The 2010 World Cup has kicked off with 32 teams battling to be world champions. The four week tournament with 64 soccer games produces only one winner but within each match there are many sub-plots and Soccer 365 looks at some of these moments in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly column.

The Golden Boot is always one of the biggest stories surrounding the World Cup and you can keep track of who is chasing that honor with the Soccer 365 Golden Boot table.

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Netherlands v Spain
Soccer City – July 11
Johannesburg

The Good

Andres Iniesta answered the call of all Spaniards and every soccer fan with his calm finish in the 116th minute. The Barcelona midfielder timed his run into the penalty area to stay onside and receive a chip from Cesc Fabregas and after one touch beat Maarten Stekelenburg. The goal insured that there would not be a replay of 2006 and 1994 when the final went to penalty kicks to determine a winner and really who wants the world champion decided on penalty kicks?

The Good Part II

Spain came out and as they have the entire tournament looked to play attacking football despite running into more defensive tactics from the opponent that have slowed their creativity and caused troubles in finding a way to reliable score goals. The Dutch were a large part of the problem with 28 fouls that resulted in 6 cautions and a red card off a second yellow. Fortunately, in the end the beautiful game won out.

The Bad

Spain’s David Villa and the Netherlands Wesley Sneijder each entered the game with a tournament leading 5 goals in the race for the Golden Boot. Either player could have put their stamp on the game on the way to a possible world championship and the individual honor of top scorer but neither stepped up to get it done. A goal from either player would have avoided a four way tie at the top of the table with the other two leading scorers Uruguay’s Diego Forlan and the Golden Boot Winner Thomas Mueller from sharing in the glory. Both players scored in the Third Place match to add their name to the hat.

The Bad Part II

Nigel De Jong was a thorn in the side of the Spanish attack all day and Xabi Alonso can attest to that fact. The Real Madrid midfielder took a studs up cleat to the center of the chest from De Jong in the 28th minute that left him on the ground required attention from the team medical staff. De Jong, a known hit man, was shown a yellow card by Howard Webb but should have been shown a straight red card. Yes, it would have changed the game (and referees don’t want to be the deciding factor) but some fouls can not be overlooked.

The Ugly

Arjen Robben had two great breaks on goal with the chance to become a Dutch legend but came up short on both attempts. The first was well saved (luckily?) from the foot of Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas while the second one was corralled by Casillas before the Bayern Munich hitman got off a shot. After the play, Robben tracked down referee Howard Webb complaining that no foul was called. Robben, known for his diving tactics, was pulled back by a chasing Carlos Puyol, who was carrying a caution from earlier in the match, and could have been called for a foul but Robben decided to push on although he could not provide the desired result.

The Ugly Part II

The Netherlands are surely the best team to have never won a World Cup and will have to wait longer but it is the way they lost this match that will make their dedicated fans shake their heads. After going down a man in the 109th minute the standard reply would be to play defensively for the 11 additional minutes and hope to prevail in penalty kicks but the Dutch allowed the game to get too wide open which ultimately led to the Spain winner. The Achilles Heel of the Dutch has always been that it is not good enough just to win but to win in style and that push once again cost the Oranje.

Uruguay v Germany
Port Elizabeth Stadium – July 10
Port Elizabeth

The Good

The third place game, sometimes called the ‘losers final,’ is hard to predict as the motivation is not always there for both teams but fortunately both Uruguay and Germany came out looking to take a final win home from South Africa. The game saw both teams hold the advantage for part of the match and ended in dramatic flair.

The Bad

Thomas Mueller opened the scoring for Die Mannschaft with his 19th minute finish. The finish leveled the Bayern Munich midfielder with three other players in the race for the Golden Boot and after neither the leaders scored in the final Mueller won the honor based on the first tie breaker, number of assists. The question (part II) is whether a player should be able to take home on of the major individual honors with goals scored in the meaningless match. But for Mueller it does not matter as it doubled up the awards for the Young Player of the Tournament.

The Ugly

Diego Forlan was the leader for an over achieving Uruguay side. The Atletico Madrid forward gave La Celeste a short lived lead with his beautiful volley in the 51st minute to level him at the top of the Golden Boot Table. Forlan then had the chance to equalize on the final play of the game with a set piece from 20 yards and his well struck ball beat Hans Joerg Butt only to clang off the cross bar. The goal would have given him the Golden Boot with 6 goals but the question (part I) is whether goals in the meaningless match should count toward individual honors.

Spain v Germany
Durban Stadium – July 7
Durban

The Good

With all eyes on goals from David Villa and play from the talented midfield it was Carlos Puyol who knocked in his first goal of this World Cup to help Spain to their first World Cup final. The shaggy haired Barcelona defender missed an early header from 6 yards out but made amends going up strong to blast Xavi’s corner past a helpless Manuel Neurer.

The Bad

Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai allowed play to flow but really should have given Germany two great chances, one each half, just outside the box. In both instances a foul – which would have been called elsewhere on the field – was overlooked.

The first came late in the first half when Mesut Ozil was pushing into the box when Sergie Ramos caught his back foot just outside the box. While Ozil’s first touch was bad it was definitely a foul and should have been called.

The second came when Sebastian Schweinsteiger got to the ball before a lunging Carlos Puyol and the contact pushed the German off the ball with his eye on a potential shot.

They were both outside the box and should have given Die Mannschaft a chance at a set piece.

This is bad because when there are so many questions about getting it right and even to the point of using replay the fact that a referee does not make the tough call is not good enough.

The Ugly

For the first time in the World Cup, a fan got on the pitch and forced a short stoppage in play as the security staff tracked him down. The only thing the fan was missing (or in this case not missing) was his clothes as crazy fans on the field are suppose to be streaking. The runner was also all too willing to turn himself in.

Uruguay v Netherlands
Green Point Stadium – July 6
Cape Town

The Good

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst opened the scoring in the first World Cup semifinal with a cracker to the upper right corner that might go down as the goal of the tournament. The team captain who is retiring after the tournament was not closed down from the Uruguay defense and after lining it up from 40+ yards the defender sent a laser that Justo Villar could only try and stop and ultimately glanced off the goalpost and in the goal.

