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Spain are champions of the world after Andres Iniesta's goal deep into extra-time gave them victory over Netherlands in the World Cup final at Soccer City after a goalless first 105 minutes.
Iniesta netted as Spain broke to punish 10-man Holland after John Heitinga's sending-off seven minutes earlier.
Both sides lined up as expected. Netherlands continued with the 1 to 11 which has been Bert van Marwijk’s first choice line -up since Arjen Robben’s return from injury, while Vicente Del Bosque favoured Barcelona’s Pedro to Liverpool’s Fernando Torres just as he had for the semi-final victory over Germany.
At the renditions of the national anthems there were signs of nerves across the faces of players on each side, everyone concerned knowing that they could make history for their country by claiming the moniker of world champions for the first time.

The opening few minutes were notable mainly for the inability of either side to really string a significant series of passes together as every player looked to get a calming first touch of the ball. But in the fifth minute Spain created a real opportunity for themselves as they started to impress their authority on proceedings.

Xavi sent a free-kick in from the right to find the Sergio Ramos, who had gained half a yard on the flinching Robin van Persie, but the right-back’s header came from an awkward height and allowed Maarten Stekelenburg to make a full-length parry to keep the scores level.

Holland’s first shot at goal came when Dirk Kuyt scuffed a 30-yard effort after Sergio Busquets had failed to control a simple square pass, but the Liverpool wide man’s effort was easily gathered by Iker Casillas.

In the 11th minute Spain created a second decent opportunity, and again it was full-back Ramos who was the Johnny on the spot. Having run at Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he took a step to the right and saw a gap open up, but his right-footed effort was well blocked by Joris Mathijsen.

From the resulting corner Xavi Hernandez swung in a delicious far post ball for David Villa, but the striker’s volleyed effort hit the side-netting when he’d have hoped to do better.

The game was beginning to get a little scrappy as the Netherlands looked to find a way to earn more possession. Van Persie was the first player to enter referee Howard Webb’s notebook when he brought down Joan Capdevila with a nasty looking challenge, and moments later he was followed by Carles Puyol, booked for a tackle from behind on Arjen Robben.

Wesley Sneijder fired in a dangerous free-kick, but Casillas managed to collect before the ball took a potentially nasty bounce. Winger Robben was temporarily the centre of attention as within minutes he was running at Capdevila, eventually winning a corner as Xabi Alonso came in to cover.

The near-inevitable Mark van Bommel booking arrived in the 22nd minute, when he was late arriving for the ball and went right through Andres Iniesta. Seconds later it was 2-2 on the yellow card count after Ramos was slightly late sliding in on Kuyt wide on the Holland left.



Whilst Spain were still enjoying most of the possession, suddenly the Netherlands were managing to earn more territorial advantage, breaking up the rhythm of la Furia Roja’s passing temporarily. They did so by foul means rather than fair when Nigel de Jong’s high boot caught Alonso flush on the chest after the Real Madrid midfielder had nicked away a bouncing ball. The Oranje midfielder may have thought himself lucky only to become the fifth player cautioned, rather than the first man into the showers.

There was a much more pleasing piece of sportsmanship shown by the Dutch a few moments later. Iker Casillas had thrown the ball out after he’d collided with Puyol, allowing the Barcelona defender to receive treatment, but upon arrival of the long pass from a Dutchman at the restart, the keeper misread the flight and palm the ball away for a corner. However, Van Persie simply rolled the ball in from the flag to spare the Real Madrid man’s blushes and allow Spain to rebuild from the back.

The next Dutch corner nearly had a very different ending. Robben played the ball in low to the edge of the area, from where Van Bommel played a cross to the far post for Mathijsen, but the centre-back could only respond with a complete air shot.

Breaking up the other end, Spain could have had an opener when Pedro’s quickfire shot from range sailed just wide with Stekelenburg still to set himself.

Sneijder almost became the sixth name in the book when he caught Busquets just before the break as the game continued to flatter rather than thrill, but referee Webb saw fit to give the Inter midfielder a final warning.

On the stroke of half-time the Dutch created one of the best chances of the game so far when Robben cut inside to drill a low left foot shot which Casillas got down to and pushed wide.

Spain appeared to come out after the interval with a little bit more fire in their bellies as they looked to repeat their second half efforts against Germany. Within three minutes they’d forged an opening when Puyol got his head to a right wing corner and Capdevila failed to get anywhere near enough on his right foot effort and the ball ran harmlessly away.

Holland responded when Van Persie’s backheel sent Gregory van der Wiel in behind the Spanish defence, but his cross was met by no Oranje jerseys, though a nervous looking Casillas may have got a slight touch before the ball ran out and a goal kick was given.



Dutch skipper Van Bronckhorst was next in the book for pulling back Ramos as he went for a return pass in a dangerous position. From the set piece Xavi curled the ball just wide of the near post, but Stekelenburg had it well covered.

John Heitinga soon became the fifth Dutchman to have his name taken when he clattered into David Villa after Ramos had broken up a Holland attack and sent the forward on the run down the left.

Iniesta was perhaps lucky not to join them as the game once again threatened to deteriorate, his foul on Sneijder giving Robben the chance to swing in a free-kick towards Heitinga. The defender sent a header just across the face of goal, but had been flagged offside in any case.

Mathijsen did well to head away from a Capdevila cross as a game of football finally started to break out amongst the scrappy challenges.

Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque made the first change of the final on the hour by introducing Jesus Navas for the ineffective Pedro.

Suddenly, the best chance of the final was handed to Robben by a delicious through ball by Sneijder and a bad misjudgement on the part of Gerard Pique. The Bayern Munich winger found himself one-on-one with Casillas, but after delaying once too often, his shot sent the glovesman the wrong way, but was blocked by Casillas’ boot nonetheless.

Capdevila joined the ever-increasing list of numbers in Howard Webb’s notebook but again the Netherlands failed to make the most of the resulting free-kick as they continued to get half-chances to show up the favourites.

Substitute Navas did superbly to run at Van Bronckhorst and make space to cross for David Villa, but after Heitinga had slipped to open a really shooting opportunity for the Spaniard the centre-back recovered magnificently to block the shot that followed.

Dirk Kuyt was replaced after a hard-working performance in favour of speedy winger Eljero Elia as Van Marwijk looked to keep Spain guessing at the back.



Heitinga conceded a further free-kick, which Villa could only tun over, before Sneijder got a second final warning from Howard Webb as the referee looked to save his ink with just 15 minutes separating the World Cup decider from extra-time.

After an excellent exchange between Villa and Xavi, the former had a left foot shot well blocked by Heitinga, but from the corner Sergio Ramos was guilty of wasting a magnificent chance to settle the contest as he headed over from eight yards when completely unmarked.

There was a real flashpoint in the 78th minute when Van Bommel caught Iniesta as he retrieved the ball, but the Spanish midfielder decided to take his own retribution by lashing out at the Bayern Munich man. Again, Webb decided that leniency was the correct course of action and Iniesta got away with only a lecture.

Iniesta then came extremely close to opening the deadlock when he jinked past Heitinga inside the box, but Wesley Sneijder of all people was sweeping up behind the defence and made a magnificent last-ditch challenge to save the Dutch.

In the 83rd minute it was Holland’s Robben who could have struck as he left Puyol and Pique in his wake before Casillas smothered the ball. The Bayern Munich winger exaggerated his contact with the keeper having shrugged off a near rugby tackle from Puyol, but all he succeeded in doing was earning a yellow card for his fall and subsequent penalty claims.

Spain’s second substitution saw Xabi Alonso replaced by Cesc Fabregas in an attacking change with just three minutes of normal time remaining.

Wesley Sneijder looked to steal a glorious victory on the stroke of full-time, but his ambitious 45 yard effort went harmlessly wide.



Within two minutes of the extra 30 minutes resuming, Spain thought they should have had a penalty when Heitinga and Xavi collided, but it looked as though the midfielder made contact with the Dutchman rather than the other way around.

The European champions then forced a real save out of Stekelenburg for the first time since the early moments of normal time as Fabregas broke clear, but the big goalkeeper did superbly to block his right foot shot.

Within seconds they were nearly behind when Casillas came for a corner and collided with Fabregas, leaving Mathijsen to beat Ramos in the air but miss the open goal.

It then took a magnificent piece of defending from Van Bronckhorst to keep the scores level as the game became more stretched. Fabregas sent Iniesta through, but the Dutch skipper did brilliantly to send Iniesta onto his wrong foot and then snuff out the danger, winning a goal kick to boot.

