Greece vs. Ukraine
Greece defeated Ukraine by one goal scored by soccer shirt number 31, Dimitrios Salpingidis. While Ukraine spent all its attention on feeding Andriy Shevchenko, Greece fought hard and held their own. Greece's captain, Georgios Karagounis, was in top form as he ruled the midfield and gave his 'troops marching orders to attack and counter-attack'! Going strong at 32 with 90 caps, Karagounis still gives it all he's got every time he's on the field.
France vs. Republic of Ireland
The first half of the game saw a rather quiet French team, whereas the Irishmen played with passion, making for a strange contrast. The first goal was scored by the Republic of Ireland's soccer jersey number 32, Robbie Keane, into the half-hour of the match. France seemed to come into its own after the halftime with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris constantly having to ward off Irish attacks. And when the match went into extra time, William Gallas managed to equalize in the 180th minute! This win marks France's presence in the fourth consecutive World Cup final. But this time it was not without controversy since Thierry Henry's hand touched the ball before he passed the ball to Gallas, who went on to score. Though the Irish lost, they did their nation and their national team's soccer uniform proud.
Russia vs. Slovenia
In remarkable form, Slovenia cruised through the group phase without losing a game or conceding a single goal! And they carried on with their winning streak against Russia. By the end of the match, Russia was down to nine players and a 0:1 defeat! This makes it Slovenia's second World Cup in the history of their young country. Slovenia's soccer shirt number 44, Zlatko Dedic, must be one happy man for having played an important part in sending his country to the World Cup. Slovenia's captain, Robert Koren, also deserves special mention for setting a brisk pace for his team.
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Portugal
Once again, the underdogs in the European zone played with energy and passion. Bosnia-Herzegovina might've lost against Portugal by a single goal, but they gave the Portuguese a tough fight. But somewhere down the line they seemed to have lost focus and Portugal (wearing traditional burgundy soccer uniforms) took full advantage. Nani spotted an unmarked Raul Meireles and was quick to pass the ball to him. Raul shot the ball into the corner of the goalpost and assured his team its fifth World Cup final.
Now that the 32 finalists have been decided, soccer fans are eagerly awaiting the draw that takes place in Cape Town, as well as, the World Cup's organizing committee's announcement of the top seeds. The race to South Africa is picking up pace and the excitement is building for soccer's biggest tournament!
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