For the 'other' 30 national soccer teams, it's all over. It has come down to a match between Don Juan and the Flying Dutchmen! Who will win? Everyone has an idea - today we preview the final match as well as checking out the last of the funny and fascinating World Cup reporting and Tweetage.

Which team has the craziest fans?

World Cup Finals preview: Spain  vs Netherlands

Spain:             1.95 - 2.11

Netherlands:    3.5 - 4.0

What history says:

In their past World Cup matches, Netherlands have a 4:3 edge over Spain, with 1 drawn match. However, Spain are the more prolific goalscorers, with a total of 12 to Netherland's 10. Netherlands are coming off a 24-match unbeaten streak, also.

What the Daily Mirror says:

Of the nine experts (although to be fair, one of those nine is an octopus) gathered by the Daily Mirror in England, eight of them say that Spain is going to win. Xavi, Iniesta and Villa are predicted to be the men of the match and possible goalscorers.

What Paul the Octopus says:

Paul the Octopus, housed in Oberhausen Aquarium in Germany, has picked Spain to win the World Cup. His deductive methods are unknown, but he communicates by eating mussels out of box labelled with the flags of countries about to play. He also predicted around 70% of Germany's results in the 2008 European Championship.

Reporter's Cup

• There will be a solar eclipse at the same time as the World Cup final. Unfortunately it will only be properly seen in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands.
• The reporters who were saying (before the World Cup) that they expected no problems with violent altercations in South Africa are now busy gloating. Thankfully, nobody died, was kidnapped or seriously injured.  
• In the European Championship 2008, the Polish prime minister threatened to murder Howard Webb, the referee for this World Cup finals match fpor awarding a last minute penalty to Austria.

Tweeter's Cup

We've already got plenty of conjecture on who will win. Tpoday we just soak up the virtual, Twittified excitement!

--- ChrisEFrost: RT @TheOfficeSweep: Should be an exciting #worldcup final between #esp and #ned. Its certainly a final of 1sts! http://qck.ly/bo

-- melmelet: RT @HomerJSimpson: The vuvuzela is the world’s most annoying horn and Bart won’t stop playing it! I’ll kill the international spirit of peace! #worldcup

--- Age9126: note to self- take a nap BEFORE #worldcup final tomorrow

--- G7SEV: #WorldCup final tomorrow! Can.... Not.... Wait..... for the non football fans, you wouldn't understand... carry on.

Soon enough, when somebody mentions South Africa we will once again think of Nelson Mandela rather than football ... when a fly buzzes past our ear we won’t instantly reach for the remote control to turn down that horrible vuvuzela tune ... and in Australia, sports journalists will be reporting on AFL instead of the Socceroos once again.  So today we take a quick look back at the semi-finals and the match for third place, prolonging the excitement and sense of history a little longer.

Uruguay          2:3       Netherlands

There was a fantastic distribution of goal kickers as well as goals across the span of this match - the semi-finals atmosphere combined with netted ball after netted ball made it a real thriller! Sneijder, Robben and Van Brockhurst scored for the Netherlands, while Forlan and Pereira's two goals were definitely earned ... but not enough to get Uruguay to the finals.

Germany         0:1       Spain

This match was pretty empty until the 74^th minute, when Carles Puyol's single goal of the match tipped the balance in Spain's favour. This was a repeat of what happened to score Spain the European title over Germany two years ago ... I'm willing to bet Joachim Low specifically works a counter to this strategy into his own game plan next time around!

Uruguay          2:3       Germany

With only 8 minutes left, this goal-fest of a match was brought to a close by Sami Khedira. Mueller and Jansen also scored, and Cavani and Forlan worked hard for Uruguay ... but to no avail. 

Did You Know?

And I thought soccer was all about the glory! Wikipedia recently enlightened me that every team exiting the World Cup, at any stage, will actually get a pretty sizable payout. The distribution is as follows:

• $8 million – To each team exiting after the group stage (16 teams)
• $9 million – To each team exiting after the round of 16 (8 teams)
• $14 million – To each team exiting after the quarter-finals (4 teams)
• $18 million – Fourth placed team
• $20 million – Third placed team
• $24 million – Runner up
• $30 million – Winner

All teams that don't make it past the group stage still get a consolation prize of $1 million.

