Germany   v   Uruguay

Saturday July 10th

Port Elizabeth

The much derided play-off for the bronze medal often proves to be the most open game of any World Cup, and this year there is no reason to believe otherwise.

Germany and Uruguay have been two of the most attractive and high scoring teams over the past four weeks and they may provide a goal fest in Port Elizabeth on Saturday night.

Uruguay will go into the game more determined to finish in third place. If they had been offered such an outcome before the tournament kicked off, it would have been snapped up. 

La Celeste will see this as an opportunity to finish 2010 on a high and cement their names in the annals of Uruguayan football history.

Germany may be the more relaxed of the two sides. Having picked up third place at home four years ago the motivation to repeat that probably won't be there. In 2006 the game with Portugal in Stuttgart was regarded as a ceremonial thank you game to the fans who had come to embrace their 'mannschaft'.

In 2010 Germany had hoped to go one step further and third place will be no consolation.

With the Germans likely to make a host of changes for the game, it may be an open affair. Therefore, further young talent such as Toni Kroos, Marko Marin, Sendar Tacsi and Dennis Aogo may be in line for starting berths.

Uruguay may persist with their strongest outfit, or at least only make minor changes. Luis Suarez, villain and hero of the quarter final with Ghana, is likely to slot back into the team.

Forgetting what transpires in this match on Saturday, both teams can fly home in the knowledge that they've had successful World Cups. Uruguay are playing to their strengths and earned their place in the semi final.

Germany were the more impressive though, scoring 13 goals in their first five games, dismantling both England and Argentina in the process. Both can look forward to promising futures.

The third place match is generally a high scoring affair. No match has contained less than three goals since Poland's 1-0 win over Brazil in 1974

Every play-off since 1994 has had four goals or more. History suggests goals are in store.