The Bad

Martin Caceres was completely focused on leveling matters when he tried to connect on a bicycle kick from the top of the box but rather than making contact with the ball he found the mouth and nose of Dutch defender Demy DeZeeuw. De Zeeuw was down for several minutes as the medics took care of some bleeding from his mouth and was eventually replaced at the break.

The Ugly

South America looked like they were the strongest federation with only 1 loss in the group stage and then putting 4 teams into the quarterfinals but it all turned with 3 teams being dumped out after the quarterfinals and the final team Uruguay coming up short in the semifinal which means there will be an all European final in the first World Cup hosted on the African continent.

Argentina v Germany
Green Point Stadium – June 3
Cape Town

The Good

Miroslav Klose continues to work his magic for Germany. The Bayern Munich forward knocked in a brace to take his goal tally in World Cup finals to 14 just one shy of the record of 15 held by Brazil’s Ronaldo. The 32-year-old probably would have surpassed that mark if not for his weak sending off and 1 game suspension after picking two yellows in the group stage.

The Bad

The Argentina defense came to South Africa with many questions on how solid they could play. In their first four matches, La Albiceleste did well to hide any weakness behind a strong attack but against Germany there were too many questions of the defense and no answers.

The Ugly

The lasting memory from the post match will be Diego Maradona hugging Lionel Messi. The Barcelona midfielder was the engine for Argentina despite not scoring a goal but was completely shut down by Die Mannschaft. It will be a long four years for Messi to re-think how he carries this team and finds the net if he is ever to be considered one of the Argentinean greats.

Spain v Paraguay
Ellis Park – June 3
Johannesburg

The Good

David Villa added to his goal scoring tally to (temporarily) position himself at the top of the World Cup Golden Boot Table but it was not without some help. The goal started when Villa gathered in rebound off the post from a Pedro shot. The new Barcelona signing wanted in on the fun and knocked his shot off the far post only to see it tightrope down the goal line before hitting the other post and going into the goal. The play just shows that sometimes things just go your way when you are playing well.

The Bad

Paraguay was the underdog looking to advance to the World Cup semifinal for the first time and took a step closer when H Valdez scored from close range in the 42nd minute. The linesman had different thoughts, however, raising his flag for offside and pulling the ball out of the net but replays show that the forward was onside and should have had a goal.

The Ugly

Fortunately for the game it did not go to penalties as the finishing from the spot was off by both teams and the referee decisions from spot kicks not top flight either. Paraguay had the first chance when Pique pulled down Oscar Cardozo. Cardozo put in a weak effort and Iker Casillas made the save diving to his left.

Moments later Villa earned a penalty kick for Spain when he was run over by Alcaraz while pushing in on goal. Alonso stepped up to bury his kick only for Uruguayan referee Carlos Batres to call for a re-kick pointing to encroachment from Spain. What encroachment, when was the last time that was called on a converted PK?

Xabi Alonso saw his second PK saved but the referee got it wrong again when Cesc Fabregas beat goalkeeper Justo Villar to the ball and took down the Arsenal player but no call.

Uruguay v Ghana
Soccer City – July 2
Johannesburg

The Good

Ghana were the last hope of the African continent and while they did not advance to the semifinal played with passion and beauty throughout the tournament and had their chances (and probably should have) to advance to the next round. It was good for the tournament and the continent that the Black Stars could rise to the occasion when the other African nations could not. And with such a young side they will be eager to build on this run in 2014 in Brazil.

The Bad

The goalkeepers were complaining about the Jabulani ball before the World Cup even started and their worst nightmares were lived with both goals coming off knuckling balls that left the netminders wrong-footed. Sulley Muntari scored a long distance ball in first half injury time while Diego Forlan equalized off a set piece in the second half.

The Ugly

With a spot in the World Cup semifinal on the line, Asamoah Gyan stepped up to fire Ghana into a frenzy from the penalty spot in the 120th minute of injury time but the Stade Rennais striker blasted his service off the cross bar. The game went to PK’s and while Gyan redeemed himself Ghana went on to lose the match and end the hopes of the African nation.

Netherlands v Brazil
Port Elizabeth Stadium – July 2
Port Elizabeth

The Good

The Netherlands found the spark they needed to reverse some early futility to defeat Brazil and advance to the semifinal. Arjen Robben was the catalyst drawing fouls that set up the free kicks that resulted in the two goals while Wesley Sneijder knocked in the winning goal and really should have been credited with the first goal as well.

The Bad

Brazil had never lost a match in the World Cup when leading at halftime but that streak came to an end today and they have themselves to blame to an extent. A Selecao had the game in hand and were controlling the possession and limiting Holland’s chance until the 53rd minute when Wesley Sneijder’s searching ball paid rewards off the head of Felipe Melo. Rather than re-group and push on, Brazil feel apart. Juan made a poor decision when playing a harmless ball over the endline – which could have been played to touch – that set up the winning goal from the ensuing corner kick and then Felipe Melo was shown a straight red card in the 73rd minute to force Brazil to push for an equalizer with only 10-men. The frantic final 25 minutes were not Brazil and neither was the result.

The Ugly

Referee Yuichi Mishimura had his hands full after the Netherlands took the lead and it was only magnified when he showed a straight red card to Felipe Melo for his foot stamp the thigh of Arjen Robben in the 73rd minute. The Japanese referee apparently did not get his book in order after the sending off as 3 minutes later he went to show Andre Ooijer a yellow card but at first and accidentally pulled the red card from his short’s pocket. A temporarily stunned Ooijer was relived when Mishimura caught the mistake put the red card in his breast pocket and brandished the yellow card.