Tweeter's Cup

Bless their twitty little typing fingers... apart from the ones that are still falsely claiming the vuvuzela was banned so that you will click on their links.

--- FredericoJota: Congratulations, Uruguay! #worldcup

--- EdwardMonton: As the World Cup comes to a close, keep the memories alive with Vuvuzela's Greatest Hits... http://twitpic.com/246pba #worldcup #vuvuzela

--- ninamania: RT @MrsStephenFry: FIFA #worldcup Joke 1: Question - What do you call an Englishman in the World Cup Final? Answer - Ref.

--- wisamarta: PETA urges people to free Paul, psychic octopus http://goo.gl/fb/8MUoz #worldcup

A melee, mixture and mashup of countries have become just four. We're into the semi-finals now, and it won’t be long until the World Cup is over. In countries like Australia and New Zealand, soccer will again be forgotten for the next 3 years and 10 months, and we'll have nothing like the passion and hilarity of the World Cup to savour. Enjoy it while it lasts ... and perhaps make a few betting dollars while you’re at it!

Mick Jagger learns that he 'can't always get what he wants' at the World Cup...

World Cup semi finals match: Spain  vs Germany

Spain:             2.5 - 2.66

Germany:        2.63 - 2.98

What a narrow margin! The statistics are slightly in favour of Germany, and in this World Cup it is difficult not to notice the plethora of '4's associated with Germany's name. But you never really know...

World Cup quarter finals match: Netherlands vs Uruguay

Netherlands:    1.62 - 1.68

Uruguay:         5.4 - 782

Uruguay and the Netherlands have met twice before, with one win to each of the teams and 2 goals in the tally for each country. However, it's pretty obvious what the bookies think of Uruguay, and given Netherlands' surprise victory over Brazil we do agree with the one-sided numbers.  

Reporter's Cup

The World Cup attracts some big names and big stories! Sometimes the sideshows are more entertaining than the main event ... here are a few tastes of the off-field action in South Africa.

•  The World Cup has produced 10 goals in the quarter finals - the most in any Cup since 1998!
• Colombian officials have found a World Cup replica fashioned out of cocaine, heading for Madrid in Spain. The drug was mixed with acetone to make it mouldable. Perhaps a birthday present for Maradona... !
• Carlos Tevez, an Argentinian player, has said that Germany and England have no 'top players' ... coming not long after this comment "I would never show disrespect to anyone".

And a bonus news item! Hot betting tip for the World Cup!

• Mick Jagger has acted as a bad luck charm for the last four teams he has supported in the World Cup ... first the US, then England, then Brazil, then Argentina. If you want to know who to bet on, just ask Mick Jagger who he's rooting for, then bet the opposite way!

Who'll win the 2010 World Cup?

Well, we have a much better idea of this than we did two weeks ago! Here are the current odds for the remaining four teams to win the World Cup 2010:

Germany         3.0 - 3.0

Holland           3.0 - 3.25

Spain               2.88 - 3.0

Uruguay          10.0 - 13.0

Tweeter's Cup

Gotta love the 'Twits' of the world:

--- vallll_93: #worldcup is about to end soon. Booooooo :o

--- circa75sydney: We wonder if all teams wore Gigo underwear they might fare better in the World Cup? #worldcup http://bit.ly/aB1SNi (expand)

--- ardiben: RT @FrankLampardUK: There have been some strange rumours recently. Let me just set things straight: The #ENG v #GER match will NOT be replayed.

--- beverlymee: Germany's a beast!!! Come on, Germany!! Make Spain cry for their mommies!! #WorldCup

Apart from Brazil's relatively early exit from World Cup 2010, there weren't really many surprises in the quarter finals. Out went Ghana and out went Uruguay. We were actually thinking Argentina might have upset Germany ... and while in hindsight that was a little silly, those who stuck with the four goal wonders did make a fair bit of cash back on their bets. Here's how the 'doings went down' in the last couple of days!

