Deafened by the vuvuzela and with sofa sores on my behind, I sit remote control in hand decidedly underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong; to me it is still the beautiful game. It has just started to sport a few wrinkles.

I had a good, if somewhat childlike build-up to the World Cup. The obligatory purchase of the Panini World Cup sticker album fuelled the anticipation. But I quickly worked out that purchasing stickers to fill the damn thing was akin to purchasing condoms when I was a lad of eighteen. There was always an excuse and acute embarrassment as I handed over the cash, quickly stuffing the packets of stickers in to the pockets of my jeans. I half filled the book and gave up trying just like I did as the aforementioned eighteen year old boy.

Every World Cup tournament needs the host country to do well, tradition states. South Africa kicked off the competition scrounging a one all draw with Mexico. Inevitably South Africa disappointed. An inspired win over a shambolic France was too little, too late as they crashed out on goal difference.

It is impossible as an Irishman not to take a certain amount of joy out of watching France implode. I have tried not to let the fact that Domenech and his bunch of chancers cheating Ireland out of a place at the finals colour my opinion of them. And I can’t, so I won’t. It was pure gold. Frenchmen striking in summertime? Preposterous. At a World Cup Finals at any rate. Nicolas Anelka indirectly spoke for the Irish nation when he spat ‘f*** you, you son of a wh*re’ at Monsieur Domenech. Raymond was gracious to the last, refusing to shake Carlos Alberto Perreira’s hand in defeat, muttering something about Perreira’s statement that the Irish play-off match should have been replayed as being out of order. Of course it was Raymond. In Raymond Domenechland maybe. And that is not a nice place to be in now or at anytime I’m sure.

Diego Maradona once again provided most of the entertainment. Aside from his Argentinean charges attacking and entertaining their way into the last eight and his outrageous touchline back-heel flick, his comments on current UEFA bigwig Michel Platini “he thinks he’s better than the rest” and Viagra ambassador Pele who according to El Diego “should go back to the museum” and the resultant apology to the pair “I apologize to Platini…but not to Pele” more than made up for the lack of new true footballing greatness on display at this year’s finals. 

England didn’t even flatter to deceive. Burdened by the weight of an ever expectant media and the players’ obscenely large pay packets, they crashed and burned against their old enemy, the Germans. And right on cue the papers exclaimed ‘Capello Must Go’. Knee jerk nonsense. The coaching situation is not the root of England’s problem. It is their unquenchable belief that whenever they qualify for a major tournament they believe they have the divine right to win it. The resultant brainwashing of the nation by the media exerts enormous pressure on their players who, despite their exalted beliefs that they are deity due to the fact that they surround themselves with people who never say no, are only human after all. Peter Crouch taking part in a ridiculous crisp advert is surely proof enough for the worshipping masses.

But they’ve got their excuse to hand as they always seem to. Simeone, Waddle, Southgate, Seaman et al have been joined by the plucky little Uruguayan linesman who should have seen that Lampard’s shot had crossed the line by a country mile, who denied the comeback of comebacks and who denied England the chance to go on and rightfully win the World Cup.

Portugal relied far too heavily on the prima donna that is Cristiano Ronaldo. He fell far short of what was expected of him, unless you count the omnipresent petulance and an all encompassing belief that he can take on the planet with his own ego as that expectation. They needed a half decent goalkeeper and found one. Eduardo was a revelation. If they could only find a half decent centre-forward they’d be laughing.

The World Champions Italy were past their prime and devoid of any imagination, creativity and surprisingly, anyone who could defend properly. Fabio Cannavaro should have taken note of Lothar Matthaus at Euro 2000 whose descent into clowning and huffing and puffing lay down the marker for once great players taking part in one tournament too many.

New Zealand were the romantic interest. Three draws and non qualification for the Second Round and they were being feted as the greatest surprise element the tournament has ever seen. The fact that Cameroon reached the Quarter-Finals in 1990 against all odds has being conveniently forgotten by the media desperate for a’ rags to riches’ story non-existent in World football today.