Spain vs Portugal
Green Point Stadium – June 29
Cape Town

The Good

Spain played an attacking style of soccer and were rewarded when David Villa knocked in the game winning goal, his fourth goal of the tournament. The goal was beautifully set up with some great combination play between four Spaniards. Andres Iniesta started the play outside the area with a one two with second half substitute Fernando Llorente before pushing a pass to Xavi who back heel the ball to Villa. The new Barcelona had his first shot saved by Eduardo but Villa followed up with a chip over the keeper on the ground and off the underside of the crossbar for the goal.

The Bad

Cristiano Ronaldo was looked to by Portugal to provide the needed spark and goal scoring exploits against Spain (as well as Brazil) while the rest of the team took on a defensive shape but the Real Madrid winger never found his rhythm and was left looking for ideas and calls from the referee. In defense of the 2008 World Player of the Year, Ronaldo probably needed some additional support if Portugal was to advance from the Round of 16.

The Ugly

Portugal was happy to defend for most of the first half and were happy to go to their bag of tricks in an attempt to continue to frustrate Spain when they came out of the tunnel from the halftime break very casually and 4 minutes late. In defense of the, maybe they fell asleep while discussing their play in the first half. That tactic did not work as Spain came our and started where they left off.

Paraguay v Japan
Loftus Versfeld Stadium – June 29
Pretoria

The Good

Paraguay continued the streak of CONMEBOL teams at this World Cup becoming the 4th team from the region to advance to the quarterfinals. The only team to lose from the region was Chile first losing to Spain but still advancing to the Round of 16 only to face perennial favorite and CONMEBOL side Brazil and be dropped out of the tournament.

Paraguay was forced to win it on penalties but was more searching in their attack through the first 90 minutes and the added 30 minutes of extra time. They then came through in the crunch scoring on all five offerings in the penalty phase.

And it was a historic occasion for the Red and White as it was the first time they have advanced to the quarterfinals at a World Cup.

The Bad

Japan was also looking to advance in the elimination round for the first time but did very little to make that a reality. The Samurai Blue were willing to sit back and look for opportunities to attack and never were able to get top play maker and set piece specialty player Keisuke Honda into the match.

The Ugly

The match between these two sides was the most boring of the Round of 16. They both stunk up the final touch in the limited number of chances created and makes some wonder if Cameroon or Italy would have been better teams to advance from group play.

Brazil v Chile
Ellis Park – June 28
Johannesburg

The Good

Despite facing Brazil, Chile was committed to play attacking soccer. It would have been easy to sit back and look to defend and pick up a goal with a successful counter attack but Marcelo Bielsa was having no part. The first 30 minutes resulted in the opportunities for both teams and even after dropping goals Chile wanted to showcase their attacking players.

Hopefully Beilsa will stay with La Roja and have the side playing attacking soccer.

The Bad

Chile can not get past their South American nemesis at the World Cup losing for the third time at the World Cup finals this year. The three game losing slide dates back to 1962 when Chile was hosting the tournament and lost to Brazil in the semi-final and then lost to Samba Kings again in the Round of 16 in France 1998. La Roja needs to find a way to avoid Brazil if they want to go far.

The Ugly

Brazil seemed to be able to turn their attack on at will and make the Chilean defense look ugly when they wanted to. Juan out jumped the rest of the pack to head home the opener off a corner kick, Robinho, Kaka, and Luis Fabiano opened up the backline for the second goal into an empty net, while Ramires did the donkey’s work before laying off to Robinho for the final goal of the game.

Otherwise the Chile defense did well.

Netherlands v Slovakia
Durban Stadium – June 28
Durban

The Good

Arjen Robben returned to the starting line-up for the Netherlands and stepped up to set the tone for the match. The Bayern Munich took a long ball from Wesley Sneijder and pushed down the right flank before cutting back to his lethal left foot and fired home the opening goal.

The Bad

Robert Vittek and Slovakia had the looks to make the Dutch defense pay but were unable to take advantage of them. Vittek had the best look in the 67th minute when he beat the offside trap to get in on goal but his shot was saved by Maarten Stekelenburg. Vittek was finally able to score from the penalty spot with the game’s last kick but it was too little too late.

The Ugly

Slovakia’s goalkeeper Jan Mucha had a great game saving one goal with his nose on a point blank shot but what was he thinking on the game winning goal. Mucha was caught off his line that allowed Dirk Kuyt head the ball over his jump before slotting it home for Wesley Sneijder to slot home with Mucha making a desperation dive back to his line.

The way Martin Skrtel was complaining about the fast re-start that set up the goal it appears that Mucha might have been caught by surprise and our of position as well. The error is only compounded when Vittek scored late.

Germany v England
Free State Stadium - June 27
Bloemfontein

The Good

Miroslav Klose gave Germany a dream start with his goal in the 20th minute. The Bayern Munich striker muscled through the challenge of the England back line and then beat David James to the ball to toe poke it into the net.

The goal was Klose’s 12th in World Cup finals which tied him with Pele for goals at a World Cup and the player with a knack for finding goals on the biggest stage he might equal Ronaldo’s record of 15 goals if Germany make it to the final. No telling how many goals he might have had if not sent off earlier against Serbia and then suspended for their match against Ghana.

The Bad

The failure of Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda or his assistant to see that Frank Lampard’s chip bounced off the crossbar and over the goal line that would have made the score 2-2 late in the first half. The goal could have changed the complexion of the game and lets be honest, it was not even close to being on the line.

The Ugly

The England team can only look at themselves and ask questions on how they came up so short. The roster of high paid English Premier League players could not get it done against what on paper looks like inferior competition. The backline leaked goals and Wayne Rooney failed to create goals so England, a pre-tournament dark horse, was sent home.

Argentina v Mexico
Soccer City Stadium - June 27
Johannesburg

The Good

For any gripes fans have for Carlos Tevez’ first goal there is no argument about the quality of his second goal. After the ball was knocked away from the Manchester City forward he ran it down a few yards away and hit a cracker to the top right corner and even with Mexican keeper Oscar Perez there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The Bad

Tevez opened the scoring against Mexico with his 26th minute header off a chip from Lionel Messi from an obvious offside position that neither referee Roberto Rosetti or his assistant Stefano Ayroldi spotted. The two referees, presumably after seeing a replay, discussed how they could make it right but could come up with no answers so the goal stood. Tevez admitted afterwards that he knew he was offside and it was ‘selfish’ but as long as the referee called it a goal he was not going to argue.

