Uruguay and Germany have arguably been the two most entertaining teams at World Cup 2010 but both ultimately came up a fraction short and now contest the game that no professional wants to play in.
Only pride, and, of course, bronze medals, are at stake on Saturday in the third/fourth place playoff but these two admirable footballing nations should put on a decent show and I expect there to be goals.
With such relatively little pressure on either set of players, the prize they all coveted has slipped from their grasps, an open encounter is surely in store and it must be noted that this pair have combined for a whopping 22 goals already in South Africa.
Uruguay, who should welcome back the villain of their quarter-final win over Ghana, Luis Suarez, had Holland on the ropes in their semi-final clash, before Wesley Sneijder’s controversial goal knocked the stuffing out of them, and Oscar Tabarez’s men certainly showed they have more about them than just a terrific team spirit in that 3-2 defeat.
Diego Forlan, so prolific in La Liga in recent seasons, has proved himself among the world’s very best strikers at these finals with a string of fine displays and for me, carrying a side of Uruguay’s’ stature to the last four, it is he that should earn Player of the Tournament honours.
That accolade is unlikely to fall Forlan’s way, Uruguay’s nemesis Sneijder or Spain’s David Villa look to have the Golden Ball between them, but one can only hope he is fit to take to the field once more having limped off late on against the Dutch and is bound to cause Germany problems, if available, alongside the returning Suarez.
Germany must have had high hopes prior to their semi-final match with Spain, who could not have been impressed with the way they dismantled England and then Argentina in the knockout stages, but they were undone by an extremely talented outfit and lost nothing in defeat.
In blooding youngsters such as Sami Khedira, Thomas Muller and, most notably, Mesut Ozil, in South Africa, Germany’s future looks very bright indeed and they’ll quite rightly be among the tournament favourites for Euro 2012, and major competitions beyond for that matter.
Joachim Low, Germany’s dashing manager, has only enhanced his growing reputation at these finals in executing successfully a fairly un-German style of play, which brought such rich rewards in the early stages, and he’ll be hoping to end the campaign on a high.
With both Uruguay and Germany certainly more effective on the front foot, and given this fixture has produced at least three goals in the last eight Wiorld Cups, the 1.73 in the overs market more than appeals and, in fact, it looks one of the best wagers of the whole tournament.
All 22 players taking to the pitch will want to make one final lasting impression on World Cup 2010 and I expect the goals to flow in what should be an entertaining clash.
4pts Back Over 2.50 Goals (Uruguay vs. Germany) @ 1.73 (Totesport)