Bert van Marwijk decided to increase the attacking intentions of his team by bringing on Rafael van der Vaart for defensive midfielder De Jong.

In a now very open game, Jesus Navas’ shot deflected off Van Bronckhorst and found the side-netting before the Netherlands cleared the corner with relative ease.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was then substituted into retirement, replaced by Edson Braafheid.



After spending over an hour warming up, Fernando Torres was finally introduced at the beginning of the second period of extra-time, surprisingly enough for the tournament’s joint top scorer David Villa in a like for like switch.

Elia went on his first attack at Ramos and beat the full-back with ease, but couldn’t reach his overhit touch before getting a cross in as Holland continued to look the more worried by the prospect of penalty kicks.

After so many yellow cards it appeared only a matter of time before a red would follow and with only 11 minutes remaining it finally came, though it did seem a little harsh on John Heitinga when he became the fifth player to be dismissed in a World Cup final.

The Dutch defender laid a soft hand on the shoulder of Andres Iniesta as the Barcelona man broke front and centre, but an exaggerated fall came after contact had been released. Nevertheless, Howard Webb saw fit to send off Heitinga for a second offence.

Moments later the 10 men were hit with another yellow when Van der Wiel took down the self same Iniesta.

Many Spain players asked for Holland to be reduced to nine when Robben turned in a left foot effort long after the whistle had gone for offside, but Webb, not for the first time tonight, showed leniency towards a man walking the tightrope.

With five minutes left a Wesley Sneijder free-kick was clearly met with a heavy deflection off Fabregas in the wall, but the referee’s rough night continued when he failed to spot the touch and gave a goal kick. There was then an apparent foul on Elia on the edge of the area overlooked as Holland looked for a winner.

And the decision was to be vital as Spain broke to the other end of the pitch and scored a 116th minute winner.

With the 10-man Dutch stretched, the Furia Roja used the extra man as Andres Iniesta got on the end of a crossfield ball at the far post to drill across Stekelenburg into the back of the net.

Spain's only bad news of the night came when Torres pulled up with an apparent hamstring injury in the second minute of injury time, but he'll be taking a World Cup winner's medal to the treatment table with him.

Following Spain's 2010 World Cup final triumph over the Netherlands, Uruguay striker Diego Forlan picked up the Golden Ball award while young Germany forward Thomas Mueller took the Best Young Player accolade as well as the Golden Boot.

Atletico Madrid striker Forlan proved to be one of the star performers in South Africa, beating off competition from the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Spain hitman David Villa to be crowned the tournament's best player - as voted for by the media.

Forlan was, however, pipped to the post when it came to the Golden Boot, with Thomas Mueller's five goals and three assists for Germany edging him ahead of Silver Boot winner Villa and Holland playmaker Sneijder who picked up the bronze award.

Mueller also claimed the Best Young Player gong for his impressive performances in South Africa, beating both Ghana's Andre Ayew and Mexico's Giovanni Dos Santos to claim the prize.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who made a string of impressive saves in Spain's final triumph over the Netherlands, claimed the Golden Glove while Vicente del Bosque's side were also recognised with the Fair Play Award.

Two second-half goals gave Mexico their first ever victory over France to leave El Tri well-placed to make the last 16 and the 2006 runners-up on the verge of elimination.
Mexico were the brighter of the two throughout but were unable to take any of their chances until just after the hour, when substitute Javier Hernandez broke the offside trap and rounded keeper Hugo Lloris before slotting home.
Another Mexican substitute, the 37-year-old Cuauhtemoc Blanco, sealed the victory from the penalty spot after a third replacement, Pablo Barrera, had been felled in the box.
It leaves Mexico level at the top of Group A with Uruguay and a draw between those two sides in their final game in Rustenburg would send France out of the tournament.
Mexico and France met in the first ever World Cup finals match in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930, with Les Bleus cruising to a 4-1 victory, but this keenly contested encounter was never likely to reproduce such a scoreline.

Both teams showed greater endeavour than in their drawn opening games, with France in particular looking more lively, but for long periods neither possessed the cutting edge to truly punish their opponents.
The French squad is reportedly in disarray, with suggestions of a training ground bust-up between coach Raymond Domenech and midfielder Florent Malouda, who was not selected for their uninspired 0-0 draw with Uruguay, and they have been criticised by former midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
However, Malouda was recalled in place of Yoann Gourcuff in a line-up that kept faith with a world class strike-force, spearheaded by Nicolas Anelka, that has failed to register an international goal since last November.
Malouda showed rare glimpses of the form he showed throughout last season for Chelsea, forcing Mexico keeper Oscar Perez to palm over early in the second half, having earlier begun a free-kick routine straight off the training ground that saw Frank Ribery flash a drive across goal.
This was the closest Ribery would come to affecting the game from his central playmaker role and, as against Uruguay, Anelka was largely anonymous and was replaced at half-time by Andre-Pierre Gignac, who also offered little in his 45 minutes on the pitch.
Mexico's attack is exciting but too often lightweight. Their forwards missed numerous chances in their opening 1-1 draw with hosts South Africa but all three players retained their place in the side - although Arsenal striker Carlos Vela was forced off with an injury on the half hour with only one skied shot to his name.
Another member of their attacking triumvirate, Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos, produced another lively display to match the one he produced against South Africa and, but for Patrice Evra's presence, would have been able to get greater purchase on a shot that bobbled wide just before half-time.
Mexico's chief offensive weapon in the first half was left-back Oscar Salcido, who regularly found himself in advanced positions, but his execution could not match his intent.
He had two good shooting opportunities in the first half but from the first he shot wide of the far post from 25 yards, and then saw a close-range effort blocked by France keeper Lloris after William Gallas had inexplicably backed away from Salcido's run.
The opening of the second half had seen a clear dip in quality from what had been a decent first 45 minutes, but two positive Mexican substitutes - Hernandez and Blanco - altered that, with a third, Vela's replacement Barrera, also playing a part.
In the 64th minute, Marquez chipped a ball forward from midfield, Eric Abidal played the Manchester United-bound striker onside and with the French defence static and begging for offside, Hernandez was able to advance onwards, skip round Lloris and slot into the vacated goal.
France's response was meek at best but the Mexicans, by now full of confidence, continued to press and were rewarded when Barrera was tripped and Blanco charged in from outside the box to dispatch his penalty into the right-hand corner of the net.

Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick as Argentina saw off South Korea at Soccer City to all but book their place in the last 16 of the World Cup.
Higuain struck once in the first half and twice in quick succession after the break as Diego Maradona's side made it two wins out of two in Group B and fired another warning that they are one of the teams to beat in South Africa.
An own goal from Park Chu-Young got Argentina off to the perfect start before Higuain nodded in, and after Martin Dimichelis' error allowed Lee Chung-Yong to pull a goal back, Maradona's side got the goals their dominance perhaps deserved.
It was an authority they had exerted from the first whistle and, despite a spell of South Korean pressure in the second half as they pressed for an equaliser, Argentina were thoroughly deserving of the points.

South Korea coach Huh Jung-Moo, who played against Maradona at the 1986 World Cup, saw his team struggle to live with Argentina's quick tempo and the quality of their pass-and-move football.
They took the lead when Lionel Messi's free-kick from the left hit the unfortunate Park Chu-Young on the knee before flying in and the goal buoyed an already buzzing Albiceleste as they continued to attack the South Korea goal with pace and in numbers.
South Korea's brief forays forward were resulting in the occasional shot from range, with Ki Sung-Yeung's 25-yard screamer flying narrowly over, but after Carlos Tevez had drilled a free-kick inches too high, Argentina doubled their lead thanks to more shaky defending.
This time, Messi and Maxi Rodriguez were allowed all the time and space they wanted to take a quick free-kick down the left and when Maxi's cross was flicked on by Nicolas Burdisso, Higuain had the simple task of nodding in.
Angel di Maria then forced a flying save from Jung Sung-Ryong, and Messi thrilled the crowd with a brilliantly jinking run before clipping a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
But with half-time looming, Dimichelis handed South Korea an unlikely lifeline. Caught between deciding to clear his lines or pass back to his goalkeeper he did neither, and Lee nipped in to steal the ball off him and superbly finish past the advancing Sergio Romero.
Suddenly there was a game on, and the teams traded attacks after the break.
Higuain's close-range finish brought a stunning save from Jung, and Tevez forced another save from Jung with his 20-yard drive, while at the other end Yeom Ki-Hun wasted a golden chance to get South Korea back on level terms as he shot wide when through one-on-one with Romero after Lee's fine pass.
Yeom paid the price when Argentina counter-attacked, and after Messi's shot hit the post Higuain tapped in. But they saved their best for last as Messi's stunning chip enabled Sergio Aguero to cross for Higuain to head home to complete his treble.
It was the first World Cup hat-trick since Portugal's Pauleta in 2002 and the first from an Argentine since Gabriel Batistuta in 1998.

