Saturday 21st August

South Korea  0 - 1  Greece

Knockout phase

Half time: 0 - 0

The opening game of the day saw the contest between the two teams who finished bottom of their respective groups. Neither side had won so far competition so both sides were keen to get off the mark. The game was also particularly important for South Korea as they finished last in the previous tournament in Buenos Aries, and were looking to avoid the same fate today.

The opening exchanges were pretty even with both sides looking adventurous, leaving two men in the opponents half for most of the game. Korea’s Yeong Jun Jang looked the most impressive for his side as he fired wide a couple of times, giving Ampatzis in goal, cause for concern.

As the game wore on Greece’s Zacharos began stamp his authority on the game and had a couple of chances well saved by Chul Shin to keep the score 0-0 going in at half time. Whatever the Greece manager said at half time certainly did the trick as within just 17 seconds Zacharos had fired the Greek’s into a 1-0 lead. Taking the ball straight from kick-off, he barged through two Korean defenders before drilling the ball into the back of the net via the post.

As the half continued both teams gave away the three team fouls allowed and it wasn’t long before both sides were given a long penalty each. Korea were awarded theirs first and Ho Kim drilled the ball low down the middle, Ampatzis, however, didn’t move and comfortably held the ball as it went straight into his midriff.

With five minutes left of the game Zacharos was fouled to win Greece their long penalty and goal scorer Zacharos stepped to try and increase the lead. Again the penalty was hit down the middle and the keeper saved easily.

The final score finished 1-0 to Greece meaning they finished ninth overall and South Korea tenth.

South Korea

Hyun Chul Shin (GK), Yeong Jun Jang, Yun Cheol Shin, Seung Woo Park, Meong Su Park, Yong Kyun Oh, Ji Young Ha, Chang Hyun Kwak, Kyung Ho Kim, Sang Won Kim (GK)

Greece

Georgios Ampatzis (GK), Stefanos Efremidis, Charalampos Tokatlidis, Georgios Tokatlidis, Theodoros Siotas, Dimos Zacharos, Dimitrios Feimoglou, Efstratios Chatziapostolidis, Panagiotis Stefanidis (GK)

Dimos Zacharos

Match Officials: Francois Carcouet, Perry Gascoigne, James Adcock, Paul Leversuch

Attendance: 112

Spain  1 - 0  China

Knockout phase

Half time: 0 - 0

The first semi final of the day saw Group A winners Spain take on Group B runners up China, in an eagerly anticipated contest.

The first half was an even game with both sides cancelling each other out and there was only one or two half chances to break the deadlock but neither side could find the back of the net.

China were unable to break through the solid Spanish backline as they were reduced to playing across the pitch, in front of the back four. As the half wore on China started to get more into the game with a couple of half chances that were hit wide of Gonzalez in the Spanish goal.

China had a few more chances just before half time, both free kicks, but they were well saved by Gonzalez. Tournament top scorer, Antonio Martin, was brought on to liven things up with five minutes to go, and it almost worked as he had a good shot well saved with just seconds to go.

The start of the second half almost brought about an own goal as Rosado put in a strong challenge the ball squirmed its way past a diving keeper but drifted just wide of the right hand post. The game started to turn scrappy as both sides fought for possession and at the midway point of the half China committed their third team foul.

China managed to hold out for another six minutes before conceding the penalty, and unfortunately for them Spain scored to take the lead. Antonio Martin, who had been brought on especially to take the penalty, stepped up and placed the ball in the bottom right hand corner to the delight of the Spanish bench and the crowd.

Despite China’s best efforts this was the end of the scoring and the 1-0 score-line means that Spain progress to tomorrows final.

Spain

Alvaro Gonzalez (GK), Jose Luis Giera, Carmelo Garrido, Adolfo Acosta, Antonio Martin, Alfredo Cuadrado, Pedro Villa, Vicente Aguilar, Marcelo Rosado, Raul Diaz (GK)

Antonio Martin

China

Hua Chu Xu (GK), Shan Yong Chen, Li Jing Zhang, Tang Bao Gao, Tian Qi Gao, Zhou Bin Wang, Wen Fa Zheng, Ya Feng Wang, Lei Niu (GK)

Match Officials: Wellington Souza, Germinal Lubrano, David Bryant, Alexandros Karaiosif

Attendance: 103

Brazil  5 - 1  England

Knockout phase

Half time: 3 - 1

It was always going to be a tough game for England as Brazil boasted the talents of Ricardo Alves and Jeferson Goncalves. England made a good start to the game, managing to keep both Alves and Goncalves quiet whilst Gribbin looked a threat on the counter attack, forcing Fabio into a couple of early saves.

However, with just ten minutes gone Goncalves broke free of the defensive shackles and jinked passed a couple of weak challenges before firing past Skyres in the England goal.

Just three minutes later 1-0 became 2-0 as Joao Silva burst through a lack lustre defence before firing past a despairing Skyres, to the disappointment of the large crowd. With the crowd doing their best to keep the England players heads up, it seemed to work as England replied almost instantly as Gribbin skilfully dribbled past three defenders, from a corner, before lashing the ball home past a motionless Fabio.

With the game looking like going in 2-1 at half time England captain Dave Clarke made a mistake at the back which allowed Ricardo Alves a free shot at goal, the ball flying past Skyres.

