Germany's Sebastian Vettel secured his seventh pole position of the season after qualifying fastest for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix at Hungaroring.

Vettel pipped his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber by just 0.4 seconds as the manufacturer once again showed they will be the team to beat this weekend.

The rejuvenated Ferrari's of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who secured a controversial win in Germany last weekend, maintained that form by taking the second row of the grid -- although they were almost a second slower than the Red Bull's.

Current world championship leader Lewis Hamilton will start the race from fifth position but McLaren teammate and defending world champion Jenson Button is only 11th ater struggling throughout the day before eventually failing to make Q1.
We found the problem from last week that made the start so bad.
--Sebastian Vettel
RELATED TOPICS

* Formula One World Championship
* Sebastian Vettel
* Mark Webber
* Fernando Alonso
* Felipe Massa

"That was tough, but we were never going to be on the front two rows here," Button told reporters.

The Mercedes of Nico Rosberg again outqualified Michael Schumacher -- who will start a lowly 14th -- while Russian Vitaly Petrov is seventh after going quicker than Renault teammate Robert Kubica for the first time this season, with the Pole eighth.

Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa and Nico Hulkenberg of Williams will complete the top 10 on the grid.

Vettel topped qualifying at Hockenheim last weekend but finished third after a poor start and the 23-year-old told the BBC: "We found the problem from last week that made the start so bad so hopefully we can have a normal start on Sunday."

We know Roy Oswalt makes the Phillies better. That's a no-brainer. But how much better? Better enough to send them surging past the Braves and into the postseason? To answer that question, let's look at some Random Royness:

* Oswalt in Citizens Bank Park: Oswalt has thrived in Citizens Bank Park, going 4-0 with a 2.60 ERA in four starts while giving up only one home run there in 27 innings, and that against a Phillies lineup that has been stacked for several years. In short: Oswalt loves pitching in Philly, so this will be a great fit.

* Oswalt against the Braves: As the Mets slowly fall away, the NL East is turning into a two-horse race: Phillies vs. Braves. Philly has dug itself a bit of a hole in recent weeks, but they're on a roll right now. Still, the road to the division title goes through Atlanta, with six games against the Braves in the final two weeks of the season, including the final three games of the year. Against the Braves, however, Oswalt is not so good: 0-3 with a 7.58 ERA in seven starts. For him to be an asset rather than a liability against Atlanta down the stretch, that will have to change.

* Oswalt in the Playoffs: Say the Phillies do get into the postseason, via either the division crown or the wild card. What then? Well then you have a pretty decent Oswalt: He's 4-0 in eight starts with a 3.66 ERA. That's skewed a bit too by the fact that he got beat up pretty bad in his one World Series start against the White Sox in 2005. But of course we're still dealing with a small sample size, the last data point of which was five years ago. The point here, I think, is that Oswalt has playoff experience and that can only help him and the Phillies.

OK, I'll admit it: the reason I started in on this exercise is because I'm a shameless Braves fan who wanted an excuse to write about Oswalt's struggles against Atlanta. But that doesn't seem very relevant to me right now. All I'm seeing is that an already good team, on the upswing, just picked up a stud pitcher with playoff experience who does really well in his new park.

Maybe we can't quantify what that does for the Phillies, but what it does is very, very good

Diego Maradona's reign as Argentina coach has ended, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) has confirmed.

Maradona, 49, admitted he wanted to stay in the job ahead of a meeting with AFA president Julio Grondona on Monday.

But, after Maradona rejected demands to change his backroom team, the AFA voted not to renew his deal and made under-20 coach Sergio Batista caretaker boss.

Argentina crashed out of the 2010 World Cup finals at the quarter-final stage, where they lost 4-0 to Germany.

Grondona said: "It is difficult to agree. The hardest difference to agree on was changing some of Diego's staff.

There was no evaluation, no review, no conclusions. These are the things you have to think about in order to think about the future

AFA general secretary Jose Luis Meiszner

"Nobody has been sacked. A contract has not been extended because the conditions were not suitable.

"When you cannot agree with somebody you love, you are not happy at all.

"I always want to talk to him [Maradona], but sometimes it is difficult because this is not the best moment."

However, AFA general secretary Jose Luis Meiszner was less saddened by the situation, telling cable channel C5N: "I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit there was a general disliking of several aspects of the cycle that ended with the World Cup.

"We did not see any intention to show humility, to say that things should have been done better.

"There was no evaluation, no review, no conclusions. These are the things you have to think about in order to think about the future."

Estudiantes coach Alejandro Sabella, who was Daniel Passarella's assistant at the 1998 World Cup, Racing Club boss Miguel Angel Rosso and Batista have all been suggested as potential successors to Maradona, but Grondona says that no candidates were yet in the frame for the full-time role.

"We have time to choose the technical staff," he said. "We have not thought about anybody yet.

"Batista is a member of the staff of this body so he will obviously fill the place as long as is needed."

Batista played in midfield alongside Maradona in the 1986 World Cup final and managed Argentina to gold at the 2008 Olympics.

He will pick the squad for the country's next game against the Republic of Ireland on 11 August at Dublin's Aviva Stadium - the first international football match at the redeveloped Lansdowne Road site.

606: DEBATE
Your views on Maradona's Argentina tenure

Before the pair's two-hour meeting on Monday, Grondona stated he was hopeful a new four-year deal could be agreed with Maradona.

But while Maradona was keen to continue in the job, he also declared he would refuse to renew his contract, which ended after the defeat to Germany in Cape Town, if the AFA dismissed even one of his staff.