Ghana emulated the ‘plucky’ Cameroonians but fell short of surpassing their achievements at the final hurdle. Assamoah Gyan missed a 120^th minute spot kick to win the quarter-final tie, crashing it against the bar above an ever-flailing Uruguayan goalkeeper who’s ineptitude knew no bounds. Ghana went into the penalty shoot out with bowed heads and it was no surprise to anyone when Uruguay progressed into the semi-finals.

The Germans did nothing to disprove the widely held theory that they can never be written off or should you so wish to, be it at your own peril. They sashayed their way through the tournament scoring goals for fun. Led from midfield by the disgustingly talented Mesut Ozil they fell in the semis to Spain. It isn’t supposed to be this way. The Germans? The most entertaining side at the World Cup? Pull the other one. I’ll bet my Nan that they’ll be triumphant in Brazil in four years time.

Nike FC (Brazil) will push them all the way on home soil in four years time.  This time out, which was more surprising? The fact that they only reached the quarter-finals or that Robinho actually has discovered a work ethic?

And so to the World Cup Final. The showpiece. The climax of two years toil and countless countries engaging in battle to be called the best there is. Holland and Spain. Or The Netherlands and Spain if you prefer. I prefer to call the Dutch, the Thuggery XI. Not since 1990 when Argentina chanced their way into the final has there been such a display of connivery, petulance and outright violence in a final. Mark van Bommel should be jailed for what he got up to in South Africa. And what is more alarming is that he got away with it time and time again (Howard Webb take a bow). Aside from the wonderful Wesley Sneijder, this Dutch outfit were a gaggle of hyped up nightclub bouncers in a luminescent orange kit. If Johann Cruyff were dead he’d be turning in his grave.

Spain deserved to win it and it is actually astounding to think that they’ve never won it previously. Sure, it was a poor final that may have actually been enhanced by a penalty shoot-out but Xavi and Iniesta stuck out like a pair of sore thumbs amongst the dross. That Puyol and Ramos cannot actually defend when faced with a player with pace didn’t matter in the end. The Barcelona midfield pairing drove Spain on through the whole tournament and when you have a lethal marksman like David Villa up front to finish off what they’ve created you are always going to be there or thereabouts.

And so the curtain falls and the Spanish celebrate. But where does football go now? What have we learned from all this?

Regrettably, this World Cup has shown up Sepp Blatter, FIFA and modern day football as out of touch with the ordinary fan and out of touch with modern technology. Overpriced tickets, overhyped overpaid players, over-indulgement of the so-called super powers and over cautious tactics. I haven’t even mentioned the sick joke that is the Jabulani ball. The World Cup is a barometer of the worldwide state of the game. A quadrennial health check if you will. I’d get on the phone to the Doctor on Call if I were you, FIFA.

By Paul O’Connor

Whilst everybody basks in the warm afterglow of the World Cup, it’s perhaps important to put a bit of perspective on things and not paper over the cracks of some of the less positive aspects from the tournament. For example, the need for video technology has been particularly well documented, particularly in this country, following Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’ against Germany. However, equally pressing for the game’s governing bodies to address should be ‘player simulation’, or in other words, diving.

If anything, the situation is getting worse and it was frankly embarassing to see so many incidents of feigned injury during the tournament. It not only disrupts the flow of play but more importantly it is just plain cheating and at its worst can change the outcome of a game. Witness Kader Keita collapsing after being brushed by Kaka and getting the Brazilian sent off. Fortunately for Brazil the game was already won, but imagine if that had been inside the first ten minutes of the game.

Joan Capdevilla could also be criticised for a similar overreaction to a tangle with Ricardo Costa in Spain’s last 16 game with Portugal. Again, Portugal’s fate had already been sealed but it could have been all very different. Referees are becoming gradually more conscious of players’ attempts to dive their way to a penalty or free kick and there were some yellow cards brandished by way of punishment. However, it is clearly not enough as the video below highlights.

Over a year ago we published an article highlighting the damage that diving is doing to the game. Unfortunately, since then next to nothing has been done to eradicate it from the sport and it is threatening to blight the game for years to come unless some preventitive action is taken. What that is remains the big question though, and nobody has yet dared to propose the radical solution that is required.

