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PREVIOUS MEETINGS
Sept. 5, 1920
1920 Olympics at Antwerp, Belgium: Spain 3 (Sesumaga 7, 35, Pichichi 68), Netherlands 1 (Groosjohan 72)

Jan. 30, 1957
Friendly at Madrid: Spain 5 (Vecino 14, Di Stefano 46, 70, 89, Kubala 54), Netherlands 1 (Bosselaar pen. 76)

Feb. 5, 1973
Friendly at Amsterdam: Netherlands 3 (Rep 13, og Reina 43, Cruyff 90), Spain 2 (Valdez 20, 49)

Jan. 23, 1980
Friendly at Vigo, Spain: Spain 1 (Dani pen. 80), Netherlands 0

Feb. 16, 1983
Euro 1984 qualifying at Seville, Spain: Spain 1 (Señor pen. 44), Netherlands 0

Nov. 11, 1983
Euro 1984 qualifying at Rotterdam, Netherlands: Netherlands 2 (Houtman 26, Gullit 63), Spain 1 (Santillana 41)

Jan. 21, 1987
Friendly at Barcelona: Spain 1 (Caldere 72), Netherlands 1 (Gullit 20)

Nov. 15, 2000
Friendly at Seville, Spain: Netherlands 2 (Hasselbaink 74, F. de Boer 85), Spain 1 (Hierro 67)

March 27, 2002
Friendly at Rotterdam, Netherlands: Netherlands 1 (F. de Boer 32), Spain 0

Record
Overall: Netherlands 4 wins (11 goals), Spain 4 wins (15 goals), 1 tie
World Cup: First meeting

2010 WORLD CUP
Netherlands: 6-0-0
June 14 (Johannesburg): Netherlands 2 (og Agger 46, Kuyt 85), Denmark 0
June 19 (Durban): Netherlands 1 (Sneijder 53), Japan 0
June 24 (Cape Town): Netherlands 2 (van Persie 36, Huntelaar 83, Cameroon 1 (Eto'o pen. 65)
June 28 (Durban): Netherlands 2 (Robben 18, Sneijder 84), Slovakia 1 (Vittek pen. 94+)
July 2 (Port Elizabeth): Netherlands 2 (Sneijder 53, 68), Brazil 1 (Robinho 10)
July 6 (Cape Town): Netherlands 3 (van Bronckhorst 18, Sneijder 70, Robben 73), Uruguay 2 (Forlan 41, M. Pereira 92+)

Spain: 5-1-0
June 16 (Durban): Switzerland 1 (Fernandes 52), Spain 0
June 21 (Johannesburg): Spain 2 (Villa 17, 51), Honduras 0
June 25 (Pretoria): Spain 2 (Villa 24, Iniesta 37), Chile 1 (Millar 47)
June 29 (Cape Town): Spain 1 (Villa 63), Portugal 0
July 3 (Johannesburg): Spain 1 (Villa 83), Portugal 0
July 7 (Durban): Spain 1 (Puyol 73), Germany 0

WORLD CUP RECORDS
Tournaments
Netherlands: 9 (1934, 1938, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010)
Spain: 13 (1934, 1950, 1962, 1966, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)

Records
Netherlands: 22-10-10 (72 GF-41 GA), vs. Europe 9-8-5 (32-25)
Spain: 27-16-12 (88-57), vs. Europe 13-11-5 (44-31)

Finals
Netherlands: 3 (lost to West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978, plays Spain on Sunday)
Spain: 1 (plays Netherlands on Sunday)

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Titles
Netherlands: 1 (1988)
Spain: 2 (1964 and 2008)

ALL-TIME CAPS LEADERS
Netherlands
1. Edwin van der Sar (GK, 1995-2008) 130
2. Frank de Boer (D, 1990-2004) 112
3. Giovanni van Bronckhorst (D, 1996-present) 105
4. Phillip Cocu (M, 1996-2006) 101
5. Clarence Seedorf (M, 1994-2008) 87
6. Marc Overmars (M, 1993-2004) 86
7. Aron Winter (M, 1987-2000) 84
8. Ruud Krol (D, 1969-83) 83
9. Rafael van der Vaart (M, 2001-present) 82
10. Dennis Bergkamp (F, 1990-2000) 79
10. Patrick Kluivert (F, 1994-2004) 79

Spain
1. Andoni Zubizarreta (GK, 1985-1998) 126
2. Iker Casillas (GK, 2000-present) 110
3. Raul (F, 1996-2006) 102
4. Xavi (M, 2000-present) 93
5. Fernando Hierro (D/M, 1989-2002) 89
5. Carles Puyol (D, 2000-present) 89
7. Jose Antonio Camacho (D, 1975-88)
8. Fernando Torres (F, 2003-present) 78
9. Rafael Gordillo (D/M, 1978-88) 75
9. Xabi Alonso (M, 2003-present) 75

ALL-TIME GOALS LEADERS
Netherlands
1. Patrick Kluivert (1994-2004) 40
2. Dennis Bergkamp (1990-2000) 37
3. Faas Wilkes (1946-61) 35
4. Abe Lenstra (1940-59) 33
4. Johan Cruyff (1966-77) 33
4. Ruud van Nistelrooy (1998-2008) 33
7. Beb Bakhuys (1928-37) 28
8. Johannes “Kick” Smit (1935-46) 26
9. Marco van Basten (1983-92) 24
10. Leen Vente (1933-40) 19
10. Robin van Persie (2005-present) 19

Spain
1. Raul (1996-2006) 44
2. David Villa (2005-present) 43
3. Fernando Hierro (1989-2002) 29
4. Fernando Morientes (1998-2007) 27
5. Emilio Butragueño (1984-92) 26
6. Fernando Torres (2003-present) 24
7. Alfredo di Stefano (1957-61) 23
7. Julio Salinas (1986-96) 23
9. Michel (1985-92) 21
10. Telmo Zarra (1945-51) 20

IN BRIEF: Germany came in at less than full strength, with Miroslav Klose injured and Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski ill -- but Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira played; was the report they'd be sidelined just a ruse? -- and engaged Uruguay in an enormously entertaining consolation game, pulling out a 3-2 victory in pouring rain when Oezil's late corner kick bounced around and off Khedira's head into the net.

