On South African soil in front of a roaring 40,000 fans in Bloemfontein, it was acclaimed to be a classic European clash. However, in the 19th minute the English quickly went down 1-0, after losing a contested volley from German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer that outstretched the defense and allowed Miroslav Klose to knife the ball past goalie David James.

After losing a contested volley from German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer that outstretched the defense and allowed Miroslav Klose to knife the ball past goalie David James, after drawing first blood. The English rallied back with a lofted pass that gave Matthew Upson a sensational header to challenge the Germans 2-1, with their backs against the wall in the 36th minute.

As English midfielder Frank Lampard boomed a rifling shot off of the cross bar that landed two to three feet inside the goal line which was cleverly recovered by the German keeper Neuer and not tallied as a goal, soon after came one of the worst blown calls in this year’s World Cup. After ninety minutes of play, the English retreated into the locker room justifiably upset.

The downtrodden hopes of the English turned to despair after failing to convert on a free kick, as the second half wore on. by streaking along the sideline to find Müller for the easy score, German midfielder Mesut Özil provided a lightning counterattack. Müller also provided the final dagger to a 4-1 finish that eliminated the English from the cup.

In the 2010 World Cup, Uruguay stormed through the first round and will now move on to the round of 16 as the winners of Group A. On Saturday at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, they will face World Cup odds favorite, South Korea in the first game of the second round. Kickoff is scheduled for 10:00 AM ET. South Korea qualified after finishing second in Group B.

Of the tournament, Uruguay has been one of the most impressive teams. Through three games, their experienced defensive unit has played magnificently. Uruguay’s back line includes Diego Lugano, Maxi Pereira, and Diego Godin. They combined with goalkeeper Fernando Muslera to give up zero goals in group play and all who play for good European clubs.

Uruguay boasts one of the most feared attacking duos in the tournament, in addition to their solid defenders. Forwards Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez assists in qualifying and picked up where they left off in the first round and they are placed in the top five in goals. Forlan scored two goals in Uruguay’s 3-0 win over host South Africa. Suarez scored the team’s only goal, in Uruguay’s clinching 1-0 win over Mexico.

At the World Cup, South Korea has been a regular, but they failed to move past the first round in all but one of their seven previous appearances. 2002 was the one time they moved on when they co-hosted the tournament with Japan. They finished second in their group and will play in the second round for the first time on foreign soil, after a draw, a loss, and a win in group play this year.

So far in the tournament, South American teams have been impressive. They have just one loss, nine wins and two draws. When South Korea faced South American Argentina in their second game, they gave up four goals in a 4-1 loss. Uruguay will be favored in this game to continue South America’s dominance and it has represented South America well.

To engross themselves in an exciting and electrifying game of soccer scheduled on Wednesday, fans of Slovenia and England must be looking forward.

The game between Slovenia and England is expected to display some great dibbles and game strokes, with enthusiasm and expectation rising among fans of each nation. With failures in UEFA EURO 2004 and 2006 FIFA World Cup, the team of England, which was popularly known as the “golden generation”, is in a tough position. This year is therefore highly crucial for them to prove their skill and regain the lost glory in the international world game.

England is believed to bounce back with new vigor and zeal, displaying some great moves and play, with Fabio Capello in team. In the match against Slovenia, other big names of the team including Rooney, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe etc are hoped to exhibit great promise. The climate and other conditions of South Africa are thought to work in favor of the English player’s playing style. England has qualified for the World Cup of 2010 in emphatic fashion with nine wins in their kitty, with disappointments of previous losses.

For some good play among the fans, Slovenia on the other hand is also intriguing hope. Towering over Poland, Czech Republic and Russia, the nation with population of only two million people has made it to the World Cup. However, Slovenia does not have any biggies in their squad this time, the team spirit and collective strength is the key secret of their success. The names of the players in the Slovenia team who is surely provide tight fight to opponents and enough entertainment to audiences is striker Milivoje Novakovic, goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and Captain Robert Koren.

