June 25, 2010

World Cup 2010: Images of the decisive games in Groups G and H

The best images of the decisive game in Groups G and H today, featuring the likes of Spain, Brazil and Portugal

sport: sport — Spain face Chile in Group H needing a win to ensure their progression to the last 16. Yet according to some quarters of the Spanish media, Sara Carbonero, the girlfriend of goalkeeper Iker Casillas, poses the biggest threat to the hopes of the European Champions. They say her pre-match, pitch-side warblings for Spanish TV are a needless distraction ...
Photograph: Dani Ochoa de Olza/AP Photograph: Dani Ochoa de Olza/guardian.co.uk

sport: spain — Ah, there she is, in full focus, warbling away
Photograph: John Sibley/Action Images Photograph: John Sibley/guardian.co.uk

sport: Chile vs Spain — Chile have the better of the opening 20 minutes while Spain are uncharacteristically stale. Here, Spain's Xavi (in blue) slides between Marco Estrada and Mauricio Isla
Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA Photograph: Shawn Thew/guardian.co.uk

sport: Chile v Spain: Group H - 2010 FIFA World Cup — Despite their poor start, Spain take the lead when David Villa loops the ball into an empty net from distance. It wasn't the easiest of chances to convert but he did so with precision. Culpability lies with the Chilean goalkeeper who, having raced from his line, only half-cleared the ball straight to the feet of Villa
Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images Photograph: Jasper Juinen/guardian.co.uk

sport: Chile vs Spain — Andres Iniesta makes it 2-0 to Spain with a side-foot finish eight minutes before the break. Estrada is subsequently dismissed for a second bookable offence following an unintentional foul seconds before the goal
Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA Photograph: Shawn Thew/guardian.co.uk

sport: sport — Chile pull one back when Rodrigo Millar's shot loops over Casillas. There are no distractions to speak of, just a big slice of bad fortune for the Spanish keeper. Nonetheless, Spain win 2-1 and top the group. Chile, meanwhile, must wait for confirmation of the result between Honduras and Switzerland to know their fate ...
Photograph: Ivan Sekretarev/AP Photograph: Ivan Sekretarev/guardian.co.uk

sport: Switzerland vs Honduras — The Swiss boss Ottmar Hitzfeld looks anxious ahead of the match at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. A win will see Switzerland through to the last 16, a draw won't
Photograph: Nuno Veiga/EPA Photograph: Nuno Veiga/guardian.co.uk

sport: football — There are plenty of chances at both ends in a game which becomes increasingly stretched ... Here, Switzerland's Benjamin Huggel watches as the Honduran keeper Noel Valladares flies from his goal
Photograph: Radu Sigheti/Reuters Photograph: Radu Sigheti/guardian.co.uk

sport: sport — At the other end, Honduras's David Suazo (right) somehow fails to connect with a piercing cross
Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP Photograph: Michael Sohn/guardian.co.uk

sport: footy — 0-0 it ends and both of these teams are out. Chile go through as the runners up in Group H and will face Brazil in the next round
Photograph: Peter Steffen/EPA Photograph: Peter Steffen/guardian.co.uk

sport: A Brazil supporter cheers prior to the s — Speaking of Brazil, they played Portugal in Group G earlier in the day. This guy has gone all out to prove there's only one Ronaldo – fat Ronaldo, of course
Photograph: Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Liu Jin/guardian.co.uk

sport: Brazil's defender Daniel Alves (L) is ch — It's a scrappy game littered with yellow cards
Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/guardian.co.uk

sport: Brazil's defender Juan (R) kicks the bal — ... but a game of very few chances. Here, the Brazilian defender Juan gets smacked in the chops as he misguidedly attempts some kind of hooked clearance
Photograph: Karim Jaafar/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Karim Jaafar/guardian.co.uk

sport: Portugal's goalkeeper Eduardo gets the b — Portugal's goalkeeper Eduardo makes a rare save
Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/guardian.co.uk

sport: Portugal v Brazil: Group G - 2010 FIFA World Cup — Cristiano Ronaldo is blocked by Lucio as the game peters out. It finishes goalless. Not that either of these two are complaining – they're both going through to the last 16 at the expense of Ivory Coast
Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images Photograph: Jamie McDonald/guardian.co.uk

sport: sport — In reality, the match between Ivory Coast and North Korea was always likely to be a dead rubber, such was the void between the scoring records of Ivory Coast and Portugal at the start of the day
Photograph: Kin Cheung/AP Photograph: Kin Cheung/guardian.co.uk

sport: North Korea v Ivory Coast: Group G - 2010 FIFA World Cup — Needing a hatful of goals to stand any chance of going through, Yaya Toure bags one in the 14th minute before Romaric adds a second six minutes later
Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images Photograph: Clive Rose/guardian.co.uk

sport: Ivory Coast's striker Salomon Kalou (L) — Salomon Kalou's strike eight minutes from time in the second half is too little too late. 3-0 it finishes, and the draw between Brazil and Portugal has dumped the Ivory Coast out in any case.
Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Issouf Sanogo/guardian.co.uk

sport: Ivory Coast's striker Didier Drogba reac — Didier Drogba looks gutted. His World Cup is over
Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/guardian.co.uk

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