Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman. "This African-American sportswoman is my idol... "

Waka Waka, Shakira / Waving Flag K'naan & David Bisbal (Official World Cup Song)

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