Credit or Debit?

MACKINAW CITY, MI -- Credit or debit?
You've probably heard that question if you use your plastic when making purchases.
And for one of the busiest weekends in Mackinaw City, business owners say this year, more people are saying debit.
On a tight budget, vacations can be one of the first things to put on hold.  Many people I spoke with said this is the first time they've hit the road in a while, and with it, they're being more cautious.  Like Bradley Gipson---this year, it's cash only.
“Something that we decided to do as a family to make it easier on ourselves because the way the economy is, it's much better that way, not overspending, not getting yourself in debt," said Gipson.
Mark and Lisa Larson are visiting from North Dakota and they try to do the same.
”Most of the time, depending on the size of the purchases," said Mark Larson.
According to Dawn Edwards and the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce, she's seen a lot of this type of spending this year.  Even parents budgeting their kids.
"It's been kind of fun to see kids say I want!  And mom and dad say, what's left in your envelope?" said Edwards.
Most of the people said they set a budget before they head on vacation, and they prefer to use cash, but of how easy it is to use a debit card, they stick to the plastic.
"Swipe , go, too lazy to stop at the ATM's, and then the ATM fees, that's ridiculous too," said Andrew May.
"we're trying to be a little more responsible, and switch to the debit card, instead of constantly adding on and gaining interest with the credit card," said Justin and Nicki Sharer.
One business owner I spoke with said people are spending more money, but with the theme, people are sticking to their means.
"People are using their debit cards a little more, a little more cash sales," said Vicky Teysen, owner of Teysen’s Gift Shop.
And getting more bang for a buck is on the minds of all I talked with.
The Mackinaw City Chamber said they're seeing a lot of people stay in-state to vacation, but the number of out of state visitors has grown tremendously compared to the past few years.

source: upnorthlive.com

Telemedicine for oil rig workers helps to improve health care

Without hands-on access to doctors and hospitals, oil rig workers who become sick or injured increasingly rely on telemedicine "visits" with physicians and specialists on land, a trend explored in detail in an article published in Telemedicine and e-Health, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The article is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/tmj

Work on an oil rig can be dangerous, with cuts, sprains, fractures, and other injuries not uncommon. Ailments such as respiratory infections, asthma, and heart attack also pose a serious problem on a rig, where access to medical professionals is limited. To improve healthcare delivery, oil companies increasingly depend on technology to link a nurse or emergency medical technician working on the oil platform to emergency physicians and specialists at major medical centers through Internet or satellite connections.
Laboratory test results and clinical findings can be relayed in this way, and the use of webcams, Skype, and even a photograph relayed from a smartphone are giving physicians a first-hand look at injuries and an opportunity to assess a patient's status with their own eyes. Some telemedicine devices housed on oil rigs may include EKG capabilities, a blood pressure monitor, thermometer, pulse oximeter, or glucose meter, in addition to two-way voice, data, and video transmission.
"As we have seen in the last several months, working on an offshore oil platform is a dangerous job. Access to healthcare via telemedicine is an excellent application of technology and can save lives and money," says Charles R. Doarn, MBA, co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal and Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati.
Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News

For Parents Of Uninsured Kids, A Little Help Goes A Long Wayealth Insurance / Medical Insurance

A new review of existing research suggests that health system workers can boost the number of children with medical insurance by providing application materials to parents and helping them fill out the forms.

The number of studies in the Cochrane Library review is small: researchers could only find two that met their criteria after they examined 89 studies from around the world.

Even so, the two studies "suggest that in certain settings, active outreach may enhance the ability of kids to get health insurance," said Paul Wise, a professor of child health and society at Stanford University who is familiar with the review findings. "It's always been a suspicion and people tend to just accept it. But this analysis helps document that."

According to the review, children often go without insurance both in developing countries and developed countries like the United States that don't have universal health coverage.

A 2006 study estimated that 11.2 percent of children in the United States did not have health insurance. Some of these children do not get routine checkups or immunizations and do not have a primary doctor. Studies have suggested that their overall health is poorer than that of other kids.

