Uruguay and Germany may have fallen a step short of the World Cup final, but both teams still have something to play for when they square off in the Third Place match (2:30pm, ABC) at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.
Pride and World Cup medals are at stake as both nations look to end their impressive World Cup runs with a bronze finish. Uruguay has not won a medal at a World Cup since winning the tournament in 1950, while Germany will hope to claim its fourth third-place finish.
This is Franco Panizo and I will be providing commentary throughout the match, so please feel free to follow along here. As always, you can leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the match. (Commentary is after the jump.)
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FINAL- That's all for me. Please feel free to share your post-game thoughts, opinions and analysis. As always, stay tuned to SBI and Foxsoccer.com for more coverage of the World Cup.
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FINAL- There were lots of great individual performances by players on both teams throughout the tournament. Muller, Ozil, Forlan, Suarez and Perez are just some of the standouts. Managers Oscar Tabares and Joachim Lowe also deserve recognition for their work.
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FINAL- Germany was the better of the two teams throughout the World Cup, but Uruguay had a great, great showing. Outdoing Brazil and Argentina is nothing to laugh at.
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FINAL- A dramatic ending to a very entertaining third place match. Germany claims the bronze medal for second consecutive World Cup. South American teams go home empty handed.
By the way, the octopus was right again.
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93rd minute- Forlan's free kick is off the crossbar! WOW. And there's the final whistle. Incredible stuff.
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92nd minute- FOUL against Germany! Uruguay will have one last look from close range. WOW!
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91st minute- Germany makes a change. Ozil out, Serdar Tasci in. Great tournament for Ozil.
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90th minute- Two minutes of stoppage time added.
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89th minute- Uruguay sub: Sebastian "El Loco" Abreu is in for Cavani.
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88th minute- WOW. Some nice passing for Germany ends with Kiessling rifling a shot over the goal from close range. That should have been a goal.
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83rd minute- The Europeans are up 3-2 after the ball bounced around the 18. Khedira got on the end of it and had enough strength on a header to put the ball over Muslera, who could do nothing about that one.
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82nd minute- GOAL GERMANY! KHEDIRA HEADS IT IN!
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77th minute- Uruguay change: Walter Gargano in for Perez. Great tournament for Perez.
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73rd minute- Germany sub: Cacau replaced by Stefan Kiessling.
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69th minute- This game has been a wide open affair and very enjoyable. Who thinks tomorrow's final will be anywhere close to this in terms of entertainment?
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64th minute- No sign of Klose yet. Wonder how upset he is right now, if at all.
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57th minute- Game is tied 2-2 after Jansen heads home a long cross from Boateng. Muslera is at fault for that one too after misreading the cross and failing to swat it away.
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56th minute- GOAL GERMANY! JANSEN EQUALIZES FOR THE GERMANS!
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52nd minute- Forlan nets his fifth goal of the tournament to put the South Americans up 2-1. Forlan finished well with somewhat of a scissor kick after Arevalo played a great ball to him.
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51st minute- GOAL URUGUAY! AND IT IS FORLAN!
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50th minute- Every time Suarez touches the ball, boos rain down from the stands. Fans are trying to throw him off his game for the handball vs. Ghana. Wonder if this will carry over to his club team and in other Uruguay matches.
48th minute- Cavani put through on goal again, but Butt makes a save. Okay, you can start the rectum jokes now if you haven't already.
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46th minute- The second half has begun.
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HALFTIME- Schweinsteiger involved in both goals so far, and while I'm sure he'll catch some slack for the giveaway that sparked Uruguay's goal, the fact remains that he has had a great tournament.
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HALFTIME- I don't suspect any changes will be made at halftime. Maybe inserting Klose is a move Germany manager Joachim Loew is considering, but that would probably be more so because of the goal-scoring record than anything else. Germany has looked good in attack.
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HALFTIME- An entertaining first 45 minutes come to a close. Both teams have had their opportunities and the second half should see more of the same.
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42nd minute- A great ball is played behind Germany's defense and Suarez hits a shot from a tight angle only to see the ball roll just wide. Good stuff from Uruguay and a nice attempt by Suarez.
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35th minute- Rain is coming down heavy now. Let's see how that affects the game, if at all.
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29th minute- Schweinsteiger is dispossessed by a nice tackle from Perez and that springs a counter attack that ends with Cavani easily slotting the ball home. Good stuff there from Uruguay.
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28th minute- GOAL CAVANI! URUGUAY TIES 1-1!
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26th minute- Uruguay doing a better job of applying pressure the last few minutes, but Los Charruas leave themselves exposed at the back on a corner and Germany gets forward in numbers. Uruguay needs to be careful with plays like that if it wants to equalize.
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21st minute- How much Was Muller missed in the semis? I'd say a good bit, although I don't think he would have helped Germany top Spain. Maybe he would have helped score a goal, but not win.
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20th minute- Schweinsteiger, wearing the captain's armband, shot from distance that Muslera parried away. Unfortunately for Uruguay, Muller followed up the shot unmarked and was there to knock in the rebound.
That goal gives Muller five in six World Cup matches. He's definitely in the hunt for the Golden Boot.
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19th minute- GOAL GERMANY! 1-0! Muller hits in a rebound.
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15th minute- Uruguay struggling in the first quarter of an hour to penetrate into Germany's final third.
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10th minute- FRIEDRICH'S SHOT IS OFF THE CROSSBAR! Friedrich gets on the end of a corner and heads it. but the crossbar denies him. So close there for Germany.
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7th minute- Forlan's shot looked nice, but it was never really on frame.
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6th minute- Forlan's free kick is swatted away by Cacau, who was in the wall. Cacau gets a yellow card and Uruguay gets a closer attempt at the free kick. Forlan will once again take the shot.
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5th minute- Now Uruguay wins a free kick from about 30 yards out. Forlan will step up to this one.
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4th minute- Perez is fouled by Aogo, who receives a yellow card for his troubles. Aogo committed an unnecessary lunging slide tackle.
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3rd minute- Schweinsteiger is fouled on the left flank and Germany wins a free kick.
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1st minute- And we're underway.
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PRE-GAME- Uruguay is pretty much fielding its preferred starters, while Germany is going with its younger players. Tough blow for Miroslav Klose, who is two goals away from becoming the World Cup's all-time leading scorer.
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PRE-GAME- Here's Uruguay's starting eleven:
Muslera; Fucile, Lugano, Godin, Caceres; M. Pereira, Perez, Arevalo; Forlan, Cavani, Suarez.
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PRE-GAME- Here's Uruguay's starting eleven:
Butt; Boateng, Mertesacker, Friedrich, Aogo; Muller, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Jansen; Cacau, Ozil.