"If they touch a hair of one of my guys, even if it's the masseur or the kitman, I'm going," he told El Show del Futbol on America TV.

Grondona had already signalled his desire for backroom changes after admitting the AFA "had lots of problems" with one of Maradona's assistants, former Argentina defender Oscar Ruggeri.

Grondona's demand, then, for the replacement of a number of assistants - one of whom was believed to be Maradona's close friend Alejandro Mancuso - was, unsurprisingly, snubbed by the football legend.

Although appearing defensively frail at times, Maradona's side topped Group B in South Africa with victories over Nigeria, South Korea and Greece.

They then overcame Mexico 3-1 to reach the quarter-finals.

But the emphatic nature of their exit at the hands of the Germans gave fresh ammunition to the critics of Maradona's tenure, which included a fraught qualification campaign.

Since taking the job in November 2008, Maradona, considered by many as the greatest footballer in history, won eight and lost seven of his 15 games in charge of La Albiceleste.

Three-time Open winner Tiger Woods said he had not "seen a major like this", in response to the low scoring during the first round at St Andrews.

Woods, 34, finished with a 67 but was four shots adrift of early leader Rory McIlroy who sits on nine under.

"It was awkward that you have to be at five under to be in the top 10 - I've not seen a major like this," he said.

"All the guys were four or five under through the loop. They were taking the golf course apart."

Woods, partnered with Justin Rose and Camilo Villegas, made six birdies and dropped a shot on the 17th.

That was the only blip in good round, during which many wondered how he would cope with his new putter.

606: DEBATE
Will Woods make it a hat-trick?
"I made a lot of putts, the ball comes off faster and the greens are really slow - I had to put a little more hit in the stroke," added Woods, who is bidding to become the first player to win the Open at St Andrews on three successive occasions.

The 14-time major winner made a steady start to his bid, picking up a solitary birdie, at the second, during the first six holes.

He should have added another at the third, but his 15-footer stopped at the lip of the cup and he then missed a birdie chance on the fifth, failing to hole from three feet.

Woods then began to find his range with the new putter, sinking a 15ft birdie at the seventh before holing an 18-footer at the ninth, despite finding the light rough from the tee.

'Dr' Watson not endeared by elementary conditions
The American reached the turn in three-under 33 and then made par at the 10th and 11th before charging up the field with three birdies on the spin.

He dropped his first shot of the championship at the 17th when he put too much pace on a three-footer and then three-putted the last after he drove the green.

Woods's 67 matched his opening round score at the Open at St Andrews in 2000 - he went on to win the title that year.

Meanwhile, former champion John Daly was another player to shine in gloomy, yet near-perfect conditions on the east coast of Scotland.

Daly carded an opening six-under-par 66, but was left thinking about what might have been.

The flamboyant American - wearing a trademark pair of psychedelic purple and green trousers - raced to the turn in 31 with five birdies.

The 44-year-old had the course record in his sights at the turn but faded slightly towards the end of the round.

"I'm not too disappointed but I hit four putts coming in which I thought I had made. I left some out there," admitted Daly.

"This is only the seventh or eighth tournament I've been healthy to play in the last three years and I'm starting to get some confidence back in my game."

Five-time Open champion Tom Watson, who led last year's championship but lost in a four-hole play-off last year, rued not taking advantage of the conditions.

"I hit the ball well on the practice range but got off to a sluggish start," said the 60-year-old.

"The Lady didn't have any clothes on today - she was there for the taking and the scores reflected that.

"We've seen St Andrews play like this before ,but probably won't for the rest of the week. We got the lucky part of the draw but unfortunately I didn't take advantage of it."

"The course is going to play tough tomorrow."

France striker Thierry Henry has signed for Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls from Barcelona on a "multi-year contract".

The former Arsenal captain, 32, is expected to make his debut for Red Bulls in a friendly against Tottenham in the United States on 22 July.

Henry signed for Barcelona in 2007 and had one year remaining on his contract but the club agreed to let him leave.

Henry said: "This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life."

Spain's victorious World Cup squad have landed in Madrid amid scenes of joyous celebration in the country's capital.

A sizeable crowd chanted and car horns sounded as skipper Iker Casillas, carrying the trophy, led the team down the steps of the plane.

The players then had a siesta before meeting Spain's royal family and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

More than one million fans are expected to line the streets for an open-top bus parade starting at 1800 BST.

The parade will end about two hours later at the esplanade near the Puente del Rey, where the festivities are expected to continue officially until midnight.

Many fans made the trip to Barajas Airport to greet the returning heroes from South Africa.

The flight landed at 1338 local time with Spanish flags flying from the cockpit windows and two fire engines making a guard of honour with their jet streams.

JONATHAN STEVENSON BLOG
Iniesta might not say much but when he does people listen

The plane was emblazoned with the words 'Campeones' (Champions) and 'Orgullosos de nuestra seleccion' (Proud of our squad).

Casillas, who was in floods of tears after the final whistle in Johannesburg on Sunday night, again appeared to be on the verge of crying as he led his team across the tarmac to a waiting coach.

They were taken to a nearby hotel to eat and rest before heading to the Royal Palace for a reception with the Spanish royal family, and then to the Moncloa Palace to be greeted by the prime minister.

European champions Spain won the World Cup for the first time in their history thanks to Andres Iniesta's extra-time winner against the Netherlands at the Soccer City Stadium.

Andres Iniesta struck a dramatic winner late in extra time to give Spain World Cup glory for the first time but condemned the Netherlands to their third defeat in a final.