Uruguay produced an assured performance to beat hosts South Africa in Pretoria and take control of Group A.
The South Americans were much more forward-thinking than during their nervous opening match with France five days ago providing a constant threat to Bafana Bafana's goal while also nullifying the meek attacking threat provided by their overwhelmed opponents.
Diego Forlan capped an impressive performance with two goals - the first a 30-yard deflected strike, the second a well-taken penalty after Luis Suarez had been fouled by goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, for which he was red carded - and Alvaro Pereira added a late third.
The victory not only advances Uruguay to four points and to top of the table ahead of their final group game with Mexico, but gives them their first World Cup finals victory since a group stage win over South Korea at Italia 90.
In contrast, this defeat is South Africa's first in 14 matches and leaves them facing an uphill task to secure a place in the last 16.
Prior to the game, both coaches had promised more positive approaches from their sides following conservative showings in their opening games, which yielded them a point a piece, and so it proved in an entertaining match that not only improved on what Group A had offered, but what the tournament on the whole has provided thus far.
Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira kept essentially the same side - Tsepo Masilela replaced Lucas Thwala at left-back - and the same shape from the 1-1 draw with Mexico. Their performance was more in keeping with their passionate second-half display at Soccer City rather than their nervous first 45 minutes, but they were unable to pose enough of a threat to trouble their superior opponents.
Having navigated a tricky opening game against France relatively unscathed and knowing here lay their chance to seize control of Group A, Uruguay opted for a three man strike force, bringing in Edinson Cavani to partner Suarez, with Atletico Madrid's Forlan playing in a withdrawn attacking role.
The former Manchester United striker was the difference - dropping deep to collect possession and influence his side's attacks and providing the moment of individual brilliance that gave Uruguay the lead midway through the first half via a 30-yard dipping shot that found the net via a glancing deflection off Aaron Mokoena.
He also demonstrated an immense level of composure to emphatically hammer his penalty into the roof of the net following a considerable wait while the hosts replaced Khune with substitute keeper Moneeb Josephs.
The 75th-minute penalty prompted a silent, defeated exodus from the stands and when Forlan floated an exquisite pass to Suarez who then crossed for Alvaro Perreira to head home Uruguay's third deep into injury time the stadium was only half full.
For all their disappointment, the partisan home support can have no complaints as Oscar Tabarez's side were dominant. They set out their stall in an opening 10 minutes that saw them create more chances than in the whole of the 90 against the French, with Suarez's shot from a tight angle that flew wide the best of them.
Suarez, who is so prolific in front of goal for club side Ajax, was to squander further chances: hitting the side-netting from a tight angle from 10 yards and also firing straight at keeper Khune from a promising position 20 yards out.
His strike partner Edison Cavani also missed two good opportunities and captain Diego Lugano fluffed a header from a Forlan free-kick early in the second half.
South Africa's chances were significantly fewer but their wastefulness mirrored the worst of their opponents' attempts.

Siphiwe Tshabalala - brim full of confidence after his superb opening goal against the Mexicans - had two good shooting chances in the opening quarter but the first he fired over from 25 yards and the second he badly misjudged with an attempted chip when Steven Pienaar was perhaps better placed to receive a pass.
Katlego Mphela, who was denied giving his side a win against Mexico by a post late on - missed the target with a close range header in each half.
South Africa now face a final group game against France without suspended keeper Khune, midfielder Dikgachoi, who picked up a second yellow of the tournament, and with only slim hopes of qualifying.

World Cup favourites Spain suffered a shock defeat by Switzerland as South Africa 2010 served up its first major upset.
The European champions enjoyed almost total control of the game in Durban but were wasteful in front of goal and went behind after 52 minutes when a long ball eventually found its way through to Gelson Fernandes, who, after a series of errors, bundled it into the net.
With Barcelona trio David Villa, Andres Iniesta and Xavi unable to conjure a breakthrough, coach Vicente Del Bosque threw on Fernando Torres, Jesus Navas and Pedro, but to no avail as the Spanish slumped to only their second defeat in 49 games.
The result piles pressure on Spain, who were widely-tipped to finally end decades of underachievement on the game's biggest stage and Del Bosque's men could now be forced to face Brazil in the second round if they finish Group H as runners-up. Chile beat Honduras 1-0 in the earlier match.
For the unfancied Swiss, it was a historic first victory over the Spanish and another triumph in the glittering career of their German coach Ottmar Hitzveld.
Del Bosque's men had quickly settled into their rhythmic short passing game and, with Switzerland struggling to get the ball out of their own half, the match came to resemble a training session.
The first real opening fell to Spain right-back Sergio Ramos, who received the ball in space on the right before dragging his shot wastefully wide, much to the anger of his better-placed team-mates Xavi and David Villa.
Moments later, Iniesta slipped a pass through to Gerard Pique, who cut inside his man before firing straight at goalkeeper Diego Benaglio.
The next attack saw David Silva chip a delightful ball over the Switzerland defence for Iniesta, who was brought down on the edge of the area as he tried to get his shot away. Villa fired the resultant free-kick straight at the wall.
The Swiss were forced into a change midway through the half when former Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos limped off with a foot injury and was replaced by Steve Von Bergen.
Lone striker Villa looked skilful and lively, but when he finally found space in the box, he opted to pass, and chipped tamely across the face of goal.
The second half began in a similar vein until the Swiss took the lead with the first real attack of the game.
A long goal-kick was flicked through to Eren Derdiyok, who bundled it past goalkeeper Iker Casillas and the falling Pique to leave former Manchester City midfielder Fernandes with a simple finish.

Spain, who won all 10 of their World Cup qualifiers, looked visibly shaken and Del Bosque responded by sending on Torres and Navas just after the hour mark.
Iniesta and Torres both curled shots wide before former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso almost broke the crossbar with a stunning strike from just outside the area.
With Spain committing more men forward, the game became stretched and Switzerland came within a whisker of taking a 2-0 lead when Derdiyok cut inside Pique and Carles Puyol before flicking a shot which had Casillas beaten but bounced back off the post.
The last 10 minutes were a predictable Spanish onslaught but, with Torres looking rusty on his return from knee surgery, Spain seemed to run out of ideas as their efforts became increasingly desperate.
As it was, Switzerland held firm for a truly memorable victory - their first in a World Cup opener since 1954.

Maicon produced a moment of pure Brazilian magic to set the five-time champions on their way to victory in their opening game against North Korea in Johannesburg.
The Brazilians, ranked number one in the Fifa rankings, were expected to cruise past the team in 105th place in their Group G encounter.
But on a difficult evening they had to wait until the 55th minute to break the deadlock as the North Koreans proved more than capable opponents.
It fell to right-back Maicon to settle Brazil's nerves with a goal of typical beauty.
Latching on to a pass down the right from Elano but at a seemingly impossible angle trapped against the byeline, he produced a swerving screamer that bent in with goalkeeper Ri Myong-guk standing a fraction too far off his post.
The goal composed Dunga's previously erratic side and they doubled the lead with 18 minutes left when Robinho slid a fabulous pass in for Elano to slot home from inside the area.
But North Korea gave them a much harder game than they were expecting and Kim Jong-Hun's side got a goal their endeavour deserved when Ji Yun-nam fired in superbly in the closing stages.
Brazil deserved the victory for their dominance in possession, especially in the second half, but North Korea's previously unknown players can hold their heads high after a display full of passion and no little skill either.
In fact, playing their in their first World Cup since 1966, the Chollima - before they tired after the break - threatened to cause an almighty upset.
With star striker Jong Tae-se - who cried during their national anthem - leading the line magnificently, they were giving Brazil as good as they got in a first half that swung from end to end in hugely entertaining fashion.
Indeed as Elano, Robinho and Michel Bastos all sprayed long-range shots wide from outside the box, it was the little-fancied North Koreans who began to test the Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar as they proved that had not come to the World Cup simply to defend.
Jong was causing the usually unflappable Lucio all kinds of problems with his movement and pace and he turned sharply before firing straight at the Brazilian keeper, before Ri Kwang-chon dragged wide from a good position on the edge of the Brazil box after they had failed to clear a corner.
The Brazilians were lethargic, with their best moments coming down the flanks as Maicon on the right and Michel Bastos - who had a 20-yard sizzler deflected over - got forward time and time again to support their struggling team-mates.