Manager Tony Larkin, must’ve given some strong words to his players at half time because England came out strongly for the second half. Brilliant defending frustrated the Brazilian attack and Gribbin almost scored twice on the counter attack but Fabio saved well on both occasions.

With five minutes to go England began to tire and this left space and time for Goncalves and Alves to run riot with a goal apiece, Skyres in goal could do nothing with either and was unlucky to concede five in the game.

The final score finished 5-1 and means Brazil progress to play Spain in tomorrows final and England playing China in the third place playoff.

Brazil

Fabio Vasconcelos (GK), Scharles Santos, Damiao Souza, Marcos Felipe, Jeferson Goncalves, Sandro Soares, Joao Silva, Ricardo Alves, Severino Silva, Antonio Carvalho (GK)

Jeferson Goncalves (2), Joao Silva, Ricardo Alves (2)

England

Lewis Skyres (GK), Simon Hill, Will Norman, Keryn Seal, Robin Williams, Dan English, David Clarke, Jonathan Heenan, Jonathan Gribbin, Dan James (GK)

Jonathan Gribbin

Match Officials: Mariano Travaglino, Neils Haupt, Germinal Lubrano, Iguchi Kenji

Attendance: 663

Japan  0 - 1  Argentina

Knockout phase

Half time: 0 - 0

Argentina were favourites for this match against a Japanese side that hadn’t scored once in the competition and were massive underdogs. Japan started off well and were able to contain any threat that Argentina offered but as their lack of goals all tournament suggested, they weren’t much of a threat themselves going forward.

Argentina began to dominate as the half wore on but they were still confronted by a Japanese backline that were defending well in numbers, having every man behind the ball.

Despite both sides reaching their foul limit with ten minutes of the half remaining it looked like there would be a glut of long penalty opportunities to take the lead from. However, it wasn’t until there were 30 seconds remaining that Argentina won another foul and Oscar Asiar stepped to attempt to give them lead going into half time.

However, Sato in the Japanese goal, stood his ground and the penalty was struck straight at him and the score at half time was 0-0.

The second half started off like the first as both teams cancelled each other out with Argentina doing the majority of the attacking and Japan the defending. Japan again reached the foul limit with ten minutes to go but it wasn’t from a long penalty that the goal finally came from. Oscar Asiar drifted through two weak challenges to work his way into the box from where he lashed home into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Despite Argentina reaching their three foul limit Japan were unable to win another penalty or create any other chance before the full time whistle went. The result means that Argentina finish seventh and Japan eighth.

Japan

Daisuke Sato (GK), Akihito Tanaka, Tomonari Kuroda, Hiroshi Ochiai, Yasuhiro Sasaki, Kento Kato, Kenro Mihara, Shuichi Yamaguchi, Hajime Teranishi, Naoya Abe (GK)

Argentina

Dario Lencina (GK), Angel Deldo, Eduardo Diaz, Silvio Velo, Diego Cerega, Ivan Figueroa, Lucas Rodriguez, Oscar Asiar, Gustavo Maidana, Ernesto Juani (GK)

Oscar Asiar

Match Officials: Alexandros Karaiosif, James Adcock, Francois Carcouet, David Bryant

Attendance: 127

Colombia  0 - 0  France

France won 1 - 2 on penalties

Knockout phase

- after extra time / Full time: 0 - 0 / Half time: 0 - 0

In game between two teams who finished third in their respective groups, it was France who should’ve come out on top quite easily. This wasn’t the case as strong defence from Columbia, especially Freddy Lopez, kept out wave after wave of French attack. Villeroux, the star man for France, was kept quiet but he did show the most positive play, and was unlucky not to grab a goal in the first half.

In Columbia’s attempt to stop the French they soon racked up three fouls and France had fifteen minutes to try and win more fouls to gain long penalties.

The crowd didn’t have to wait long as it was only three minutes later when Villeroux was fouled on one of his mazy runs. Abderahim Maya stepped up to take the penalty, however Aristizabal in the Columbian goal saved well to the relief of the rest of the team.

Pablo was always a danger and looked like the only one for Columbia who could fashion any kind of a chance but he was marshalled well by Villeroux who was the games man of the match. France received another long penalty before half time but again Maya missed, this time he fired wide.

The second half was no better than the first and both sides were unable to find a way through to the goal. The most noticeable incident of the half was Villeroux limping off injured with five minutes to go.

Villeroux has been one of the best players in the tournament and thoroughly deserved his standing ovation as he left the pitch.

The game ended 0-0 and went to a penalty shoot-out. Both sides had three penalties, each of them only scoring their second penalty. With the penalties tied 1-1 after the three penalties it went to sudden death. Grangier made himself a hero saving Ortiz’s penalty and Labarre stepped up to smash the ball home to take victory for France.

Colombia

Miguel Muñoz (GK), Freddy Lopez, Sebastian Sarate, Deivy Mendoza, Carlos Ortíz,Jhon Hernández, Sergio Beserra, Juan Parra, Jadir Bello, William Aristizabal (GK)

France

Jonathan Grangier (GK), Yvan Kepmegni, Martin Baron, Abdérahim Maya, David Labarre, Arnaud Ayax, Frédéric Villeroux, Charaf Ait Taleb, Frédéric Jannas (GK)

Match Officials: Iguchi Kenji, Paul Leversuch, David Bryant, Alexandros Karaiosif

Attendance: 80