Iniesta drilled his right-foot strike across goal - but the Dutch were incensed after referee Howard Webb had failed to award their side a corner moments earlier when a free-kick took a sizeable deflection off Cesc Fabregas.

However, Euro 2008 champions Spain, who conceded only two goals during the tournament, deserved their victory after gradually taking a grip on a tense and bad-tempered contest that produced 14 yellow cards with Johnny Heitinga sent off on 109 minutes after picking up a second yellow card.

The Dutch, who lost in the 1974 and 1978 finals, were bidding to become the first side since Brazil in 1970 to go through World Cup qualifying and the finals unbeaten.

They had a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half but Arjen Robben, comfortably his team's most potent attacking weapon, could find no way past Spain captain Iker Casillas, who slumped to the floor and cried tears of joy after the final whistle.

Sergio Ramos was equally culpable of a glaring miss for Spain when he headed over and substitute Fabregas, as with Robben before him, also failed to convert a one-on-one chance.

But it was from a through ball by the influential Fabregas that midfielder Iniesta struck making Spain the first team to win a World Cup after losing their opening game of the tournament.

Spain also became the team to win the World Cup having scored the fewest number of goals - finding the net eight times in their seven matches. The previous mark was held by three teams, including England in 1966.

The dramatic finale at Soccer City was in stark contrast to a hugely underwhelming opening 45 minutes, which was a brutal disappointment after the spectacular opening ceremony and moving appearance by former president Nelson Mandela that had preceded it.

Spain dominated possession in the opening minutes and looked to have the measure of an uncertain Dutch backline. Ramos almost put them ahead after just four minutes but his thunderous header was brilliantly saved by Maarten Stekelenburg.

The Netherlands could not get a grip on the game but were helped by a spate of yellow cards from referee Webb that disturbed the rhythm of the match.

Webb booked five players in the opening 28 minutes, although several crude challenges left him with little option.

Dutch enforcer Mark van Bommel was booked after going through the back of Iniesta, while Nigel de Jong was lucky to escape red after planting his foot in the chest of Xabi Alonso.

Robben did force a decent save from Casillas with a low left-foot strike after cutting inside during stoppage time.

But the match had degenerated to the extent that Alonso opted to shoot with a free-kick on the wrong side of 40 yards instead of a seeking out a team-mate.

Spain defender Joan Capdevila wasted a good chance shortly after the restart, failing to make contact with a Carles Puyol flick-on.

The bookings continued after the break and the contest occasionally threatened to boil over as the tension appeared to affect the players.

But there were also a few moments of real quality, none more so than a sumptuous through ball from the largely anonymous Wesley Sneijder that played Robben clean through on goal.

Robben delayed his shot but, equally, Casillas stood his ground as long as possible and brilliantly saved with his legs.

It was a head-in-hands moment for Robben, but one quickly followed for Spain when a completely unmarked Ramos headed a corner over the crossbar.

Robben's pace troubled the Spanish defence throughout and another burst from the Bayern Munich man unsettled Puyol, who appeared to impinge his opponent. Robben, just outside the penalty area, chose to stay on his feet and Casillas again denied him.

Spain had moved into the ascendancy as the match wore on, with Xavi increasingly influential.

Fabregas replaced Alonso in the 87th minute and quickly made an impression by collecting a superb Iniesta pass, but the Arsenal man could find no way beyond Stekelenberg, who saved brilliantly with his legs.

The complement was returned shortly afterwards but Iniesta opted not to strike from 18 yards and was eventually dispossessed by the excellent Gregory van der Wiel.

Heitinger became the fifth man to be sent off in a World Cup final when he pulled back Iniesta on the edge of the area, giving Webb little choice but to hand him a second caution, and that seemed to spur Spain on for a final effort.

Joris Mathijsen headed over for the Netherlands in what was their only good chance of the extra-time period before Iniesta struck his late and decisive blow.

The news that Lebron James is to become a Miami Heat player may or may not have caught your attention, depending on your interest or lack thereof in the NBA, but the sheer scale of the hype that surrounded the lead-up to his protracted revelation would surely have turned your head. I know it did mine.

In fact, the “Lebronathon” was even heavier on hype than David Beckham’s “inauguration” as a Los Angeles Galaxy player, and came close to the Obama-mania of the last U.S election back in 2008, boasting a live announcement on national television, billed as “The Decision”, that was sandwiched between a tsunami of pre and post speech analysis from sea to shining sea.

You’d have thought King James was a real king.

Let me say for the record that I acknowledge that Lebron is an extremely gifted basketball player.

And, according to expert opinion, may one day surpass Michael Jordan as the best of all time. But that day has not arrived yet.

In fact, though he’s a 2-time League MVP it could be argued that he’s not even the greatest player currently in the NBA, as Kobe Bryant is at least as influential for the Los Angeles Lakers and he has 5 Championship rings while Lebron has none.

Granted, King James is six-years younger than Kobe, but by Lebron’s age of 25 Bryant was already a 3-time NBA champion -– a feat he’d managed by the age of 23!

What’s more, unlike Michael Jordan, Kobe’s predecessor as the face of the NBA, Lebron had yet to transcend his sport in any obvious way prior to this week’s made-for-TV reality show, especially on a worldwide scale.

Jordan was known globally as a cultural icon to millions who’d never seen him play. Lebron, at present, just plays great ball. End of story.

Indeed, during a discussion I had in London recently, the consensus of opinion was that Lebron could walk down most British high streets and go largely unnoticed except for his height. While a colleague of mine in CNN’s Hong Kong bureau felt he was similarly unknown there.

