FIFA To Eliminate Ties at World Cup?

By: Stephen Patterson

There have been reports that FIFA will consider eliminating ties in all World Cup games, which is a common ending during the group stage of play. If tying were no longer an option, teams would be forced to play the entire game, and not waste huge amounts of time passing the ball to preserve a tied game and help them in their group standings. Personally, I don't see how it could possibly hurt the sport and event to eliminate the draws and force teams to play to win.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said today that the elimination of ties would make the tournament more exciting, which raises this question to me: Did he really just now realize this? I mean honestly, how many of you have spent two and a half to three hours watching a World Cup game only to see it end in a tie? I know I'm never content with the ending, especially if it was an intense contest.

The worst case scenario is when two teams are playing each other that both mutually benefit from a tied game. Those games usually involve about 30 minutes of useless passes without trying to advance the ball. I know I've never once turned on my TV hoping to see a tie in a sporting event. Even if two of my favorite teams are playing each other, I make my decision and cheer for the team I like more. Not very many people watch sports hoping to see a game end in a draw, and obviously most would prefer to see a clear winner and loser.

If soccer's governing body decides to make the change, all games would either end in penalty kicks or go to a sudden-death overtime. In the knockout stages of this past World Cup, teams would play an extra 30 minute period and if their was still no winner, the game would go to a shootout. Group games have always ended in draws if tied at the end of the game. While that may be nice for some of the teams involved, it's not good for many of the people sitting through the game at the stadium or at home. The elimination of draws would probably increase the ratings for the World Cup during the opening round and draw in new viewers.

MLS Won't Allow Donovan Permanent Transfer

By: Stephen Patterson

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber announced that he won't allow Landon Donovan to transfer to a European club permanently, saying the league needs to keep it's biggest star. Donovan became a national team hero with his three goal performance in the 2010 World Cup and likely would've drawn interest from several top European clubs.

Donovan signed a four year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in December 2009, with his base salary for this season being a meager $2.05 million. Compared to other top international players, that's a pretty small deal for a player as skilled as Donovan. Although he has said he wants to play in the U.S. for the time being, when asked about possible European offers he said "if there's something serious to look at, I will".

With his three goal performance in this World Cup, Donovan became the all-time goals leader for the U.S. team in the tournament with five. If he wants to play in 2014, there is a good chance he will only further add to that record. While Donovan should want to help soccer gain popularity in the United States and play here, the decision to play with a major international club in his prime should be his alone to make. Unless the Galaxy offer Donovan more money to be the face of the league, he should be allowed to go to a European club if the opportunity arises.

Spain Wins World Cup

By: Stephen Patterson

Spain is celebrating their first World Cup championship after defeating the Dutch 1-0 in the final game of the 2010 World Cup. The game was won when Andres Iniesta scored the deciding goal in the 116th minute, the latest goal to win a World Cup final game. The Spanish team, coming off their 2008 European title, was one of the favorites from the beginning of the Cup.

The game was a very heated contest, with a finals record 13 yellow cards handed out. The Dutch finished the game with only 10 players after one of their guys was sent off with a red card. The Netherlands once again came painfully close to their elusive first Cup title. They had won every qualifying match and all six previous games in South Africa entering into the game.

Spain becomes the first team to win the World Cup after losing their opening game, a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland. David Villa led the way for the Spanish team throughout most of their previous games in this Cup, but today was Iniesta's time to shine. After scoring the game-winning goal, Iniesta took off his jersey and raced to the corner where he was met by his overwhelmed teammates.

Spain Tops Germany 1-0

By: Stephen Patterson

After defeating Germany 1-0, Spain will meet the Netherlands for the 2010 World Cup championship. It's the first time the Spanish team has made it to the final game in the tournament. Carles Puyol headed in the game's only goal midway through the second half and Spain was able to hold off Germany for the victory.

The championship game should be an intense match, with both of the tournament's leading scorers going head-to-head (Spain's David Villa and Netherland's Wesley Sneijder). It's also the first time since 1978 (Argentina-Netherlands) that both of the teams involved in the championship game have never previously won one.

Spain has never won the World Cup, and only recently ended a 44 year drought with their 2008 European Championship title. If they win the final game, it will be the first time a team has won the tournament after losing their first game (vs. Switzerland).

The 2010 World Cup has seen 29 games decided by just one goal, more than any other time in Cup history. The championship game will almost certainly come down to who can play the best defense, because both teams are capable of scoring in bunches. Making their third trip to the final game, I envision the Dutch team coming out victorious in the championship game.