WOW! MOMENT: This one was full of them, from Bastian Schweinsteiger's 37-yard blast that Thomas Mueller finished for the first goal to Uruguay quick counterattack -- Diego Perez's knocks the ball away from Schweinsteiger, Luis Suarez finds Cavani on the left, Cavani finishes clinically -- to Diego Forlan's rapturous volley to fire Los Charruas ahead. But No. 1: the realization that both of these teams want badly to win a rather meaningless match, playing with an intensity that makes it one of the highlight games of this tournament.

BEST PLAYER: Lots of choices here, and some of the best are Khedira and Mueller and Perez and Suarez and, especially in the first half, Uruguayan right back Jorge Fucile, who disrupted so many German attacks. But we'll go with Forlan, who was, as always, at the heart of a generous Uruguayan performance. And had his last-touch-of-the-game free kick been two or three inches lower, the South Americans might be celebrating now.

BEST GOAL: This one's easy. Forlan, who better win, at the least, the Bronze Ball (and no argument with anyone who thinks he deserves Gold), fires Uruguay ahead six minutes into the second half with a brilliant volley from Egidio Arevalo's cross, firing past defender Per Mertesacker and into the net on one bounce.

MIGHTIEST MISCUES: Uruguay would have done well to hold on to its 2-1 advantage given the pressure Germany applied the last hour-hour of the game. But the Celeste will rue its defensive play on Marcell Jansen's 56th-minute equalizer and Khedira's 82nd-minute winner.

The rule for goalkeepers is simple: If you come off your line for a cross, you MUST get the ball. Fernando Muslera didn't, and Jansen had an open net to nod Jerome Boateng's cross into. And captain Diego Lugano needs to do more when Oezil's corner kick bounces off Arne Friedrich into his lap than tip it up for Khedira to direct home.

And, earlier, why is Mueller the only player near the ball after Muslera parries Schweinsteiger's rebound? A defender needs to contest the second shot.

WORTH NOTING: Germany (or West Germany) has finished third or better at 13 of the 17 World Cups in which it has participated. The Mannschaft won in 1954, 1974 and 1990, was runner-up in 1966, 1982, 1986 and 2002 and finished third in 1934, 1970, 2006 and 2010.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 1: “Luckily, we won, because the disappointment over the semifinal was still there. We were behind, and we rallied -- that shows the character of this team. I am very proud of this team, although I have tears in one eye because we did not reach the final.” -- Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, Germany's pivotal player throughout the World Cup.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 2: “Obviously it’s something spectacular to be among the top four. If someone would’ve asked us at the beginning, we would’ve liked it. It’s something positive.” -- Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan, who finished the World Cup with five goals.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 3: “I don’t see David Villa as Spain’s most dangerous player. The ones you really have to watch are Xavi and (Andres) Iniesta. They’re the players who set the tempo and make sure the ball gets to Villa. We have to stop them from playing and getting free. We need to mark them very tightly, because if we give them the slightest space, we’ll have problems.” -- Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 4: “I don’t think they’ll sit back and defend. They’ve got some quick players who are in terrific form right now. They’ll do what we do and stick to their style. I know Robben. He’s quick powerful and strong, and his shooting from outside the area is a concern for me.” --- Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

THE RESULT
At Port Elizabeth
Uruguay 2 (Cavani 28, Forlan 51), Germany 3 (Mueller 19, Jansen 56, Khedira 82)

FINAL
Sunday at Johannesburg
Netherlands vs. Spain, 11:30 a.m. PT

GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
1. Thomas Mueller (Germany) 5 goals-3 assists
2. Diego Forlan (Uruguay) 5-1
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) 5-1
David Villa (Spain) 5-1
5. Miroslav Klose (Germany) 4-0
Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina) 4-0
Robert Vittek (Slovakia) 4-0
8. Luis Suarez (Uruguay 3-1
9. Landon Donovan (U.S.) 3-0
Luis Fabiano (Brazil) 3-0
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana) 3-0

WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS
1930: Uruguay
1934: Italy
1938: Italy
1950: Uruguay
1954: West Germany
1958: Brazil
1962: Brazil
1966: England
1970: Brazil
1974: West Germany
1978: Argentina
1982: Italy
1986: Argentina
1990: West Germany
1994: Brazil
1998: France
2002: Brazil
2006: Italy
2010:

1930
Montevideo, Uruguay
Uruguay 4 (Dorado 12, Cea 57, Iriarte 68, Castro 89), Argentina 2 (Peucelle 20, Stabile 37)

1934
Rome
Italy 2 (Orsi 81, Schiavio 95), Czechoslovakia 1 (Puc 76), OT

1938
Paris
Italy 4 (Colaussi 6, 35, Piola 16, 82), Hungary 2 (Titkos 8, Sarosi 70)

1950
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Uruguay 2 (Schiaffino 66, Ghiggia 79), Brazil 1 (Friaca 47)
Note: No final played; Uruguay-Brazil was the decisive game in the four-team, round-robin final stage