Certainly, those are unscientific assumptions, and perhaps in some places, such as Greece and Spain, where basketball has a lot higher profile, King James would not be so anonymous. But neither, I suspect, would he be universally regarded as a household name like say, Cristiano Ronaldo or Usain Bolt.

Of course, the NBA would beg to differ, as it lays claim to being a globally important league in a globally supported sport, with Lebron as its jewel in the crown.

However, despite the fact that NBA teams and players can attract a crowd when they travel overseas, I suspect that much of that attention is down to novelty value and the fascination by some with all things American.

In other words, they’re not necessarily dedicated followers of the NBA. Certainly, it appears that interest in the league is growing worldwide, but the idea put forward by one American analyst that Lebron’s decision would, “shake up the world” was massive overstatement. He was choosing a club not revealing the secret to world peace!

That didn’t stop the “Countdown to Lebron” dominating the day in the U.S though. Neither would anyone concede that maybe the rest of the world was not on the edge of its seat awaiting the announcement.

But then, as the PR machine decided when his free agency was first discussed more than a year ago, this was the “Summer of Lebron”, and the world was going to hear about it whether it wanted to or not. Which camp were you in?

Red Bull sealed a one-two on the grid for the British Grand Prix as Sebastian Vettel beat Mark Webber to pole.

The Red Bulls were in a league of their own - Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, in third, was 0.811secs off Vettel.

Lewis Hamilton salvaged fourth from a difficult weekend for McLaren as team-mate Jenson Button managed only 14th after struggling for rear grip.

"I think there's something wrong - the car was pretty much undriveable," the world champion told BBC Sport.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was fifth fastest, ahead of Renault's Robert Kubica and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.

The car was undriveable - Button
Rubens Barrichello was eighth in the improved Williams, ahead of Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher.

Hamilton will probably be happy with fourth after McLaren were forced on to the back foot when they had to abandon a major upgrade following problems in Friday practice.

The 'blown diffuser', which the team had hoped would enable them to challenge Red Bull for pure pace, caused instability in the car's handling and overheating of its rear bodywork.

But McLaren are continuing with a new front wing that was intended to work in tandem with the new exhaust and diffuser system.

Red Bull dominated as they were expected to do, and it was Alonso rather than McLaren who was their closest rival.

The Spanish double world champion's best lap was ruined by Schumacher's Mercedes holding him up but he played down the incident, saying it was unlikely he would have beaten either of the Red Bulls.

606: DEBATE
Well, Lewis and Alonso side by side - this will be one crazy start come tomorrow. Perhaps they should start under the safety car

RantingMrP
Vettel said: "We have a lot of races and then we come here and you do the first couple of laps and it's amazing - the combination of corners, the speed we reach here, it's a bit crazy, but it's so much fun.

"I really like this track and fortunately our car works well here. It was a tight session here. In Q2 I was not perfectly happy but I had two very strong laps."

But there may well be another controversy brewing between Red Bull team-mates Vettel and Webber, who collided when disputing the lead in Turkey three races ago.

Red Bull came to Silverstone with a new front wing - but they only had two examples of it.

Vettel's was damaged when it fell off the car in morning practice - but it was the German who had it on his car in qualifying.

Top three drivers - British GP qualifying
Team boss Christian Horner said: "We only had one wing after this morning's incident and sometimes I have to make difficult decisions, and based on final practice and championship positions it had to go to the left-hand side of the garage."

He said the performance difference between the two wings was "minimal".

Vettel said: "Fortunately we could continue with the same kind of wing and that was the key for this afternoon."

Webber said: "I think the team were happy with the result today."

Vettel added: "From the outside, it is often quite difficult to judge what is going on. We know what we are doing, I think.

"I don't think it is a black and white answer on the wing but I was very happy I could continue with the same kind of wing."

Asked about his prospects of beating the Red Bulls in the race, Alonso said it was more likely that Spain would win the World Cup final against the Netherlands later on Sunday.

Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi will start in 20th - his lowest grid position of the season - after incurring a five-place penalty for impeding Williams' Nico Hulkenberg.

Venue: Soccer City, Johannesburg

Date: Sunday, 11 July 2010

Kick-off: 1930 BST

Coverage: Live on BBC1 and BBC Radio 5 live | Highlights on BBC red button | Full repeat on BBC3 (0020 BST). Plus watch live, listen live, watch in-game highlights (UK only) and follow live text commentary and on this website

TEAM NEWS
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk is expected to recall Gregory van der Wiel at right back and defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong after both missed the semi-final win over Uruguay through suspension.

Playmaker Wesley Sneijder and goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg are both fit after shrugging off minor problems.

Demy de Zeeuw did not break his jaw after receiving a kick in the face against Uruguay as was first feared, but his teeth were damaged and it is unclear if he will play any role.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has to decide whether or not to recall Fernando Torres to the starting line-up, or stick with Barcelona forward Pedro. Cesc Fabregas is thought to have overcome a training-ground injury to his right leg, but played no part in the semi-final win over Germany.

MATCH PREVIEW
The first World Cup in Africa will produce a new winner when the two greatest footballing nations never to have won the game's biggest prize meet at Soccer City on Sunday. Will the Spanish finally find El Dorado, or is the future Oranje?

Spain's previous best finish at the World Cup was fourth place in 1950, but football's great underachievers now have the opportunity to win their second major title in as many years to confirm their status as the greatest current team in international football. Vicente del Bosque's side have won 50 of their last 54 games playing a mesmeric passing game, demoralising and eventually exhausting their opponents with one-touch possession football.