The Ugly

FIFA made the decision to turn off the replay monitors in the stadium for future matches in the tournament after it appeared the referees were questioning the non-offside call that resulted in Tevez’ first goal. Why fix the problem when you can turn off the TV?

Uruguay v South Korea
Port Elizabeth Stadium - June 26
Port Elizabeth

The Good

Luis Suarez scored a brace in leading Uruguay to their first quarterfinal since 1970. The Ajax striker took advantage of some poor defending on the first goal as the South Korea defense allowed the ball to sneak through to him at the back post but the second goal was pure magic.

Suarez made the move into the box and cut back to his right curling the ball around the goalkeeper and glancing off the post for the winner. Well done.

The Bad

With a 1 goal advantage, Uruguay turned to a more defensive approach in the hope of advancing on the lone goal. But the move only allowed South Korea more space and opportunities which they eventually took advantage of with the equalizer.

Fortunately for Uruguay was under pressure to score they answered the call and make one wonder why they did not play more aggressive for the entire match to keep the South Korean side honest in defense.

The Ugly

USA v Ghana
Royal Bafokeng Stadium - June 26
Rustenburg

The Good

Asamoah Gyan’s goal against the U.S.A. in the third minute of injury time will go down as one of the best of the tournament. It was finished with class and made sure that one Africa side was still competing in the first World Cup on the continent.

The finish was good on so many levels first in the way the Rennes striker fought through the challenge from Carlos Bocanegra and Jay Demerit before blasting his shot past Tim Howard. Gyan could have easily gone down after the challenge and looked to get the penalty rather than fight for a shot on goal.

While there was a huge breakdown in the U.S. defense it must be applauded that neither Bocanegra or Demerit resorted to a professional foul and bring down the player with no intent of getting the ball. Far too often these days, goals like this don’t happen because the player is tackled.

The U.S. would have been much better off conceding a free kick outside the box even if it resulted in one of the players being red carded for an American style tackle but the beautiful game would have suffered.

The Bad

U.S. head coach Bob Bradley’s lineup going into the match. Why make changes to a lineup that worked by returning Ricardo Clark, who missed his mark to all Steven Gerrard to score the opener for England, and Robbie Findley who has shown an inability to worry defenders let alone get a goal there have to be questions on what the pair were doing in training sessions to impress.

The Ugly

The U.S. did not start matches (or the extra time period) in a positive fashion. The Red, White and Blue conceded a goal in the 4th minute against England, a late 13th minute opener against Slovenia, in the 5th minute against Ghana to open the match and then in the 3rd minute to launch into their 30 minute extra time period. If they had won they might have set a record for the fastest goal conceded.

Chile v Spain
Loftus Versfeld Stadium – June 25
Pretoria

The Good

David Villa added to his goal tally with a finish into an empty net from 40+ yards out to give Spain a 1-0 lead and set them on their way. The goal will probably go down as one of the top goals of the tournament. The play was created when Chile goalkeeper came out of his box to make a sliding tackle to deny Fernando Torres but the ball went to space allowing the new Barcelona signing to run to and delicately chip over a defender in the box and into the net on one bounce.

The Bad

What was the Claudio Bravo thinking when he charged out of his box to make a sliding tackle on the left flank and 24 yards from the endline? The goalkeeper won the ball but could not sufficiently clear it allowing David Villa to chip the ball into the net after one bounce.

The Ugly

Marco Estrada was shown a second yellow card and subsequently dismissed after his foot accidentally got a piece of Fernando Torres and brought him down as the Liverpool player was cutting into the box. The referee wasted no time running to show Estrada his second.

The red card was only adding to Chile’s woes as Andres Iniesta scored on the play to give Spain a 2-0 lead with the man advantage.

The call seemed a little bit harsh as the contact was accidental but in defense of the ultimate call minutes earlier Estrada had come in hard on a tackle that he was penalized for and could (and should) have picked up his second.

The Ironic

In the final group match, the attack minded Chile ended up defending to keep the scoreline 1-2 in their loss to Spain while the defensive minded Switzerland was desperately pushing the attack needing 2 goals to advance. Both Chile and Switzerland ended on 6 points but Chile advanced.

Switzerland v Honduras
Free State Stadium – June 25
Bloemfontein

The Good

Switzerland controlled their destiny when the final matchday of Group H kicked off but could not take advantage playing to 0-0 draw against Honduras. The Swiss side only scored 1 goal during the tournament and sadly it is good that such a defensive team did not sneak through to the elimination round.

Head coach Ottmar Hitzfeld’s side can hang their hat on beating Spain for the first time in history and hopefully find more attacking options before the kick off of World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

The Bad

Honduras failed to score in South Africa and it extended their scoring drought in World Cup finals to four matches. Los Catrachos have failed to score in their last 4 World Cup finals matches with their last goal coming against Northern Ireland in their only other appearance in 1982.

The Ugly

With goals a must, Switzerland could not bring any effective creative thought to find goals. The Swiss side only managed one goal during the tournament on the counter attack and it cost them. If they can ever find an effective attack to compliment the defense work they will be a hard side to beat.

The Ironic

In the final group match, the attack minded Chile ended up defending to keep the scoreline 1-2 in their loss to Spain while the defensive minded Switzerland was desperately pushing the attack needing 2 goals to advance. Both Chile and Switzerland ended on 6 points but Chile advanced.

Portugal v Brazil
Durban Stadium – June 25
Durban

The Good

Mexican referee Benito Archundia took a big part in the first half showing all of the matches seven yellow cards. The cards were primarily for hard challenges many of them designed to end a creative attack before it could begin but his best decision came when showing Tiago yellow for an obvious dive in the box in the 31st minute. Hopefully the card will send a message that such acting will not be tolerated as we go into the elimination rounds where the stakes are much higher.