1954
Berne, Switzerland
West Germany 3 (Morlock 10, Rahn 18, 84), Hungary 2 (Puskas 6, Czibor 8 )

1958
Solna, Sweden
Brazil 5 (Vava 9, 32, Pele 55, 90, Zagallo 68), Sweden 2 (Liedholm 4, Simonsson 80)

1962
Santiago, Chile
Brazil 3 (Amarildo 17, Zito 69, Vava 78), Czechoslovakia 1 (Masopust 15)

1966
Wembley, England
England 4 (Hurst 18, 101, 120), West Germany 2 (Haller 12, Weber 89), OT

1970
Mexico City
Brazil 4 (Pele 18, Gerson 66, Jairzinho 71, Carlos Alberto 86), Italy 1 (Boninsegna 37)

1974
Munich, West Germany
West Germany 2 (Breitner pen. 25, Mueller 43), Netherlands 1 (Neeskens pen. 2)

1978
Buenos Aires
Argentina 3 (Kempes 38, 105, Bertoni 116), Netherlands 1 (Nanninga 82), OT

1982
Madrid
Italy 3 (Rossi 57, Tardelli 69, Altobelli 81), West Germany 1 (Breitner 83)

1986
Mexico City
Argentina 3 (Brown 23, Valdano 55, Burruchaga) 83), West Germany 2 (Rummenigge 74, Voeller 80)

1990
Rome
West Germany 1 (Brehme pen, 85), Argentina 0

1994
Pasadena
Brazil 0, Italy 0, OT
(Brazil wins on penalties, 5-3)

1998
Saint-Denis, France
France 3 (Zidane 27, 46+, Petit 90), Brazil 0

2002
Yokohama, Japan
Brazil 2 (Ronaldo 67, 79), Germany 0

2006
Berlin
Italy 1 (Materazzi 19), France 1 (Zidane pen. 7), OT
(Italy wins on penalties, 5-3)

2010
Johannesburg
Netherlands vs. Spain

The start of the Mexican season is just two weeks away, and few Primera Division clubs will feel the pressure to produce this fall as much as Club America and Cruz Azul.

The Mexico City powers are coming off disappointing Bicentenario campaigns last spring, and both are counting on Saturday night's preseason prep at the Rose Bowl to be the first step toward the Apertura championship.

America, which hasn't won a title in 10 seasons -- or five years; the Mexican league splits its year into two championships, the Apertura (fall) and Clausura (spring) -- has turned to Manuel Lapuente, who guided Mexico at the 1998 World Cup and the Aguilas to 2002 “Verano” title, as the Clausura used to be known.

The expectation?

“To win championships,” says Lapuente, who stepped down as an America vice president to take charge of the club for the fourth time. “The first is to qualify for Copa Libertadores (by finishing among the top four clubs), and then to win the championship.”

Cruz Azul has come much closer to trophies than America the past two years or so, reaching five finals -- and losing all of them.

“I always set high expectations for myself,” said coach Enrique Meza, who retained his job after the Cementeros failed to qualify for the playoffs during the spring campaign. “We all aspire to win championships and be the best we can be. Unfortunately, Cruz Azul has been very close to winning championships the last few years, and for whatever reason, we haven't been able to capture it.”

Cruz Azul has lost the last two CONCACAF Champions League finals, falling to Atlante last year and on away goals to Pachuca earlier this year. It dropped three of four Mexican Primera Division title series in 2008-09, losing to Santos in the 2008 Clausura (under Sergio Markarian), to Tolica on penalties in the 2008 Apertura (under Benjamin Galindo) and to Monterrey in the 2009 Apertura (under Meza).

Cruz Azul returns every pivotal figure except Paraguayan World Cup midfielder Christian Riveros, who has moved to English club Sunderland. Back are Mexican World Cup midfielder Gerardo Torrado, Argentine midfielder Christian Gimenez and Argentine forward Emanuel Villa, who scored 25 goals in 39 games during the 2009-10 seasons.

The biggest acquisition is midfielder Gonzalo Pineda, who played for Mexico at the 2006 World Cup and has arrived on loan from Guadalajara. Former Mexican national team defender Joel Huiqui hopes to make an impact after missing most of the last year with injuries.

America has brought in Uruguayan forward Vicente Sanchez and Argentine-born forward Matias Vuoso, who was in the running for a Mexican World Cup roster spot, to fill the shoes of Salvador Cabañas. The Paraguayan striker scored 14 goals in 20 league games from the start of the 2009 Apertura until he was shot in the head at a Mexico City nightspot in January.

Sanchez arrives following 2½ difficult years with Germany's Schalke 04 after scoring 85 goals in seven years at Toluca. Vuoso, who played part of 2006 with America, has been a regular scorer for Santos since 2003.

America has friendlies scheduled Wednesday against England's Portsmouth in San Diego and July 17 against Italy's Juventus in Arlington, Texas. Saturday night's game begins at 7 p.m. and will be televised on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español. Organizers are anticipating a crowd of 25,000.

Real So Cal, an elite Agoura Hills-based youth soccer club, takes on some of the nation's best this week at Home Depot Center in Carson, where U.S. Soccer is staging its third Development Academy finals.

RSC, the top seed to advance to the U17/18 tournament, will be in action Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and next Saturday on the training fields immediately West of HDC's soccer stadium.

Julio Castillo coaches the RSC team, which is 24-3-5 this season, led by midfielder Moises Orozco and featuring three players who have scored double-digit goals: Edwin Rivas (18), Samuel Ball (14) and Victor Chavez (13).

Eight U17/18 and eight U15/16 boys teams will participate in the eight-day event, which begins with group games in the younger division this afternoon. Two California teams -- Cal Odyssey from Clovis, near Fresno, and De Anza Force, from the San Jose area -- are competing in the U15/16 division.

Three Major League Soccer academy teams also have advanced to the finals: Chicago Fire's and D.C. United's U15/16 sides and FC Dallas's U17/18 team.

Five teams with connections to English clubs -- Baltimore Bays Chelsea and CASL Chelsea FC Academy from Raleigh, N.C., both with teams in both divisions, and the U17/18 team from Derby County Wolves, a Livonia, Mich., club -- are playing this week.

U.S. Soccer created its Development Academy to improve player development in the U.S., and participating clubs compete only in the 10-month Academy leagues, forgoing state, regional, national and international cup competitions.

Real So Cal's is the third Southern California team to play in the Development Academy finals. LAFC, a Pasadena-based club now affiliated with Chelsea, finished second in the U17/18 and sixth in the U15/16 tournaments in 2008.