The Netherlands reached the 1974 and 1978 finals playing their own brand of the beautiful game, but while Total Football may have been consigned to history, Bert van Marwijk's class of 2010 have discovered a winning formula just as effective. The Dutch are on a 25-match unbeaten streak and are hoping to emulate the Brazilian side of 1970 as the only team to have a 100% record in both qualifying and the tournament itself.

For Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael van der Vaart, Sunday's final provides the perfect occasion to remind Spain of their talents. The first three were deemed surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, while the latter's future there is in doubt. In a further subplot, Sneijder will go head-to-head with David Villa for the golden shoe, with both players on five goals.

Spain are at their 13th World Cup, the Netherlands their ninth, but remarkably they have never played each other in a major championship. Their biggest clash was their first when they met in Antwerp for the 1920 Olympic silver medal. On Sunday, for one of football's 'nearly men', the prize will finally be gold.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Spain and the Netherlands have never met at the World Cup or European Championship before.

- In over 90 years of competition, they have met just nine times: they have won four encounters apiece, and drawn once.

- This will be the first World Cup final that does not involve one of Brazil, Argentina, Italy or (West) Germany.

- Their most recent meeting was a 1-0 friendly win for the Dutch in Rotterdam in 2002.

Netherlands
- The Netherlands are playing in their third World Cup final. They lost the 1974 and 1978 finals, to hosts West Germany and Argentina respectively.

- The Dutch are bidding to become only the second team to qualify for the World Cup with a 100% record and win every match at the tournament itself (matching Brazil in 1970).

- The Netherlands have won six World Cup matches at a single tournament for the first time. This beats their previous best of five in 1974, when they lost in the final.

- Van Marwijk's side are on a 25-match unbeaten streak, a record for the Dutch. Their last defeat was in September 2008 (a 2-1 loss to Australia in Eindhoven).

- They have scored 12 goals in South Africa - only Germany have scored more (13).

- Wesley Sneijder has scored 7 goals in his last 8 internationals. He was credited with Holland's first goal against Brazil, despite Felipe Melo appearing to get the last touch.

Spain
- Spain have lost only two of their last 54 games (to USA and Switzerland). Defeat to the Swiss was a bad omen - no side has ever won the World Cup after losing their opening game.

- Italy (1994), Argentina (1990) and West Germany (1982) all reached the final despite beginning their campaign with a loss. Argentina (1978) were the last team to win the tournament despite losing a game in the group stage.

- This is the fourth time the reigning European champions have reached a World Cup final. The only side to have lifted Fifa's trophy, West Germany, beat the Dutch in the 1974 final.

- The Germans failed to double up against Italy in 1982, while the Azzurri lost to Brazil in 1970 two years after winning Euro '68. France also held both titles concurrently, though they were crowned world champions first (in 1998).

- The Spanish are through to their first ever World Cup final. They did reach the final four in 1950 under a different format, when the remaining teams played out a group stage. The Spanish finished bottom, behind winners Uruguay plus Brazil and Sweden.

- David Villa is one goal away from equalling Raul's record of 44 goals for Spain. He has already equalled the Spanish record for most goals at a single World Cup (five), set by Emilio Butragueno in 1986.

- Spain have completed 3,387 passes at the World Cup, more than any other side. The Netherlands have managed 2,434. Prior to the third-place play-off, Spain had the tournament's top four passers: Xavi (464 completed passes), Busquets (420), Alonso (399) and Pique (378).

Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Assistants: Darren Cann and Michael Mullarkey (both England)

Fourth: Yuichi Nishimura (Japan)

Uruguay:2 - Germahy:3
It seemed the three-time champions were set for a comfortable evening when Thomas Mueller capped a period of dominance with a straightforward finish after Fernando Muslera spilled a long-range drive from Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.

But more poor goalkeeping from Muslera allowed Marcell Jansen to equalise and Khedira then capitalised on Uruguay's failure to clear a Mesut Ozil corner to ensure Germany would end their tournament on a happy note.

The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.

Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.

Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.

Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.

Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.

And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.

It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.

Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.

Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.

The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.

Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.

Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.

Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.

Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.

Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.

But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.

Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.

Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.

But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.

Mark Webber set the pace in Friday practice for the British Grand Prix as Ferrari and McLaren raised hopes Red Bull could face a fight here.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was second fastest, 0.392 seconds behind Webber and splitting the Australian from his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa was fourth ahead of the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were eighth and 13th.

Webber said he thought McLaren were disguising their true pace.

McLaren spent the day evaluating a raft of new parts which they hope will enable them to challenge Red Bull for pole position at a track where Webber and Vettel would be expected to dominate.

JONATHAN LEGARD'S BLOG
Red Bull remain the moving target the rest of the grid is aiming at

It remains to be seen whether the reality will match McLaren's hopes but it was apparent on Friday that Red Bull remain the favourite for victory on Sunday.

The Red Bulls were the fastest cars pretty much whenever they were on the track, and Webber eventually stopped the clocks at a scintillating one minute 31.234 seconds.

Webber said: "It was pretty good apart from an electrical problem at the end which was a bit of a shame.

"We missed some laps but the car seems to be going pretty well here.

"I think some other teams are sandbagging a bit but we're happy with our programme and looking forward to qualifying.

"I think McLaren aren't showing everything today. I think they're waiting to unleash the car tomorrow. Definitely expect them to come right back up to us tomorrow."

Key among McLaren's developments are a new front wing and 'blown diffuser', which increases downforce - and therefore cornerning speed - by directing the exhaust gases around the rear wheels and into the floor of the car.

Williams are also giving their blown diffuser a debut here, while Mercedes - who introduced it for the last race but had to abandon it after it over-heated the rear of the car - have fitted it again with extra insulation around the rear of the car.

