| Updated at: 1005 PST, Saturday, July 03, 2010 CAPE TOWN: In the FIFA World Cup third quarter-final today, Argentina will take on Gerrmany in Cape Town at 1930 hours. The fourth quarter-final between Spain and Paraguay will be played in Johannesburg at Midnight tonight. On Friday, five-time champions Brazil made a shocking exit losing to the Netherlands 1-2, and Uruguay defeated Ghana 4-2 in a pulsating penalty shoot out. In the first match in Port Elizabeth, Brazil took a 10th minute lead through Robinho and dominated the first half against a Dutch team which initially looked outclassed. But Felipe Melo scored an unfortunate own goal in the 53rd minute, which was a killer blow for Brazil. Then Dutch midfielder Sneijder headed home the match-winner in the 68th minute to break the Brazillians’ hearts. Shortly afterwards, Melo was sent off for stamping on Arjen Robben. With the win, the Netherlands marched into the semi-finals—-avenging their quarter-final losses against Brazil in 1994 and 1998. The Netherlands were the losing finalists in 1974 and 1978. In the second quarter-final in Johannesburg, Uruguay claimed their first World Cup semi-final appearance in 40 years when they recorded a 4-2 penalty shoot win over heartbroken Ghana. Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera saved two spot kicks from skipper John Mensah and Dominic Adiyah after the match had been locked 1-1 after extra time. Ghana could have won the match in the last minute of extra-time but leading scorer Asamoah Gyan sent a penalty crashing off the crossbar after rival player Luis Suarez had been sent off for deliberate handball on the goal-line. Ghana were bidding to become the first African team to win through to the semi-finals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 had fallen in the last eight. Now, Uruguay will clash with the Netherlands in the first semi-final in Cape Town on July 6. |
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