What do you think? Can you suggest something which might help prevent diving and simulation? Or could it be argued that it adds to the drama of a game, despite its unfair nature? As ever, let us know your thoughts.

The World Cup is over for another four years and football fans are now left with just the scraps of transfer gossip and pre-season friendlies to feed off until competitive football once again resumes in a month’s time. As the players and fans head home from South Africa and as millions around the world try to work out what to do with their evenings in the absence of live football, here are The Football Blog’s highs and lows of the 2010 World Cup.

Best game
There weren’t too many memorable games to choose from, although Slovakia hammering the final nail in the Italian coffin with a 3-2 defeat of the holders got the pulses racing, as did the Keisuke Honda inspired 3-1 victory for Japan over Denmark and the German’s 4-0 demolition of Argentina. Maybe it’s because there was an element of care free abandon after their semi-final exits, but the highlight was in fact Germany’s 3-2 victory over Uruguay in the 3^rd place play-off game which excited all the way up to when Diego Forlan smashed his free kick against the crossbar with the final kick of the game.  

Worst game
A few to choose from: the goalless encounter between Uruguay and France in the second game of the tournament, the dour 1-0 victory for Slovenia over Algeria, England’s inept performance against the Algerians, and, surprisingly, Brazil vs Portugal were all instantly forgettable encounters. The questionable accolade probably has to go to the mind numbing 0-0 last 16 encounter between Japan and Paraguay however, if only because we were forced to endure 30 minutes more courtesy of extra time. A decent penalty shoot out almost rescued it, but most spectators had nodded off by that stage.

Most disappointing team
On the face of it, France and Italy, the finalists in 2006, deserve to share this award given the woeful performances which saw them head home after the group stage. However, their capitulation was perhaps more laughable than pathetic. England deserve a mention at this stage, as do Brazil whose second half implosion against the Netherlands was as spectacular as it was sorry. The prize has to go to Argentina however; Diego Maradona’s men got everybody excited with some scintilating displays before rather meekly throwing in the towel against the Germans.

Surprise package
Chile played with an innovative attacking formation before ultimately falling to Brazil, Slovenia were a whisker away from qualifying from Group C before Landon Donovan rescued the USA, whilst Paraguay were good value for their quarter-final place and may have gone through if it weren’t for a missed penalty. However, praise has to reserved for Ghana and the style of play which got them to the quarter-finals, as well as Uruguay who outperformed their more illustrious South American rivals and reestablished their nation’s footballing credentials on the world stage.

Player of the tournament
FIFA’s official award went to Diego Forlan and it’s difficult to ignore the part he played in the Uruguayan’s surge to the semi-finals. Wesley Sneijder recreated his Inter Milan form on the international stage, Asamoah Gyan led from the front for Ghana, whilst Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil produced mature performances beyond their years in the German midfield. However, David Villa’s goals were crucial in Spain’s triumph, especially with Fernando Torres so out of form, and he demonstrated why Barcelona have parted with €40 million for his services.

Best goal
The BBC have neatly packaged up their top 10 and there is no denying there are some belters in there, despite the tendancy to balloon the lightweight Jabulani to row Z with every shot. Siphiwe Tshabalala’s tournament opener was a classy effort and sent the host nation into raptures, Carlos Tevez’s strike against Mexico was sublime, whilst Carles Puyol’s bullet header in the semi-final knocked the wind out of Germany’s sails. The winner has to be Giovanni Van Bronckhurst however, whose thunderbolt from wide left against Uruguay set the Netherlands on the way to the final and was executed with amazing power and accuracy

TV coverage highlights
Both the BBC and ITV transpired to produce coverage of the tournament which was much hyped but ultimately lacked quality. There were a few redeeming features however; the Dutch imports of Clarence Seedorf (BBC) and Edgar Davids (ITV) offered a refreshingly un-cliched perspective and Roy Hodgson was both insightful and articulate during his short stint on the BBC. Gary Lineker continued to look assured in the anchor role on the, whilst Mick McCarthy’s no nonsense co-commentary was as amusing as it was accurate. 