The German team isn't done playing just yet, however, as they will meet Uruguay on Saturday in the 3rd Place game. Spain will play the Netherlands on Sunday in the championship game to determine the winner of the 2010 World Cup. Whoever pulls out the victory for the championship will hold bragging rights until the next World Cup in 2014.

Video Of The Day: Netherlands Player Kicked In Face

By: Tyler Ward

In the Uruguay-Netherlands game on Tuesday, the Netherland's Demy De Zeeuw took the biggest hit of all in this year's World Cup. The Netherlands did win the game, 3-2, but this was probably the highlight of the game. Uruguay was trying to score and the defender, De Zeeuw, was trying to head the ball out of the zone when the Uruguay's Martin Caceres went up for a bicycle kick and hit De Zeeuw straight in the face.

Here's the video:

Dutch Advance To World Cup Final

By: Stephen Patterson


The Dutch once again stole the show behind Wesley Sneijder, who scored his fifth goal of the tournament on a questionable call to give the Netherlands a 2-1 lead that would lead them to victory. Moments later, the Dutch put the game away with their third goal. The Netherlands will advance to the final game of the tournament against the winner of Spain-Germany. This is also their sixth consecutive win in the World Cup. It will now be an All-European final game with the Netherlands 3-2 victory.


The Netherlands took an early lead before Diego Forlan of Uruguay tied it at the 41st minute. Uruguay obviously missed the scoring of Luis Suarez, who missed the game due to his hand ball against Ghana that helped save the game for his team. While they kept it close for two thirds of the game, Uruguay could no longer hold off the Netherlands nor could they find the scoring to come back. Once Forlan sat down, the game was pretty much over.

Sneijder, who got the game winning header against Brazil, was involved in a questionable call when he scored his goal. On video replay, it appeared a teammate may have been offsides, but no flag was given and the goal stood to put the Dutch ahead. Only two minutes later before the shock had even worn off for Uruguay, the Netherlands put the game away with Arjen Robben's goal to make it a 3-1 game.

Regardless of who advances to play the Dutch, they will definitely have to take notice of their quality play and not under estimate them. While offer teams like Argentina and Brazil, teams favored to win, have been brushed aside, the Netherlands are still standing and not letting off the gas anytime soon. They will still have a tough time winning the Cup, however, as both of their potential opponents are very good on both sides of the ball and rain down goals in a heartbeat.

Top 10: World Cup 2010 Goals (So Far)

By: Stephen Patterson

With so many bad calls being made in the 2010 World Cup, many people have overlooked some of the outstanding plays that have been made. There have been goals that marinated entire countries with joy, while shattering the dreams of other nations. While there have been a lot more than 10 spectacular goals, this is the best compilation YouTube had to offer. If there are any more memorable goals you have seen thus far in the World Cup, please send them in and I will post them below this clip. I hope this video will help fill the soccer cravings while the world awaits the semifinals, so please enjoy:

Top World Cup Players Thus Far

By: Stephen Patterson


With the 2010 World Cup starting nearly a month ago with 32 teams, it is now down to the last four. Only Germany, Uruguay, Spain, and the Netherlands remain in the tournament. The semifinals will begin on Tuesday with Uruguay-Netherlands, and Germany-Spain on will be on Wednesday. With so many amazing plays, impressive goals, and dominant play it is hard to really decide who has put on the best performance so far, but here's the list of some of the best and you can decide:


David Villa (Spain): Scoring all but one of Spain's goals entering the semifinals of the World Cup, Villa is the best player thus far in the tournament in my opinion. He has been on fire and scored the only goal of Spain's 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Saturday. They face a very tough task ahead, however, playing against a German team that has has three four-goal games so far in the tournament. But with Villa's scoring capabilities, the Spanish team has to feel they have a good chance of making the final game.


Luis Suarez (Uruguay): Even though it is hard to say he is one of the best players in the tournament after such a clear, and shameful handball against Ghana, Suarez has been one of the most important players for his team. He has been one of the key reasons Uruguay has seen so much success in the tournament, shocking many people by making it so deep in the World Cup. But after his handball in the Ghana game, which did prevent a game-winning goal for Ghana, he will miss the team's next game against the Netherlands. While he says he doesn't regret the move, his team might feel different without one of their best offensive threats on the field.


Landon Donovan (United States): Landon Donovan single-handedly carried a nation on his shoulders and he embraced the challenge. Donovan scored three goals in the 2010 World Cup for the U.S. team, including the goal that clinched Group D in the group round. Even though the United States team was eliminated in the round of sixteen by Ghana, Donovan carried much of the offensive load for the team like stars like Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey failed to the goal as often (Dempsey did score one goal, had another clearly robbed, and had a few other good attempts, however).