To know who towers over whom to win the game, do watch out for this match.

United States and Algeria meet on Wednesday in the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Soccer lovers of both the nations will get to see the two teams give their best to tower over each other. United States have qualified for the world cup series displaying efficiency, style and good play. Trained under the guidance of Coach Bob Brandley, this team establishes great hope and expectation from followers of the team.

Fans will get to see some exciting and fantastic soccer kicks and passes from star players including Landon Donovan, Oguchi Onyewu, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey. Keen to set up their position in the second place finish of FIFA World Cup in South Africa, USA is surely in for some soaring game strokes and strategies.

On the other hand, Algeria is on a weaker side as they are back in the soccer league after a long gap of 24 years. Slowly working their way back to form, the players of team is full of confidence and belief that they will establish a significant mark in the World Cup at South Africa. The team of Algeria has a balanced combo from which audience can surely expect to see an enthralling match. Under the captaincy of Yazid Mansouri, the team also has some good players in Madjid Bougherra, Nadir Belhadj and goalkeeper Lounes Gaouaoui.

Both the teams are ready and geared up to take over each other on the field. Soccer lovers will surely have a memorable time watch two good teams fight their way to win. Keep the finger crossed and enjoy some mind blowing strokes of soccer on 23rd June with United States and Algeria.

Slovakia and Italy will square off on June 24th. These two teams were chosen to play in Group F of the 2010 World Cup.

It is easy to see on paper that these teams do not match up well against each other. Italy will without doubt be the favorites to win this match. This will be their 3rd and final match. It could be their opportunity to either A) win the group or B) advance out of the group.

Many people note that this provides Slovakia with the opportunity to play the role of a spoiler. I think it’s a little early to say that, as they may still actually be in competition in this match. They play New Zealand in the first match. This will be a very winnable game for them. All they will need to have a good opportunity to advance will be a victory over Paraguay or Italy.

Although they are certainly not favorites to win, Slovakia does have a chance. They play a style of ball that can keep both teams in the game. Their offense is pretty good, but their defense will struggle against Italy.

Italy has an offense that can capitalize on another team’s weaknesses. They will be taking on a team that does not have any World Cup experience. This team has never qualified for the World Cup since the conception of the country. This will provide an inexperienced team, but also a team that is eager to prove that they belong in the World Cup. Look for this team to come out fighting. Don’t expect them to be intimidated by the defending champions.

On June 20th in the 2010 World Cup, Slovakia and Paraguay will play each other. In Group F, these teams have been placed. This will be an important match for each team.

In the first round, Slovakia will have just played New Zealand. To take a win early in the group play, their match against New Zealand will be an obvious opportunity. If they are able to come away with a win, they will be playing with everything that they have in order to advance as they take on Paraguay.

On the other hand, Paraguay will have just taken on Italy. To win the group, Italy is the favorite. If they lose to Italy, they will be fighting for their life as they take on Slovakia. As these teams square off, this match will likely have a lot at stake.

At a comparable level, offenses of Paraguay and Slovakia play. To score some goals, each team has the potential, but they probably won’t blow you out. This fact favors Paraguay. Paraguay is significantly better on defense, although they may have a slightly worse offensive attack.

To shut a team out, Paraguay’s defense has the potential, and they will be playing for a shutout as these teams faceoff. If Slovakia hopes to succeed in this match, they will need to get a lot of shots on goal early. They may be in trouble, if they allow Paraguay’s defense to set the tone of the game. Paraguay will definitely be the favorite in this one.

In Group F of the 2010 World Cup, Slovakia and New Zealand will play. For each squad, this will be a key match, and it will likely decide the fate of each team as they go on in their matches in the group.

After their first matches here in Group F, these two teams are unfortunately the overwhelming favorites to be knocked out of the competition. These teams are expected to buckle under superior play when they take on these squads, with two strong teams to play (Italy and Paraguay).

