Soccer

Best Goals 2010

2010-06-16T08:24:00.001-07:00

Photos

2010-06-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Points

2010-06-16T08:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday's matches
Honduras 0-1 Chile Full-timeSpain 0-0 Switzerland LiveSouth Africa v Uruguay Kick-off 19:30 BSTAdvertisementGroup tables

A teams W D L GD PTS
South Africa 0 1 0 0 1
Mexico 0 1 0 0 1
Uruguay 0 1 0 0 1
France 0 1 0 0 1

Group BGroup B teams W D L GD PTS
South Korea 1 0 0 2 3
Argentina 1 0 0 1 3
Nigeria 0 0 1 -1 0
Greece 0 0 1 -2 0

Group CGroup C teams W D L GD PTS
Slovenia 1 0 0 1 3
USA 0 1 0 0 1
England 0 1 0 0 1
Algeria 0 0 1 -1 0

Group DGroup D teams W D L GD PTS
Germany 1 0 0 4 3
Ghana 1 0 0 1 3
Serbia 0 0 1 -1 0
Australia 0 0 1 -4 0

Group EGroup E teams W D L GD PTS
Netherlands 1 0 0 2 3
Japan 1 0 0 1 3
Cameroon 0 0 1 -1 0
Denmark 0 0 1 -2 0

Group FGroup F teams W D L GD PTS
Paraguay 0 1 0 0 1
Italy 0 1 0 0 1
New Zealand 0 1 0 0 1
Slovakia 0 1 0 0 1

Group GGroup G teams W D L GD PTS
Brazil 1 0 0 1 3
Portugal 0 1 0 0 1
Ivory Coast 0 1 0 0 1
North Korea 0 0 1 -1 0

Group HGroup H teams W D L GD PTS
Chile 1 0 0 1 3
Spain 0 0 0 0 0
Switzerland 0 0 0 0 0
Honduras 0 0 1 -1 0

South Africa 2010 Match Schedule

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1 11/06 16:00 Johannesburg - JSC South Africa 1:1 (0:0) Mexico
2 11/06 20:30 Cape Town Uruguay 0:0 France
17 16/06 20:30 Tshwane/Pretoria South Africa Preview Uruguay
18 17/06 20:30 Polokwane France Background Mexico
33 22/06 16:00 Rustenburg Mexico Background Uruguay
34 22/06 16:00 Mangaung/Bloemfontein France Background South Africa

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Group B Match Date - Time Venue Results
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3 12/06 16:00 Johannesburg - JEP Argentina 1:0 (1:0) Nigeria
4 12/06 13:30 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Korea Republic 2:0 (1:0) Greece
19 17/06 16:00 Mangaung/Bloemfontein Greece Preview Nigeria
20 17/06 13:30 Johannesburg - JSC Argentina Preview Korea Republic
35 22/06 20:30 Durban Nigeria Background Korea Republic
36 22/06 20:30 Polokwane Greece Background Argentina

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Group C Match Date - Time Venue Results
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5 12/06 20:30 Rustenburg England 1:1 (1:1) USA
6 13/06 13:30 Polokwane Algeria 0:1 (0:0) Slovenia
22 18/06 16:00 Johannesburg - JEP Slovenia Background USA
23 18/06 20:30 Cape Town England Background Algeria
37 23/06 16:00 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Slovenia Background England
38 23/06 16:00 Tshwane/Pretoria USA Background Algeria

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Group D Match Date - Time Venue Results
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7 13/06 20:30 Durban Germany 4:0 (2:0) Australia
8 13/06 16:00 Tshwane/Pretoria Serbia 0:1 (0:0) Ghana
21 18/06 13:30 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Germany Background Serbia
24 19/06 16:00 Rustenburg Ghana Background Australia
39 23/06 20:30 Johannesburg - JSC Ghana Background Germany
40 23/06 20:30 Nelspruit Australia Background Serbia