Keisuke Honda (Japan): Honda was by far the most athletic and entertaining Asian player in the 2010 World Cup in my opinion. He helped carry the scoring load for a Japanese team that desperately needed it. While his team didn't make it very far into the World Cup, having been knocked out of the tournament in the round of sixteen, Honda helped them surpass many people's expectations.


Miroslav Klose (Germany): With his two goals in Germany's dominating victory over Argentina, Klose has put himself among some of the greatest company in World Cup history. With the pair of goals in yesterday's game, Klose tied for second place for most all-time World Cup goals scored (14). He only trails Brazil's Ronaldo (15) on the list, and with his team still alive, he has a decent chance of tying the mark.


If I left out one of the best in your opinion, feel free to share your player and reasoning why he should be on this list.

Uruguay Loses Suarez For Next Match

By: Stephen Patterson

Uruguay will head into their semifinals matchup against the Netherlands missing perhaps their best player due to a late game handball that cost Ghana a victory. Luis Suarez, who has scored three goals for his country in the tournament, purposely used his hands to deflect a potential game winning goal by Ghana in the last minute of extra time.

The lose will definitely hurt Uruguay's chances heading into their matchup on Tuesday. The Netherlands haven't lost a game thus far in the 2010 World Cup are coming off a shocking victory over Brazil.

While Uruguay must be happy to have made it this far, they must understand they should have lost to Ghana, a team that's not quite on the same level as the Dutch.

Suarez has said "truth is, it was worth it" in interviews, and apparently feels his team is good enough to advance to the final round without him. While many teams have won knockout/important games without their star plays already in this tournament, Uruguay may struggle to score against the scorching hot Dutch team without his goals.

The people Holland have to be impressed with the performances their team has given them thus far, and they expect nothing less than to win the 2010 World Cup. The Dutch are Uruguay's last obstacle to reaching the championship round, and because of the handball, will have to find another player to step up and replace the scoring of Suarez.

Keep Your Clothes On Maradona

By: Stephen Patterson

The world has been saved from the horrid possibility of seeing Diego Maradona running naked through the streets of Argentina. With Germany's dominating 4-0 victory, the Argentian team has been eliminated from the World Cup for a second straight time by a rival widely hated in Argentina. The two countries have had a rivalry dating back 20 years, and this game was surely not something Argentian fans hoped to see.

Behind Miroslav Klose, who scored two goals in his 100th international game, Germany destroyed Argentina in virtually every aspect of their quarterfinals match up. With his two goals, Klose moved into a tie for second on the all-time World Cup scoring list with 14 goals. Having played in only three World Cups, Klose now trails on Brazil's Ronaldo on the all-time list who scored fifteen. He also put the game game out of reach with the much goal to the 2-0 lead. The German team talked a lot heading into the game, accusing Argentina of disrespecting referees and more, but they definitely backed up their words with solid play.

The Germans have been one of the most dominant teams at the World Cup, having scored four goals in three of their matches. Heading into the game, Argentina hadn't lost a game or even trailed during the tournament. After this performance against such a highly respected opponent, the German team has to considered the favorites to win it all heading into the semifinals. While Spain has played pretty well in the World Cup, David Villa has been their only major threat. Villa has scored all but one of Spain's goals thus far in the Cup, where as the Germans have multiple players scoring.

Behind superstar Lionel Messi, one of the top players in the world, Argentina was favored by a lot of soccer fans. Argentina now joins Brazil in the group of teams on their way home from South Africa. Germany will go on to face Spain Wednesday in what could potentially be the best game of the 2010 World Cup. This their third straight trip to the semifinals and twelve overall. No other country has been in more semifinal matches.

*Note* Check out Tyler's views on the Paraguay-Spain semifinal game that was also took place Saturday @ Paraguay Sent Home Packing After 1-0 Loss // Spain's David Villa has been playing out of his mind so far in the tournament. If he can play like this Wednesday, this will be an amazing match.

Paraguay Sent Home Packing After 1-0 Loss

By: Tyler Ward

The World Cup is finally down to the final four. After 32 teams started this World Cup, the semifinals are here and only a few nations are left. Spain defeated Paraguay on Saturday to become the last piece to the puzzle. They join the Netherlands, Germany, and Uruguay in the semifinals of the World Cup.

David Villa somehow got the ball to go in after it hit the goal post in the 83rd minute. This is Spain's first semifinals appearance on the world's biggest stage, thanks to Villa. Vuvuzelas immediately deafened the stadium after the goal went in. This was one of the best games in this year's World Cup, and David Villa has become a superstar in his home country. Many consider him to be the best player Spain has to offer, and he proved that earlier today.