U17/18 SCHEDULE
Sunday
Real So Cal (Agoura Hills) vs. Vardar (Pontiac, Mich.), Field 3, 5:30 p.m.
Baltimore Bays Chelsea (Baltimore) vs. Concorde Fire (Atlanta), Field 1, 5:30 p.m.
FC Dallas (Frisco, Texas) vs. Crossfire Premier (Redmond, Wash.), Field 1, 8:30 p.m.
CASL Chelsea FC Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) vs. Derby County Wolves (Livonia, Mich.), Field 2, 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday
Derby County vs. FC Dallas, Field 1, 3 p.m.
Crossfire Premier vs. CASL, Field 2, 4 p.m.
Real So Cal vs. Baltimore Bays, Field 3, 6 p.m.
Concorde Fire vs. Vardar, Field 2, 7 p.m.

Thursday
Real So Cal vs. Concorde, Field 2, 4 p.m.
Vardar vs. Baltimore Bays, Field 3, 4 p.m.
Crossfire Premier vs. Derby County, Field 2, 7 p.m.
CASL vs. FC Dallas, Field 3, 7 p.m.

Saturday, July 17
Seventh place, Field 2, 1 p.m.
Fifth place, Field 3, 3 p.m.
Third place, Field 2, 5 p.m.
Final, Field 1, 7 p.m.

U15/16 SCHEDULE
Saturday
CASL Chelsea FC Academy (Raleigh, N.C.) vs. Cal Odyssey (Clovis, Calif.), Field 1, 3 p.m.
Internationals (Cleveland) vs. Baltimore Bays Chelsea (Baltimore), Field 2, 4 p.m.
Chicago Fire Academy (Bridgeview, Ill.) vs. Sockers FC (Chicago), Field 3, 6 p.m.
DeAnza (Cupertino, Calif.) vs. D.C. United Academy (Washington), Field 1, 7 p.m.

Monday
Baltimore Bays vs. CASL, Field 3, 3 p.m.
Cal Odyssey vs. Internationals, Field 1, 4 p.m.
D.C. United vs. Chicago Fire, Field 2, 6 p.m.
Sockers vs. DeAnza, Field 3, 7 p.m.

Wednesday
CASL vs. Internationals, Field 2, 4 p.m.
Baltimore Bays vs. Cal Odyssey, Field 3, 4 p.m.
Chicago Fire vs. DeAnza, Field 2, 7 p.m.
D.C. United vs. Sockers, Field 3, 7 p.m.

Friday
Seventh place, Field 2, 1 p.m.
Fifth place, Field 3, 3 p.m.
Third place, Field 2, 5 p.m.
Final, Field 1, 7 p.m.

URUGUAY VS. GERMANY

When: 11:30 a.m. PT. Where: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (Port Elizabeth)
TV: ABC (KABC/Channel 7), ESPN Deportes and Univision (KMEX/Channel 34); TeleFutura (KFTR/Channel 46), delayed, 7 p.m.; ESPN2, delayed, 12:30 a.m. (Sunday); ESPN Classic, delayed, 6 a.m. (Sunday)
Referee: Benito Armando Archundia (Mexico)
Players to watch: Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have been a terrific tandem up top for Uruguay, and their abilities to get into good positions, or strike from distance, make them particularly dangerous. The return of captain Diego Lugano strengthens Los Charruas' backline. Germany needs another superb showing from Thomas Mueller, returning after missing the semifinal to suspension, and for Bastian Schweinsteiger to dictate play in midfield as he couldn't against Spain.
The scoop: Third-place games can be odd encounters; host nations and dark horses tend to fare best following the massive disappointment of falling in the semifinals. That favors Uruguay here. Don't expect the Germans to approach this one as they did the consolation match four years ago at home, when they overwhelmed Portugal to wrap up an unexpectedly spectacular run. There's lots at stake here, sort of: Forlan and Germany's Miroslav Klose and Thomas Mueller are still in the Golden Boot race, with four goals each, and Klose, who at 32 certainly won't play in another World Cup, needs just one more to equal Ronaldo's all-time World Cup record. But a back injury is likely to keep Klose on the sidelines, and midfielders Mesut Oezil and Sami Khedira also appear unlikely to play with undisclosed problems. And captain Philipp Lahm and wing/forward Lukas Podolski (along with head coach Joachim Loew) have the flu. Serdar Tasci and Dennis Aogo, who haven't played in the tournament, could get starting calls. Uruguay is in much better health: Forlan has recovered from his thigh injury, Lugano is back from a knee ailment, and Suarez (whose “heroic” hand ball sent his team to the final four) and outside back Jorge Fucile return from suspension. The extra day's rest also favors the Uruguayans, who would be a decided underdog if both teams were at full strength and the game really counted for something, which they aren't and it doesn't.
History: Uruguay and West Germany met in the 1970 third-place game. Uruguay had lost, 3-1, in the semifinals to Brazil, which would win the trophy with what is widely regarded as the greatest team to take the field. The Germans came in off a 4-3 overtime loss to Italy in what became known as the “Game of the Century,” in which they forced overtime, at 1-1, with Karl-Heinz Schnellinger's last minute goal, went ahead in extra time on Gerd Mueller's strike, gave up two goals, pulled even in the 110th minute on Mueller's 10th goal of the tournament, then surrendered the winner a minute later. Franz Beckenbauer played much of overtime with his arm in a sling after suffering a broken clavicle after Germany had exhausted its substitutions. The third-place match, which drew 104,403 to Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, was won by the Germans, 1-0, on Wolfgang Overath's first-half goal.
Paul the Oracle Octopus' pick: Germany
Prediction: Uruguay 2, Germany 1

Potential lineups
Uruguay: 1-Fernando Muslera; 16-Maximiliano Pereira, 2-Diego Lugano, 3-Diego Godin, 4-Jorge Fucile; 17-Egidio Arevalo, 15-Diego Perez, 11-Alvaro Pereira; 9-Luis Suarez, 10-Diego Forlan, 7-Edinson Cavani.

Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 16-Philipp Lahm, 17-Per Mertesacker, 3-Arne Friedrich, 20-Jerome Boateng; 13-Thomas Mueller, 5-Serdar Tasci, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 10-Lukas Podolski; 9-Stefan Kiessling, 19-Cacau.