As the game wore on there was a sense that a major upset could be in the offing, but Maicon's devilish drifter put paid to that and soon Brazil were controlling the game in the manner with which their World Cup opponents have become accustomed.
Striker Luis Fabiano, without a goal in his last six internationals, was desperate to get on the scoresheet, but he could only turn and blaze over, before Robinho wonderfully found Elano to make the game safe.
Brazil still had a scare when Ji Yun-nam's brilliant first touch controlled a high ball and took him into space in the Brazil box and he made no mistake with an unerring finish past Julio Cesar.
There was no time for them to conjure the most unlikely of all equalisers, but their heroic display finally brought the World Cup to life and warmed the hearts of the crowd on a freezing night at Ellis Park.

Ivory Coast and Portugal contested a goalless draw in a cagey opening game to the World Cup's so-called group of death at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
With Brazil also in Group G, it was obvious that both sides were desperate to avoid defeat and there was an extent to which both teams cancelled each other out.
It was the first competitive fixture of Sven-Goran Eriksson's short spell in charge of the Elephants and he can be pleased with the unity and discipline his side showed, particularly with talismanic striker Didier Drogba missing from the starting line-up.
The Chelsea striker, who broke his arm on 4 June, came on after the break to huge cheers from the far-from-capacity Port Elizabeth crowd, but he had limited chance to make an impact on the game.
Ivory Coast were courageous in defence - Didier Zokora, for example, receiving a kick in his arm after bravely heading a cross that Liedson tried to volley - and showed an organisation and discipline in their play that suggested talk of fractures in their squad are wide of the mark.
Portugal, third in the Fifa rankings but who only made it to South Africa after a play-off victory over Bosnia-Hercegovina, should perhaps have tried to capitalise on Drogba's absence.
They did come closest to scoring when Cristiano Ronaldo struck a post, but there was little to suggest an upsurge from their patchy form during qualifying.
It was a match that desperately needed an early goal to force one team to abandon the tactical caginess that has been a feature of the opening round of fixtures.
It almost arrived when Ronaldo's 25-yard strike after 10 minutes swerved and dipped, easily defeating Boubacar Barry but finding the woodwork an altogether more difficult opponent.
It would have been a stunning end to a precise and swift build-up from the Portuguese - but it proved to be the high watermark in the match.
There were glimpses of real attacking intent from both sides, but all too often defensive and midfield players remained pinned back.
It left little room for the opposition to exploit with swift counter-attacking moves, while Ronaldo soon started to become frustrated with the close attention he received.
The Portuguese captain and Guy Demel were both booked after a brief confrontation, with Ronaldo perhaps a little unfortunate after referee Jorge Larrionda failed to spot a clear foul by the Ivorian moments earlier.


Portugal, who only managed 17 goals in their 10 qualifying games, failed to test Barry again after Ronaldo's early shot until the Elephants keeper stopped a weak header from the largely anonymous Liedson after 57 minutes.
Raul Meireles, industrious in midfield, had a shot deflected wide, while Ronaldo, who has not found the net for Portugal since February 2009, missed the target with a free-kick.
Ivory Coast, who conceded twice in every game during their debut appearance at a World Cup in 2006, had only mustered errant long-range strikes from Siaka Tiene and Ismael Tiote during the opening 45 minutes.
However, they made a more incisive opening to the second half and the impressive Gervinho drilled a strike across the face of goal, while Salomon Kalou was inches away from connecting with a cross from the right and finally forced Eduardo into action with a low shot from the edge of the box.
And it was the Ivorians who finished the game on top, without actually managing to break the deadlock.
Drogba stretched to reach a through ball but his attempted shot ended up being more of a cross even though he was little more than eight yards out.

Winston Reid headed a dramatic injury-time equaliser against Slovakia to earn New Zealand their first ever World Cup point.
Slovakia were on course for a perfect start in their debut World Cup as an independent nation after Robert Vittek's 50th-minute header.
But Vladimir Weiss's side paid for sitting back on their lead when, in the third minute of injury time, Reid rose to head home Shane Smeltz's left-wing cross.
The result in Rustenburg leaves all four teams in Group F on a point each after Italy's draw with Paraguay on Monday.
Perhaps more importantly for the Kiwis, though, it breaks their World Cup duck.
New Zealand's only other appearance in a World Cup finals was in 1982 when they lost to Scotland (5-2), Soviet Union (3-0) and Brazil (4-0).
Their warm-up matches were hardly encouraging either, with a 1-0 win over Serbia the highlight among defeats by Slovenia, Australia and Mexico.
However, skipper Ryan Nelsen promised his team would "make every New Zealander proud" and they were true to the Blackburn defender's word at a far-from-full Bafokeng Stadium.
Middlesbrough striker Chris Killen threatened twice within the first five minutes, first with a long-range effort which flew well over and then with a header, which goalkeeper Jan Mucha gathered at the second attempt.
Slovakia's main threat in the first half, such as it was, was provided by 20-year-old Manchester City winger Vladimir Weiss, as the much-vaunted Napoli playmaker Marek Hamsik struggled to impose himself.
Weiss's trickery on the left set up chances for Hamsik, who bent an ambitious shot wide, and Stanislav Sestak, who fired narrowly wide.
Slovakia's best chance of a breakthrough, though, came through New Zealand's nervy keeper Mark Paston.
The Wellington Phoenix player embarrassingly miscued a clearance, gifting Vittek a difficult chance, and was fortunate to see one of his defenders clear when he failed to collect a header across the box.

Paston partly redeemed himself with a smart tip-over from Hamsik's long-range effort shortly before half-time, but within five minutes of the restart, he was beaten.
Slovakia finally found a good delivery from Sestak on the right, the Bochum winger whipping a cross in from deep for Vittek to plant a perfect header into the bottom corner.
New Zealand were rocked, but Slovakia, while looking comfortable in defence, did not seem desperate to press home their superiority.
Their attitude was summed up when more good work from Sestak gave Vittek a chance to wrap it up, but the striker appeared to delay too long, allowing Reid to slide in with an excellent tackle.
And it was Reid who was the New Zealand hero at the other end.
The Kiwis had hardly threatened in the second half, but they saved their best two chances for the dying minutes.
Smeltz, the former Mansfield, AFC Wimbledon and Halifax striker, headed wide from a tempting Tony Lockhead cross before he set up an unlikely equaliser, delivering a perfect ball from the left for Reid to head past Mucha.
The FC Midtjylland defender ripped off his shirt and swung it around his head, prompting the inevitable booking from the referee, but that mattered little as he celebrated a historic goal for his country.
A first World Cup win may prove harder to come by: New Zealand face Italy in their next game on Sunday, when Slovakia will look to make amends against Paraguay.

World champions Italy had to fight back from a goal down to earn a point against Paraguay as they began the defence of their crown with an unconvincing draw.
Marcello Lippi's side looked like they would be on the wrong end of the first major shock of the 2010 World Cup when they fell behind to Antolin Alcaraz's first-half header but an error from the South American side's goalkeeper Justo Villar gifted Daniele de Rossi an equaliser.
The ageing Azzurri, who featured five of their 2006 winning team in their starting line-up, looked short of ideas going forward and also have a concern over the fitness of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was forced off at half-time with an apparent back injury.
Italy did avoid their first defeat in their opening game of a World Cup since losing to the Republic of Ireland in New York in 1994 but this was not a performance to reassure their army of travelling fans that they are in any sort of shape to defend their title.
In the absence of the injured Andrea Pirlo, who is expected to return later in the group stage, it fell on Simone Pepe to try to open up the Paraguayan defence, but it was only in the closing stages of the game that he and his side managed any sustained spells of pressure.
Lippi's men dominated possession but their opponents' disciplined and regimented approach, in some ways reminiscent of many cautious Azzurri sides in the past, held firm.
Italy's best opening of the first half hour actually came on the break when Riccardo Montolivo dispossessed Salvatore Bocchetti on the half-way line but, after running to the edge of the area, his low shot barely tested Villar.
At the other end, Paraguay were growing in confidence and they had already wasted a couple of decent shooting chances when they stunned the world champions by taking the lead after 39 minutes.