TV coverage lowlights
Too many to choose from. On the BBC, Emmanuel Adebayor was virtually indecipherable much of the time, Alan Shearer seemed incapable of independent thought, whilst Guy Mowbray and Mark Lawrenson spent the tournament bickering in the commentary box. ITV hardly endeared themselves to viewers by missing England’s opening goal, Peter Drury continued to frustrate with persitent hyberbole, their coverage of the Ghana vs Uruguay game was somewhat biased, whilst some of Kevin Keegan’s comments made you wonder how he ever found success in management.

Team of the tournament
Casillas (Spain); Maicon (Brazil), Friedrich (Germany), Lugano (Uruguay), Coentrao (Portugal); Schweinsteiger (Germany), Xavi (Spain); Muller (Germany) Sneijder (Holland), Villa (Spain); Forlan (Uruguay).

So as the sound of the vuvuzelas dies down, what are you abiding memories of the tournament? Who, or what, stood out for you? What lessons will FIFA have learned ahead of the 2014 tournament in Brazil? As ever, let us know your thoughts.

Spain lived up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites by lifting the World Cup last night, but only after negotiating a game in which Howard Webb was forced to brandish fourteen yellow cards and one red. In the end, as with all their knock out games in this tournament, a single goal was all that was required to separate them from a Dutch side who were guilty of some brutal play as well as some missed opportunities. 

Arjen Robben may well have had a sleepless night last night having failed to score after twice being put through clean on goal. However, these were rare footballing highlights in a match heavily disrupted by a succession of mistimed and crude challenges, with Nigel De Jong particularly lucky to have remained on the field after having planted his studs into Xabi Alonso’s chest.

Howard Webb must have felt that the honour of refereeing the World Cup final was anything but, after having to reach for his pocket with such frequency. The boos he received from the Dutch fans at the end of the game were unjustified, and he could have made things much worse for them had he shown less leniency toward De Jong amongst others. As it was, only John Heitinga was given his marching orders with eleven minutes of extra time remaining.

Spain were not completely blameless either having picked up five yellow cards and, like the Netherlands, were guilty of missing some fairly inviting opportunities. Sergio Ramos failed to hit the target when presented with a free header on 77 minutes, David Villa couldn’t convert Jesus Navas’s cross seven minutes earlier, whilst Cesc Fabregas missed the opportunity to put the Spanish one up in the fifth minute of extra time when put through by Andres Iniesta.

Ultimately, and perhaps fittingly given the pivotal role he had played in Spain’s midfield alongside Xavi, it fell to Iniesta to deliver the match winning goal with just four minutes remaining and penalties beckoning. Despite Dutch protestations for a foul on Eljero Elia at the other hand, Fabregas made amends for his earlier miss by calmly rolling the ball wide right to Iniesta, whose assured finish highlighted what had been missing in a game which will hardly be remembered as a classic.

So in spite of their opening game blip against Switzerland, Spain have added the World Cup to the European Championship they won two years ago and now define an era like only an elite few sides in the history of football can claim to do. Whilst never quite entertaining in the manner that many had expected, they are deserving champions and are unlikely to be too concerned that their title was ultimately won by playing ugly against a combative Dutch side.

We’ll have some reflections on Spain’s victory and the tournament as a whole in the coming days, but for now tell us what you think about last night’s game and the crowning of Vicente del Bosque’s side as the world’s best team. What did you make of the final? Do you think they are deserving champions? Can they carry their dominance through to Euro 2012? As ever, let us know your thoughts.

It probably won’t have escaped your attention that there is a World Cup final on this weekend. Everybody has been clamouring to have their say, with perhaps the most sought after opinion bizarrely being that of Paul the octopus. He has gone for Spain, but as we enter the final furlong of the tournament and therefore our prediction competition, what have the players of SportGuru predicted will happen on Sunday?

It won’t come as much of a surprise to learn that they too have gone for a Spanish victory, but not by much. 59.6% of players are backing them to emerge victorious (either during normal time, extra time or on penalties), with support for the Netherlands (40.4%) holding up well against the pre-tournament favourites who have been heavily backed by the community in previous rounds.