Villa said after the game, "The post wanted it to go in. Every game is different. I'm sure Germany isn't happy we got through."

Spain takes on Germany in the semifinals on Wednesday, while Uruguay plays the Netherlands in their matchup.

Today's game was pretty boring until the time window started to close. The game started to become very intense in a two-minute span.

Spain's Gerald Pique was given a yellow card in the penalty area when he threw down Paraguay's Oscar Cardozo. Cardozo was given a penalty kick and could have given Paraguay a 1-0 lead. However, Cardozo's kick was stopped by Spain's goalie and Paraguay couldn't finish the deal.

Not much longer later, Villa broke through Paraguay's defense, only to be pulled down by Antolin Alcoraz. Villa, too, was given a penalty kick, but Xabi Alonso took the kick. Alonso scored on the penalty kick, but a player entered the zone too soon. Another kick was given, but was blocked by Parguay's Justo Villar. But, it wasn't Spain's last chance to take the lead.

A few sequences later, Spain's Andres Iniesta broke through the field again, but somehow, his shot dinged off the goal post and failed to go in. In an amazing stroke of luck, the ball got back to Villa and he also hit the goal post, but it went in. The crowd went wild as Spain celebrated the goal.

Spain's coach, Vicente del Bosque spoke highly of Villa after the game, saying, "He's at the top of his form. He's first to the ball every time. Villa had that hunger for the goal that allowed him to convert."

This could be one of Spain's most famous World Cup goals, as it came at such a perfect time. Paraguay would fail to score a goal in the waning moments and were sent home, after losing 1-0.

With the newly elected final four, many are expecting the next three games to be some of the best ever played. And I'm sure it'll turn out just right to live up to the expectations.

Brazil Stunned By Dutch

By: Stephen Patterson


While many soccer fans saw Brazil as World Cup contenders, the Netherlands obviously had a different view of things. In one of the most shocking games of the 2010 World Cup, the Dutch team stunned the soccer world by defeating the Brazilians in a 2-1 victory on Friday to advance the Dutch to the semifinal round. This is the second consecutive World Cup in which Brazil has failed to advance past the quarterfinals.

Even though the Netherlands were trailing at halftime, it didn't seem to derail the determination of the Dutch players. After taking an early 1-0 lead, Brazil was in shock when their lead disappeared on a own goal off the head of Felipe Melo in the 53rd minute. Once they were trailing the Dutch, it seemed the Brazilians completely lost their composure and could never recover it. Melo was ejected in the 73rd minute for stomping on the leg of Dutch player Arjen Robben. The ejection ended a rather upsetting match for Melo, as he became the first Brazilian player to score an own goal in the country's 97 game World Cup history. It's also only the second own goal in the last 40 years in the knockout rounds.

This had to be one of the most disappointing ends imaginable for the Brazilians at the World Cup. Following the match, Brazilian head coach Dunga said he had coached his last game with the team. While Dunga had planned to only coach four seasons and likely would have stepped down regardless of today's outcome, it's hard not to speculate that this loss guaranteed his departure. Not only was it the first time the team allowed an own goal in World Cup play, but it was also the first time the team lost a match at the Cup when leading at halftime (previously 35-0-2) and only the third time when scoring first (53-3-4). Brazil also became the first team to fall in this World Cup after leading at half. This marked Brazil's first defeat under now former head coach Dunga with both Kaka and Robinho playing (30-1-4).


The Brazilian team started the game off playing like the team many saw as potential champions. In the 10th minute, from a beautiful pass by Melo, Robinho sank a low shot into the goal to give Brazil the early 1-0 lead. But poor passsing and lack of composure would eventually start to wear on the team, giving the Dutch the opportunity to strike. The Netherlands took the lead on a header from one of the smallest players on the field, Wesley Sneijder, in the second half and they didn't look back. The goal, coming off a corner kick deflected off of the head of teammate Dirk Kuyt, was one of the best goals in the Cup thus far in my opinion.

With their victory, the Dutch now await the winner of today's Ghana-Uruguay match (currently 1-0 Ghana at half) to determine one of the spots for the championship match. This is the first time the Dutch have advanced to the semifinals since 1998. While the team usually falls short of expectations, having lost in the finals in their only two trips in 1974 and '78, millions of people in Holland and around the world will now be cheering for the Dutch team to bring home the countries first World Cup championship.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

By: Stephen Patterson

-- Congratulations to the USA soccer team for their stunning 1-0 victory over Algeria to advance to the Round of 16 in the World Cup. With Landon Donovan's shocking goal in the 91st minute, the US won their group for the first time since 1930. The US team will play the runner-up in Group D in the next round.