It's no surprise that Chivas USA coach Martin Vasquez has a rooting interest in Germany, which plays Uruguay on Saturday in the World Cup's third-place game. Vasquez was an assistant coach under Juergen Klinsmann at Bayern Munich from July 2008 until April 2009, working with many of the players who have played big roles in the Germans' run to the semifinals.

Klinsmann, who lives in Huntington Beach, coached Germany through a surprising campaign at the World Cup as host four years ago. The team was not considered one of the better sides at the tournament but reached the semifinals and finished third.

Klinsmann took control of Bayern, Germany's biggest club, after failing to reach an agreement with U.S. Soccer to take charge of the U.S. national team, but his tenure -- and that of Vasquez and fellow assistant coach Nick Theslof, a former UCLA star whose coaching career began with Orange County Blue Star (a team Klinsmann played for under an assumed name) -- was cut short when the team struggled and management objected to some of the coach's unorthodox ideas.

Among the Bayern players Vasquez worked with who have starred for Germany in South Africa are midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, forward Miroslav Klose and defender Philipp Lahm, the team's captain.

“Miro Klose -- to watch him every day, that's what you see,” Vasquez said about the forward, who has scored four goals to move within one of Brazilian star Ronaldo on the all-time World Cup list. “And Schweinsteiger -- he has probably been the difference.

“Two years ago when we were at Bayern, he was under the limelight of (French winger Franck) Ribery and (Italian striker) Luca Toni and Klose. Now playing for Bayern, he just blossoms, he just grows -- he's the boss now. You can see (that Germany coach Joachim Loew) has those expectations, and he has responded.”

Most rewarding for Vasquez, who played for the U.S. and Mexican national teams in friendlies, might be the performance of 20-year-old winger Thomas Mueller, who has scored four goals and is the frontrunner to win the World Cup's Best Young Player honor.

“We brought him up (to the first team) -- Juergen Klinsmann did,” Vasquez said. “He was in the amateur team, and he brought him up, and he played with us games in the Bundesliga and the Champions League. He stood out. That's why we brought him up. It was just giving him the opportunity, and it was a matter of time.”

Mexico's take-charge winger Giovani Dos Santos' excellent World Cup performance has been noticed by FIFA's technical committee, which has included him among three finalists for the World Cup's Best Young Player award.

Dos Santos, 21, who played last season for Turkish power Galatasaray on loan from London's Tottenham, joins German winger Thomas Mueller and Ghanaian midfielder Andre Ayew on the final list. Mueller, 20, almost certainly will win the honor after scoring four goals in five games.

Missing from the list is German playmaker Mesut Oezil, who was born 2½ months before the Jan. 1, 1989, cutoff date. Oezil is on the shortlist of player for the Golden Ball award, the World Cup's MVP.

The other nine nominees for the Golden Ball are Spanish midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta and forward David Villa, Dutch midfielders Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben, German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan, Argentine forward Lionel Messi and Ghanaian forward Asamoah Gyan.

The primary contenders would appear to be Sneijder, Xavi, Villa and perhaps Forlan.

1930
No game, United States recognized as third-place team because of better record than Yugoslavia

1934
Naples, Italy
Germany 3 (Lehner 1, 42, Conen 27), Austria 2 (Horvath 28, Sesta 54)

1938
Bordeaux, France
Brazil 4 (Romeu 44, Leonidas 63, 78, Peracio 80), Sweden 2 (Jonasson 28, Nyberg 38)

1950
No game, Sweden finished third and Spain fourth in four-team, round-robin final stage

1954
Zurich, Switzerland
Austria 3 (Stojaspal pen. 16, og Cruz 59, Ocwirk 89), Uruguay 1 (Hohberg 22)

1958
Gothenburg, Sweden
France 6 (Fontaine 16, 36, 78, 89, Kopa pen. 27, Douis 50), West Germany 3 (Cieslarczyk 18, Rahn 52, Schaefer 84)

1962
Santiago, Chile
Chile 1 (Rojas 90), Yugoslavia 0

1966
Wembley, England
Portugal 2 (Eusebio pen. 12, Torres 89), Soviet Union 1 (Malofeyev 43)

1970
Mexico City
West Germany 1 (Overath 26), Uruguay 0

1974
Munich, West Germany
Poland 1 (Lato 76), Brazil 0

1978
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Brazil 2 (Nelinho 64, Dirceu 71), Italy 1 (Causio 38)

1982
Alicante, Spain
Poland 3 (Szarmach 40, Majewski 44, Kupcewicz 46), France 2 (Girard 13, Couriol 72)

1986
Puebla, Mexico
France 4 (Ferreri 27, Papin 43, Genghini 104, Amoros pen. 111), Belgium 2 (Ceulemans 11, Claesen 73), OT

1990
Bari, Italy
Italy 2 (R. Baggio 71), England 1 (Platt 81)

1994
Pasadena
Sweden 4 (Brolin 8, Mild 30, Larsson 37, K. Andersson 40), Bulgaria 0

1998
Paris, France
Croatia 2 (Prosinecki 13, Suker 35), Netherlands 1 (Zenden 21)

2002
Daegu, South Korea
Turkey 3 (Hakan Sukur 1, Ilhan Mansiz 13, 32), South Korea 2 (Lee E.Y. 9, Song C.G. 93+)

2006
Stuttgart, Germany
Germany 3 (Schweinsteiger 56, 78, og Petit 60), Portugal 1 (Nuno Gomes 88)

2010
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Uruguay vs. Germany

Mexico's Benito Armando Archundia will be the man in the middle for Saturday's third-place game between Uruguay and Germany in Port Elizabeth.

Englishman Howard Webb will officiate Sunday's final in Johannesburg, in which the Netherlands or Spain will win its first World Cup title.

Archundia, 44, was in charge of two first-stage matches in South Africa: Italy's 1-1 draw with Paraguay and Brazil's scoreless tie with Portugal. He also officiated five games at the 2006 World Cup, including Italy's 2-0 overtime triumph over host Germany in the semifinals.

