Denmark defeat holders England to reach last fourDenmark 2 (Fischer 13, Zohore 21) England 0

A fine first-half display, including a splendid strike from Viktor Fischer, earned Thomas Frank's team a semi-final place as Group A winners. 

Denmark are assured of a place in the semi-finals following a 2-0 Group A victory against England.
The holders, unbeaten in a competitive game under coach John Peacock since their last group match of the 2009 finals, now need to beat Serbia on Monday to stand a chance of extending their title defence. Their attempts to retain the trophy were dealt a major blow by an impressive Denmark outfit, who won courtesy of first-half goals from Viktor Fischer and Kenneth Zohore.
Thomas Frank's team were brimming with confidence after their opening win against Serbia. Carrying on from where he left off on Tuesday, when he scored a late winner, Fischer was first to apply the finishing touch. Given all the time and space he needed, the striker let loose from 25 yards with a shot which whistled into the top corner.
Denmark's second came via Zohore, a real route one effort and his shotflew past Jordan Pickford. That setback briefly sparked England into life but still they were second best, Hope's tame header and wayward shot the only fruits of their labour.
Fresh from Peacock's half-time advice, England at last began to stretch their opponents down the flanks that proved so profitable against France. Still, though, chances were at a premium until midway through the half, Max Clayton smashing the bar with a splendid volley before turning narrowly wide from close range 30 seconds later.
Dominant in possession until the final whistle, Peacock's charges could simply find no way through a dogged Danish defence.

In todays other game France drew their second match 1-1 against hosts Serbia so it is between those two and England to decide the second semi fianlist from the group then they play on Monday.

Group B matches kick off at 4pm (BST)

Under20 World Cup Groups DrawnEngland given tough group

England have been handed a tough draw this morning after the Group Stages were drawn for the Under-20 World Cup Finals which is being held this year in Columbia.
England begin their campaign against North Korea but then have to play Mexico and arguably the best team at Under-20 level Argentina.
Brian Eastwicks side haven't covered themselves in glory in the past. The best the U20's have achived was a third place finish, beating Australia in 1993. Argentina on the other hand have won five of the last eight competitions so will no doubt be favourites to lift the trophy this year.
Mexico are five-time quarter finalists so are no mugs but England who could play Jack Wilshere, Jack Rodwell and Danny Welbeck should have enough to get past them and then there's North Korea
In the 2010 World Cup North Korea gave their all but just didn't have the skills or experience to put their stamp on the tournament and that is what is expected from their kids.
We are still waiting for the line-up to be completed. One game has yet to be played. New Zealand play Solomon Island for the final place which will see them in Group B with Portugal, Cameroon and Uruguay.

Do you think we should send in the big guns and go for glory or should the Premier League be the main priotity and let the likes of Wilshere and Rodwell get a pre-season under their belt ready for the new season.
Leave a comment.

Group Stages:

A) Colombia, France, Mali, South Korea
B) Portugal, Uruguay, Cameroon, New Zealand/Solomon Islands
C) Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain
D) Croatia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Guatemala
E) Brazil, Egypt, Australia, Panama
F) Argentina, Mexico, England, North Korea

Tournament begins July 29th until August 20th

Malouda's Scoring Streak Continues Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 France 2

Florent Malouda's scintillating start to the season continued tonight as France overcome a plucky Bosnia in their Group D clash in Sarajevo.


After losing their opening match of the qualifying campaign at home to Belarus at the weekend the French knew tonights win was a must win game but it took Les Bleus until the 72nd minute to crack open a resolute Bosnian defense which was carved open by Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.


The goal must have knocked the wind out of Bosnia as 5 minutes later Malouda scored his fifth goal of the season and the second for France to make sure the 3 points were heading off to Paris.


Like Salomon Kalou at the weekend Malouda was the only scorer for the Unofficial Premier League Champions Chelsea.


All Chelsea's international stars can now head back to London and prepare for a London derby against bottom club West Ham United at Upton Park on Saturday.

France 1 South Africa 2

Scorers: Malouda (Fra), Khumalo (SA), Mphela (SA)

Attendance: 39415

South Africa beat France 2-1 for only their second FIFA World Cup™ victory, but both teams ultimately emerged losers in Bloemfontein. Carlos Alberto Parreira's team became the first host nation to fail to qualify for the tournament's second round while a miserable campaign from the French came to a predictable conclusion as they also bowed out of South Africa 2010.

The African side's story was ultimately one of disappointment as they exited their own tournament on goal difference with Mexico taking the second qualifying place in Group A behind Uruguay. For France there was further ignominy as a second defeat in three games provided a fitting epitaph to the sense of disharmony which had infected Raymond Domenech's squad virtually since the opening game.

The beleaguered coach, who now leaves his post, made six changes to the team that had gone down to Mexico in their previous game – with captain Patrice Evra one of those dropped. However, initially France promised to lift the gloom for their followers with some attacking thrusts. One should have seen Andre-Pierre Gignac fire them into an early lead but he could only direct his attempt straight at Moneeb Josephs who was deputising in the South African goal for the suspended Itumeleng Khune. Djibril Cisse then flicked on Abou Diaby's floated pass but again the goalkeeper was behind it all the way.