The most widely predicted scoreline is 2-1 to Spain, with 28.8% believing that will be the score come the final whistle. However, the second most picked result is a 2-1 victory to the Dutch, as chosen by 22.9% of players. Spain have emerged victorious 1-0 in all their knock out games so far, and 13.1% believe that we can expect an identical outcome in the final game of the competition.

There is also some support for an altogether more thriling denouement, with 3.6% of the community plumping for a 3-2 victory for Vicente del Bosque’s men, whilst 2.1% have chosen the same scoreline in favour of Bert van Marwijk’s side. So what about penalities? 11.8% believe it will go down to spot kicks at Soccer City Stadium, with a 1-1 draw the most backed result which would lead to that eventuality.

There are high expectations that Sunday’s game will provide an a fitting climax to the tournament, and there is little doubt that the Netherlands and Spain deserve their place in the final. The odds and predictions suggest that it is Spain who will be taking the trophy home, but does this competition have one last twist left in it? Enjoy the game wherever you are planning on watching it and good luck with your predictions.

Before the World Cup began, West Ham co-owner David Sullivan commented, “World Cups change lives. It’s the global shop window and who knows what may happen. We could get amazing offers – offers you can’t refuse”. Sullivan was speaking at the time about Robert Green, so in that respect he probably shouldn’t be waiting too expectantly for the phone to ring. However, the point remains valid and there will be plenty of players who will benefit from a strong tournament by securing a move to a better club.

With the end of the competition now in sight, thoughts will inevitably be turning back to domestic season for players and fans. For club managers however, the plotting will have begun weeks ago and there can’t be many in the upper echelons of the European leagues who won’t have been watching the World Cup with a view to unearthing a gem for next season. It is not just the lesser know players who can enhance their credentials either, with plenty of more established stars given a platform to prove the hefty price tag hanging over them may be worth it.

Such an example is readily evident in the form of Wesley Sneijder. Sir Alex Ferguson may already have been readying a bid for the Dutchman after his treble-winning season with Inter Milan, but the influential role he has played for the Netherlands in helping them reach the World Cup final is unlikely to have harmed his chances of a move, although he has now indicated he has no intention of leaving Inter. The downside for the suitor of course, is the inevitable increase in bid required to lure their target, with a figure of €35 million now being quoted for Sneijder’s services.

Elsewhere, the name of Mesut Ozil is not one which would have been particularly familiar to those not following the Bundesliga prior to the World Cup. However, the German midfield playmaker has proved to be a revelation, and Werder Bremen general manager Klaus Allos appears to be readying himself for bids in recognising “there has definitely been increasing interest”. Whilst Werder are determined to keep Ozil to reach the Champions League group stages, a significant offer from one of the many clubs apparently interested in his services is likely to prove difficult to turn down.

One player already on the move is Danish defender Simon Kjaer who highlighted his potential in South Africa, despite Denmark’s early exit. He is joining Wolfsburg from Palermo after reported interest from Tottenham Hotspur. Harry Redknapp also confessed an interest in taking Diego Forlan, the star of the Uruguayan show, to White Hart Lane before Forlan declared his desire to stay at Atletico Madrid. Of the other Premier League clubs, Sunderland and West Ham are rumoured to have Rennes striker Asamoah Gyan on their shopping list, perhaps an unlikely target had Gyan not played such a key role in taking Ghana to the quarter-finals.

On the flip side of this, a bad tournament does not appear to have been detrimental to certain players’ chance of a move. Fernando Torres, who was dropped by Spain for last night’s semi-final, is still coveted by Chelsea, whilst Arsene Wenger appears keen to bring Mark Schwarzer to the Emirates to solve his goalkeeping problem, in spite of his less than perfect tournament in goal for Australia. We are also led to believe that Shaun Wright-Phillips’ fairly disastrous cameos for England have not dissuaded either Spurs or Liverpool from securing his signature.

