In a tense encounter, defender Carles PuyolвЂ™s 73rd minute strike was all it took to divide the teams. Germany looked to be the biggest threat coming into their semi final with the Spanish but once again, Spain triumphed with the narrowest of victories. Meanwhile, the most controversial game saw Uruguay beat Ghana in a penalty shoot out after the Africans had missed a spot kick in extra time. A brace from Wesley Sneijder helped the Dutch to beat Brazil while Spain needed David Villa again to score the only goal in a win over Paraguay.ДЄrgentina against Germany looked to be the tie of the round and while everyone expected things to be close, the Germans hammered their opponents by four goals to nil. Quarter FinalsД®urope were pitted against South American sides in three of the four quarter finals and the European teams recorded victories in each one. The tie of the round saw Mexico comprehensively beaten 3-1 by fellow South American side Argentina while Germany looked especially dangerous as they demolished Fabio CapelloвЂ™s England by four goals to one. Meanwhile, the Netherlands dominance in group E meant they had a relative easy match against Slovakia and the win was more comfortable than the 2-1 scoreline suggests. It was always going to be a tense affair and the game was settled by a single David Villa strike. Spain struggled in their opening group and that meant a tough round of 16 tie against near neighbours Portugal.

Only Argentina and the Dutch managed to qualify for the knockout phase with a 100% record and it seemed as if they were the teams to watch in the next round. Other form nations included Spain and the Netherlands who progressed from Group H and Group E respectively while Germany were efficient if unspectacular as they edged out Ghana. Uruguay and Mexico progressed from their section but in Group B, Argentina were looking ominous after three straight wins over Nigeria, Greece and South Korea. Unfortunately, the South Africans couldnвЂ™t maintain their momentum and were eliminated after defeats to Uruguay and France. The host nation opened the tournament in positive fashion with a 1-1 draw against Mexico and had the honour of scoring the opening goal through Siphiwe Tshabalala after 55 minutes. If you are wondering who won the World Cup 2010 in the end, it was Spain: Spain World Champions вЂ“ The Road to Victory Early Exchanges However, the overall competition in South Africa was an exciting one set against a backdrop of a vibrant nation, embracing one of the biggest sporting events in their history. Instead, it was a cynical affair, punctuated by yellow cards and a sending off.

The 2010 World Cup finished with a final that was largely remembered for the wrong reasons: Spain and the Netherlands had been the two best teams in the tournament but we didnвЂ™t see the type of attractive football that was in evidence during previous rounds.

Who won fifa 2010