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Group E Match Date - Time Venue Results
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9 14/06 13:30 Johannesburg - JSC Netherlands 2:0 (0:0) Denmark
10 14/06 16:00 Mangaung/Bloemfontein Japan 1:0 (1:0) Cameroon
25 19/06 13:30 Durban Netherlands Background Japan
26 19/06 20:30 Tshwane/Pretoria Cameroon Background Denmark
43 24/06 20:30 Rustenburg Denmark Background Japan
44 24/06 20:30 Cape Town Cameroon Background Netherlands

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Group F Match Date - Time Venue Results
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11 14/06 20:30 Cape Town Italy 1:1 (0:1) Paraguay
12 15/06 13:30 Rustenburg New Zealand 1:1 (0:0) Slovakia
27 20/06 13:30 Mangaung/Bloemfontein Slovakia Background Paraguay
28 20/06 16:00 Nelspruit Italy Background New Zealand
41 24/06 16:00 Johannesburg - JEP Slovakia Background Italy
42 24/06 16:00 Polokwane Paraguay Background New Zealand

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Group G Match Date - Time Venue Results
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13 15/06 16:00 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Côte d'Ivoire 0:0 Portugal
14 15/06 20:30 Johannesburg - JEP Brazil 2:1 (0:0) Korea DPR
29 20/06 20:30 Johannesburg - JSC Brazil Background Côte d'Ivoire
30 21/06 13:30 Cape Town Portugal Background Korea DPR
45 25/06 16:00 Durban Portugal Background Brazil
46 25/06 16:00 Nelspruit Korea DPR Background Côte d'Ivoire

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Group H Match Date - Time Venue Results
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15 16/06 13:30 Nelspruit Honduras 0:1 (0:1) Chile
16 16/06 16:00 Durban Spain Live Switzerland
31 21/06 16:00 Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth Chile Background Switzerland
32 21/06 20:30 Johannesburg - JEP Spain Background Honduras
47 25/06 20:30 Tshwane/Pretoria Chile Background Spain
48 25/06 20:30 Mangaung/Bloemfontein Switzerland Background Honduras

South Africa 2010 Stadiums

2010-06-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

South Africa 2010 Stadiums
Map of Stadiums in South Africa to be used for the World Cup - The Final 10: The final 10 stadiums to be utilised for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa: Five of South Africa's football stadiums will undergo major renovations for 2010: Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg, Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg in North West Province and the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein in the Free State.

New stadiums have been built at Mbombela in Mpumalanga and in the Nelson Mandela Metro (encompassing Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape. Peter Mokaba stadium in Polokwane in Limpopo has been rebuilt, as will the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and Cape Town's Green Point stadium, Green Point complete with a retractable dome to protect fans and players from the Cape's unpredictable winter weather.

Please click to view the individual maps and additional information for each stadium.

2010 Soccer World Cup: South Africa

2010-06-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

World Cup Fan Fests come alive

14 June 2010

It was not just the 84 490 fans seated in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium that celebrated the start of Africa's historic World Cup on Friday. Aside from the estimated 500-million global television viewers, more than 400 000 fans celebrated at the 16 official Fan Fests and other public viewing areas both in South Africa and abroad.

The opening match between South Africa and Mexico was followed by 300 000 enthusiasts at the Fan Fests in the host nation, while over 100 000 people attended the six international Fan Fests in Rome, Paris, Berlin, Sydney, Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro.

The largest spectator groups were at the Fan Fests in Johannesburg and Soweto, with over 75 000 apiece. In Mexico City, meanwhile, 50 000 gathered at Zocalo to support El Tri against Bafana Bafana.

'We are the lucky generation'

At Elkah Stadium, the official Fifa Fan Fest in Soweto, 40 000 fans gathered to celebrate the first game of the 2010 Fifa World Cup. As the whistle blew to begin play on the pitch, a cacophany of sound emanated from the fans – the 2010 Fifa World Cup had officially started.

In Thokoza Park, a public viewing area near Elkah Stadium, thousands of residents stood dancing, blowing their vuvuzelas and waving South African flags. "I am so happy this day has arrived," said Matthew Jabula. "We are the lucky generation! It feels so great to be out with everyone celebrating South Africa's World Cup."