Ferrari introduced their version of the device at the last race. They were analysing the performance of their F-duct aerodynamic device - a system pioneered by McLaren this year that improves straight-line speed.

The team decided to run it on both cars for the rest of the weekend after comparing the car with and without it on Friday.


Hamilton finished eighth in the second practice session
Alonso said: "It's very difficult to quantify what is the difference now (between us and) Red Bull.

"Hopefully we are close to them or in front of them; we don't know.

"At the moment they are favourites for tomorrow but on a single lap in final qualifying anything can happen and then we will see what is the position we are and what we need to improve in the next races."

Red Bull, too, have some developments on their car - a revised diffuser and rear wing.

As well as the upgrades on their cars, the drivers were familiarising themselves with the new layout of the Silverstone track, with a new 'Arena' section added in towards the end of the lap.

A bump at the new Abbey right-handed kink where the old track joins the new and where cars like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes can go at 160 mph which is 10mph slower than the Red Bulls there, caused several drivers problems.

Among them was Hamilton, who ran wide there several times in his McLaren in the morning session, when he was second fastest to Vettel.

Most of the drivers were positive about the changes.

Hamilton said: "Coming into it I was biased as I loved the old circuit but now the new section turning right into Abbey is tricky. It's so fast. It's very complex - it's still very tricky."

Vettel praises Silverstone (UK only)
His McLaren team-mate Button said: "It's been weird for all of us turning right into Abbey instead of going left, it's a little bit bumpy there but I think the layout works."

Alonso described the new layout as "better, more fun and more safe".

Webber said the new section was "difficult" and "a challenge", adding that he liked the new Abbey very much.

"It's pretty solid, pretty quick," he said. "We expected it to be fast and it is. They got it right. I don't know if Hermann Tilke (F1's in-house designer of new circuits) did this track but whoever did they got the angles right to make it difficult."

Lotus's Heikki Kovalainen was the fastest driver among the three new teams, nearly 0.8secs quicker than Virgin's Lucas di Grassi.

Japanese Sakon Yamamoto, who has replaced Bruno Senna in one of the Hispanias for this race, was nearly 1.3 seconds off the pace of his team-mate, the Indian Karun Chandhok.

Only Lotus's Jarno Trulli, who managed only three laps in the second session as problems kept his car in the garage, was slower.

Button and Hamilton both enjoyed the reception they received from their home fans.

"It's great to be here, walking out there and having the fans cheer us when we walk into the garage is such a special atmosphere. It was a good start to the day," said Button.

Hamilton said: "The best part here is when you come out of the pit lane, you launch and you see so many fans on the right hand side, always waving to you. Around the track you can see people wearing the caps all around the place."

You could argue that the real spirit of the World Cup is distilled in those fleeting, beautiful moments when the artists and millionaires are humbled by the amateurs and the underdogs.

If that's the case, then South Africa 2010 is shaping up as a vintage tournament in the competition's history with European giants including France, Italy, Spain and England all on the wrong end of shock results against supposedly lesser opposition.

Hosts South Africa beat France 2-1 on Tuesday to confirm the former world champions' first round elimination from the tournament. England face a must-win clash with Slovenia on Wednesday after being held goalless by Algeria, while European champions Spain began their campaign with a 1-0 defeat by Switzerland.

France's nightmare ends but South Africa fall short

But perhaps nothing captures the transient triumph of the underdog better than the final few moments of New Zealand's surprise 1-1 draw against the holders Italy on Sunday, when a team of little-known players held on for dear life to deny their highly-rated opponents.

Before the 2010 tournament started, the "All Whites" -- along with North Korea -- were the rankest of rank outsiders with odds of 2000-1 to win the World Cup.

After all, they hail from a country without a professional league and who only qualified after beating fellow soccer lightweights Bahrain, Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia to reach South Africa.



Video: CNN.com tracks the World Cup

Video: Switzerland stuns Spain in huge upset But as coach Ricki Herbert tried to hold on for a historic draw, he brought on Andrew Barron, an amateur footballer who works in an investment bank and who was only there because his boss had given him the time off work.

Barron and his All Whites held on for arguably one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history. In tribute, CNN celebrates 10 more results that shook the world.

North Korea 1-0 Italy (England, 1966)

The mysterious national team of a secretive, Stalinist nation led by a bellicose president went to the World Cup under a cloud of heightening political tensions.

Sound familiar? Just like in 2010, the North Korean national team arrived in England in 1966 as virtual unknowns. The press dubbed them "the Mystery Men."

They were lucky to even be there. Recently-released British Foreign Office documents show that the UK government almost refused visas for the team to play in the tournament because it didn't recognize North Korea. It relented and, unbelievably, North Korea beat Italy 1-0 to become the first Asian side to ever reach the quarterfinals.

The secret machine: Inside North Korea's World Cup squad

"I learned that football is not only about the winning," said goal-scorer Pak Doo-Ik in "The Game of Their Lives," a documentary about the exploits of the 1966 North Korean team. "Wherever we go, playing football can improve diplomatic relations and promote peace."

North Korea went out in a blaze of glory, losing 5-3 to Portugal despite taking a 3-0 lead. The Italians, on the other hand, were pelted with rotten fruit when they returned home.

USA 1-0 England (Brazil, 1950)

The only person who met me at the airport was my wife

--Walter Bahr, part of Team USA at the 1950 World Cup
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The English were so sure of their superiority over the U.S., a team made up of mailmen and school teachers, that sports editors back home thought someone had made a typing error when the score first came in over the wires. Surely they meant 10-0 to England? But no, the Americans had produced one of the greatest shocks the tournament has ever seen.