Webb, 38, has refereed three matches in the tournament: Spain's loss to Switzerland and Italy's loss to Slovakia in group play and Brazil's round-of-16 victory over Chile.

The South Yorkshire police sergeant, who took a five-year leave of absence to concentrate on his refereeing duties, has been calling games since 1995 and became an English Premier League linesman in 1998 and full referee in 2003. He gained FIFA status in 2005 and officiated at the 2008 European Championship.

Chivas USA made official what had been expected for weeks, signing Venezuelan forward Giancarlo Maldonado, who will eligible to play when the transfer window opens next Thursday, pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate.

Maldonado, who has scored 19 goals in 48 appearances with Venezuela's national team, spent most of the past month training with Chivas after it became clear that Atlante, the Mexican club he's played with since 2007, no longer wanted him.

The Cancun-based club, which won the 2009 CONCACAF Champions League with Maldonado, had been seeking to trade Maldonado for Chivas USA captain Jonathan Bornstein. Atlante president Jose Antonio Garcia said five weeks ago a deal was nearly certain, but Bornstein, upon returning from the World Cup, said that Garcia's statement was the first he'd heard of the possibility.

Bornstein's MLS contract expires at the end of the year, and he's widely seen as underpaid: He makes $100,000 a year. If the league doesn't sell him before the contract is up, it risks losing him with no compensation. Bornstein's mother is Mexican, so he qualifies for a Mexican passport, making his move to a Mexican club uncomplicated.

Maldonado emerged from Uruguayan club River Plate's youth system and helped Venezuela's Nacional Tachira to a league title before joining Chile's O'Higgins in 2006. He scored 21 goals in his only season with the club, then moved to Atlante in 2007 and scored 18 goals in the Apertura (fall) tournament, leading the Potros to the title. He scored seven in the Clausura (spring) that followed, but has managed just seven goals in the four seasons (over two years) since.

“Giancarlo is an experienced striker with international experience and the ability to score goals,” Chivas USA coach Martín Vasquez said in a statement. “He's going to make us a better team as we head into the second part of this season.”

Maldonado is the second acquisition the Goats, who are last in the Western Conference with a 3-9-2 record, have made in recent weeks. Brazilian midfielder Paulo Nagamura, who left Chivas to play in Mexico during the offseason, re-signed with the club and also will be eligible next Thursday.

Lake Forest's Amy Rodriguez is Women's Professional Soccer's Player of the Month after a torrid June capped by a fine performance at the league's All-Star Game.

The U.S. national women's team forward, who starred at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in south Orange County and played a prominent role in USC's run to the 2007 NCAA Division I title, scored five goals with two assists in June as the expansion Philadelphia Independence vaulted into second place and solidified its position behind FC Gold Pride.

She added a goal and an assist for Marta's XI at the All-Star Game in Kennesaw, Ga., helping her team to a 5-2 victory.

Rodriguez scored just once in her rookie campaign last year for the Boston Breakers, but she's having a superb season in Philadelphia, with seven goals and three assists. Only former L.A. Sol star Marta, now with Gold Pride, has more goals.

Another local product, Sky Blue FC goalkeeper Karen Bardsley of Chino Hills (Ayala HS/Cal State Fullerton), was WPS's Player of Month for May.

The Galaxy looks to put wins together again and Chivas USA hopes to halt a long unbeaten streak Saturday on the road. The Galaxy plays at New England and Chivas USA at Kansas City.

L.A. (11-1-3) maintains a nine-point lead on Real Salt Lake atop the Western Conference after a 3-1 victory Sunday over Seattle in Landon Donovan's and Edson Buddle's returns from the World Cup.

Both sat out Wednesday's loss to Seattle in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, and Donovan is expected to stay home as L.A. heads to New England, one of four teams with just 11 points, for Saturday's game with the Revolution.

A victory would give L.A. 39 points. One of three teams with 40 points last year made the playoffs. Nobody collected more than 49.

Chivas USA is one of the quartet with just 11 points after a 1-1 draw with another of the group, Philadelphia, ended a six-game losing streak. Kansas City has just 12 points and, like the Goats, is struggling mightily.

This week's games (all times Pacific):

THURSDAY, JULY 8
Chicago Fire (4-4-5, 17 points) vs. Real Salt Lake (8-3-3, 27 points) at Toyota Park (Bridgeview, Ill.), 6:30 p.m., ESPN and ESPN Deportes
Real Salt Lake has been MLS's best side the past month, maybe two; the Utahns take a nine-game MLS unbeaten streak to Chicago in which they've surrendered just four goals while scoring three in a game twice, four once and five in last weekend's laugher against New England. Nick Rimando (Montclair HS/UCLA) has shutouts in his last four starts and was MLS's Player of the Month for June. Chicago's four wins this season have come against struggling sides; the Fire has underperformed, and GM Frank Klopas is looking to bring in midfield talent when the transfer window opens next month. Serbian Bratislav Ristic is possible, and American Jeremiah White is less likely after making unreasonable contract requests.

SATURDAY, JULY 10
Los Angeles Galaxy (11-1-3, 36 points) vs. New England Revolution (3-9-2, 11 points), Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, Mass.), 4:30 p.m., FSN Prime Ticket (with 11 p.m. replay)
L.A. doesn't want to take any game lightly, but this is a good opportunity to get Landon Donovan some rest -- he's almost certain not to make the trip to Massachusetts -- and maybe give Leonardo another MLS start, with Omar Gonzalez serving a suspension for yellow card accumulation. The Galaxy has won just twice in its last five competitive matches, but they'll be huge favorites here. The Revs have goalkeeper Matt Reis (Santa Margarita Catholic HS/UCLA) and midfield general Shalrie Joseph in the lineup, but it's not helping. They've won just once in 14 games since April 10 (that includes U.S. Open Cup and two friendlies) and have been shut out in eight of the last nine encounters. Last week's loss was the worst of the season: a 5-0 disaster against Real Salt Lake. New England's injury woes are unrivaled, but defender Darrius Barnes is expected to be back, but that's not going to turn things around.