Of course, much of the speculation currently doing the rounds will remain just that and there is no guarantee of a player’s willingness to move or a club’s willingness to sell. However, there is no doubting that the World Cup will prove to be a catalyst to transfer activity ahead of the new season and a number of the tournament’s star performers could find themselves playing for a different club by the time the European transfer window slams shut on 31^st August.

With the Netherlands having booked their place in the final last night, Germany and Spain come up against each other this evening for the chance to meet them. Spain, pre-tournament favourites alongside Brazil, will go into the game as very marginal favourites against a German side which has defied all expectation in the tournament thus far and who have had praise heaped on them in abundance. Do they have enough to see off the European Champions?

The mood amongst the German fans and media before the tournament began was hardly optimistic, with the injury to Michael Ballack perceived as a further blow to a side whose chances were already limited by alleged infighting, no obvious first choice goalkeeper, and an ageing and out of form strike force. Joachim Low’s side have since made a mockery of these doubts, having notched thirteen goals and made light work of England and Argentina in the knock out stages.

Germany are benefiting from a good crop of young players, many who have come through from the side which beat England in the final of the Under-21 European Championship final in 2009 and have experience of playing together. Few would have Mezut Osil, Thomas Muller or Sami Khedira down as ‘ones to watch’ in the tournament, but they have been simply outstanding. With a few more experienced heads to provide some guidance, their pace and ability to punish teams on the break has been a revelation. 

This has also been in no small part due to Bastian Schweinsteiger presence as a midfield lynchpin, as well as the clinical finishing of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. After a dire season for both players in the Bundesliga, they have shown that they still have what it takes to shine on football’s greatest stage and recreate their goalscoring feats of four years ago. Klose now has the added incentive of being within sight of Ronaldo World Cup finals goal scoring record.

However, optimism generated by their attacking abilities is likely to be tempered somewhat by the side’s defensive frailties. Manuel Neuer has made a number of errors which have highlighted his rookie status, Per Mertesacker is not enjoying the kind of tournament his defensive partner Arne Friedrich is, whilst Jerome Boateng is a centre half playing at left back following Holger Badstuber’s performance to forget against Serbia.

That was a game that Germany lost of course and they have looked susceptible after conceding (although they have admittedly only conceded two goals in the tournament thus far), as highlighted by Frank Lampard’s ‘goal’ less than a minute after Matthew Upson had scored for England in the round of 16 game. Their willingness to attack puts them at risk of allowing teams to much time and space to pass and press forwards, and if there is one side that is likely to punish that, it is Spain. 

It has been a strange tournament for the Spanish thus far. After their worrying false start against Switzerland, they have progressed to the semi-finals without having yet turned in the calibre of performance associated with this vintage of players. They were wasteful in front of goal in their 2-0 defeat of Honduras, were given a scare by Chile in the 2-1 victory which ensured group qualification, and grinded out less than spectacular 1-0 wins over Portugal and Paraguay in the knock out stages.

The lack of conviction in their displays has been attributed to a number of factors. For example, many point to Vicente del Bosque’s use of two holding midfielders (Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets) in his system as opposed to the one (Marcos Senna) in the side which swept Spain to glory in the 2008 European Championships. Furthermore, Iker Casillas has looked uncharacteristically error prone in goal, whilst Fernando Torres is experiencing a well publicised loss of form and crisis of confidence.

However, they remain favourites for reason and their side is filled with star quality. Xavi and Andres Iniesta have effortlessly made the midfield tick thus far and have been able to push forward with confidence, safe in the knowledge that the midfield base is being well protected by Alonso and Busquets. As such, they have been able to provide a steady service to David Villa, who has looked deadly all tournament and will only need half a chance to put Spain on the front foot.

Spain’s strength in depth is also a key advantage that they hold over Germany. Should Del Bosque decide to drop, he has the option of bringing in Cesc Fabregas (providing he is fit) to form a five man midfield, or to promote Fernando Llorente who caused Portugal a number of problems when he came on in the last 16 tie. Should the Spanish require more width to break down the Germans, Jesus Navas and David Silva will be waiting on the bench.