Most of the time, the uninsured children are eligible for some sort of insurance coverage, Wise said. However, their parents might not know they are eligible or think the costs are too high.

Alternatively, there might simply be too many obstacles to overcome to get coverage, he said. In some cases, "they have to fill out all kinds of paperwork, show up in person and give documentation of income and assets. Parents may be working two jobs, and when these offices are open nine to five, it's impossible to get these kids signed up."

Other challenges crop up too, said Shana Alex Lavarreda, director of health insurance studies at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

"One significant barrier is whether or not the parents and other members of the family such as noncitizen siblings are also eligible for enrollment in public coverage. When the entire family can't get coverage or the parents are uninsured, it makes it very difficult to motivate enrollment and to provide the knowledge on how to navigate the system," Lavarreda said.

The new review examines research that analyzed ways to encourage more parents to sign up for insurance for their kids.

The review was published by The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. Systematic reviews draw evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing medical trials on a topic.

The researchers, from China and Britain, only found two studies that they thought addressed the topic adequately. Both were from the United States.

Why are there so few studies? "Most efforts have been to create programs that make children eligible," Wise said. "There's been less work on how to make kids who are eligible actually get into the programs."

In one study, from 2005, researchers assigned the families of uninsured Latino children randomly to one of two groups. In one group, case managers helped the parents fill out forms and acted as advocates for them when they had to deal with the state.

In the other group, researchers contacted the parents once a month for 11 months about health insurance.

The researchers found that the parents who got assistance were 1.7 times more likely to get coverage (96 percent of them did) and 2.6 times more likely to stick with the insurance (78 percent of them did) than those who did not get assistance.

In the other study, also from 2005, researchers assigned 223 uninsured children in emergency rooms in four cities to one of two groups. In one group, workers handed out insurance applica tions to the children. The other group did not get the applications.

After about 90 days, those who received the applications were 1.5 times more likely to have insurance through programs for the poor (42 percent of them were) compared to the other kids.

The review authors write, "Both measures appeared to be effective."

Lavarreda, the UCLA researcher, said the review authors were too limited about the studies they chose to include, missing others in "the entire body of literature devoted to this topic."

She added that the findings do not add much to existing knowledge, although they do spotlight the lack of randomized controlled trials considered the gold standard of medical and social research in this area.

In the big picture, she said, the existing research does support interventions designed to help more kids gain insurance coverage.

Source: Health Behavior News Service

EducationUSA starts advising in HCM City

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EducationUSA, the official US government source of information on study in the United States, started operations in Ho Chi Minh City in early August.
The EducationUSA office is on the 8th floor of Diamond Plaza, 34 Le Duan Street, District 1, at the Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate General in the city.
The office provides free, accurate, unbiased information on educational opportunities to Vietnamese students and parents.
“We encourage you to utilize the resources and reference materials available at educationusa.state.gov,” an August 5 statement from the US Consulate General wrote.
To set an appointment for consultations, ones need to call (08)3520 4610 or email to HCMCEDUSA@state.gov. 
EducationUSA is a global network of more than 400 advising centers supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State.

