Match Preview: Uruguay v Germany

Saturday, July 10th, 19:30 GMT, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

It’s certainly not what either of these teams wanted as a result of their respective semi-final matches, but it beats most alternatives. Uruguay and Germany will kick off on Saturday playing for third place in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although both the winner and loser will ultimately be forgotten by the majority of football fans, finishing third in any World Cup is no small feat. A lot of pride will be on the line on Saturday, and neither team will go down easy.

Uruguay Key to Victory: Prevent the blitzkrieg

After Germany was unhappily eliminated by Spain with hardly a good attempt at goal (only one or two all match), the Germans will look to get back to what they do best. Pound the ball in early and score quickly. Uruguay cannot allow this to happen. That is exactly what happened to them against the Dutch, and they never fully recovered. If they can reverse that this time around they will be headed in the right direction. They will need to do much more than just score early though. Germany brings so much to the table, and Uruguay cannot allow them to have their cake and eat it too.

Germany Key to Victory: Take advantage of the chip

The chip is the one on their shoulder. The many doubters saw them fall just short of a berth in the Final. Well, finishing third would still be great, so they cannot allow their emotions to get the better of them. Channel them, and Uruguay will be steamrolled. The Germans play angry, physical football anyway, so they are already well on their way to victory. They cannot take Uruguay lightly though. They may not be Spain or Argentina, but they present a different set of problems. Look for Germany to take full advantage of Uruguay’s less talented squad.

Prediction

Uruguay showed me a lot when they rallied late against the Netherlands but ultimately fell short. I’m hoping they can carry that over into this match as well. The return of Luis Suarez to the lineup should give them even more scoring chances while lightening the load on Diego Forlan. However, Uruguay is already happy with how far they’ve advanced. Yes, finishing third would be that much better, but Germany are extremely disappointed with how their World Cup run is ending. They always expected to win it all, so a third or fourth place finish in unacceptable.

Germany has a much more well-rounded squad, and they should wreak havoc on Uruguay. The Germans may have failed their mission, but they will still end their World Cup campaign on a high note. Germany wins 3-1.

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