As the bookmakers’ odds suggest, this is an incredibly close game to call. The dynamic and attack minded nature of the two sides suggests that there will be plenty for the neutral to enjoy, something which hopefully won’t be nullified by the high stakes involved. In the last meeting of these two sides, Spain emerged victorious to claim the Euro 2008 title. However, Germany are playing the Spaniards at their own game now, so don’t be surprised if there is a reversal of fortunes this time around.

Before the tournament began, few would have predicted that Uruguay and the Netherlands would be meeting for a place in the final: the Dutch were considered solid but lacking the quality, especially defensively, to come through the predicted quarter-final with Brazil, whilst Uruguay were one of the less fancied South American teams. Now, not only are the only remaining unbeaten sides in the tournament, they are also just one match away from a place in Sunday’s final.

The Netherlands will go into this evening’s game as slight favourites, although will be taking nothing for granted against an Uruguay side likely to be galvanised by the criticism they have come in for following their controversial victory over Ghana in their quarter-final match. Luis Suarez has become the pantomine villain for his deliberate handball in the final minute of extra time and his subsequent misjudged touchline celebrations, and Bert van Marwijk’s side may well feel the backlash tonight.

Putting aside the rights and wrongs of Suarez’s actions, the more pressing point is the fact that Uruguay will miss his presence up front alongside Diego Forlan. The pair have three goals each to their name and Oscar Tabarez will be hoping that Suarez’s suspension does not disrupt his side’s attacking flow. Suarez is likely to be replaced by Sebastian Abreu, although Tabarez could opt to bring in an extra man in midfield.

It is not only going forward that Uruguay have impressed however, with a miserly concession of just two goals in five games highlighting their defensive strengths as well. However, they could be stretched if injuries to Diego Godin and Diego Lugano mean they have to miss out, along with fullback Jorge Fucile who is suspended. With that said, Tabarez has proved his ability to adapt having started the tournament playing three at the back before moving to a more regular back four, so he has the tactical nous to overcome these potential absences.

Tabarez is not the only one being forced to shuffle his pack however, with van Marwijk having to make at least two changes following suspensions to Gregory Van der Wiel and Nigel De Jong. Khalid Boulahrouz replaced Van der Wiel in the Netherlands’ final group game against Cameroon and is likely to deputise again, whilst van Marwijk has the choice of replacing De Jong with Stijn Schaars, a like for like replacement, or a more attacking option in the form of Rafael Van der Vaart.

Questions were raised about the Dutch defence coming into the World Cup, although they have been only marginally more generous than the Uruguayans thus far, with just three goals in the ‘against’ column all tournament. However, the back line did stutter somewhat against Brazil and their are weaknesses that can be exploited, in particular the lack of pace of their two full backs, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Boulharouz.

If the Oranje do give away anything at the back, they are likely to feel fairly confident of making up for it going forwards with an attacking line which has proved to be clinical in the tournament thus far. In Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, the Netherlands have two players who have carried their superb club form into the World Cup and both have the potential to produce a game winning moment, and are ably supported going forward by the industry of Dirk Kuyt.

Sneijder has been the Dutch’s main goalscoring threat with four goals, although van Marwijk will also be hoping that Robin Van Persie can find his goalscoring touch having failed to hit form following his long absence through injury. His frustration has been clear (witness the tantrum after being substituted in the last 16 game against Slovakia), but now needs to repay the faith shown in term with some goals. Should he fail to do so, Klaas Jan-Huntelaar is a striker most coaches would be happy to have on their bench.

For the neutral, this is probably the least attractive of the two semi-finals, but it should have plenty to offer from two teams who have managed to strike the right balance between stoical defending and attacking flair. Most will expect the Dutch to proceed to the final, although should the burden of expectation prove too much then Uruguay will be ready to take full advantage.

Those hoping for excitement and upset in the World Cup quarter-finals are unlikely to have been left disappointed by the events of Friday and Saturday: ten goals, three missed penalties, two red cards, one penalty shoot out and one managerial casualty, with another likely to follow shortly. So whilst Dunga is looking for another job and Diego Maradona contemplates his future, it’s Uruguay vs Netherlands and Germany vs Spain in the semi-finals.