The Bad

With so much talent on the field, it is unfortunate that neither could find a goal and open the game up. Brazil was more of the aggressor in the first half while Portugal upping the ante in the second half but with time ticking away increasingly both teams were happy to settle for a draw. The willingness to get a result and finish on top of the group was not as great with such uncertainty on the finish of Group H with Spain not the sure winner as many thought going into the World Cup.

The Ugly

The Samba Kings have the talent and ability to turn a game into a fast moving dance on the pitch but by the second half the A Selecao looked like a shadow of the full potential. The most action was coming from former players and head coach Dunga who was pleading from the technical area for his team to pick up the pace. Dunga did his best sending on his second two substitutes Ramires and Grafite apparently with instructions to pick up the attack as both were more focused on getting to goal.

North Korea v Ivory Coast
Mbomela Stadium – June 25
Nelspruit

The Good

North Korea was predicted to be the punching bag in the competitive Group G despite very little being known about what the side might offer. And while head coach Kim Jong-Hun side failed to take a point from the tournament they showed well against Brazil and the Ivory Coast – they might not want to run into Portugal again, however.

The Bad

The Ivory Coast has had one of the best sides in Africa for the last 4 years but unfortunately in their 2 World Cup appearances in 2006 in Germany and this year in South Africa, the Elephants have been in the Group of Death. This year they were paired with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea while in 2006 they had to face Argentina, the Netherlands and Serbia and Montenegro.

With four years until the next World Cup there are questions whether the generation that started the rise of the Elephants, including team captain Didier Drogba, will be on the pitch in Brazil.

The Ugly

The Ivory Coast knew they might need a win by 9 goals to go through to the elimination round – if the Portugal v Brazil match ended in a draw. The Elephants got a great start with 2 goals in the first 20 minutes but was let down by their finishing. With so many great looks – they were close to scoring 4 or 5 more goals in the first half - they should have done better to give a more momentum to make a final 9 goal push.

Denmark v Japan
Royal Bafokeng Stadium – June 25
Rustenburg

The Good

Japan made the most of their set pieces with two goals coming from the re-start. In a World Cup where set piece goals have been far and few between, Japan appears top have mastered the Jabulani ball. Keisuke Honda score the first with knuckling ball that flew to the far side netting while Honda was the decoy on the second free kick to allow Yashito Endo to curl one in over the wall.

It was the first time since the 1974 World Cup when the former Yugoslavia scored off of three free kicks in a 9 goal victory over Zaire.

The Bad

South African referee Jerome Damon was a little card happy in the first half but settled down. The ‘smiling referee’ however threw Denmark a lifeline when he called a penalty on a flop from Daniel Agger going away from goal near the edge of the 18-yard box.

Fortunately it did not play a part in the outcome or wipe the smile off of Damon’s face who for the most part had a good evening in front of the home fans.

The Ugly

Thomas Sorensen, regularly one of the English Premier League goalkeepers, did his best to add his name to the list of GK gaffes when he let a simple free kick slip through his hands. The only saving grass was the goal post. It was not the best outing for the Stoke City #1 as he allowed two earlier free kicks in for goals.

Cameroon v Netherlands
Green Point Stadium – June 24
Cape Town

The Good

The Netherlands came out and as they always do in the group stage put in a great performance with their brand of attacking soccer. The Oranje won all three of their group matches scoring 5 goals by five different players.

The Bad

Cameroon getting knocked out of the World Cup leaving only one African representative in the Round of 16. The Indomitable Lions had their moments but could not put in a solid 90 minutes on both sides of the ball.

The Ugly

Slovakia v Italy
Ellis Park – June 24
Johannesburg

The Good

Slovakia in their first World Cup as an independent nation came out and surprised many by advancing from the group stage as the second place finisher behind Paraguay.

Robert Vittek led the way with 3 goals and is at the top of the Golden Boot table after the group stage.

And it was a team effort as head coach Vladimir Weiss made good use of his roster to get the most out of his players.

The Bad

Italy for decades has been known for solid defending but it was the back line that let the Azzurri down as they were dumped from the World Cup after the group stage for the first time since 1974.

Four years ago, Italy only conceded 2 goals – one own goal and a penalty kick – on the way to the title but in three games in South Africa they conceded 5 goals. And to make it uglier, the five goals were allowed on a mere 6 shots on goal.

Admittedly, Gianluigi Buffon was forced from the tournament in the opening match but the reality was that the goals were not the result or play of his back-up Federico Marchetti but rather on the backline that just appeared to play like the didn’t care and were sleep walking through the match.

The Ugly

Slovakia went to faking injuries to help wind down the clock copying a technique used so frequently by their opponent. The worst offense came when goalkeeper Jan Mucha went down outside his box after slight contact. With the keeper rolling on the ground, referee Howard Webb was having none of it forcing the player to get to his feet.

Paraguay v New Zealand
Peter Mokaba Stadium – June 24
Polokwane

The Good

With qualification to the elimination round in hand, Paraguay coach gave a start and the captain’s armband to Denis Caniza. Caniza became the first Paraguayan to play in four World Cup finals. It was the 12 match at a World Cup for Caniza.

The Bad

That New Zealand was ousted from the World Cup after the group stage having not lost. The All Whites came to South Africa with few people giving them any chance of winning a game let alone be in position to advance on the final matchday and the Kiwis surprised the naysayers finishing with 3 points from 3 draws.

New Zealand will go home knowing that they did not lose in South Africa which is a huge improvement of their only previous World Cup in 1982 when they conceded 12 goals in their three losses.

The Ugly

Australia v Serbia
Mbombela Stadium – June 23
Nelspruit

The Good

Mark Schwarzer did his best to keep Australia in the game during the first half denying Serbia on numerous chances to keep the scoreline level and ultimately given the Socceroos the chance to win.

The Bad

But the Fulham keeper was unable to gather in a shot from Zoran Tosic that was left on the doorstep available for an opportunistic Marko Pantelic to knock home. The goal sank Australia’s longshot chances of making up the goal differential required to advance.