When U.S. postmen and miners humbled England

The only goal was scored by Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian who a few years later went missing, presumed murdered by a death squad during Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier's brutal rule. The humiliation sent shockwaves through the English game. But back home, the American players' exploits went almost totally unnoticed.

"The only person who met me at the airport when we flew [back] was my wife," Walter Bahr, a defender who set up the winner, told CNN. "The papers had nothing in there. The Philadelphia paper, I still have a copy of it, it has a two-inch column. I don't think I did a single interview about the World Cup until 25 years later."

West Germany 3-2 Hungary (Switzerland, 1954)

It seems strange having a final as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, but the denouement to the 1954 tournament, held in Switzerland, was the biggest mismatch in the tournament's history.

West Germany, a team of amateur footballers still coming to terms with the political and economic aftermath of World War Two, were playing Hungary, the greatest team on the planet led by the inspirational Ferenc Puskas.

The two teams had met in the group stages, with Hungary smashing the Germans 8-3. Yet somehow West Germany managed to hang on. Such was the outpouring of previously-hidden national pride back home that German historian Joachim Fest credited the match as a vital turning point in the country's fortunes.

Soccer's influence: Why the world 'turns around a spinning ball'

"It was a kind of liberation for the Germans from all the things that weighed down upon them after the Second World War," Fest wrote. "July 4, 1954 is in certain aspects the founding day of the German Republic."

No wonder the match is known as the "Miracle of Bern."

Italy lost in 2002 to a golden goal scored by South Korea's Ahn Jung-Hwan.South Korea 2-1 Italy (Japan and South Korea, 2002)

Not much was expected from co-hosts South Korea at the 2002 World Cup. However, they were being coached by legendary Dutchman Guus Hiddink and his players lit up the tournament on the way to the semifinals -- but it was their controversial defeat of Italy that everyone remembers.

After having a perfectly good goal disallowed, the Italians were knocked out by a golden goal scored by Ahn Jung-Hwan. As it turned out, Ahn played for Perugia in Italy's Serie A league. So incensed were the Italians with the result that the owner of his club decided to sack him.

"I have no intention of paying a salary to someone who has ruined Italian soccer," Perugia's owner Luciano Gaucci told the Italian press. Gaucci later apologized, but Ahn refused to play for Perugia again and was promptly sold to a J-League team in Japan.

Spain 0-1 Northern Ireland (Spain, 1982)

Northern Ireland became the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup finals in 1982. If that wasn't disadvantage enough, Northern Ireland's greatest ever player -- the mercurial George Best -- refused to come out of retirement to lend a hand.

So when they met the hosts Spain in Valencia during the group stage, a rout was on the cards. Yet Gerry Armstrong's solitary strike gave Northern Ireland victory despite having a man sent off, earning a place in the quarterfinals.

"At the final whistle, we didn't initially celebrate. We just looked at each other for about 10 seconds in amazement," former midfielder Tommy Cassidy told the Lancashire Telegraph. "We couldn't believe what we'd done. We had beaten Spain in their backyard. It was unthinkable."

Senegal 1-0 France (Japan and South Korea, 2002)

Cast your mind back to a time when the French team weren't ripping themselves to pieces in an orgy of self-destruction. A stunning 3-0 victory over Brazil to win the World Cup on home soil in 1998 was followed by success in the European Championships two years later.

It was no surprise, then, that the French were confident going into the 2002 World Cup. Too confident in fact. In the first game they faced lowly Senegal -- a former French colony and the birth place of "Les Bleus" legend Patrick Vieira -- who managed to sneak a 1-0 victory. The holders went home after the group stage having failed to score a goal.

"The opening game against Senegal was a disaster," Vieira later told FIFA's website. "That just goes to show you that quality alone is not enough. You have to work and keep your feet on the ground."

Argentina lost to underdogs Cameroon at Italia 90, yet weeks later reached the tournament final.Argentina 0-1 Cameroon (Italy, 1990)

Of course, France weren't the only holders to lose to seemingly inferior African opponents in their opening match. Back in 1990, Argentina -- with Diego Maradona running the midfield -- took on a Cameroon side featuring a mixture of brute force and exquisite skill.

The Miami Herald described Cameroon as "a humble team with an insignificant past," yet it wasn't long before the "Indomitable Lions" were writing a new chapter in their history.

The 1-0 victory was memorable enough, although not as memorable as the Africans' two red cards including a ludicrous tackle on Argentine striker Claudio Caniggia by Benjamin Massing. It was so hard, Massing lost a boot.

"I got a kick from a guy against Cameroon that nearly took my head off," recalled Maradona recently. Unsurprisingly, it is the hosts, rather than the holders, that now play the first match of the tournament.

Iran 2-1 United States (France, 1998)

Team USA haven't ever been considered one of the leading lights in world football, but the 1998 World Cup in France represented a chance for the Americans to push on from the gains they made when they hosted the tournament four years previously.

Instead they were embroiled in a geo-political grudge match against Iran. Even U.S. President Bill Clinton recorded a message before the match preaching reconciliation.

When worlds collide: Soccer vs. politics

But it wasn't a good night for the U.S. as Iran won 2-1 to send a million people into a frenzy on the streets of Tehran, the biggest crowd in the capital since the funeral of the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

"All we cared about, our only goal was to win against the U.S.," recalled Ali Daei, Iran's then captain. "But we didn't take it seriously for the last match against Germany so that we could qualify for the second round."

The United States and Iran met at the 2002 World Cup against a background of strained relations.Both teams went home early.