Their match against each other is therefore so important. It will give the winner the opportunity to build momentum going into their second match, the fact that they are playing each other first. If the winner of this match can bring that momentum to their match against Paraguay or Italy they might be able to sneak away a 2nd victory. They will likely advance to the next round of play, if they win a second game.

This is a long-shot…but it’s really their only shot. World Cup betting favorite, Slovakia, is definitely the favorite to win the match, out of these two teams. They are significantly stronger on both the offensive and defensive aspects of play. You can expect Slovakia to win the opener, if things play out the way they should on paper.

Don’t count New Zealand out just yet. When the pressure is on, some teams are able to rise to the occasion and perform. Look for New Zealand to come out early with some strong play. To take this game though, they will need a miracle.

On 24th of June in their final match of play in Group E, Cameroon and the Netherlands will face off. In the way of advancement, this match may or may not have much value.

To advance out of this group, these teams are the favorites. Cameroon by a small margin and Netherlands are the overwhelming favorite. If each of these teams wins their previous games, the prize of this match will simply be to see who wins Group E overall. They will both advance regardless

These teams are the favorites to advance out of this group. Netherlands is the overwhelming favorite, and Cameroon by a small margin. If each of these teams wins their previous games, the prize of this match will simply be to see who wins Group E overall. If both teams have already won their previous games then they will both advance regardless.

However, to advance to the next round of play, if Cameroon loses to Denmark, this could be a last “all they can give” effort.

For both teams, one of the keys to this game will be the play of Samuel Eto’o. He has been the leader for Cameroon and is one of the premier players in the world. When he has scored in games, Cameroon has been tough for anyone to beat. The Netherlands may be the type of team that can contain a star like Eto’o and have a stellar defense.

Cameroon and Denmark will play on the 19th of June in Group E of the 2010 World Cup. This game is far and away considered to be the key game to the advancement of each of these teams out of Group E. With two other teams in the group that seem to have their destiny sealed, these teams will be fighting for the 2nd position of advancement.

Most experts have conceited that Netherlands will at minimum advance out of the group. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Japan is the favorite to be in the cellar of Group E. This means that Cameroon and Denmark will seal their fate by the way that they play against each other on the 19th of June.

Cameroon sports a superior offensive attack. Samuel Eto’o is an absolute star in the league and has been the key to their success in World Cup Qualifying. When Eto’o was playing well in the qualifying the team was nearly unbeatable. They actually did not lose a single game in which he managed to score at least one goal. This means that the key for Denmark will be stopping Eto’o from making an impact in this game.

Cameroon has a weakness on defense that can be exploited by Denmark. The problem for Denmark is that they may lack a premier striker that can take advantage of the weakness of the Cameroon defense.

Once again, the African support may be enough to push Cameroon over the top as they sport somewhat of a home field advantage.

Ghana and Australia will square off on the 19th of June. Of the 2010 World Cup, they are each part of Group D.

For both teams, this match will be an important one. In the group, the other two teams, Serbia and Germany, are seen as the two strongest teams. This fact will put a lot of pressure on these two teams. As the other two teams that they play are going to be tough, it will be a must-win scenario when they face off against each other.

Against each other, these teams match up pretty well. On each team, the caliber of players is probably pretty similar on the offensive side of the game. Each team has a decent attack, but not one that is one of the premier attacks of the World Cup like the other two teams in the group.

The fact that they will put a lot of pressure on the two teams on defense since they have a similar caliber of offensive attack. Their level of defensive attack is also similar. With two teams, that matchup so well this should make a great game to watch.

In this match, one of the x-factors for Australia could be goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. Four years ago in the World Cup, Mark Schwarzer had a brilliant showing. This will give the Australians something to lean on as this goalkeeper could have the potential to keep Australia in the game through tough spots.

The home continent crowd can always be the x-factor for Ghana. Looking to support them against Australia, the African people will be on their side.