Uruguay and Germany play for pride
Source: Agencies |
July 10, 2010, Saturday
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GERMANY and Uruguay will hope to salvage some pride in their third-place playoff match today after their semifinal defeats earlier this week.
The two teams had some stunning performances in the run-up to the finals against some top-ranked sides before their respective exits to Spain and Netherlands in the last four.
Germany coach Joachim Loew was forced to skip training and stay in bed yesterday after coming down with a flu virus. Captain Philipp Lahm was also down with the flu while Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose and second choice keeper Tim Wiese were also missing from the training session near Pretoria, recovering from minor injuries.
Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff said it was not yet clear who would play against Uruguay but said the team was determined to help Klose, should he play, level Ronaldo's World Cup goal record of 15. Klose has scored 14 in three tournaments.
"I think there is a big drive within the team and also his wish to move higher up the list. It would also give the team some pride," Bierhoff told reporters.
He said it was also not clear whether Germany would field a full-strength team or if substitutes would start.
"On the one hand we want to win this match and then there is the thought to thank the substitutes, who have been exceptional in training, throughout all this period.
"We want to end this tournament on a high note."
History will not favor twice World Cup winner Uruguay in this match after fourth place finishes the last two times it reached the semifinals, losing out in the playoff to Austria in 1954 and the Germans in 1970.
Playoff
Germany has finished third on three occasions and lost the playoff only once in 1958, to France.
Two players central to the German and Uruguayan marches through the knockout stages will be available again after suspensions that weighed heavily on both teams in the semis.
Attacking midfielder Thomas Mueller was sorely missed by the Germans on Wednesday and will likely start, as will Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, whose handball on the goalline late in the match against Ghana helped put his team in the last four.
Uruguay could be without in-form marksman Diego Forlan because of a thigh problem sustained in the semifinal.
Forlan said he was eager to play and hoped Uruguay could go out on a high.
"I hope to be fit for Saturday," he said. "I really want to play for third place. Even that would be great for everyone."
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