source: saigon-gpdaily.com.vn

US economy lost 131,000 jobs in July

The US economy lost 131,000 jobs in July, considerably more than most economists had predicted. Companies added 71,000 positions, but the government laid off 143,000 census workers, contributing to the net loss.
The Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also revised downward its statistics for June, concluding that payrolls dropped by 221,000 that month instead of the 125,000 reported on July 2.
The figures reveal that the US economy, which showed signs of life in March and April, is slowing. This is consistent with other reports, including the July 30 announcement by the Commerce Department that gross domestic product (GDP) rose at an annualized rate of 2.4 percent in the second quarter of 2010, a sharp drop from the 3.7 percent growth rate in the previous three months.
The jobless figures are stark.
• The official unemployment rate remained at 9.5 percent last month, but only because some 181,000 people left the work force.
• There are 14.6 million people jobless in the US, according to BLS calculations. The number of unemployed, discouraged or involuntarily part-time workers is more than 25 million, or 16.5 percent of the labor force, one in six Americans. This is also unchanged from the month before.
• Some 6.6 million of the unemployed have been jobless for more than six months, continuing a historic high. There are approximately five unemployed workers for every available opening.
• The unemployment rate for black workers stood at 15.6 percent in July, and 12.1 percent for Latinos.
Manufacturers added 36,000 job in July, but much of the gain was due to fewer than normal seasonal layoffs in the auto industry. Professional and business services lost 13,000 jobs; financial services cut 17,000 employees; and the number of jobs in construction fell by 11,000 (on top of a 21,000 job loss in June).
State and local governments shed 48,000 workers, including public school teachers. Significantly, the number of temporary jobs fell by 6,000, the first drop since last September.
The Associated Press (AP) commented, “Employers usually hire temp workers if they need more output but don’t want to hire permanent employees.” The AP quoted Nigel Gault, chief US economist at HIS Global Insight, as noting that “firms aren’t even adding temporary workers right now.”
Private sector payrolls have increased by only 630,000 so far this year, with some two-thirds of that increase occurring in March and April. The private sector eliminated 8.5 million jobs between December 2007 and December 2009.
The July jobless numbers underscore the fact that a high level of unemployment is now a chronic if not permanent feature of American life.
The workforce participation rate—the percentage of the working-age population working or looking for work—fell to 64.6 percent in July, matching the lowest level since 1985.
An article at MarketWatch—with a subhead reading, “Millions have simply given up on a job”—pointed out that “[I]f the participation rate had remained above 66 percent as it did for most of the past decade, the jobless rate would be 12.2 percent today and there’d be 19.2 million people classified as unemployed, instead of 14.6 million.”
Commentators had some relatively blunt things to say:
The Los Angeles Times noted, “Overall, the latest snapshot of the US economy indicates no momentum building in the crucial job market, which underpins consumer spending and confidence on the part of individuals and businesses. After adding 200,000 private-sector jobs on average in March and April, the labor market has weakened—producing just 51,000 jobs on average in each of the last three months.”
“The nation continues to struggle with its weakest job market in more than a generation,” commented the Washington Post.
Bloomberg cited economist Gault’s comment: “To the extent that we have a labor market recovery, it’s a slow one … I don’t see anything to indicate that the third quarter will be better.”
Daniel Indiviglio in the Atlantic pointed out that “the already weak job market recovery fell off a cliff in May and hasn’t returned.” He added, “The last three months have averaged just 12,333 jobs created, if you exclude Census effects.”
Time magazine wrote, “We need hundreds of thousands of new jobs each month to even start to make up for the millions wiped out by the recession.” According to estimates by the Economic Policy Institute, the economy would have to generate 280,000 jobs every month for the next five years to return the jobless rate to its pre-recession level.
Employers, by and large, are not hiring, but rather attempting to squeeze out every ounce of increased production from the existing work force. The New York Times referred to the comments of a senior economist at PNC Financial Services, Robert Dye, who explained that “employers were pushing for productivity gains among existing workers … ‘I think many employers are realizing that they can get away with very lean payrolls and are pushing their employees as much as they can and without adding,’ he said.”
US labor productivity increased 3 percent in the last 12 months and 4 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
The AP noted, “Corporate net income rose sharply in the second quarter, but businesses aren’t using the proceeds to ramp up hiring. Companies in the S&P 500 index reported a 46 percent increase in net earnings for the second quarter, compared to a year earlier.”
“Businesses just don’t want to hire,” Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics, told the New York Times. “Workers are too costly and it’s very easy to substitute technology for labor.”
Sinai “added that with corporate earnings rising partly on the back of cost-cutting, employers are reluctant to give up profits. ‘So while corporate earnings were spectacular,’ Mr. Sinai said, ‘the job market just stinks.’”
Corporate earnings are soaring and “that’s enabled many US companies to amass healthy amounts of cash” (Daily Finance), pushing up stock prices. For the working population, the situation is ever more grim.
Media pundits described the employment situation as “stagnant,” “bleak,” “disappointing,” “lethargic,” “stone-cold,” and the so-called economic recovery as “sluggish,” “[moving] at a glacial pace,” “stuck in neutral,” “stalled,” etc.
Behind these innocuous words and phrases lies a reality of increasing misery for millions of people in the US. Some 50 million faced food insecurity last year, i.e., the inability at one time or another to put food on the table, according to the US Department of Agriculture. A recent study by the Rockefeller Foundation reported that 1 in 5 American households is financially insecure, i.e., has experienced a 25 percent decline in income from one year to the next, the highest level in a quarter-century.
Joblessness is now the major factor driving foreclosures and personal bankruptcy. Some four million homeowners are now in foreclosure proceedings, and banks will likely repossess more than one million homes this year. Unemployment is also leading to higher levels of stress, mental illness, and domestic violence.
A Pew Research poll published in late June found that more than half of all adults in the US labor force “have suffered a spell of unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours or have become involuntary part-time workers.” A Bloomberg National Poll revealed that more than 7 in 10 Americans believe “the economy is still mired in recession.”
The Obama administration is proposing to do nothing to alleviate the plight of the unemployed. Speaking in Washington on Friday, President Obama attempted to present the grim jobs report as a sign of progress. He noted that private sector jobs have grown in each of the past seven months, without mentioning that the rate of growth has slowed to a snail’s pace.
Oozing complacency and indifference, he said, “That’s a good sign,” and added, “Climbing out of any recession takes some time. The road of recovery is not a straight line.”
Council of Economic Advisers Chair Christina Romer issued a hollow statement Friday morning which did not promise a single serious measure to create jobs. Romer is leaving her post in the Obama administration to return to her well-paid position at the University of California and possibly to become head of the Federal Reserve in San Francisco.
In the face of the deepening social crisis, Romer asserted, “We have made substantial progress from the days when employment was declining by 750,000 a month. But, today’s employment report emphasizes just how important the additional jobs measures before Congress are. In addition to the state fiscal relief nearing passage, the President strongly supports the small business jobs bill and targeted incentives for clean energy investments. There will likely be more bumps in the road ahead as the economy recovers.”
Along with governments all over the world, the Obama administration has turned decisively, with widespread support in the Democratic Party, from so-called stimulus measures to fiscal austerity. It is preparing major cuts in social programs in order to make the working class pay for the multi-trillion-dollar bailout of the banks.
Source:wsws.org