After the exit of favourites Brazil, and with the much hyped Argentina also on the plane home, this World Cup looks to be wide open. Whilst Spain go into the semi-finals as favourites to win the tournament, they have been some way off the kind of form that will be required to beat a German side who look to be the form team. Overall odds of winning the tournament currently look like this: Spain 15/8, Germany 21/10, Netherlands 21/10 and Uruguay 11/1.

Unfortunately the talking points did not solely revolve around the football, with fair play and refereeing once again falling under the spotlight. Luis Suarez’s handball in the last minute of extra time against Ghana has caused fierce debate, whilst some fairly inconsistent refereeing on enroachment in the penalty area following a penalty for each side meant that Spain were forced to retake a spot kick Xabi Alonson had scored, whilst Paraguay weren’t given the opportunity for a retake moments earlier when Oscar Cardozo had missed.

We will have a full preview for the each of the semi-finals over the next couple of days, but for now let us know your thoughts on the main talking points of the quarter-finals. Was Suarez’s handball villainous enough to warrant a two game ban? Should Maradona leave his post as Argentina manager? Who do you think will emerge victorious from the semi-finals and who are now your favourites to lift the trophy on 11^th July?

After being starved of World Cup football for a couple of days, the tournament is back today with the first two quarter-final ties. The Netherlands take on Brazil this afternoon, while Uruguay and Ghana meet in Johannesburg later on this evening. So what are your predictions? Who are you expecting to reach the semi-finals? The SportGuru community has had its say on today’s games, as well as tomorrow’s remaining ties between Argentina and Germany (3pm) and Paraguay vs Spain (7.30pm).

Players of the SportGuru World Cup tournament have made Brazil strong favourites in the opening quarter-final, with 79.4% of players backing Dunga’s men to progress at the expense of the Dutch. A scoreline of 2-1 is the most backed scoreline, with 40.7% predicting that this is how the match will end (after ninety minutes or extra time). 10% think that Bert van Mareijk’s side will triumph by the same margin, whilst 11.5% are predicting the game will go to penalties. It will not come as much of a surprise that not one player has predicted a 0-0 draw.

In the tie of the underdogs, opinion is surprisingly even more greatly divided, with 79.9% backing Uruguay to see off Ghana to make the semi-finals. A 2-1 victory to the Group A winners is the most chosen scoreline (25.2%), closely followed by the equally tight winning margin of 1-0 (19.2%). Support for the Black Stars looks to be fairly unsubstantial, with the biggest support for them coming in the shape of a 2-1 win, as chosen by a meagre 7.6% of players. A hefty 17.3% believe that the tie will only be settled on penalties however, suggesting there is potential for a close game.

Argentina vs Germany looks to be the tie of the round and there is a significantly larger spread of picks between two fairly evenly matched sides. With that said, 69.8% are backing Diego Maradona’s men to make it through against an up and coming German side. 2-1 again is the most chosen scoreline, with 27.7% of players believieng Argentina will emerge victorious by this margin. The belief that this could be a classic is reflected by the 16.2% of the community who have gone for a 3-2 victory for one of the sides, whilst 21.2% see it going to penalties as it did in 2006.

In the final game of the round on Saturday evening, few will be surprised to learn that Spain are overwhelming favourites with an incredible 96.1% picking them to progress at the expense of Paraguay. In contrast to the other fixtures, 2-0 is the most picked scoreline in this tie, with a massive 44% expecting the European Champions to triumph by this margin. The only other scorelines with significant support are a 2-1 (15.1%) or 1-0 (14.6%) victory to the Spanish. Only 4.1% of players envisage this one being settled by spot kicks.

So if the SportGuru community is correct, we are heading for a semi-final line up of Uruguay vs Brazil and Argentina vs Spain. However, after a round of 16 that went almost entirely form, can we expect some surprises and a deviation away from these predicted semi-final ties? The quality of the remaining sides means there is certainly the potential for an upset, as well as (hopefully) some exciting matches.

What are your predictions? Do you agree with the SportGuru community? As ever, let us know your thoughts and enjoy the quater-final games.