Aureliano Torres curled in a wicked free-kick and Alcaraz leapt to beat Fabio Cannavaro and De Rossi and power home his header into the corner of the net.
Things got even worse for Italy at half-time when goalkeeper Buffon, another survivor of 2006 and still the anchor of their side, had to be replaced by Federico Marchetti.
Paraguay continued to look comfortable after the break and Enrique Vera came close to adding a second when he drove a fierce shot over the bar when the ball broke to him in the area.
But Italy were gifted an equaliser by the sort of goalkeeping howler that we have become used to in the opening days of this World Cup.
Villar flapped horribly at Pepe's corner and missed his attempted punch, allowing the onrushing De Rossi to force the ball the home from close range.
Italy looked a lot sharper after equalising and ended the stronger side but they were still finding things frustrating in the final third and had to settle for shots from distance.
Pepe fired wide after cutting in from the right and Montolivo had a low effort turned round the post before the end but the Paraguayans held on for the draw that their performance merited.

Japan edged out Cameroon in a dour encounter at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium which produced little in the way of goalmouth action.
A far from capacity crowd witnessed two out-of-form teams struggle to find any inspiration in another tepid World Cup encounter.
After a dire opening half-hour the Japan took the lead against the run of play when Dalsuke Matsui's cross looped over Stephane Mbia and was met by Keisuke Honda, who fired in coolly at the back post.
Japan almost doubled the lead when Makoto Hasebe crashed an effort towards goal but it was well saved by Souleymanou Hamidou before the offside Shinji Okazaki clattered the post as he followed up.
Cameroon finally found some urgency in the closing stages as Mbia rattled the crossbar from 25 yards but the well-drilled Japan side were able to hold on and go level with the Netherlands at the top of Group E.
The Blue Samurai, who had lost four straight games in their World Cup build-up before drawing 0-0 with Zimbabwe, set out so defensively it seemed they would be happy with a point from the opening whistle.
And although Cameroon showed more endeavour, the fact that star striker Samuel Eto'o was played wide on the right and was often found lurking very deep, they lacked any sort of cutting edge.
A 37th-minute shot from Eyong Enoh was the first goalmouth action of the game and, although it was comfortably collected by Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, it did finally suggest Cameroon may start to find gaps in the Japanese defence.
But the opposite was true as, despite their lack of attacking intent, Japan took a surprise lead one minute later.
Matsui's deep left-footed cross was completely missed by the Cameroon defenders and Honda had time to control the ball before passing into the net.
The Indomitable Lions are the most successful African side in World Cup history having qualified for the World Cup six times, but the pride and passion shown by previous incarnations was sadly lacking in this first tournament on their own continent.
Immediately after half time however, it suddenly seemed Cameroon had roused themselves from their slumber.

Three-time African Footballer of the Year Eto'o finally showed a glimpse of his ability when he picked the ball up on the right and beat two men on his way into the area before squaring to Maxim Choupo-Moting but the striker could not control his finish and blasted over the bar.
But that impetus was not to last and it was not until the 85th minute that Cameroon found two efforts which could have stolen them a point.
In a moment of inspiration totally out keeping with the rest of the game, Mbia hammered a stunning effort towards goal from 25 yards which crashed off the crossbar and following that Kawashima saved from Pierre Webo in injury time.
In fairness to Japan the Asian side's tactics worked almost perfectly as they defended solidly but on this evidence the Netherlands and Denmark will have little to worry about going into the tournament's second week.

A freak own goal from Denmark defender Daniel Agger helped Netherlands on their way to victory in the World Cup Group E contest at Soccer City.
After a tight first half, the crucial breakthrough came moments after the break as Simon Poulsen tried to head a Robin van Persie cross clear only for the ball to strike Agger on the back and fly past a wrong-footed Thomas Sorensen.
At the time the goal was harsh on Denmark after Morten Olsen's side matched the Dutch in the opening period, but they offered little having fallen behind and can have few complaints about the result.
The Dutch wrapped it up with five minutes left when lively substitute Eljero Elia raced on to a through ball and after his shot struck the post, Dirk Kuyt tapped in the rebound to add gloss to the scoreline.
But in truth, the ninth game of the tournament followed many of its predecessors as both teams struggled for any sort of fluency and neither could find any real attacking momentum in the Johannesburg sunshine.
With World Cup greats Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane watching on from the stands, it provided another sharp reminder that, Germany apart, so far this tournament has significantly failed to provide the entertaining, creative football many had expected.
Netherlands were many people's dark horses coming into the competition, but, missing the wing play of the injured Arjen Robben, they struggled to find a way through a dogged Danish defence.
Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Van Persie all threatened to deliver in the early stages, but the Dutch build-up was too laboured and with Denmark getting men behind the ball they managed to frustrate Bert van Marwijk's side.
After Van der Vaart had a shot deflected behind and then curled narrowly off target it seemed as though Netherlands had found their feet, but that only prompted the best spell Denmark had in the game.
The Scandinavians burst into life as Nicklas Bendtner headed a gilt-edged chance wide from six yards, Dennis Rommedahl shot straight at Martin Stekelenburg and then Thomas Kahlenberg forced a fine save from the Ajax stopper.
Unfortunately for Denmark, that was as good as it got as, seconds after the restart, Poulsen and Agger's calamitous moment gave the Dutch an initiative they never looked likely to surrender.
Denmark had no answer to falling behind and the Netherlands began to press for a second they knew would put the result beyond doubt as Van der Vaart brought a sprawling save from an increasingly extended Sorensen.


When the Dutch brought on Elia his pace and directness presented another problem the Danes could not deal with and after Sneijder's shot was deflected on to the bar, the goal that killed the game arrived soon after.
Elia's pace took him clear of the static Danish backline and after his shot stuck the post, Kuyt was only hand to wrap up the three points for the jubilant Dutch.
The nearly had another in the closing stages, only for Poulsen to produce a fabulous clearance with an overhead kick, but the damage had already been done and the Netherlands' World Cup campaign got off to a winning start

Just hours after Ghana set the pace in Group D with their 1-0 win over Serbia, Germany and Australia looked to keep up with the Black Stars as they kicked off in Durban.


Germany coach Joachim Loew made one change to the line-up that featured in last week's 3-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina: on the right flank, Thomas Mueller replaced Piotr Trochowski. Miroslav Klose, who has taken heavy criticism in recent weeks, got the nod as Loew's lone striker, pipping the in-form Cacau.

For Australia, Pim Verbeek made somewhat of a surprise selection in the striker position. With Harry Kewell unfit, it at first seemed that Joshua Kennedy was a shoe-in for the role up top. However, Verbeek opted to use Everton midfielder Tim Cahill in attack, with Brett Emerton, Richard Garcia, and Jason Culina as support.

Australia took no time to get started, and should have gone a goal ahead within three minutes. Following a corner, Cahill's header was blocked by Germany captain Philipp Lahm, and Garcia's follow-up was also deflected away from goal.

It wasn't long before Germany found their feet. After Mesut Ozil nearly played Lukas Podolski through on goal, the young playmaker found Klose breaking away from Vincenzo Grella. The Bayern Munich striker raced to the edge of the penalty area, but Mark Schwarzer made a good save to deny him.

Moments later, Ozil slipped a clever ball through to Mueller, who pulled back for Podolski. The Koeln man fired with his first touch, blasting in off Schwarzer's hand to put the Germans ahead.

After a spell during which the Germans held the ball well but had trouble timing their runs, the Aussies nearly drew level. Emerton's cross found Culina's head at the back post, but the Gold Coast United man nodded over the bar. Moments later, Wilkshire found Emerton with a fine through ball before Garcia cleverly created space for himself to shoot. The striker's last touch was lacking, however, and the ball flew well over the bar.


The Germans would soon punish their opponents for poor finishing. The catalyst, Ozil, first played a fine ball that resulted in Klose missing a wide-open shot from the centre of the penalty area. Then, Lahm sent an inch-perfect cross to Klose that fooled Schwarzer. The goalkeeper raced off his line, but failed to collect the ball as Klose emphatically headed home his 11th World Cup goal.

With the score reading 2-0, Germany were well in control, but continued to pressure the Australian goal. Their use of width stretched the Socceroos' defence, and their variety of attacking options kept the Aussies on their heels. Ozil failed to convert on a pair of one-on-one opportunities with Schwarzer, and Sami Khedira nearly added a goal of his own after receiving another well-taken cross from Lahm.

Only in the dying moments of the first half did Australia manage to bring the ball back into their attacking third, but Garcia posed a very lonely figure in the penalty box.

The first half ended with Germany comfortably ahead as a dejected Australian side was left to figure out how to find their way back into the game.

Straight Red | Timmy C Takes An Early Bath

After the break, Verbeek withdrew Grella in favour of the more attack-minded Brett Holman. Australia started well and had claims for a penalty after Garcia headed the ball off Per Mertesacker's arm. It would have been a harsh decision, but penalties have been awarded for less.

Within seven minutes, Holman nearly pulled a goal back for Australia. The substitute created space away from Friedrich and fired from 20 yards, but missed wide of the right post.