Uefa Europa League: Bulgarian teams handed their European challengers

Levski Sofia FC have been handed another Swedish test in the Uefa Europa League, after beating Kalmar FF 6-3 on aggregate.

The Blues will be making another tour of Scandinavia, only this time they are to sort it out with AIK Stockholm. The boost for Levski is that their first leg is away.

Meanwhile, reigning Bulgarian champions Litex Lovech were drawn against Debrecen of Hungary. Litex also play their first leg away.

The luckiest draw of all fell on CSKA Sofia who got paired against Welsh side The New Saints, or commonly knows as TNS. CSKA will be the hosts, in the first meeting.

The matches for the final qualification round prior to the Uefa Europa League group stages are dated August 19-26

Photo: Reuters
Source: sofiaecho.com

Euro household savings, disposable income dropped in Q1 2010

The household saving rate and the household investment rate dropped in the European Union and in the 16-member euro zone in the first quarter of 2010, according to a detailed set of quarterly European sector accounts released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, and the European Central Bank (ECB).

In the euro area in Q1 2010, household disposable income fell by 0.6 per cent in real terms.

In Q1 2010, the seasonally adjusted gross saving rate of households was 13 per cent in the 27-member EU, compared with 13.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009. In the euro area, the household saving rate was 14.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2010, compared with 15 per cent in the previous quarter.

Meanwhile, in the first half of 2010, Bulgarians continued to cut down spending as companies withdrew bank savings to prop up their operations, according to Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) data on the deposit market as of the end of June 2010.

