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World Cup: South Africa vs. Uruguay (Your Running Commentary)

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Each of the 32 nations have now had a chance to open their respective World Cup campaigns in South Africa. Now, it's on to the second round of games, with host nation South Africa taking on Uruguay (2:30pm, ESPN/ESPN3.com) to wrap up today's action.

Group A is wide open, with both matches last Friday settled as ties. South Africa enjoys a slight advantage over Uruguay in the standings, simply because they've managed to score a goal, something the South Americans were unable to do in their opener with France. It's a national holiday in South Africa, and a Bafana Bafana win would send the home country into euphoria.

Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez remain crucial to the Uruguay offensive hope, while South Africa hopes to boost their hopes of making the second round.

If you are watching the game, please feel free to share any thoughts, opinions and play-by-play in the comments section below. Enjoy the match.

Comments

  1. You’re missing the distinction. A defensive deflection is interpreted differently. Look at the 2009/2010 interpretations of the laws from FIFA. It’s there in black and white.

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  2. Just watched the DVR replay and he was onside. Maybe he arm was in offside position when the first defender block the shot. I don’t think it hit anyone else though.

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  3. Spencer, you’re just wrong. Go to FIFA’s website and download the comments to the Laws of the Game. That issue is specifically addressed and it does reset from a deflection by an offensive player. Plus, I’m not so sure I would even call it a deflection. The player clearly moves his leg to play the ball. And it is offside. One cannot be “offsides,” you wouldn’t be on the field.

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  4. Good point.
    I thought it was clear that it was deflected when live. I thought he was offsides but it looked closed and I wasn’t focused on that and didn’t look at it on DVR.

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  5. There wasn’t an off sides. He was on when the shot was taken and even with a deflection he is still on. You being on side does not restart from a deflection.

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  6. I saw the same thing and on the replay that they provided I was not sure…slow mo in HD helped… hard for the AR to see and too bad for SA

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  7. Yea, I was over at a park with probably a few hundred USA fans and a few English fans and everyone was holding up there hands as if giving out a card.

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  8. Well it does matter. This is one reason I really enjoy watching teams that don’t dive and act all over the place. It seems as if those type of teams are becoming a rare thing to watch. Espeically in the world cup where 1 goal can easily make a drastic difference in the outcome.

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  9. Mexico needs a win against France. A draw would hurt. France will get a better result against RSA than Mexico will against URU. Even playing badly, France can get a draw against almost anyone when they have to have it.

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  10. if france and mexico tie tomorrow, wouldn’t South Africa just need any kind of victory over France as long as Mexico doesn’t win?

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  11. If you slow it down, the ball is struck by Forlan but is then deflected to Suarez by another Uruguayan player I can’t identify. This resets the scenario for offside and a deflection by an offensive player, esp. here where he redirects it to Suarez counts as a touch. At the time of the deflection, the second to last defender is a solid yard beyond the penalty spot and Suarez is even with it. Consequently, Suarez should have been flagged for offside before the GK took him down. Can’t blame the AR though, as I wasn’t certain of the deflection until I did super slow mo using DVR. Practically impossible for him to see

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  12. Forlan takes the early lead for both Golden Shoe and Golden Ball. Too bad his team won’t make a deep enough run for him to win either award.

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  13. Yes i mean obviously. I was more commenting on the fact that they have seemed to play well while “really good” euro teams haven’t impressed. I mean coming into the tourney i think i had 4 of the south american teams progressing anyway so i’m not really surprised per se by the results, but by the fact they have seemed much more competent than other highly regarded sides.

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  14. We had like 30 people in the house watching the game, and not a single person thought it was anything but a card.

    Much to our dismay. It was a ridiculously reckless tackle.

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  15. haha. +1 Also has something to do with the face that they are playing South Africa. They didn’t look this good against France. Not to take anything away from South Africa, who is actually a decent team.

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  16. Yea, thats my point. Some inconsistency with calls. I seriously think FIFA needs some committee that looks at every game and gives out retroactive cards. Especially for acting and histrionics.
    An organization that always talks about “fair play” doesn’t seem to back it up.

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  17. Damn…I don’t see South Africa advancing. They may very well be the first hosts to not advance out of group play.

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  18. hahaha, yea. I just find it hilarious that all these soccer players are super physical all over the field but the second they get in that box with the ball they become little girls.
    I’d rather give him some recycled toilet paper to wipe with and I hope it hurts.
    Sorry, I guess its my turn for negativity.

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  19. I thought that Heskey was a straight red.

    Everyone keeps saying that he had every right to go for it. That being said, he didn’t get the ball. He went studs up into the keeper’s chest.

    How is it any different than going 50/50 for a ball, missing it, and going studs up into a player’s leg? That’ll be a red card no argument.

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  20. I’m just thinking. If thats a red card on the goalie then there should have easily and at least been a yellow card on Heskey. Howard hit the ball first and cleared it away.

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  21. In his defense, he did jump and there was contact.

    Moving at that speed, catching the foot like that will bring you down. That being said, the guy is Charmin soft.

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  22. I feel bad for everyone that jumped on the Tshabalala bandwagon. He’s just thrown more wild shots tonight, and hasn’t received a bit of luck, and won’t against a French team most likely needing a win in the third game.

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  23. I completely agree. Is soccer a little girls sport or a mens sport? Honestly, that was a horrible red card call.
    Suarez went down like a little girl and if he had any skill would have jumped over the goalie and easily scored that.

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  24. I guess in that case it’s the same as the situation is France would beat Mexico, but add one goal because of the 1-1 scoreline in the opening game. It would need to be a 3-0 win, with a 0-0 Uruguay/Mexico draw.

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  25. In the cold and with this “demon” ball, I wouldn’t be surprised. The only thing I see wrong with SA shooting from that far out is that none of their strikers have made runs into the box, regardless of shots, so why shoot when there’s no one to get a rebound?

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  26. Is it just me or do all the South American teams look really good? I think its because they are used to the Southern Hemisphere and altitude from their qualifying. I think its one thing to be conditioned for altitude and another to actually play in altitude and judge the ball and such. All i’m saying is i could see all five south american teams going through.

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  27. You would give a red card for that? On the keeper? Watch the replay very little contact, and embellished quite a bit. A yellow at best. I know he “denied a goal scoring opportunity” but isn’t that the keeper’s job?

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  28. Well, if Uruguay converts, South AFrica is going to need at least three goals to move on.

    If France draws Mexico (let’s go a modest 1-1), South Africa needs to beat France, and have a goals ratio of at least +3 to be competitive with Uruguay. +3 in goal difference plus another AT LEAST 3 goals for to have the prospective same or more as Mexico may give them a shot at moving on.

    If France beats Mexico, then all South Africa really needs is a win, but need to shut out France ( because they must have scored goals to beat Mexico) and probably score at least two.

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  29. WHAT!!!!!!!
    I don’t care what anyone says, Suarez went down on a small little toe touch and embellished that. That ref got it wrong, These announcers got it wrong. Bunch of crap. I officially put Suarez in a group with Ronaldo.
    This is what ruins soccer for me, players playing physical matches the whole game and then going down with toe touches and phantom legs.

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