The Australians' momentum would soon run out, and their hopes of taking anything from the game were vanquished after 56 minutes, when Cahill was sent off for a poor foul on Bastian Schweinsteiger. The Everton midfielder tried to pull out of his challenge, but was late and connected with the German's ankle, which was enough to earn a straight red card.

Meanwhile, the Germans played for a third goal as Mueller, Khedira, Klose, and Podolski fired but could not quite beat Schwarzer.

Inside the final half hour, Verbeek swapped Garcia for Ukraine native Nikita Rukavytsa, but if anything, Australia could have used another defender. As the final quarter of the game approached, Podolski fed a through ball to Mueller, who wisely stopped his run to create space. The Bayern Munich attacker then struck a precise effort off the inside of the left post to make the score 3-0.

Even with a comfortable lead, Loew decided to keep attacking, and next substituted Cacau in place of Klose. With his first touch, the Stuttgart striker slotted in after Ozil slipped into a forward position and teed him up.

With a quarter hour left, Loew brought on striker Mario Gomez in place of Ozil, and the Germans' style of play switched to a strictly flank-based attack. Australia had their first bright spell since early in the first half, but as before, could not quite capitalise. Six minutes from full time, the Aussies had their first opportunity on goal since the third minute, but Rukavytsya was harried and fired weakly into goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's waiting arms.

With the result already decided, the match drew to a rather quiet close. Australia struggled to keep possession in their attacking half, and a comfortable Germany side played out the final minutes without throwing players forward as they previously had.

The result puts Germany atop Group D, ahead of Ghana on goal difference. After Serbia's loss earlier today, Australia still have a chance to advance to the knockout rounds, but have a mountain to climb.

An 85th-minute penalty from Asamoah Gyan ensured Ghana began their Group D campaign with victory against 10-man Serbia.

The striker converted emphatically from the spot when Serbia substitute Zdravko Kuzmanovic was penalised for handball attempting to clear a dangerous cross.
Raddy Antic's side had struggled to contain Ghana's dominance in midfield and their task was made even more perilous when defender Aleksandar Lukovic was red carded for his second bookable offence in the 74th minute.
The four-time African champions had dominated large stretches of the game, creating sufficient opportunities to win by a greater margin than the scoreline suggested.
Serbia boss Raddy Antic named his strongest starting XI following Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic's return from illness.
Meanwhile, Ghana manager Milovan Rajevac, a Serb, omitted European Cup-winning midfielder Sulley Muntari in midfield, while Kevin-Prince Boateng, who represented Germany under-21s, lined up for only his second appearance in a Black Stars shirt.
Despite the lack of clear-cut first-half chances, the first 45 minutes were played at a rapid tempo as both sides displayed slick passing moves, albeit without the crucial addition of a quality final ball.
Ghana created the first genuine opportunity of the match when a stinging goalbound left-foot strike by Kwadwo Asamoah was deflected wide by the sprawling right leg of striker Nikola Zigic, while John Mensah and Asamoah Gyan failed to capitalise on half-chances shortly after.
Serbia's best opportunity came from a set-piece when Aleksandar Kolarov's superbly struck 30-yard left-footed free-kick curled past the left-hand post.
Ghana once again dictated the tempo at the start of the second half, with Andre Ayew miscuing a header wide with his marker Vidic well beaten.
Gyan went even closer soon after when he leapt elegantly to meet John Pantsil's long throw into the 18-yard box, only for his powerful six-yard header to skim the outside of Vladmir Stokjovic's left-hand post.
Although Serbia were not without their chances - a Marko Pantelic cross was well blocked by Isaac Vorsah with Zigic lurking - Antic's side showed little attacking threat in the final third.
And Serbia were forced to endure a nervous final 15 minutes when Lukovic was sent off for a second bookable offence when he held back Gyan on the half-way line.
However, Richard Kingson produced a fine stop to deny Milos Krasic when the CSKA Moscow midfielder fired a stinging 12-yard strike straight at the keeper following an enterprising left-wing run from Pantelic.
But Ghana eventually made their dominance count when Kuzmanovic inexplicably left his arm lingering when attempting to head clear a dangerous cross, allowing Gyan the opportunity to step up and wrong-foot goalkeeper Stokjovic with a powerful penalty.
The Rennes striker almost added a second in injury time when his curling shot struck the post with Stokjovic beaten.

Robert Koren's late goal gave Slovenia victory over 10-man Algeria in their opening World Cup game in Polokwane to send them top of Group C.
The former West Brom midfielder's dipping 20-yard drive slipped through the grasp of Algeria keeper Faouzi Chaouchi and into the corner of the net to give the European side their first ever World Cup finals win.
The goal came just seven minutes after Desert Foxes substitute Abdelkader Ghezzal had seen red for two bookable offences as what had until then been a truly dire encounter came briefly to life.
In the 72 minutes prior to Ghezzal's dismissal, for a needless handball, two limited sides were only able to fashion a handful of chances between them, the best of which Algeria defender Rafik Halliche headed wide from a corner.
With group favourites England having drawn 1-1 with their perceived closest rivals USA yesterday, Algeria and Slovenia knew a victory here would send them top and raise their hopes of achieving an unexpected place in the last 16.
This tantalising prospect made for two anxious, edgy teams and an error-strewn encounter, characterised by the regular relinquishing of possession by both sides.
At their best Algeria are a capable outfit, as arch-rivals and qualifying play-off victims Egypt will testify, and the Desert Foxes looked arguably the sharper, aiming to exploit the pace and ability of Karim Ziani and Nader Belhadj.
The early signs were promising when Belhadj drew a good save from Slovenian keeper Samir Handanovic with a curling 25-yard free-kick in the third minute but this turned out to be the only effort on goal in the opening quarter of the match.
It was not until the 36th minute that either side fashioned anything further of meaning.
Ziani's well-taken corner was met by Halliche, who had found space amongst a crowd of players in the box, but he failed to make full contact with his header and the ball flew past the far post with Handanovic stranded.
Slovenia's only previous World Cup appearance came in Japan and South Korea in 2002, during which they failed to claim a single point and scored only twice.
Prior to Koren's decisive strike, the closest they came to adding to their tally was a 20 yard shot from Valter Birsa, which drew a fine one-handed save from Chaouchi just before half time, and an Andraz Kirm 10-yard shot from an angle early in the second half which the Algerian keeper also saved.
Algerian substitute Ghezzal's presence on the pitch was short but eventful. In 15 minutes he produced two headers which failed to find the target and picked up two bookings - the first for shirt pulling, the second a needless handball when trying to provide another header on goal - which resulted in his side playing the final 15 minutes of the match with 10 men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Algeria were presented with a glorious chance to score minutes later as Handanovic's pass out to defender Marko Suler was intercepted by Ziani but his first touch was too heavy and the keeper was able to gather at his feet.
Slovenia's next attack proved decisive as Chaouchi badly misjudged the flight of Koren's speculative, dipping effort and allowed it to pass him and find the corner of the net.
While not a good game for a neutral, it will make for heartening viewing to England and their fans who will fancy their chances of securing positive results against both these sides.

England's opening World Cup group C encounter against the USA finished 1-1 after a cut and thrust encounter inside the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.
Steven Gerrard opened the scoring after less than five minutes with a neat finish but a goalkeeping howler from Robert Green ensured the United States took a point away from the tie.
After endless speculation and hours of conjecture, England manager Fabio Capello's starting line-up and formation was revealed: A standard 4-4-2 formation with Robert Green getting the nod ahead of David James and Joe Hart in goal.
In defence, Ledley King got the faith of the manager to fill the injured Rio Ferdinand's boots, the Spurs stopper partnered John Terry, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson in a familiar back-four. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were selected in centre midfield, with James Milner the choice on the left and Aaron Lennon on the right. Emile Heskey partnered Wayne Rooney up front.

The United States opted for a familiar line-up. Jozy Altidore would fulfil striker's duties, with Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey providing support from the right and left wings respectively.
The game started in high tempo with England putting the USA under pressure immediately. The much maligned Emile Heskey proved a good early outlet for the Three Lions and his link-up play kept the United States back-four occupied.

Less than five minutes on the clock and the positive start from Capello's men was to pay off.

A ball up to Wayne Rooney was mis-controlled by the Manchester United talisman but Heskey was there to pick up the loose ball. The targetman showed good vision to spot Gerrard breaking into the box and his reverse path was straight into his captain's path. The skipper fought off the attentions of defender DeMerit and slid the ball neatly past a despairing Tim Howard to give the Three Lions a dream start.