But the win for Australia after all the difficulties – 1 red card in each of the first two matches – is great for this veteran squad.

The Ugly

Australia can only look back at their first two matches and shake their heads at the two critical red cards that changed the outlook on their tournament. The Socceroos veteran team hoped to build on their push to the Round of 16 in Germany four years ago and know there will be many question marks around the side with many of their leaders set to retire and few players ready to step into their boots.

Ghana v Germany
Soccer City Stadium – June 23
Johannesburg

The Good

Ghana came out on top of Group D with the ‘home’ crowd and the vuvuzelas behind them and could have easily looked to play for a draw but came out from the opening whistle and pushed the attack. The were the better team early and created chances one cleared off the line by Germany’s Phillip Lahm and in the second half Manuel Neuer denying a break-away. In the end, Ghana lost to a great goal from Mesut Ozil and over the final 15 minutes were happy to take the loss but advance.

The result most likely also means that the Black Stars will be the lone team from Africa to advance to the elimination round.

The Bad

For the first time in World Cup history, brothers (OK half brothers) Jerome Boateng for Germany and Kevin Prince Boateng for Ghana played against each other. While they are half brothers and grew up in separate families in Germany there is just something wrong with it. FIFA wants players to be able to pick the country they play for but maybe there should be more restrictions on how you select the country you represent on the world stage.

The Ugly

With scoring from distance and off of set pieces at a premium it only increases the importance of finishing chances when in on goal. Germany had a chance to set the tone early when Ozil was played in on a great through ball that beat the offside trap but the Werder Bremen player was no hit man on this occasion allowing Richard Kingson to deny him.

With the game still scoreless, Kwadwo Asamoah had his own chance but he was unable to cleanly strike a bouncing ball and Manuel Neuer, coming off his line, made the save on a weak shot.

Slovenia v England
Port Elizabeth Stadium – June 23
Port Elizabeth

The Good

Jermain Defoe rose to the occasion to score the England winner in the must win match against Slovenia. The Tottenham forward beat his marked to a low cross from James Milner to set the Three Lions on their way. Once the goal was found, England began to play like the roster of high paid players that they are and finished the group strong.

Defoe continued his strong outing and probably should have increased the margin off of several good chances.

The Bad

The pitch at Port Elizabeth Stadium was in horrible condition for a match of this magnitude. The ball was noticeably bouncing on crisp passes forcing more concentration for the players. Maybe the groundskeeper from Port Elizabeth conferred with the green’s keepers from Pebble Beach as the surfaces left much to be desired.

The Ugly

Wayne Rooney came to South Africa with the hopes of England on his shoulders but has yet to put his stamp on this World Cup. Fabio Capello went so far with his tactics as to tip Emile Heskey to start up front with Rooney because the tandem played well together.

In their opening three matches, the Manchester United forward has not found the back of the net and only had a handful of shots on goal. The question is still out on which Rooney from the Nike Write Your Future campaign will be standing at the end of the tournament – the bearded grounds keeper of the knighted player.

But on the hopeful side to Three Lions fans, Rooney was finding some rhythm seeing one shot hit off the post near the end of the Slovenia match.

USA v Algeria
Loftus Versfeld Stadium – June 23
Pretoria

The Good

Landon Donovan admitted that he was not ready to step up when asked at the 2006 World Cup but added that he was more mature and ready to answer the challenge in South Africa and the Los Angeles Galaxy player has lived up to those words.

The U.S. midfielder rose to the occasion to slam home the winning goal that was left waiting on the doorstep after a great save from Algerian goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi in injury time. The seemingly easy attempt could have easily gone wrong – as you can ask any of the players who have missed sitters see the Bad from Nigeria v Korea Republic – but Donovan up to the challenge and the U.S. is on to the Round of 16 as Group C winners.

The Bad

The U.S. had another legitimate goal pulled out of the net which almost cost them a place in the Round of 16. Clint Dempsey tapped in a wide shot from Herculez Gomez but the flag was up to cut short his celebration. But much like after the poor ruling in the match against Slovenia, the Red, White and Blue rose to the occasion and kept fighting for the needed goal and were rewarded with Landon Donovan’s injury time winner.

One can only hope that the U.S.’ bad luck is a thing of the past.

The Ugly

What was Algeria thinking? The Desert Foxes looked content to settle with a draw that would have seen them go home regardless of the result of the other match. The compact form at the back and very conservative approach to the attack especially in the second half makes one wonder if the goal of the game was to end the U.S. World Cup or advance their own.

Algeria should know more than any team the negative affect of such play. It was almost 28 years ago to the day when in 1982 Algeria’s dreams of moving on were thwarted after the infamous ‘Anschluss,’ arrangement, match. The result of that match forced FIFA to play the final group stage matches simultaneously.

Nigeria v Korea Rep
Durban Stadium
Durban

The Good

Nigeria needed a win to pull off an unlikely place in the Round of 16 and got off to a great start when Uche knocked home his second goal of the tournament. The Real Zaragoza striker snuck inside his defender to finish a low cross. But the highlight of the run was in his celebration with tongue out and his arms bent with his hands out like small wings next to his head. The only thing missing was some fairy dust to help bring a good result.

The Bad

Nigeria was sent packing from the World Cup but can look back to this match and poor…no make the horrible defending on set pieces as why their bags are out. After getting a great start with an early goal, the Super Eagles gave up a soft goal from a poorly defended set piece. The re-start was sent to the far post and Lee Jung-Soo was allowed to easily find open space and knock the ball home. The South Korean did his best to bungle the opportunity having it hit off his head then leg before fortunately finding the goal.

On the second goal, Vincent Enyeama incorrectly read the ball and was caught wrong-footed only to desperately dive back to the open side of the open goal trying to parry the bouncing ball wide. The frustration was visible on the defenders’ faces and sad after Enyeama put in a great effort in the World Cup.

With the result in the other match, Nigeria would have advanced if they had won.