Chivas USA (3-9-2, 11 points) vs. Kansas City Wizards (3-7-3, 12 points), CommunityAmerica Ballpark (Kansas City, Kan.), 5:30 p.m., KDOC/Channel 56
The Goats snapped a six-game losing streak with the tie against Philadelphia, and with moves coming -- an announcement on Venezuelan forward Giancarlo Maldonado should be made soon -- things could pick up for L.A.'s No. 2 team. They couldn't get much worse. Paulo Nagamura will certainly add to midfield depth, and Jonathan Bornstein figures to see more time attacking from the midfield flank, which he prefers to left back. K.C. has won just once since shutting out D.C. United and Colorado in its first two games this season, and the Wizards haven't scored in three of their past four games and in two of their past three home games. The backline benefits from the addition of former Chivas/Galaxy defender Shavar Thomas, acquired in a trade last week.

Toronto FC (5-4-4, 19 points) vs. Colorado Rapids (6-3-4, 22 points) at BMO Field (Toronto), 9 a.m., MLS Direct Kick
Both teams coming in with a pair of streaks, good ones. TFC is unbeaten in its last seven and 4-0-3 at home this year. Colorado is unbeaten in its last six. Both sides have tied their past three games. The Reds are missing midfielder Julian de Guzman and defender Amadou Sanyang, who were red-carded against Houston last week, and new signing Mista, a Spanish forward who has played for Tenerife, Valencia, Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruña, won't be eligible until next week. Colorado's defensive depth improved with the return of Kosuke Kimura, who had been out two months with an ankle injury, but they'll be without Moroccan midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy, who has a longstanding paperwork problem that prevents him from leaving the country.

Philadelphia Union (3-7-2, 11 points) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (5-4-4, 19 points) at PPL Park (Chester, Pa.), 3 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel (live) and Fox Sports en Español (delayed, 11:30 p.m.)
Sebastian Le Toux and rookie Danny Mwanga are developing into a nice forward tandem for the Union, who have gotten positive results in three of their past five games and head into this one, the opener of a four-game homestand (with six of seven games at home the next five weeks) off a win over Seattle and tie last weekend at Chivas USA. San Jose hasn't won since May 22, and coach Frank Yallop swapped goalkeepers -- Jon Busch for Joe Cannon -- although the real problems are on offense. The Quakes have scored more than one goal just once since a 4-0 win over New York on May 5, and not even one in three of seven games since then.

New York Red Bulls (8-5-1, 25 points) vs. D.C. United (3-9-2, 11 points) at Red Bull Arena (Harrison, N.J.), 4:30 p.m., MLS Direct Kick
Juan Pablo Angel has three goals in two games since MLS's World Cup break ended, and he had one in the friendly against Cruzeiro just before that. The Red Bulls' defense, with Carlos Mendes making a huge contribution, has been tight, too, in a four-game MLS unbeaten streak. D.C. is slowly making things right -- it's 2-1-2 in the last five league games -- and the transfer-window dealing will strengthen the roster. Salvadoran winger Christian Castillo has been waived, and young Argentine forward Pablo Hernandez and Montenegran midfielder Branko Boskovic will officially join up next week.

Houston Dynamo (5-7-3, 18 points) vs. Columbus Crew (8-2-3, 27 points) at Robertson Stadium (Houston), 5:30 p.m., MLS Direct Kick
The Dynamo have tied their past two games, which is better than the previous three, and throw in Tuesday's U.S. Open Cup loss to Chivas USA and they've gone seven competitive matches with just one victory. Defense remains a trouble spot, and Brad Davis' hip-flexor injury isn't helping, and now Joseph Ngwenya is suspended for a red card. Columbus' depth took it to four wins in 11 days -- two of them shutouts and two 2-1 wins -- and back atop the Eastern Conference and into the Open Cup semifinals. There appear to be three outstanding teams in MLS at this point: the Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and the Crew.

SUNDAY, JULY 11
Seattle Sounders FC (4-8-3, 15 points) vs. FC Dallas (5-2-6, 21 points) at Qwest Field (Seattle), 7:30 p.m., MLS Direct Kick
FC Dallas has won three in a row, the last two on penalty kicks by David “El Torito” Ferreira, and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (Peninsula HS/UCLA) has been pivotal, with big saves in all eight of his starts. The Sounders have lost three straight MLS games and four of five (with the lone win against sinking New England), but they beat the Galaxy in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal Wednesday with great efforts by several reserves. It's time for Torrance's Sigi Schmid to shake things up a bit: Expect Nate Jaqua and Miguel Montano to step into the lineup.

There will be no domestic double for the Galaxy this season.

L.A. played without its World Cup stars Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle plus five more regulars and fell to defending champion Seattle Sounders, 2-0, in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal Thursday night in Tukwila, Wash.

Nate Jaqua, who spent part of the 2007 season with the Galaxy, scored in the 50th and 62nd minutes for Seattle. The Sounders are slated to play Chivas USA in the semifinals of America's oldest soccer competition Sept. 1 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. The U.S. Open Cup, open to any U.S. club, professional or amateur, has been played since 1914.

The loss was just the second this season for the Galaxy.

L.A. won the domestic “double” -- Open Cup and MLS Cup titles -- in 2005 under Steve Sampson. Torrance's Sigi Schmid, Seattle's coach, guided the Galaxy to its first Open Cup title, in 2001.

The L.A. lineups was without Donovan, Buddle, forward Tristan Bowen, midfielders Chris Birchall and Michael Stephens, and defenders Gregg Berhalter and Todd Dunivant. Right back Sean Franklin entered in the second half, playing alongside Omar Gonzalez in central defense.

Midfielder Dema Kovalenko returned to the Galaxy lineup after missing 14 games, including the friendly with Boca Juniors and last week's Open Cup victory over AC St. Louis, with a hamstring strain. Midfielder Eddie Lewis, who has made two reserve appearances in MLS games since suffering an opening-night foot injury, started his second straight Open Cup game, and so did defender Leonardo, who had missed 11 MLS games with a thigh injury.