Bafana Bafana were not short of voluble support and the stadium erupted with joy in the 20th minute when they took the lead. It followed a right-sided corner which precipitated a mistake by Hugo Lloris who was unable to put a glove on the ball, allowing Bongani Khumalo to profit from his towering leap at the far post and a downward header gave the host nation the lead.

Their hopes raised, South Africa kept pouring forward in search of further goals which would be crucial if it came down to goal difference. At the other end of the field came a decision that would help their cause as Yoann Gourcuff duelled for an aerial ball with MacBeth Sibaya and was shown the red card as the home midfielder lay on the ground requiring treatment.

Parreira's side sensed their chance as 12 minutes later Katlego Mphela bundled the ball in at the far post after Tsepo Masilela's ball across had caught the French defence in confusion. News that Uruguay had taken the lead against Mexico only added to the sense of euphoria around the stadium and not even a chance for France, which William Gallas failed to seize as a free-kick found him unmarked in the area, could dampen it down.

Mphela drew a fingertipped save from Lloris and it was he who led the charge for second-half goals, striking the crossbar, demanding another fine stop from the keeper, and then burrowing his way through only to find the side-netting. In the final reckoning those misses were to prove crucial. In the 70th minute France took a lot of sting out of South Africa's attacks as Florent Malouda, who had just appeared off the substitute's bench, was on hand to roll the ball home after Franck Ribery had unselfishly squared the ball into his path.

France 0 Mexico 2

Scorers: Hernandez (Mex), Blanco (Mex)

Attendance: 45372

France, FIFA World Cup™ finalists in 2006, are on the verge of crashing out of the 2010 event after losing 2-0 to Mexico in Polokwane's Peter Mokaba Stadium. Substitutes Javier Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco grabbed the goals as El Tri moved to within touching distance of the last 16 with a deserved win over Raymond Domenech’s lacklustre side.

This was a generally well-matched encounter, with little to choose between two talented but inconsistent sides. Mexico, however, just about shaded it, and certainly succeeded in creating the better of the chances throughout. The French defence looked vulnerable faced with the pace and movement of Mexico's youthful attack, and Les Bleus should really have conceded a goal inside eight minutes. All it took was a simple lofted ball over the top from Rafael Marquez to leave them exposed but Carlos Vela, having raced clean through, ballooned his left-foot shot high over the crossbar.

Mexico were showing plenty of ambition, and their willingness to commit men forward was exemplified in left-back Carlos Salcido, who twice went close midway through the half. First, with 18 minutes played, he charged forward from his defensive berth and rifled a low drive just wide of the far post. Then, nine minutes later, Salcido again burst forward, jinked inside Bacary Sagna and, with William Gallas backing off, poked in a right-foot shot that Hugo Lloris could only parry clear.

France were more cautious in their approach, although the largely-subdued Franck Ribery did provide one worthwhile effort with a powerful right-foot shot that flashed across goal. Mexico remained the more threatening, and even the loss of Vela to injury did not disrupt their rhythm, with the Arsenal striker's replacement, Pablo Berrera, heading just wide within a couple of minutes of entering the fray.

The French would have felt fortunate to return to the dressing rooms with the scores level, but they emerged with renewed determination and forced a decent early save from Oscar Perez when Florent Malouda was given time and space to crack in a powerful right-foot shot. With Mexico struggling to replicate their first-half form, Javier Aguirre rang the changes, and it was one of his substitutes, Hernandez, who provided the all-important breakthrough.

Marquez again split the French defence with a simple through-ball, and Hernandez, having sprung the offside trap, coolly sidestepped Lloris before sidefooting into the open net. A resolute French response seemed inevitable, yet it never materialised. Instead, Mexico made sure of all three points when Blanco slotted a textbook penalty to the right of Lloris after Barrera's thrilling run was halted by Eric Abidal's sliding challenge. El Tri now march on to their final fixture against Uruguay knowing that a point will be enough to see them through to the last 16, while France face the hosts knowing that only an unlikely set of results will salvage their South Africa 2010 dreams.

Uruguay 0 France 0

Scorers: None
Attendance: 64,000


After the high of the first game we were all brought back down to earth with an almighty bump.  These two teams were tipped as everyone's favorites to finish 1st and 2nd.  I personally expected a very open and entertaining match but what we got was a dull, dour and disappointing affair.  There was the occasional shot which threatened to wake up the watching public but the people that watched this match will not be remembering it for too long.
Only real highlight was in the second half.  Substitute Nicholas Lodeiro daft challenge on Bacary Sagna after already being booked mean't he became the first player of the tournament to see red.
Thats all that can really be said in this game really.
All in all it was an OK start to the World Cup.  Lets hope tomorrow's matches are more like the first game today then this dross.


Uruguay:  1. Muslera, 2. Lugano, 3. Godin, 6. Victorino, 9. Suarez, 10. Forlan, 11 Alvaro Pereira, 15. Perez 16. Maximiliano Pereira, 17. Arevalo, 18. Gonzalez
Subs Used: 8. Eguren, 13. Abreu, 14. Lodeiro


France: 1. Lloris, 2. Sagna, 3. Abidal, 5. Gallas, 7. Ribery, 8. Gourcuff, 10. Govou, 13. Evra, 14, Toulalon, 19. Diaby, 21 Anelka
Subs Used: 11. Gignac, 12. Henry, 15. Malouda