The Ugly

Yakubu will have nightmares about his horror miss from 2 yards out. The Everton striker was directly in front of goal with only himself to beat and found a way to knock it wide. Ayila set up the sure goal with a great overlapping run and then low cross that opened the defense. Yakubu made amends scoring from the penalty spot minutes later to level the match.

Greece v Argentina
Peter Mokaba Stadium
Polokwane

The Good

Martin Palermo capped off his return to the Argentina national team when he entered the game in the 80th minute. Before Maradona surprisingly called up the 36-year-old during qualification, Palermo had not seen action with the national team since 1999.

The Boca Juniors player came in and opened his World Cup account when he blasted in a rebound off a save off a blast from a Lionel Messi shot. It was Loco’s, or crazy as he is nicknamed, second shot who surprisingly was able to find a goal before Messi.

The goal also made Palermo the oldest player to score in a World Cup which beat out his coach Diego Maradona.

The Bad

Greece has done well over the last decade most notably winning the Euro 2004 but as always play a very defensive minded game looking to deny goals and winners from set pieces or late pushes up field. The strategy can be successful but is frustratingly boring. And how does Greece continue to go this route on matches like today when they need to win to advance. And even sticking to the plan once they were down a goal.

The Ugly

Lionel Messi can find no luck or the back of the net at the 2010 World Cup. The Barcelona midfielder has been the best player in every match but has been narrowly denied the one goal that just might set him on his way.

Messi cracked one shot off the goal post and then he had two well struck shots that forced Greek goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas to make two saves. The second save he was forced to parry away but it only made it as far as Palermo who on his second shot found the net.

Mexico v Uruguay
Royal Bafokeng Stadium
Rustenburg

France v South Africa
Free State Stadium
Bloemfontein

The Good

South Africa showed well to come out with only a slim chance to advance and take the game to a France side in complete disarray and win their first match in this World Cup on home soil. The win was South Africa’s second in the World Cup finals.

The Bad

For the first time in World Cup history, the host nation was eliminated before the elimination round. South Africa showed well at the tournament and were somewhat unlucky not to advance after tying with second place Mexico on 4 points but with a 1 goal less goal differential.

The Ugly

After finishing in second at the 2006 World Cup, France was a complete disgrace in South Africa. Les Bleus managed more off field headlines than on field ones and were only able to manage one draw on the way to a last place finish in Group A. One can only think that the soccer gods were working their manage after Thierry Henry’s handball was a factor in France qualifying in the first place and that maybe France would have been better off not qualifying.

Spain v Honduras
Ellis Park – June 21
Johannesburg

The Good

David Villa got Spain off to the dream start when he scored in the 17th minute in what might end up being the individual goal of the tournament. The recently signed Barcelona striker collected the ball 40-yards from goal and turned to goal. He split two defenders at the left corner of the 18-yard box before cutting back to beat a third defender and then sent his shot to the far side netting.

The Bad

Spain’s finishing was horrible and could come back to haunt them if the top two teams are determined by goal differential. David Villa scored a brace but blasted a shot off the cross bar early in the match and then missed from the penalty spot and had other chances that were off the mark. Fernando Torres was back in the starting lineup but must still be working off some of the rust with several opportunities go begging.

The Ugly

Honduras never found the rhythm against Spain but were down right off the mark on their passing and looks. Even at moments with little pressure, Honduras players routine passed the ball to Spanish defenders. The worst free kick of the World Cup – no need to wait until the tournament is completed – came off a Honduras kick just over midfield. The Honduran player muffed the kick and it slowly rolled to the Spanish player 10 yards away.

Chile v Switzerland
Port Elizabeth Stadium – June 21
Port Elizabeth

The Good

Switzerland’s defense has been stingy for years and they set a record when they hit the 551 minute mark against Chile of scoreless soccer at the World Cup. The last team that scored against the Swiss at a World Cup was Spain at the 1994 World Cup although Switzerland failed to qualify for the 1998 or 2002 World Cups.

Unfortunately only six minutes after setting the new mark the record was halted when Chile scored the game winner.

And the Swiss might need to think about finding more offense as tight race in Group H could have 3 teams tied on 6 points with goal differential determining which two teams advance.

The Bad

A critical game for both teams was working up to be a great match-up but a damper was put on it when Switzerland’s Valon Behrami was shown a very unfortunate straight red card. The midfielder was working to hold off a challenge from a Chilean defender when an errant arm/elbow caught the defender in the face. The referees have been told to crack down on hits to the face but there was no intent and it was only a glancing light slap.

The Ugly

Second half substitute Esteban Paredes came on in the 65th minute and was influential as he served the cross for the game winning cross but when it came to calling his own number the attacking midfield was thwarted. He was served on two good runs that had in with only the goalkeeper to beat but could not manage to find the back of the net.

The misses might come back to haunt the side as the tight race in Group H could come down to goal differential if the top 3 teams all end on 6 oints.

Portugal v Korea DPR
Green Point Stadium – June 21
Cape Town

The Good

After a slow first half Portugal started scoring at full pace in the second half knocking in six goals in the half to add to the 1 they scored in the first half. Five different players got in on the action and the large margin puts Portugal in the driver’s seat for a top two finish.

The Bad

The North Korean defense fell apart in the second half and with 30 minutes left in the game appeared ready to pack it up and get out of the pouring rain and off the pitch. Unless the Ivory Coast is able to find their offense when they face North Korea in the final group matchday this will be the largest margin for the 2010 World Cup.

The Ugly

Cristiano Ronaldo opened his 2010 World Cup account but it was not from one of his trademark highlight reel goals. The Real Madrid midfielder scored on a circus like goal but it counts just like any other cracker he has scored on in the past.

Ronaldo was put in on goal but his stretching touch to round the charging goalkeeper Ri Myong-Guk glanced off the goalkeeper and when Ronaldo jumped to clear him he stumbled. With the ball in the air and Ronaldo stumbling into the 18-yard box, the ball came down on the back of his neck and then back up in the air. At this point Ronaldo had found his balance and the ball was waiting for him to knock into the empty net from 13-yards out.