Netherlands - victorious!

Uruguay          1:1       Ghana

This draw pushed Uruguay through to met the Netherlands, after a penalty shoot out (Uruguay 4, Ghana 2). Ghana can at least be proud that they were the last African team left in the World Cup.

Netherlands     2:1       Brazil

The Netherlands were trailing for most of this game, and the deciding goal didn’t come until there was just 22 minutes left in it. It was nearly 3-1, but for a skilful save by Brazil.

Argentina        0:4       Germany

This game delivered Germany their 200^th goal in FIFA World Cup matches - Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger shone.

Paraguay        0:1       Spain

Both sides did well to get to the points they have - Spain's win means their first World Cup semi-final ever, and Paraguay's appearance in the quarter finals were also a first. So winners all round, in a sense!

Tweeter's Cup

Ha haaa! Something about the World Cup brings out the best in people's senses of humour. Slightly insane, very clever ... always on that black and white ball! Here's some of Twitter's finest:

--- themis5: RT @kersencola: Cristiano Ronaldo: "God sent me to earth to show people how to play football". Messi: "I never sent anybody" #worldcup

--- HappyPills10: Is it any wonder I've got too much time on my hands and it's tickin' away with my sanity... #GER #worldcup ;-) http://twitgoo.com/16quxe

--- RockOnJonas: RT @wcup2010: Cristiano Ronaldo announces he is the father of a baby boy on Twitter @cristiano #worldcup (Orly!! NOT true, unfortunately)

--- jp716: The man in the kebab shop predicts holland vs germany and germany to win. #worldcup

The quarter finals are well and truly here ... and unlike the UEFA Champions League, which seemed to take forever, the World Cup is buzzing past like a speeding vuvuzela! Here are the matches you have to look forward to, as well as some highlights from the reporters and public. Everyone's got an opinion ... today we check out some of them!  

World Cup quarter finals match: Argentina vs Germany

Argentina:       2.2 - 2.38

Germany:        3.0 - 3.4

The statistics are in Argentina's favour for this match. Will the big blondies finally be knocked out of the competition? The Aussies and English would certainly be glad to see that ... but the odds tell us that it will be a close call.

World Cup quarter finals match: Paraguay vs Spain

Paraguay:        8.0 - 9.0

Spain:              1.46 - 1.53

These two teams have met only three times before, with Spain winning one encounter and two draws. Commenters are reminding us to remember that the Netherlands beat Brazil ... so this could actually be a nice little earner for those will to put a bit down on Paraguay! Spain has not lost to South American opposition in the World Cup since 1986. Will this be a record-making match? 

Reporter's Cup

There's been some pretty interesting sideshows at the World Cup over the past couple of days! Pot, Paris Hilton, and pending retirements - here are the gory details.

• Javier Aguirre has quit as the coach of Mexico's national team, after Argentina ousted the Mexicans in the round of 16. It's the fifth successive time that Mexico has made it to the Round of 16, but not past it.
• Arjen Robben's 'clever corner routine' didn't go down too well ... he's being advised to either not attempt that sort of thing, or at least get it right!
• Paris Hilton was arrested outside Nelson Mandela Stadium for possession of marijuana. Bummer, dudette.

Who'll win the 2010 World Cup?

How long is a piece of string? We don't really know the answer to either question ... but we do know who the bookies reckon will win World Cup 2010. Since we missed out a few :

Argentina        4.50 - 4.75

Germany         6.25 - 7.0

Holland           3.0 - 3.25

Paraguay         41.0 - 56.0

Spain               3.25 - 3.25

Uruguay          9.0 - 13.0

Tweeter's Cup

You can certainly not dispute that soccer stirs the emotions, both for the shirt-headed, screaming, crying players and coaches ... and the fans! We get to experience the fans' emotions I writing though, through the (black?!) magic of Twitter:

--- MerinBenjamin: Felipe Melo shouldn't have lost it.. #World cup not the same without ma Brazil now :( :(

-- MayhemtheMC: Ghana & Brazil Lost today :( disappointed #world cup

Jul 2, 2010 10:53 PM GMT

--- jasaretta: This habit of choreographed dancing after a goal at the #world cup really needs to stop.