'I've never seen anything like it'

John Kretlow is from the USA, but for the opening game he was supporting Mexico in Thokoza Park. "We were the only Mexico fans in the crowd, I think," said Kretlow. "But everyone was super nice and wanted to know where we were from and get to know us."

Kretlow travelled to the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany, but has never experienced anything like the South African football spirit. "I've never seen anything like it. The people here really know how to live it, it's totally different, I've never seen so much excitement in my life."

Cape Town goes crazy

The tournament may have kicked off in Johannesburg, but Cape Town certainly showed that the Mother City can throw a party – in both the Fan Fests and at Green Point Stadium, which hosted France vs Uruguay.

Cape Town crowds exploded at the Grand Parade, which is host to the Fifa Fan Fest, as 18 000 people watched Bafana Bafana and Mexico open the first match. And after the final whistle the crowds made their way toward Green Point stadium for Cape Town's opening match.

A French supporter, who introduced himself as Jacques, said: "I've been here for three days and I'm very impressed with what I've seen. The stadium looks beautiful, and I hope my team wins tonight!"

Fifa Fan Fests

The Fifa Fan Fests were an enormous success story at Germany 2006, when millions of people of all genders, religions, races and ages watched the matches peacefully together.

The Fan Fests are continuing in 2010 as the recommended alternative for fans who do not have a ticket to the stadium. They also offer supporters around the globe the opportunity to watch all 64 South Africa 2010 matches and feel truly part of the tournament.

2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa Organising Committee

Soccer

2008-07-01T16:16:00.000-07:00

One of the earliest forms of soccer in which players kicked a ball around on a small field has been traced as far back to 1004 B.C. in Japan. The Munich Ethnological Museum in Germany has a Chinese text from approximately 50 B.C. that mentions games very similar to soccer that were played between teams from Japan and China. The Chinese kicked a leather ball ( hair-filled ) and it is known with certainty that a soccer game was played in 611 A.D. in the then Japanese capital, Kyoto.

The Romans played a game that somewhat resembled modern soccer. The early Olympic games in Rome featured twenty-seven men on a side who completed so vigorously that two-thirds of them had to be hospitalized after a fifty-minute game.

While historians kept records of events such as wars and religious movements they had very little interest in preserving the various origins of soccer or many other sports, so no one can say how soccer seems to have spread from Asia to Europe.
The most popular game on earth.
The King of Sports? Not according to King Edward.

In King Edward's reign of England (1307-1327), laws were passed that threatened imprisonment to anyone caught playing soccer. King Edward's proclamation said:" For as much as there is a great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils may arise, which God forbid, we command and forbid on behalf of the King, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city future."

Evidently judged to be vulgar and indecent, soccer was at times suppressed by the English sheriffs who followed royal orders describing the game as a useless practice. King Henry IV and Henry VIII passed laws against the sport, and Queen Elizabeth I "had soccer players jailed for a week, with follow-up church penance"

Laws, however, failed to stop the sport, which had earned official sanction in England by 1681. The game became so popular by 1800s that, in certain annual contests in northern and middle England, large groups roamed and raged through towns and villages. In 1829, an account of such match in Derbyshire spoke of "broken skins, broken heads, torn coats and lost hats."

A record of the development of soccer in England shows that Eton college had the earliest known rules of the game in 1815, perhaps implying that until then, chaos was preferred over order. But order gradually came to the game, and standardized rules known as the Cambridge rules were adopted by England's major colleges.

At 1st, it was England where soccer was originally banned, that eventually exported modern soccer to every continent in the world. today, undisputedly soccer is the most watched and played sport in the world enjoyed by 8 million people. This past World cup, that took place in the united States was watched by an estimated 33 million people around the world for almost 27 days. This makes soccer, the most watched single sports event in the world not surpassed even by the Olympics. This sport is bigger than baseball, football and basketball combined.

Author : Mike Lancaster