The Americans were shocked but, to their credit, after conceding they got their foot on the ball and started to create chances for themselves.

A spell of possession from them saw a corner awarded, and Oguchi Onyewu perhaps could have done better when he connected in the box from the set-piece, but his header flew high and wide over the goal.

Not long after and the USA had an even better chance. England weren't proficient with their ball retention and this allowed dangerman Landon Donovan to drift down the left channel to deliver a dangerous ball across the six-yard box.

Altidore seemed to arrive fractionally too late to connect though and a gilt-edged chance for the Americans went begging.

There was a real cut and thrust to the game at this point and straight down the other end England hit their opponents on the counter. A direct ball up to Rooney was controlled superbly and the striker dinked an excellent ball over the USA back-line to release Aaron Lennon down the right flank.

The speedy winger put on the burners and charged towards the by-line. Rooney and Heskey were waiting in the middle for the cross but excellent defending by DeMerit stopped a dangerous ball from reaching its target and the USA were saved.

Milner, who had received a booking early in the game, was then brought off for Shaun Wright-Phillips in a tactical shift by Capello.

The USA were giving as good as they got though and good link-up play between Donovan and Findley saw them fashion a half-chance soon after, Donovan's curling drive on the edge of the box had the keeper scrambling, but the shot was just wide.

After that and the English goalkeeper was involved again - in an incident that he will soon want to forget.

A calamitous error from Green let the USA back into the game. A speculative shot from Dempsey should have been dealt with easily but the keeper let the ball slip from his clutches and roll over the goalline.

A disaster for a team that has had to deal with high-profile goalkeeping errors in the recent past, England manager Capello looked aghast from the sidelines.

His squad had little time to recover from the blow of conceding as the half-time whistle was blown shortly after.



Error of judgement | Three Lions suffer another keeper howler

The second period and England again started on the front foot.

Lennon in particular was impressive and the diminutive winger set up two great chances that should have been converted.

The first saw the winger display his dangerous pace. A darting run saw him go around the outside of Bocanegra and cut promisingly into the box. A delicious ball was slid across the goalmouth but both Rooney and Heskey failed to connect with it when all it needed was a touch to send it past Howard. Donovan collected it instead and cleared from danger.

Next and not long after, Lennon sent Heskey through with a great ball that let the big striker through on goal. The Aston Villa targetman is not exactly known for his finishing and this showed, his drive was straight at Howard who managed to catch his shot in his chest.

England were building pressure but the USA had their moments of danger. A clumsy challenge by Gerrard to the right of England's goal could have been punished when the referee awarded the foul. However, Donovan's curling delivery was headed wide by Onyewu.

The game was becoming stretched now and their was more space for both sides. Lampard was allowed to drift into a dangerous area in front of the box and the midfielder unleashed a fierce drive that Howard had to beat over his goal.

It was back and forth and Green went some way to making up for his howler in the first half when he produced an excellent save to deny Dempsey, the goalkeeper managed to push the ball wide of goal.

But it was the Three Lions who were really starting to knock on the door for the next goal. Wright-Phillips was enjoying more space down the right now and a cleverly disguised pass from Rooney allowed the winger to test Howard with a shot at a tight angle, the keeper doing well to beat it away.

There was more pressure from England then and it kept coming. A delightful cross from Gerrard then set up Heskey, but with the goalmouth begging, the striker headed over the bar from close range.

Crouch was then brought on as Capello went for the three points.

It was all England now as the USA looked visibly tired. A great counter-attacking move involving Lampard, Rooney and Lennon had the fans' heart in their mouths but as the final pass was played back across goal, Lampard couldn't make the connection after some great defending by DeMeritt.

It wasn't to be though and despite all England's pressure, the USA defended resolutely and held out for the point.

Argentina got their 2010 World Cup campaign off to a winning start and silenced some of their doubters with a dominant performance against Nigeria in Johannesburg.
Whilst not quite the sum of their supremely talented parts, Diego Maradona's side were able to capitalise on the space fatally afforded them by their opponents to register a well-deserved victory, secured through a headed goal from Gabriel Heinze.
Nigeria had their chances, primarily down the left where make-shift Argentine right-back Jonas Gutierrez was often exposed, but forward Chinedu Ogbuke Obasi was wasteful.
A vociferous Ellis Park crowd showed their appreciation for the entertainment on show, particularly that provided by Argentine forward Lionel Messi, who was the stand-out performer, creating opportunities for others and on a number of occasions drawing superb saves from impressive Super Eagles keeper Vincent Enyeama.
South Korea's comfortable 2-0 win over Greece in Group B's other fixture on Saturday means the winner of next Thursday's match between them and Argentina will be in pole position to qualify for the last 16.
Such an outcome would represent an extremely satisfying stride forward for an Argentina side who have polarised opinion in the build up to this tournament between those who identify them as challengers due to the sheer abundance of talent in their ranks and those who hark back to a turbulent qualifying campaign and the perceived flaws in coach Maradona as reasons to write them off.
While Maradona remained a lively source of fascination on the touchlines, his heir apparent, and the man predicted by many to stamp his authority on this World Cup as his iconic coach did in Mexico in 1986, Barcelona's Fifa World Player of the Year Messi, was a magnetic focal point on the pitch.
Operating in a front three alongside Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City - a trio that has scored 105 club goals between them this season - Messi produced a performance befitting of his billing.
Twice in the first 20 minutes Messi ran at the Nigeria defence and provided scoring opportunities for Higuain, but the first the Real Madrid striker put past the near post from three yards out and then saw an angled drive from further out blocked by Enyeama.
Sandwiched between these two Argentina took the lead. Tevez's superb curling shot wad tipped over by Enyeama for a corner, from which Juan Sebastian Veron provided the cross for Heinze to dive in unmarked and head home.
The South Americans remained the more likely to score, but they were either wasteful or unable to beat Enyeama, who kept his side as a credible threat in the match with further impressive saves from Higuain and Messi.
Nigeria's preparations for this tournament have been far from ideal, with Swede Lars Lagerback effectively given just three weeks to prepare his squad for the tournament after replacing Shaibu Amodu as coach and star midfielder John Mikel Obi ruled out with a knee injury but they remained committed to the cause throughout.
Had Obasi been better able to capitalise on the poor positional play of Gutierrez with greater accuracy in his shooting in the first half, Taye Taiwo's toe-poke shot been a foot to the left, or had substitute Kala Uche shown greater composure when unmarked to keep his shot under the bar late on the Africans could have salvaged what would have been an undeserved draw.
There was still time in the final few minutes for Messi to slightly blot his copybook by allowing Enyeama to save from six yards when he should have scored but it is harsh to take away from what was a superb display from the forward and an encouraging victory for Maradona's men.

France and Uruguay contested a truly awful goalless draw in the second match of the 2010 World Cup at the Cape Town Stadium.
The result ensured that both of the opening day Group A fixtures ended in draws - but there was much more to savour in South Africa's earlier game against Mexico.

The match in Cape Town never really got going; instead of sparking into life, it deteriorated into a largely forgettable contest only briefly illuminated by the occasional moment of trickery and skill.
In a game of few chances, Uruguay came closest to scoring through a Diego Forlan shot that was saved in the opening half, while they finished the contest with 10 men after substitute Nicolas Lodeiro picked up two bookings.
France were arguably the better team and might have snatched the points with a free-kick from a promising position deep into injury-time, but substitute Thierry Henry's strike hit the wall.
Both teams had laboured through qualification, requiring play-offs to reach South Africa, and their lack of fluency was clear to see.
France, who recently switched to a 4-3-3 formation, lost to China in their final warm-up game and were too ponderous in possession against La Celeste, with a lack of understanding undermining their efforts.
This was encapsulated in one move when Abou Diaby, surprisingly recalled in favour of Florent Malouda amid suggestions of a training ground row with manager Raymond Domenech, played a superb through ball for Sidney Govou.
But striker Nicolas Anelka, who made way for Henry with 20 minutes left, intercepted the pass after returning from an offside position and a promising opening was completely wasted.
Franck Ribery was an early threat down the left and his low cross after seven minutes should have been converted by Govou, while playmaker Yoann Gourcuff had few opportunities to showcase his skills - although he almost caught Fernando Muslera out with a free-kick from a tight angle on 17 minutes.
France's holding midfielder Jeremy Toulalan was reduced to trying his luck from more than 35 yards, while Uruguay's Diego Lugano mystified his team-mates by shooting at goal from deep inside his own half.
Toulalan was booked for a heavy tackle on Alvaro Pereira after 68 minutes and locked horns with Lugano seconds later. Domenech came on to the pitch to try to calm the situation, but at least it was something to rouse the crowd, leading to a brief cacophony of vuvuzela sounds.
Forlan, who forced an excellent first-half save from Hugo Lloris after cutting inside and shooting from 20 yards, was impressive for Uruguay.
The Atletico Madrid striker was alive with craft and invention, but he wasted a decent opening with 20 minutes left, shooting wide from 16 yards after a decent lay-off from Luis Suarez.
Striker Suarez, with 49 goals in 48 games for Ajax last season, was all too frequently caught offside, while playmaker Ignacio Gonzalez was a peripheral figure.
Uruguay coach Javier Aguirre brought on the highly rated Lodeiro in place of Gonzalez shortly after the restart, and Domenech replaced Gourcuff with Malouda.
Lodeiro's only mark on the game was arguably made on the ankle of Bakari Sagna as the Uruguayan picked up his second booking with 10 minutes to go.
Henry almost produced a moment of late drama with a header that glanced across the face of goal and had an appeal for a handball against Mauricio Victorino turned down as Uruguay held on.