--- DeganeS: GYAN! what a miss #world cup #gha #uru SUAREZ what a gesture! he took one for the team, anyone would have done the same thing in situation

--- emjaymaxwell: It's a shame that all the good teams are being sent home #world cup

Nana na na ... nana na na ... heeeeeey! You know the rest. It's inevitable that just about every team (all except one, to be precise) will be knocked out of the running for the World Cup at some stage. Yet it still never fails to surprise - and maybe hurt just a wee bit - when the big guys and our favourites get knocked out. Today we check out the events that led to the cheers and tears in the round of 16 for World Cup 2010.

Uruguay          2:1       Korea Republic

Korea dominated possession but certainly didn’t dominate goal scoring. They also dominated yellow cards ...

USA                 1:2       Ghana

Much has already been said about this match, in football circles and the mainstream media! The USA were the better team on stats, although they did get 3 yellow cards to Ghana's 2. Andre Ayew from Ghana was elected man of the match.

Netherlands     2:1       Slovakia

Netherlands have now won all 14 of their matches so far.

Brazil               3:0       Chile

Chile had plenty of shots and plenty of possession time, but unfortunately not plenty of goals.

Argentina        3:1       Mexico

This game outcome led Javier Aguirre to quit as Mexico's coach. People are describing it as a very fair match, with a couple of unlucky goals from Argentina.

Germany         4:1       England

Goal powerhouses Germany did it again! This was a pretty predictable score, actually ... but poor England are suffering in the press.

Paraguay        0:0       Japan

Paraguay won on penalties, after a fairly even possession-shots match. Japan did cop four yellow cards though ... nasty!

Spain               1:0       Portugal

The parent has knocked their child out of the World Cup at their own expense. A sad but predictable result.

Tweeter's Cup

The World Cup's really getting into people's heads now...

--- finestcom: thought he had a #vuvuzela in his kitchen but turns out it was a fly, too much #World Cup?

--- taxhelprightnow: #BRA, #PAR, #URU are my favorite soccer teams in the #World #Cup I hope one of them get to the finals =) Go South America!

--- DanielaFSU: is wondering how many times today i've thought about #Harry Potter and/or the #World Cup... it's probably pretty sad

The 2010 World Cup's upcoming matches are looking a lot less messy, now that many of the long-odds teams such as Australia and New Zealand have been cut from the lineup. A few pundits have noted that figuring out who will go through to the Round of 16 in the World Cup is easy ... as long as you have a Masters Degree in Pure Mathematics! So it will be a relief for those of you who like to enjoy sport without actually having to work your math-muscles, that we are now at the stage of World Cup 2010 where if you win a game, you stay in ... if you lose a game you go out. Simple! Today we check out the matchups for the (mostly!) upcoming Round of 16.

World Cup matches 26^th of June

There were no shocks in the first two (already played) matches of the Round of 16 - Uruguay knocked out the Korean Republic 2:1 (who truthfully, did extraordinarily well to get to the Round of 16), and Ghana beat the USA 2:1.

World Cup matches 27^th of June

Today we have Germany playing England ... two strong teams, but in the Round of 16 only one can go through. England has a slight advantage in the stats, but their performances in the Knockout stage left a lot to be desired. Argentina also play Mexico in a game that may well end up drawing, as over 40% of these two teams' games have.

World Cup matches 28^th of June

Today the Netherlands play Slovakia, and while Holland has much shorter odds to win the entire World Cup, they don't have the best record against the Slovakian team. Brazil will also play Chile, and odds and stats say that it will probably be a clean sweep by Brazil.

World Cup matches 29^th of June

If Japan manages to stand up against Paraguay, there'll be a lot of happy punters ... though it isn’t likely! In the main game of the day, Spain has twice as many goals and three times as many match wins as Portugal in their World Cup head-to-head record ... but there have been 12 draws.

Who'll win the 2010 World Cup?

