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If you're a compulsive gambler, you'll enjoy today's third place match between Germany and Portugal. I'll be missing. Or more precisely, just not watching it.
About the only allure of this game is to see if Miroslav Klose can cement his Golden Boot award (gee that sounds quite gangsterish doesn't it). He leads the tournament with five goals. The next best is three and only two of those players, Lukas Podolski of Germany and Thierry Henry of France, are still playing.
The third place games tend to produce a few more goals than other matches since the stakes aren't as high. There is no extra payout for finishing third instead of fourth.
If no one produces a hat trick in this match, this will likely be the first World Cup ever without one. There has only been one in a final and that was by Geoff Hurst in the 1966 final. And Germans will likely tell you that one of those goals never crossed the line.
Turkey won the 2002 third place game over Korea, 3-2.
Soccer needs to heed the call. They should replace it with a skills contest or something.
In 1998, Croatia beat the Netherlands 2-1.
In 1994, Sweden beat Bulgaria, 4-0.
In 1990, Italy beat England, 2-1.
In 1986, France beat Belgium, 4-2 in overtime.
In 1982, Poland beat France, 3-2.
In 1978, Brazil beat Italy, 2-1.
In 1974, Poland beat Brazil, 1-0.
In 1970, Germany beat Uruguay, 1-0.
In 1966, Portugal beat USSR, 2-1.
In 1962, Chile beat Yugoslavia, 1-0.
In 1958, France beat Germany, 6-3.
In 1954, Austria beat Uruguay, 3-1.
No third place match in 1950
In 1938, Brazil beat Sweden, 4-2.
In 1934, Germany beat Austria, 3-2.
No third place match in 1930. And the USA would have played in that one against Yugoslavia!
FIFA seems to like the 3rd place match because it always seems to sell out.
Oliver Kahn gets to start in goal for Germany. Ballack isn't going to play.
The 2002 consolation match had the fastest goal ever in World Cup play. Turkey's Hakan Sukur scored 11 seconds into the match.
Didn't the 94 Bulgarian team feature Hristo Stoichkov? So talented and dirty.
Bulgaria played its Round of 16, quarterfinal, and semifinal matches all at Giants Stadium.
Stoichkov tied for the Golden Boot with a Russian, Salenko, with 6 goals.
He was Romanian. Romania lost in the quartefinals to Sweden on penalties.
http://www.investbulgaria.com/people/letchkov2.gif
Hagi is not bald.
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