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Jun 14
2010

Exuberant Germans Light Up World Cup As They Thrash Australia 4-0

Posted by MaireOfeire in Tim CahillThomas MuellerSouth AfricaMiroslav KloseLukas PodolskiJoachim LoewGermanyFifa World CupCacauAustralia

MaireOfeire

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 13:  Cacau of Germany celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal with team mate Mesut Oezil (L) during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group D match between Germany and Australia at Durban Stadium on June 13, 2010 in Durban, South Africa.  (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

 Day 3 in South Africa finally saw the 2010 FIFA World Cup come to life as an exuberant young German squad easily brushed aside a static Australia.

The Nationalmannschaft entered the tournament without the services of Captain Michael Ballack and first choice goalkeeper Rene Adler. However, German manager Joachim Loew did what many managers failed to do and mixed the young with the old as the likes of Ozil, Muller and Badstuber gelled well with the older heads of Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Podolski and Klose.

The Germans belied their national stereotype as they won the game playing fast, fluid patterns that easily dissected the overwhelmed Australians who were caught trying to play the offside trap all too often.

Loew's side were ahead after just 8 minutes when the superb Mesut Ozil sent a ball into space down the right for Thomas Muller who pulled the ball back for Lukas Podolski to send an unstoppable strike into the back of a helpless Matt Schwarzer's net

Feb 04
2009

Port Elizabeth: Population Over A Million, Football Clubs Zero, Until Now

Posted by Andrew McNair in Fifa World Cup

Andrew McNair

"Welcome to Port Elizabeth, next stop Antarctica" says something about the location of this beautiful city but few of you probably know much more than that.

South Africa's fifth largest city is also known as Nelson Mandela Bay or PE and is a 2010 FIFA World Cup host of eight games, including the third/fourth playoff.

Port Elizabeth is building a new stadium for the World Cup on the banks of the cities North End lake and it is due to be completed within the next 6 months.

Amazingly, when the World Cup was awarded to SA in may 2004, PE didn't even have a professional side and with a population of over one million people, it was possibly the biggest city in a football playing nation without a professional club.

Port Elizabeth's traditional powerhouses Rainbow Stars and Park United had followed PE Technikon's lead of dropping out of the first Division through the trap door.