Peru 3-1 Scotland (Argentina, 1978)

It was always going to end in tears. The Scottish had been convinced by their coach Ally MacLeod that they would come home with the 1978 World Cup. They had some great players then too: Archie Gemmill, Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness et al. In fact, such was the confidence they had a leaving parade to send off their soon-to-be-victorious boys.

A brief history of the World Cup

First up on the inevitable march to glory were South American minnows Peru, a seemingly simple fixture. But despite the Scots going ahead, Peru hit back with three stunning goals.

To make matters worse, Willie Johnston failed a drugs test afterwards and was sent home in disgrace, ending his international career. No-one has talked up Scotland's chances at a World Cup since.

Brazil 1-2 Uruguay (Brazil, 1950)

Brazil were so sure they would win the 1950 World Cup on home soil that some early editions of the South Americans' domestic newspapers hit the streets declaring victory after halftime.

After all, the "Samba Kings" were leading 1-0 against Uruguay in a round-robin match that would determine the title -- there was no one-off final that year, a thusfar unique occurrence.

But a second-half comeback saw Uruguay win 2-1 in front of close to 200,000 fans. It caused some problems: gold victory medals had already been pressed for the Brazilians and a victory song composed, both of which had to be scrapped.

"Our catastrophe, our Hiroshima," wrote novelist Nelson Rodrigues, "was the defeat by Uruguay in 1950."

Brazilian football remained in a funk until the emergence of Pele during the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. They haven't looked back since.

The World Cup will have a new winner on Sunday after Spain beat Germany 1-0 to set up a mouthwatering clash with the Netherlands.

Spain's hero was Barcelona defender Carles Puyol as his 73rd minute header secured his country's first ever World Cup final.

Puyol rose highest to power Xavi's corner into the net and hand Spain a deserved victory.

Vicente del Bosque's team dominated possession against their opponents and should have won by a more convincing score line but they couldn't convert their chances.

Germany only created a handful of opportunities as they attempted to avenge their defeat to Spain in the European Championships final of 2008 but they failed to regularly test Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas.



Video: Spain beats Germany RELATED TOPICS
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Spain will now face Netherlands at Soccer City in Johannesburg on Sunday after they beat Uruguay 3-2 in the other semifinal on Tuesday night.

SI.com: Three quick thoughts

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was dropped in favor of Pedro Rodriguez as Spain made one change from their quarterfinal team. Germany drafted in Piotr Trochowski in place of the suspended Thomas Muller.

It was Barcelona striker David Villa who had the first chance of the game but his effort was smothered by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Puyol was the next to go close for Spain after he headed Andres Iniesta's powerful cross over the bar.

Lukas Podolski registered Germany's first effort on goal just after the half hour mark as Spain keeper Iker Casillas turned his shot round the post.

Just before the break Mesut Özil went down under a challenge from Sergio Ramos but the referee waved away his appeal for a penalty.

Spain stepped it up a gear after halftime and Xabi Alonso came close with a fierce shot from the edge of the area that flashed past the post.

Pedro was next to shoot but Neuer blocked his effort before Iniesta rolled a pass across the goal line with Villa agonizingly close to tapping home.

Substitute Toni Kroos nearly scored with his first touch for Germany as he was found by a Podolski cross but Casillas parried his volley.

But just four minutes later Spain were in front. Xavi's corner was met by Puyol, and his header sped past Neuer.

In Madrid, relief and rejoicing intertwine

As Germany tried to force an equalizer Spain should have made the game safe but Pedro failed to tee up Torres when the striker had a clear run on goal.

Spain held on to record another one goal victory and seal a first ever World Cup final appearance. Neither they, nor opponents Netherlands, have ever won world football's most prestigious trophy but one team will make history on Sunday.

The Netherlands reached their third World Cup final with a 3-2 win over Uruguay in a dramatic semifinal in Cape Town on Tuesday.

The Dutch will play the winners of the second semifinal between Germany and Spain for the ultimate prize in football at Soccer City on Johannesburg on Sunday.

Second-half goals from Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben put the Dutch 3-1 up but Maxi Pereira summed up the never-say-die spirit of the Uruguayans with an injury-time strike to ensure a frantic finish.

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk was proud of his team, who have won all six matches in the finals, the best record of any side.

"It's amazing that we have managed to do this. It's been 32 years (that the Netherlands last played in a final). It is unbelievable. We can be very proud for such a small country," he told AFP.

Netherlands vs Uruguay minute by minute

His 35-year-old captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst put the Netherlands ahead after 18 minutes with probably the goal of the tournament, a stunning 30 meter strike which whistled past Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Video: Dutch defeat Uruguay, head to finals
It's amazing that we have managed to do this
--Bert van Marwijk


But Diego Forlan, the Uruguay captain on the night, equalized shortly before halftime with a long-range effort that eluded Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, his fourth goal of the World Cup.

Read how the game was followed in Montevideo

The second half burst to life just after the hour mark as first Sneijder's shot found its way through a sea of legs to beat Muslera for his fifth of the tournament.

In the 73rd minute, Robben headed home Dirk Kuyt's cross to make it 3-1.

Robben might have added a fourth and his third of the finals on a swift counter attack but he was denied by Muslera.

SI.com: 3 quick thoughts

It looked academic, but the last South American team in the tournament conjured up a late goal as Pereira scored with a low curling shot.

In a desperate finale, Uruguay threatened an equalizer, but it is the Dutch who go into an all-European final.

They were previous losing finalists in 1974, to West Germany, and 1978 against Argentina.

Germany play European champions Spain in Durban on Wednesday.