Finals

0-1

URU

GER

2-3

Match for 3d place

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Livegoals > Worldcup 2010 > Road to South Africa

Road to South Africa
Team and Qualifier Analysis

Group H

Honduras

Chile

Spain

Switzerland

Spain

Nobody made it to South Africa in more style than Spain. They won every game and at home they did not concede so much as a goal. Only once was their 100 per cent record threatened when a 92nd-minute winner from Albert Riera gave them three points against Turkey in Istanbul. David Villa was the outstanding figure, scoring seven times in qualification. The group was not especially taxing for a team that had just won the European Championship but it proved the managerial transition from Luis Aragones’s regime to that of Vicente del Bosque would be smooth. See full Spain Profile

Chile

It was thrilling and a little dangerous at times. Even though Chile finished second in the South American group, won more games than anyone else and scored more goals than any side bar Brazil, after four matches it seemed this campaign would go the forlorn way of the last two. Chile had won just one match and lost at home to Paraguay. It was facing Bolivia on their own ground in La Paz, whose altitude gives the home side a considerable advantage, that the road began to turn with two goals from their defensive midfielder, Gary Medel, who was to enjoy a fine campaign. Thereafter, they won eight of their remaining 12 fixtures, including a 1-0 win over Argentina in Santiago, which must have given Bielsa a sense of strange satisfaction. See full Chile Profile

Switzerland

Hitzfeld’s tenure could not have had a worse start. Having thrown away a two-goal lead in the last moments of their opening game against Israel in Tel Aviv, the Swiss then suffered the numbing defeat to Luxembourg. That seemed to jar the team into life in what was a relatively straightforward group. The next five matches were won and, most importantly, Greece were beaten 2-1 in Athens and 2-0 in Basel, a result that virtually guaranteed qualification. Only in their final match, a goalless draw with Israel, did the Swiss fail to score and in five of their final six matches they kept a clean sheet. See full Switzerland Profile

Honduras

Honduras made it to South Africa because they scored goals when it mattered – none more so than the strike pairing of Carlos Pavon and Carlo Costly who netted nine times between them. A guide to how they might fare in the World Cup is that in both the first and second group stages Honduras beat Mexico at home, with Costly and Pavon scoring three times in San Pedro Sula and only lost in the Azteca because of a late penalty. Their two matches against the United States were both lost, 2-1 in Chicago and 3-2 at home, although the narrowness of their defeats should give Rueda some hope when the opening fixture against Chile kicks off. See full Honduras Profile

Road to South Africa
Team and Qualifier Analysis

Spain

Chile

Switzerland

Honduras

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Teams

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Road to South AfricaTeam and Qualifier Analysis

Spain

Chile

Switzerland

Honduras

Video Highlights

Opinion Poll

Free Live Streams

Quick Links

Teams

Groups

Star Profiles

Game Predictions

Odds Comparison

Road to South Africa
Team and Qualifier Analysis