Brazil v Ivory Coast
Soccer City – June 20
Johannesburg

The Good

Despite playing a more defensive approach, Brazil's attack can not be held down completely. The Samba Kings had moments of greatness that started with the first goal of the match when Luis Fabiano was put in on goal by a spot on through ball from Kaka.

The Bad

With the game in hand at 3-1, Brazil and the Ivory Coast got into a exchange of tic-tac fouls that ultimately had players being restrained to keep an semblance of order. In the end Kaka, was shown his second yellow card after Keita went to ground clutching his face after running into Kaka. The Elephants should have been thinking more as they will probably be relying on a Brazil win over Portugal to advance and Kaka would help in that end on the final group matchday.

The Ugly

Fabiano knocked in a brace to led Brazil to their 3-1 win. The second goal looked to be another moment of brilliance for Fabiano as he brought a high ball down on the top of the box before beating a second defend and then popping the ball over the final defender to chest the ball into control for the finishing touch.

Sadly for each trap the Sevilla forward was aided with his hand and even after being awarded the goal was seen to be having a laugh with the French referee.

Italy v New Zealand
Mbombela Stadium – June 20
Nelspruit

The Good

New Zealand scored an early goal and made Italy come out and play.

The Bad

Italy! Manager Fabio Capello made a mistake in relying so heavily on his aging World Cup winning side from 2006 and must have thought the Azzurri were going to rely on stifling defense again - they only conceded 2 goals, an own goal and penalty in 2006 - as they have no creative attack. This is especially frustrating as the number of in form strikers that Capello decided were not needed on his team in South Africa.

The Ugly and Ironic

New Zealand knew they were not going to score many against the Azzurri but still relied on a packed defensive end to deny Italy any chance to knock home a winner. The Kiwis even were able to bring in to play some time wasting tactics to help the seconds tick down. Catenaccio anyone?

Slovakia v Paraguay
Free State Stadium – June 20
Bloemfontein

The Good

Paraguay called on three attacking players to help break down Slovakia in what many thought would be the critical match in the group. The move paid off as the South American side controlled the possession, created more chances, and won.

The Bad

The empty seats at Free State Stadium is not what South African World Cup organizers hoped for. During the anthems the venue appeared to be half full and while late arrivers helped fill in some of the seats the stadium still had large sections of empty seats.

The Ugly

Marek Hamsik was touted as one of the young footballers to watch this World Cup. The 22-year-old team captain has been unable to find a rhythm or make an impact on the game's and now sees Slovakia sitting at the bottom of Group F but with an anemic Italy and spot in the Round of 16 on the line in their final matchday. Will he rise to the occasion?

Cameroon v Denmark
Loftus Versfeld Stadium – June 19
Pretoria

The Good

Dennis Rommedahl stepped up to help Denmark comeback to defeat Cameroon. The veteran winger served in a beautiful low cross to Nicklas Bendtner and scored a goal of his own off a left footed shot past the diving Cameroon goalkeeper Hamidou Souleymanou.

The Bad

Cameroon has long been one of Africa's top sides. The Indomitable Lions were the first African side to reach a World Cup quarterfinal when they achieved that at the 1990 World Cup in Italy but with their 2-1 loss to Denmark they became the first team eliminated from the 2010 World Cup.

The Ugly

The Dutch defense and Cameroon attack chipped in to share this award. After knocking in an own goal in the opening match, Denmark gifted Cameroon the opening goal when Christian Poulsen sending an errant pass from the top of the box straight to Pierre Webo. Webo found Eto'o in the center of the box and the Inter Milan forward made no mistakes.

Apparently Cameroon needed Denmark to get their attack started if they hoped to end with a goal. Webo was a constant threat to create chance that he could not finish along with Achille Emana, and substitute Mohamadou Idrissou. Eto'o who returned to the national side to be an inspirational leader for the team might have considered taking the shooting coach position as well.

Ghana v Australia
Royal Bafokeng Stadium – June 19
Rustenburg

The Good

Mark Schwarzer made two huge diving saves and several other routine ones to help 10-man Australia take a point from their match against Ghana. Without the help of the Fulham keeper the Socceroos would not have earned their first point of this World Cup.

The Bad

The Socceroos luck can not get any worse after seeing their best player sent off in the first two matches. After Tim Cahill saw red in the opener, Harry Kewell was given his walking papers after his handball on the line denied a goal. The lacked any luck on the attack as well by failing to take advantage of scoring opportunities. The best came from Wilshire who was in on goal but was denied by Kingson.

The Ugly

Kewell was shown the red card for his handball on the line but it was the entire defense that let the Galatasaray player down. The Socceroos defense had four opportunities to clear the ball that ultimately led to Kewell's hand ending the Ghana threat. The Black Stars equalized on the resulting penalty.

Netherlands v Japan
Durban Stadium – June 19
Durban

The Good

Wesley Sneijder knocked home the Netherlands game winner on a cracker from outside the box in the 53rd minute. The Japanese defensive had done well to thwart the Oranje attack but could not do anything about the goal. Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima did his best diving and getting a hand to the ball but there was too much power for him to keep from going in the net.

The Bad

Japan came out with a defensive strategy hoping to deny the Dutch and if they were lucky pick up a moment to grab a goal on the counterattack or on a set piece. Once Holland scored to crush this plan, however, Japan's attack showed moments of potential and some creative thought to the game. One can only think that maybe if they played a more offensive game from the opening whistle the result might have been different.

The Ugly

There is a great skill to getting in position to score and another skill all together for putting the ball in the back of the net. Ibrahim Afellay did well in his limited minutes of getting his chances to looks with only the goalkeeper to beat but came up on the short end on both chances. Not to worry all the points were in the bag but in a game that matters will the goals be there?

England v Algeria
Green Point Stadium – June 18
Cape Town

The Good

OK there is certainly the obvious U.S. bias, but the draw between the England and Algeria was a dream result. The 0-0 draw gives the U.S. the upper hand heading into the final matchday on Wednesday June 23.

The Bad

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