Sporting Madness

Germany - Uruguay Score: 3-2, GER My prediction: 3-2, GER This one turned out to be just as spectacular as many imagined [ The Globe and Mail . Both offences put on a show and produced one of the most entertaining matches of this World Cup [ Glen Levy , TIME ]. Thomas Mueller made a spectacular return from suspension, putting Die Mannschaft ahead 1-0 in the 19th minute. Uruguay again refused to give in after falling behind, though, and Edinson Cavani equalized in the 28th minute. The South Americans then took the lead six minutes after the half when Diego Forlan continued his brilliant World Cup, receiving a cross from Egídio Arevalo Rios and smashing a thunderous volley from 20 yards out into the corner of the net for one of the most unbelievable goals of the tournament. It would have been all too easy for the Germans to get discouraged and fold after that spectacle. They're still a young team, and they had already acheived more at this World Cup than many had pre...

I'm going to be doing previews of every World Cup game from here on in. Next up, the third-place match. Here's Uruguay - Germany, which will be televised at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 a.m. Eastern) on CBC tomorrow. Uruguay: Record:(W-L-D, regulation time) 3-1-2 GF: 9 GA: 5 Top scorer: Diego Forlan , four goals Germany Record: 4-2-0 GF: 13 GA: 3 Top scorers: Thomas Mueller and Miroslav Klose , four goals each Try your luck at sports betting ! Normally, the third-place game in a major soccer tournament is more of a distraction than anything else. Many teams knocked out in the semifinals no longer care and turn in a mediocre effort in the consolation game. I don't think that's going to be the case tomorrow, though. First off, Germany and Uruguay both weren't expected to get this far by many, so it's not like they're horribly crushed by coming up short in the semis. They also both favour attacking football, more so than either the...

I'm bringing back the Earning the (re)cap series for the remainder of the World Cup. Here are quick breakdowns of the semifinal games. I'll do another breakdown of the third-place match Saturday evening and then recap the final on Monday. Each match will also be previewed the day before. The Netherlands - Uruguay: Score: 3-2, NED My prediction: 2-1, NED This match appeared like a possible blowout to some thanks to the talented Dutch and the absence of four Uruguayan starters, but it turned out to be an excellent clash. Uruguay was outgunned, but they played with plenty of heart and were right in the match throughout. The Netherlands took the lead early through a spectacular 18th-minute effort from Giovanni Van Bronkhorst [ Stephen Brunt , The Globe and Mail ], but the Uruguayans fought back and Diego Forlan continued his sensational play at this World Cup, scoring a brilliant equalizer just before halftime. If not for a disastrous five-minute stretch [ George Johnson...

I'm going to be doing previews of every World Cup game from here on in. Next up, the semifinals. We'll start with the Netherlands - Uruguay, which will be televised at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 a.m. Eastern) on CBC today. The Netherlands: Record: 5-0-0 GF: 9 GA: 3 Top scorer: Wesley Sneijder , four goals Uruguay: Record:(W-L-D, regulation time) 3-0-2 GF: 7 GA: 2 Top scorer: Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan , three goals each Try your luck at sports betting ! This should be a fantastic match. The Netherlands haven't made it to the semifinals since 1998, while Uruguay haven't reached this stage since 1970. They arrived here by very different paths as well. The Dutch played solid but unspectacular football in the group stage, winning all three of their matches against the unimposing likes of Cameroon, Japan and Denmark. It was a new approach from a side that had long favoured style over substance, producing spectacular highlight reels but less ...

I'm bringing back the Earning the (re)cap series for the remainder of the World Cup. Here are quick breakdowns of the quarterfinal games. I'll do another breakdown of the semifinal matches Wednesday evening and then recap the final on Monday. Each match will also be previewed the day before. The Netherlands - Brazil Score: 2-1, NED My prediction: 2-1, BRA I figured this would be a close one, but I wasn't expecting the Dutch to be able to come away with a win. It's interesting how this match turned out, though; it featured two sides that have historically been known more for their attacking efforts than their solid defence, but both Brazil under Dunga and the Netherlands under Bert van Marwijk have focused on improving their sides' defensive performances. As Richard Williams of The Guardian pointed out , it was largely that defensive intensity that allowed the Netherlands to come away with the win against Brazil. The South Americans dominated the early g...

I'm going to be doing previews of every World Cup game from here on in. First up, the quarterfinals. Here's a preview on Uruguay - Ghana, which will be televised at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern) tomorrow on CBC. Uruguay: Record:(W-L-D) 3-0-1 GF: 6 GA: 1 Top scorer: Luis Suarez , three goals Ghana: Record: 2-1-1 GF: 4 GA: 3 Top scorer: Asamoah Gyan , three goals Try your luck at sports betting ! This should be an interesting clash. Joe Posnanski has a great piece on soccer in Uruguay, what it means to the nation, and its rise and fall over the years. It's well worth a read, and it illustrates just how special this Uruguay team's run so far has been. Luis Suarez and Diego Forlan have been in superb form, and Uruguay's looked like one of the most dangerous teams out there. On paper, Ghana shouldn't pose too much of a threat. They're without their best player, Michael Essien , thanks to injury, and few saw them mak...