According to a report by daily Dnevnik on the BNB figures, the market grew at a modest rate in the first half of the year, reaching 25.539 billion leva at the end of the period, up 13.4 per cent year-on-year.

A slight surge in household deposits shows that in spite of a declining rate of pay and disposable income, Bulgarians have opted to save.

The pace of 0.2 per cent to three per cent for the past year is dwarfed by the double-digit growth rates seen in previous years. In 2009, bankers in Bulgaria were saying that the market’s potential is depleting.

At the end of June, the interest rates on term deposits retreated to their autumn 2008 levels before the onset of the deposit war, reaching six per cent and five per cent for leva and euro, respectively.

On the other hand, company money in bank deposits increased in H1 2010, reaching 12.050 billion leva. A year earlier, the figure was 12.204 billion leva. This is down 1.3 per cent year-on-year as companies withdraw savings to use as operating capital as bank financing is hard to come by.
 photo:Julia Lazarova
source:sofiaecho.com

Israel, Lebanon Open Fire at Border, at Least 5 Killed

It was reported that Israel opened fire against a Lebanese border post Tuesday, firing two rockets and killing at least three Lebanese soldiers and a civilian journalist
The Israeli army confirmed a senior officer killed and one more soldier wounded.
Israely fire destroyed one house in border Lebanese village of Aidasseh and one Lebanese armored vehicle.
Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman and PM Saad Hariri denounced the action as “Israely aggression” against their country.
Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad voiced outrage at “Israel's heinous aggression against Lebanon.”
Nevertheless a message from the cabinet of Israely foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman said that it is the Lebanese government who is responsible for the incident and warned of “serious consequences” should such skirmishes continue.
Sources said that the UN Security Council will hold consultations Tuesday to discuss the matter.

photo:EPA/BGNES
soruce:novinite.com

Relics of St. John the Baptist found in St. Ivan reliquary

Sozopol. The relics found in the reliquary on the St. Ivan Island close to the coastal city of Sozopol over the week belong to St. John the Baptist, Radio FOCUS – Burgas reports.
In the reliquary archaeologists found part of a hand, part of the face and a tooth. An anthropological analysis will be made on the relics.
The reliquary is made of alabaster and of marble, as archaeologists initially assumed. It was opened by a commission of experts. The relics were handed to the Bulgarian Patriarchate, which will decide where to place them.
According to historian and minister without portfolio Bozhidar Dimitrov, it will best to place the relics at the St. George church, located close to Sozopol.
The reliquary on St. Ivan Island was found on July 28.

Picture: FOCUS News Agency
source: focus-fen.net

Iniesta puts Spain on top of the world

Champions of Europe and now champions of the world, Spain captured football's Holy Grail for the first time with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands thanks to Andres Iniesta's 116th-minute strike at Soccer City.

The solitary goal came with penalties looming as substitute Cesc Fabregas played in Iniesta and the little midfielder drove emphatically across Maarten Stekelenburg and into the far corner. With this victory – their fourth successive single-goal win in South Africa – Spain became the eighth name on the FIFA World Cup™ Trophy and also the first European team to have triumphed on a different continent. For the Netherlands, who lost defender John Heitinga to a red card in extra time, there is only the heartache of another tale of what might have been after they completed a hat-trick of Final losses.

This was a match preceded by much talk of two like-minded footballing cultures, of the influence of Dutchmen like Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels, of 'tiki taka' and Total Football. In many ways, as the first 116 minutes showed, it was also a case of the irresistible force versus the immovable object. The Dutch had won 14 straight games to get to the Final, in qualifying and the tournament proper, and Spain 15 out of 16, their only slip the defeat by Switzerland in their first game here in South Africa.

It was the Spanish found their stride first, living up to their pre-game billing as favourites. Vicente del Bosque's side dominated possession and created the early chances. With the Dutch penned inside their half, goalkeeper Stekelenburg had to make a save after five minutes, diving low to stop a Sergio Ramos header from Xavi's free-kick from the right. Gerard Pique looked poised to follow up only to be denied by a combination of Joris Mathijsen and Dirk Kuyt.