Jaqua, who scored on a rebound from a shot off the crossbar and a cross, both from Miguel Montano, was making his first start of the season after missing the first three months with an abdominal tear. He played as a second-half substitute in the Sounders' Major League Soccer losses June 27 at Philadelphia and last weekend against the Galaxy at Home Depot Center.

Schmid also used a reserve lineup, with only three starters from Sunday's loss to the Galaxy getting the call. Among the missing: stars Freddie Ljunberg, Fredy Montero, Kasey Keller and Steve Zakuani.

QUARTERFINALS
All times Pacific
Wednesday
Seattle Sounders (MLS) 2 (Jaqua 50, 62), L.A. Galaxy (MLS) 0
Tuesday
Houston Dynamo (MLS) 1 (Oduro 86), Chivas USA (MLS) 3 (Braun 5, 90, Lahoud 65)
Columbus Crew (MLS) 3 (Renteria 38, Lenhart 70, Gaven 87), Charleston Battery (USL Second Division) 0
July 21
D.C. United (MLS) vs. Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Second Division) at Maryland Soccerplex (Germantown, Md.), 4:30 p.m.

SEMIFINALS
Sept. 1
Seattle Sounders (MLS) vs. Chivas USA (MLS) at Starfire Sports Complex (Tukwila, Wash.), 7 p.m.
Aug. 31 or Sept. 1
Columbus Crew (MLS) vs. D.C. United (MLS) at Maryland Soccerplex (Germantown, Md.), 4:30 p.m., or vs. Harrisburg City Islanders (USL Second Division) at Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio), 4:30 p.m.

IN BRIEF: Viva España! Spain dictates play with its trademark possession game, dominates the midfield battles, plays tight at the back, and uses Carles Puyol's well-place header to dispose of Germany and reach its first World Cup final. The winner Sunday -- the Spaniards or the Netherlands -- will be a first-time winner.

WOW! MOMENT: Can a moment last 90 minutes? Spain's ability to hold onto the ball for long stretches, forcing the Germans to chase and chase (and wear themselves out while chasing), was breathtaking -- and exactly the kind of soccer, even without goals, that had so many so-called experts picking the Spaniards before the Cup started.

BEST PLAYER: Puyol deserves consideration, and not just for the goal. He might have had two had he put his header on frame when he got free in Germany's box in the first half for Andres Iniesta's cross, and his work at the back was exemplary. And German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer kept the Germans in the game. Without him, it's 3-0 easy. But best of all was Xavi, the world's premier provider, who was the pivotal figure, along with Andres Iniesta, in Spain's midfield dominance that determined the outcome. By FIFA's count, Xavi completed 92 of 106 passes, 13 of 15 from long range, and one of them Puyol finished for the goal.

BEST GOAL: There was only one, and it was fairly clinical. Perfect corner kick by Xavi from the left wing, and his Barcelona teammate Puyol -- a defender who had scored just two previous international goals, in April 2002 and October 2008 -- leaps in front of backline mate Gerard Pique and powerfully heads it to the right side of the net. A just finish for a just result.

MIGHTIEST MISCUE: Germany's defending on the winning goal was poor. Puyol, alone atop the box, has a clear path to the ball, and there's no way that should occur. If the Germans put a defender near him, or have somebody who can step into the gap in front of Pique, we're likely going to overtime.

WORTH NOTING: The last three first-time World Cup champs: France in 1998 (at home), Argentina in 1978 (at home) and England in 1966 (at home). Last first-time World Cup titlist not at home: Brazil, with 17-year-old Pelé, in 1958. … Spain could become the second team to follow a European Championship with a World Cup title. West Germany did so in 1972 (Euro) and 1974 (World Cup). Two reigning European champions have lost in the World Cup final: Italy in 1970 and West Germany in 1982.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 1: “I am sure the Spanish can win any game because they are dominant, and it’s hard to contain their attack. They have shown they can beat anyone. In the last two or three years, they’ve shown themselves to be one of the best and most united teams. They circulate the ball well, and we weren’t able to play the way we like to play. … I am sure Spain will win the title. They’re the best team. They will beat the Netherlands.” --- Germany coach Joachim Loew is impressed by the Spaniards.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 2: “This is one of the greatest moments for Spain, for us to be in the final of the World Cup, it’s history. And we want to make more history in the final.” -- Spanish forward David Villa.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 3: “Spain's organization and tactics are in a different league. When they attack, the whole team comes forward, and when they defend, they all work together to keep it tight.” -- German defender Marcell Jansen.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 4: “We can say Germany wasn’t as good as we thought they’d be today. But that is due to the excellent performance of our team.” -- Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 5: “If there was a fiasco, there are reasons. And for me, you shouldn’t pull the wool over your eyes: They stem from the coach. (Raymond) Domenech kept drumming into us: ‘Put your egos to one side.’ But I think that he forgot to do so. Domenech wasn’t receptive. A lot of players couldn’t speak to him. That was my case. The real problem is the coach. … I wasn’t good, we weren’t good. But the coach wasn’t good, either.” -- William Gallas gives his view of France's disastrous World Cup campaign to weekly magazine Les Inrockuptibles.

THE RESULT
At Durban
Germany 0, Spain 1 (Puyol 73)

FINAL
Sunday at Johannesburg
Netherlands vs. Spain, 11:30 a.m.

THIRD PLACE
Saturday at Port Elizabeth
Uruguay vs. Germany, 11:30 a.m.

All times Pacific

GOLDEN BOOT STANDINGS
1. David Villa (Spain) 5 goals-1 assist
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) 5-1
3. Thomas Mueller (Germany) 4-3
4. Diego Forlan (Uruguay) 4-1
5. Miroslav Klose (Germany) 4-0
Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina) 4-0
Robert Vittek (Slovakia) 4-0
8. Luis Suarez (Uruguay 3-1
9. Landon Donovan (U.S.) 3-0
Luis Fabiano (Brazil) 3-0
Asamoah Gyan (Ghana) 3-0