Well, we haven't quite got the Delorien repaired yet to go grab that books of sports results from the future! Neither is Wikipedia obliging publishing such information, though you can find out just about anything else on there. Here are the current bookies odds (and also our best guesses!) on who'll win the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina        5.0 - 6.0

Brazil               4.0 - 4.33

Chile                41.0 - 51.0

England           10.0 - 12.0

Germany         11.0 - 15.0

Ghana              23.0 - 26.0

Holland           7.5 - 8.0

Japan               81.0 - 101.0

Mexico            61.0 - 81.0

Paraguay         34.0 - 46.0

Portugal           21.0 - 23.0

Slovakia          151.0 - 251.0

Spain               5.0 - 5.5

Uruguay          11.0 - 13.0

Tweeter's Cup

A few good ones that we couldn't resist including:

--- sreevass #worldcup has created a record high tweet rate of 3283 tweets/second #omgfacts @omgfacts

--- jelanigreenidge RT @davidlerner75 I think I just heard a vuvuzela being blown in B-natural. Tune that thing! #worldcup Dude that's hilarious.

--- CaptDankMorgan #worldcup .... #usa lost & i hope you're finally happy #fifa officials

The vuvuzelas will be buzzing their last in the Group stage of the 2010 World Cup very shortly. Unfortunately, they'll probably just go on to buzz throughout the Round of 16, starting in 3 days time! At least that means there are far fewer matches to catch up with, and we have more opportunity to get emotionally involved with the upcoming matches, and far more sleep. Here are the expectations from 3 of the fascinating or home-grown matches in the last 3 days of the World Cup soccer Group Stage.   

Match of the Day June 23^rd : Australia vs Serbia

The Aussies haven't before met the Serbians in a World Cup match, and given that some betting agencies are putting the Aussies odds of winning at better than the Serbs, there'll be some hope here.  

Top match comment:

"Serbia has an awesome defence and nicely proportioned attacking force. Australia is a tough opponent, though their team is very old and not competent to make the same miracle as 4 years ago."

Betting odds(to win the Cup):

Australia: 3.3 - 4.6

Serbia: 1.8 - 2.0

Draw: 3.2 - 3.8

Match of the Day June 24^th : Denmark vs Japan

Another fascinating match coming up today ... Denmark and Japan are pretty much even in the bookies' opinions, they don't have a World Cup record to taint our opinions, and both have lost at least two out of their last 3 matches. Neither side might be going through - but this will still be fascinating to watch!

Top match comment:

"1-0 for Japan on this one. It may be a little harder than the Cameroon match but I'm sure the Samurai Blue's got this one"

Betting odds:

Denmark: 2 - 2.28

Japan: 3 - 3.75

Draw: 3.05 - 3.45

Match of the Day June 25^th : Portugal vs Brazil

Both Portugal and Brazil are coming off the backs of quite a few wins into this, one of the last matches of the Group Stage. It's likely that whichever way this match goes, both teams will advance ... so you'll always be rooting for a winner. Chgeck the odds if you're looking to be a winner though!

Top match comment:

"It was a bad idea to pair up these two teams. One mother, the other their child. Nevertheless, both will play so damn well!"

Betting odds:

Portugal: 3.5 - 4

Brazil: 1.8 - 2.38

Draw: 2.75 - 3.3

We have settled into the swing of the World Cup now ... re-learned how to program the DVD recorder so that we don't have to get up at 4am, and learned to mute the insane buzzing noise of the vuvuzela and re-familiarised ourselves with the competition format and progression rules. We've had a few surprises, upsets and controversial results in the second week of the World Cup's group stage - here's an overview of what's happened, and what is to come.

 Punters' Cup

There have been a couple of subtle changes in World Cup betting odds based on the outcomes of the Group Stage matches so far ... subtle, but telling! Here's how the only numbers that matter are currently looking:

• Spain are no longer clear favourites - they are currently placed pretty evenly along with Argentina and Brazil at around 5.50 - 6.0
• North Korea is now the only team with odds above 1501.0 ... some places are offering 2001.0 to 1
• Australia's odds have lengthened to around 750 at most betting centres, although some sports books are still offering 101.0
• Two of the biggest teams that are actually seen to be living up to expectations are Argentina and Holland ... hint, hint!

