Copa

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In the quarter-finals Sergio Ramos marauds on the right wing with one eye on Xabi Alonso moving into the area as Spain's passing game tests a Portugal rear guard moored by the surprise defender of the tournament, the youngster Fabio Coentrao (left), while Ronaldo and Bruno Alves mimic works of sculpture. (Photo by Andrew Deacon)

The brilliant David Villa fires home the winner against Portugal off a superb delivery by the wizard Xavi. (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius)

El Guaje celebrates, Tiago gesticulates with the air of a man quarreling vainly with history, Eduardo attempts to rub the memory of what's just happened out of his skull, and Simao trudges off dejectedly, as if knowing his side will not recover from this blow. (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius)

Robben, Kuyt and Sneijder showed their quality as The Netherlands (white shirts), here dispatching Cameroon in the group stage, efficiently advanced through the rounds toward the final against Spain. (Photo by Warren Rohner)

Germany stunned the much-fancied Argentina side of Maradona and Messi with this fourth minute goal created by two of the tournament's outstanding performers, Bastian Schweinsteiger (7, providing pinpoint service from the left) and newcomer Thomas Müller (penetrating the porous Argentine back line to head home); the reeling South Americans would never recover. Germany, looking imperious at this point, would crumple before the Spanish in their semi-final. (Photo animation by Zunaid)

In a tense Round of 16 struggle against South Korea under monsoon conditions at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town, Uruguay took the lead through a wonder goal by the uncontainable Luis Suárez, were set back by a South Korean equalizer, then showed their steel in rallying to win on the strength of another blinding strike by the effervescent Suárez, who celebrates here with a teammate. (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius)





The unflappable veteran Sebástian Loco Abreu converted Uruguay's decisive penalty kick with leisurely aplomb, making a thing of difficulty appear (almost) easy: delirium of joy for Uruguay, but ahead lay quarter-final submission to the Dutch. (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius)





The great Diego Forlán of Uruguay showed himself one of the few players in the tournament able to control the unpredictable Jabulani ball, posing a constant long range threat and here equalizing in the 55th minute against Ghana with a wonderful free kick. (Photo by Jimmy Baikovicius)

Brazil rolled through the Round of 16 in workmanlike style, seeing off a dangerous Chile side, only to submit to humiliating quarter-final elimination by The Netherlands. (Photo by Marcello Casals Jr/Agence Brasil)

Before being sent off for no apparent cause, Kaká was active against Chile. (Photo by Marcello Casals Jr/Agence Brasil)

Robinho performed with élan in a group stage victory over North Korea; but Felipe Melo, looking on here, would be at the epicenter of Brazil's subsequent quarter-final collapse. (Photo by Marcello Casals Jr/AgenceBrasil)

A group phase draw with Paraguay was as good as it got for disappointing defending champions Italy, who appeared halfhearted and disorganized. (Photo by Vaughan Leiberum)

The ageless if slightly creaky Cuauhtémoc Blanco of Mexico coolly notched this penalty to put Mexico on the way to a surprisingly easy win over the debacle in shorts which called itself France. (Photo by Celso Flores)

Tshabalala, baby, Tshabalala: the man with the doo-wop-song name shocked the world and delighted his nation by scoring the tournament's first goal, amid a honking vuvuzela din in the Soccer City opener against Mexico. (Photo by Celso Flores)

Carlos Salcido's attacking forays from the back continually worried opponents until an inexplicable officiating error in their Round of 16 match against Argentina pulled the rug out from under Mexico. (Photo by Celso Flores)





Detached and doomed: Heskey, Gerrard, and Rooney strike poses of alienated Antonioniesque lovers, in the England wall against Algeria; the nation that gave football to the world was unceremoniously dumped from the tournament in the Round of 16 by Germany. (Photo by Andrew Deacon)

This Gerrard corner, like much else of what little they managed to direct toward their star man Rooney, brought the English no reward. (Photo by Jason Bagley)

In the heavy weather of Cape Town Portugal gave no quarter against North Korea, scoring seven times in less than an hour; the show pony Cristiano Ronaldo even managed a goal in this demolition job, after juggling the ball on the back of his neck like a circus seal; but Portugal, having wasted their extravagant riches on a blowout, would not win another game. (Photo by Jason Bagley)