19th FIFA World Cup 2010 - South Africa

This year, in 2010, the FIFA World Cup is held in South Africa. This is a 16-year long dream for South Africa. The games will lat for a full one month - from 11th June to 11th July. There are nine cities in which these games will be played - Johannesburg being the largest one. South Africa has built 10 stadiums among these nine cities - two in Johannesburg ad the rest eight in other eight cities. The other eight cities include Cape Town, Green Point (near Cape Town), Tshwane/Pretoria, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Bloemfontein, Nelspruit, Polokwane and Rustenburg.

There are 10 giant screens in nine cities to watch games for those who are not at the stadium.

Guess, Who is Going to Win This Cup?
Apart from 1958, where Brazil won it in Sweden, in an European country, no non-European country has won it if the game was played in an European country. And a non-European country has won it if the game was played outside Europe. (see the table)

This leaves us with the inference that since this year the game is played outside European country, no European country is going to win? Then which are the other countries which can win this game?
   Maybe Brazil?
[May 1, 2010]

   Or Now Uruguay, since Brazil is out
[Jul 7, 2010]

   Spain won it
[Jul 11, 2010]

The Present Situation
The following 32 counties participated In this Word Cup of 2010------
Group A : France, South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay
Group B : Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece.
Group C : England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D : Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana.
Group E : Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon.
Group F : Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia.
Group G : Brazil, Korea DPR, Cote d’Ivoire, Portugal
Group H : Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Procedure of the Game

Initially 32 teams were selected from the six continents and are grouped under six Groups, A to H.
Altogether 64 matches are played among these 32 teams -
48 matches in the 1st Round;
8 Matches in the Round of 16;
4 Matches in the Quarter Finals;
2 Matches in the Semi-Finals;
2 Matches for the Final and Third place

Round 1-Initial Teams (48 Matches)
The first 16 games are played among the Group's (one Group consists of 4 Teams) inside Teams - 2 games per Group (A1 with A2 and A3 with A4).
The next 16 games are played among the Group's inside Teams - 2 games per Group (A1 with A3, and A2 with A4).
The next 16 games are played among the Group's inside Teams - 2 games per Group (

Thus the initial 48 games end here and 16 Teams enter the main Game under the heading of "The Round of 16 Teams".

Decision of Winner - Till now (by these 48 matches) the winner is selected on the basis of goals, ties, and their points. Later, from the Round 2, all winners are decided by their goals. If they tie, then they are given half an hour more time in 15 minutes of two chunks. If the winner still cannot be decided, each Team is given Free Kicks to score a Goal until one team has won.

Round 2-The Round of 16 Teams (8 Matches)
From these 32 teams thus 16 teams are selected for "The Round of 16 Teams" on the basis of their goals and points and play thus --
49 - 1A plays with 2B (Team 1)  - Uruguay          and    S Korea (2-1)
50 - 1C plays with 2D (Team 3)  - USA                and   Ghana   (1-2)
51 - 1D plays with 2C (Team 4)  - Germany          and   England (4-1)
52 - 1B plays with 2A (Team 2)  - Argentina          and   Mexico  (3-1)
53 - 2E plays with 2F  (Team 5) - Netherlands       and   Slovakia (2-1)
54 - 1G plays with 2H (Team 7)  - Brazil               and   Chile     (3-0)
55 - 2F plays with  2E (Team 6)  - Paraguay          and   Japan    (5-3)
56 - 1H plays with 2G (Team 8)  - Spain                and   Portugal (1-0)

Round 3-Quarter Finals Among the 8 Teams (4 Matches)
From the winners of these 16 Teams, 8 Teams enter the Quarter Final and 4 Teams enter the Semi-Finals.
57 - (Team A)  Winner of the Matches 53 and 54 - Netherlands - Brazil (2-1)
58 - (Team B)  Winner of the Matches 49 and 50 - Uruguay - Ghana     (5-3)
59 - (Team C)  Winner of the Matches 52 and 51 - Argentina - Germany (0-4)
60 - (Team D)  Winner of the Matches 55 and 56 - Paraguay - Spain      (0-1)

Round 4-Semi-Finals Among the 4 Teams (2 Matches)
From the winners of these 4 Teams (Teams A, B, C, and D) enter the Final
61 - (Team I) Winner of the matches 58 and 57 - Uruguay - Netherlands (2-3)
62 - (Team II) Winner of the Matches 59 and 60 - Germany - Spain        (0-1)

Round 5-Semi-Final of 4 Teams (2 Matches)
In the end, these 4 Teams play the Match. First the 2 loser Teams will play the Match to decide the Third Place, then the two winner team will play the match to decide the Champion and the Second Place.
63 - Loser I plays with Loser II  -  Decides the 3rd place - Uruguay - Germany (2-3)
64 - Winner I plays with Winner II   -  Champion and 2nd place - Netherlands - Spain (0-1)

Champion - Spain
2nd - Netherlands
3rd - Germany
4th  Uruguay

Some Salient Features of the World Cup 2010

4 Red Cards in first 7 matches
First African country Ghana to win for Quarter Final
First time Red Card to Goalee in Soccer history - in the game of South Arica and Uruguay (to South Africa)
First ever victory of Greece over Nigeria in the game played on June 17.