 Reporter's Cup

Wooo ... people are getting angry at some of the controversial and disappointing occurrences in the World Cup! Here's what they're reporting:

• Many Tweeters are reporting the vuvuzela has been banned. Not yet ... they are just trying to get you to click their links. Don't fall for it!
• The referee in the recent US-Slovenia match that failed to award a goal to the US where many feel it was due is likely to be dropped by FIFA for the remainder of the tournament ... although there is no recourse for the US.
• Patrice Evra,  the captain of the French team, described their 2-0 loss to Mexico as a 'punch that we never saw coming'. Nicolas Anelka has been discharged from the French team after making, and then refusing to apologise for, a massive verbal rant at the Mexican captain.
• The final round of World Cup group stage matches is considered at highest risk of match fixing, and will be scrutinised by FIFA.

Tweeter's Cup

Since I don't speak Spanish, Italian, French or Japanese, I can't guarantee that these are the funniest, most relevant and thought-provoking World Cup tweets available. But they would have to come close...

~~~ patsch06 RT @Rove1974: Why can't we just win? Now I have to use maths to work out if we can make it or not. Maths! This is sport for crying out loud! #worldcup

~~~  _ abeer61aj RT @theunlikelyfan: I am the guy at the barbecue/party forcing you to talk about the #WorldCup. Three more weeks is all I ask. Shhhhhh. Just give me this.

~~~ ScoreHints #WorldCup #Sweden Only want to watch the delayed telecast if your team wins? WWW.SCOREHINTS.COM

~~~ serenosaur Will probably miss #worldcup tomorrow due to #warriordash! I can't wait to get my viking hat! >:D

Despite having slightly longer odds at most betting agencies, the LA Lakers have taken out the 2010 NBA finals crown ... woo hoo! It was an ultra-close final 7, and an ultra-close final game to top it all off. For those that like the feeling of sitting on the edge of the seat, the NBA playoffs finals provided plenty more excitement than those disappointing conference semifinals. Here's how it went down!

Game recap

Final score:

Boston Celtics 79

LA Lakers 83

Point scorers:

• Kobe Bryant, 23 points
• Paul Pierce, 18 points
• Pau Gasol, 18 rebounds
• Paul Pierce, 10 rebounds

The Lakers were constantly struggling to get ahead in the game ... but in the end Artest, Gasol and Bryant hit a dream run of points and free throws to clinch the match and the NBA finals.

Odds On, Odds Off…

The Lakers odd were around 1.87 - 2.16 when they won their final match ... so congrats to all that cleaned up on the team with the longer odds!

Cheers and Jeers

• Apparently the Lakers aren't content with their two wins in two years ... everybody, the team included, is talking abut a 'three-peat' already! Sit back and enjoy for a bit, people!
• Apparently many business owners in blocks surrounding the arena where the Lakers played the winning game woke to mornings of smashed windows, minor arson and motor vehicle damage ... sigh.
• Much of the talk around the Lakers now surrounds the upcoming draft, who'll be staying and who'll be going. Derek Fisher may leave the Lakers (although the pundits don't think that's wise), while Andrew Bynum's injury run may spell seeing his backside from the Laker's office door.
• The Celtic's performance is still being lauded - they had a surprisingly good run through the playoffs, and many are reporting it as 'just one win short'.

The Tweet-Offs

Twitter hasn't run as hot with NBA news since the World Cup matches started (which is a bit of a pity for the Lakers and the Celtics!). But people have been pretty quick to jump on the Lakers bandwagon ... Celtics fans are strangely quiet on the micro-blogging platform!

--- kikibby562 Q:LA LAKERS! A:NBA Champions<3.

--- DavidLMcConnell Lakers beat all the haters and Boston bean-loving Celtics. (Truthfully they were worthy adversaries.) But we now expect a "three-peat"!

--- gastonia2695 Waking up with disgust, Lakers won - how unhappy it makes me

--- traditionalbill So La celebrates Lakers victory with rampaging violence and burning taxi's. In other words, like a typical liberal protest march...   (Party pooper!)