Germany take Third Place in World Cup's penultimate game.

Uruguay 2-3 Germany
FIFA World Cup 2010
Match for Third Place
7.30pm (BST), Saturday 10 July
Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth

Germany finished third place in the World Cup after finally battling past a spirited Uruguay side.

Sami Khedira’s goal seven minutes from time finished off an entertaining match in which Uruguay hit back from 1-0 down to lead 2-1, before Marcell Jansen and Khedira struck.

After 62 games, a smattering of vuvuzelas and some ignominious exits, it was down to the third place play-off, the appetiser before Sunday’s World Cup Final feast of football.

For Uruguay, their exit at the semi-final stage to Holland was anything but ignominious. Oscar Tabarez’s men exceeded expectations in South Africa while Germany, who lost to Spain, have grounds to claim they deserved a place in the Final.

But for both teams, it wasn’t to be. Germany began the ‘also rans’ match the stronger, as Arne Freidrich cracked the crossbar with a close range header.

Uruguay did not escape, though, as minutes later Bastian Schweinsteiger’s shot was fumbled by Fernando Muslera and Mueller was on hand to tuck home the rebound in the 18th minute.

But as they often have in this tournament, Uruguay hit back from adversity. Just seven minutes after Schweinsteiger had a hand in Germany’s opener, he lost possession on the half way line and Edison Cavani latched on to Luis Suarez’s pass to roll the ball home.

Suarez then drilled the ball wide when it looked easier to score as Uruguay began to impose themselves on the game. The Ajax star should have done better from close range and the embarrassment on his rainswept face said it all.

Luckily for Suarez, his strike partner Forlan was much more lethal. Meeting Egidio Arevalo’s cross on 51 minutes, his superb volley beat Hans-Joerg Butt and nestled into the back of the net.

But the two-time winners’ lead lasted just five minutes as Marcell Jansen beat Muslera in the air to nod home for 2-2.

Now an incredibly open game, Forlan and Suarez both stung the palms of Butt before Schweinsteiger - excellent once again - fired over.

With the match lurching towards extra time, Khedira then popped up in a crowded area to loop a header home, finishing off Germany’s World Cup with a smile - Joachim Loew’s young side will be one to watch in Brazil in four years time.

Uruguay 1-Fernando Muslera; 2-Diego Lugano, 3-Diego Godin, 4-Jorge Fucile, 16-Maximiliano Pereira, 15-Diego Perez (Gargano 77), 17-Egidio Arevalo, 7-Edinson Cavani (Abreu 88), 22-Martin Caceres, 9-Luis Suarez, 10-Diego Forlan.
Subs not used 12 Castillo, 23 Silva, 06 Victorino, 19 Scotti, 08 Eguren, 11 Pereira, 14 Lodeiro, 18 Gonzalez, 20 A Fernandez , 21 S Fernandez

Germany 22-Hans-Joerg Butt; 2-Marcell Jansen (Kroos 81), 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 20-Jerome Boateng, 13-Thomas Mueller, 4-Dennis Aogo, 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 19-Cacau (Kiessling 73), 8-Mesut Ozil (Tasci 90)
Subs not used 01 Neuer, 12 Wiese, 14 Badstuber, 16 Lahm, 15 Trochowski, 21 Marin, 10 Podolski, 11 Klose, 23 Gomez