Mexico's Rafael Marquez struck 12 minutes from time to deny hosts South Africa a winning start to the World Cup at Soccer City in Johannesburg.
Marquez controlled Andres Guardado's cross at the back post and rifled past Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune to ensure the spoils were shared after a breathless opening to the tournament.
The Mexicans were the better team throughout, but they fell behind when Siphiwe Tshabalala fired in a left-foot thunderbolt from an angle on the left to give the hosts a lead in which their supporters revelled.

In an atmosphere bordering on ecstasy in Johannesburg, Tshabalala's screamer threatened to provide the 19th World Cup with the fairytale beginning it was hoping for, before Marquez and Mexico intervened.
Even then, South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira saw his team almost snatch it in the dying moments, only for striker Katlego Mphela to agonisingly roll a shot against the post with keeper Oscar Perez beaten.
Yet over the 90 minutes, Parreira and his side were perhaps lucky to get away with a draw themselves in front of a partisan 84,490 crowd as Mexico failed to turn their startling superiority into victory.
For South Africa, the first African nation to host the footballing spectacular, what was supposed to be a day of celebration began with the announcement that the 13-year-old great-granddaughter of former president and icon Nelson Mandela had tragically died in a car crash on Thursday.
The 91-year-old Mandela stayed away from the opening ceremony - which preceded the game - to mourn, but through president Jacob Zuma, who declared the World Cup open, he asked people to "enjoy the game".
It is unlikely many of the South African fans enjoyed the first 54 minutes of their moment in the global footballing spotlight as their team were comprehensively outplayed by a Mexico side that knocked the ball around the gorgeous surface with consummate skill and ease.
With Giovani sitting in the hole behind Carlos Vela and Guillermo Franco, the Mexicans had weapons Bafana Bafana simply could not handle - and the movement of the front three quickly began to cause the hosts all kinds of havoc.
Khune was only spared the embarrassment of his early fumble costing a goal by Aaron Mokoena's reflex block to deny Giovani, before Franco headed a corner wastefully over.
South Africa were struggling to get out of their own half with any real consistency and former West Ham striker Franco was inadvertently keeping them in the contest, again heading off target when he should have done better and seeing another shot expertly saved by Khune.
Mpehla had been forced to feed off scraps until he was inches away from heading in Tshabalala's cross just before the break, but soon after the interval the world had the goal for which it had been waiting.
Tshabalala, a 25-year-old Soweto-born left winger for Kaizer Chiefs, wrote his name down in football folklore with a strike of such pure quality it almost took a second for him to realise what he had done.
Mexico were shell-shocked, but after Giovani's left-foot rocket was tipped away by Khune, up popped Marquez to slot in and quieten some of the vuvuzelas in the crowd.
Mphela's late flirtation with the woodwork only compounded the agony for the hosts, but their World Cup campaign remains very much alive.

With the World Cup only seven months away, the South African FA made a brave but necessary move to oust former coach Joel Santana and bring back fellow Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira. That move paid off, and the team now prepare themselves for the opening match of the 2010 World Cup.

Bafana struggled to score goals a few months back, and Parreira has done well to improve that situation, though the side should make more out of the opportunities and possession they have during games. The defence on the other hand, has been impressive, with very few goals conceded thanks to tight marking and good communication at the back, while marshalled by Itumeleng Khune in goal.

The side currently boasts a 12-game unbeaten run, and although a number of those teams were not particularly testing for Bafana, there were also matches against the likes of Colombia, Bulgaria and Denmark in that statistic.

For this reason, and due to incredible support from the home fans, South Africa is feeling confident and aiming to make it to the second round of the competition. Failure to do so would make them the first host nation to fall at the group stage.

Mexico Are Well Prepared

The opponents of the host nation are the surprise package of Mexico, a country with a tradition of football passion and a fair share of good teams down the years. The Mexicans have played many warm-up matches ahead of the tournament, and the preparations have been good for the North Americans, with opponents such as England, Holland and Italy coming head to head with El Tri.

The side lost to England and Holland, while beating Italy, but against all of those opponents the Mexicans proved to be an impressive and cohesive outfit. Talented and relatively balanced throughout the park, Mexico will be a stern test for South Africa, and home advantage will be a necessary weapon in Bafana’s arsenal.


Mexico have reached the last-16 at the last four World Cup tournaments and coach Javier Aguirre has set a second-round place as the minimum requirement for his squad of 14 local-based stars and nine from around Europe. Aguirre salvaged a qualification campaign on the verge of failure under former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.

The Mexicans do not suffer from a lack of support either, with a great number of fans making the journey to South Africa for the World Cup. They will be behind their troops, knowing that two difficult tests against France and Uruguay remain after the Soccer City opener. A coach like Aguirre has experience and will prepare his team well, while the many matches ahead of the tournament would have allowed the team to become more comfortable together.
South Africa

South Africa 1-0 Denmark

South Africa 5-0 Guatemala

South Africa 1-1 Bulgaria

South Africa 4-0 Thailand

Mexico

Mexico 2-1 Italy

Mexico 5-0 Gambia

Mexico 1-2 Holland

Mexico 1-3 England

TEAM NEWS

South Africa

Itumeleng Khune, fully recovered from an injury sustained in a bruising win over Colombia, will be the goalkeeper behind a back four of Siboniso Gaxa, captain Aaron Mokoena, Bongani Khumalo and Tsepo Masilela. There will likely be five midfielders with Teko Modise, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Steven Pienaar and Thanduyise Khuboni set to balance Bafana in the middle of the park. Katlego Mphela will be the lone striker, and will be in confident mood after scoring six goals in five World Cup warm-up matches.

Possible Line-up: Khune, Gaxa, Khumalo, Masilela, Mokoena, Pienaar, Modise, Tshabalala, Letsholonyane, Khuboni, Mphela.

Mexico

Oscar Perez appears the likely goalkeeper with Efrain Juarez, Ricardo Osorio, captain Rafael Marquez and and Carlos Salcido a possible 'El Tri' back four. And the Mexican midfielders in what could be a densely populated area of the Soccer City pitch may be Giovani dos Santos, Israel Castro, Guillermo Franco, Gerardo Torrado and Andres Guardado. Manchester United-bound Javier Hernandez looks a strong candidate to start upfront in a team packed with talented individuals who do not always sing from the same sheet.

Possible Lineup: Perez; Juarez, Osorio, Marquez, Salcido; G. dos Santos, Castro, Torrado, Guardado; Franco, Hernandez.

Mexican Fans Are Excited To Be Playing The Opening Match

PLAYERS TO WATCH

South Africa

Bafana will be looking to Katlego Mphela in the absence of Benni McCarthy in terms of a goalscorer and someone to rely on up front. The talented Sundowns attacker is playing well at the moment, and recently boasted that losing five kilograms during the training camps has made him faster. He will need to use that speed against El Tri.

Mexico

Manchester United-bound striker Javier Hernandez is one of the jewels in the Mexican crown, adding pace and skill to an already aggressive attacking team. He is likely to be the lone striker up front against South Africa, and the Bafana defenders will need to watch him carefully to make sure he does not get the better of them.

PREDICTION

It is a game that will rely heavily on home support in the 89,000 seater Soccer City Stadium, which will be transformed into a Bafana cauldron for the match. The Mexicans are the better team, but South Africa has improved steadily and are very fit. The home advantage will weigh heavily, and perhaps the hosts can pull off a surprise in front of their fans with a 2-1 win. Mexico are tipped by the Castrol Match Predictor to beat South Africa in this opener, but football is a tough game to call.