Ramos came again in the tenth minute, beating Kuyt on the right and driving in a low centre that Heitinga deflected behind. From the corner came another scare for the Netherlands. Xavi played the ball back to Xabi Alonso whose cross went beyond the far post to David Villa but the in-form No7 sliced his volley into the side-netting. After those near things, however, both defences got on top with none of the flair players on either side able to take a grip on proceedings. Instead the yellow-card count began to rise with Nigel de Jong becoming the fifth player in Howard Webb's notebook by the time the half-hour mark arrived.

With the orange sections of the 84,490 Soccer City crowd finding their voice, Bert van Marwijk's men almost gave them something to sing about from a corner in the 37th minute. Robben rolled the ball to Mark van Bommel on the edge of the box and although he failed to make a clean connection he unwittingly diverted the ball on to the unmarked Mathijsen but the defender missed his kick. As half-time approached, Iker Casillas had barely had a save to make but entering stoppage time, he had to be alert to deny Robben at his near post as a spell of Dutch pressure ended with the winger spearing in a low shot from the corner of the box.

Puyol, Spain's semi-final matchwinner, showed his aerial threat once more minutes after the restart when he rose above Heitinga and headed to the far post but Joan Capdevila failed to make contact. The game was gradually opening up and the Dutch spurned a golden opportunity in the 62nd minute when Wesley Sneijder sent Robben running clear. Casillas came to Spain's rescue, deflecting the shot behind with his right foot when falling the wrong way.

Spain coach Del Bosque had already sent on Jesus Navas for Pedro on the hour and the winger helped pick a hole in the Dutch defence in the 70th minute. Xavi sent him flying down the right into the box and when Heitinga failed to deal with Navas's low cross, the ball fell to Villa who looked odds-on to score only to see his effort deflected behind. Ramos was equally profligate after 78 minutes when he headed over a Xavi centre when unmarked, after Villa had forced another corner.

Spain were looking the more likely winners and it took Sneijder of all people to foil Iniesta with a smart tackle after his jinking run into the box. Yet Robben's pace was a persistent threat and the Oranje No11 almost embarrassed Puyol in the 82nd minute, speeding clear of the Spain defender when second-favourite to reach a through-ball. Resisting Pique's attempt to tackle too, he was foiled only by Casillas, the captain saving at Robben's feet as the Dutchman tried to round him.

Extra time began with opportunities for Spain. Xavi failed to connect when well positioned and when the ball ran to Villa, his shot went wide off an orange shirt. Substitute Fabregas then broke clear on to Iniesta's through-ball but was foiled by Stekelenburg. Mathijsen headed wide from a corner but like waves, Spanish attacks kept rolling on to the Netherlands back line and Navas was close with a shot deflected into the side-netting.

Fernando Torres replaced Villa midway through the extra period and Spain gained a man advantage four minutes later with Heitinga's dismissal for pulling back Iniesta on the edge of the box, the offence earning him a second yellow. Iniesta would not be denied, however, and his fine late strike put Spain into the history books and left a Dutch dream shattered.

source: FIFA.com

Uruguay 2:3 Germany

Germany took bronze for the fourth time at the FIFA World Cup™ after beating Uruguay 3-2 in an entertaining play-off for third place. Sami Khedira got the winning goal with eight minutes remaining as Joachim Low's side repeated their success in this same match four years ago.

There was no shortage of goals as the rain came teeming down in Port Elizabeth with both sides eager to conclude impressive campaigns on a winning note. Thomas Muller and Edinson Cavani traded first half efforts before Diego Forlan and Marcell Jansen did likewise within ten minutes of the restart. Yet it was Germany who came out on top and, in the process, South Africa 2010's leading scorers reached the 16-goal mark, surpassing their total at Italy 1990, albeit falling one short of their tally in 1970, when they also pipped Uruguay to the bronze medal.

For two of the scorers, Muller and Forlan, their strikes took them to five for the tournament, level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder at the top of the adidas Golden Boot standings. Forlan will rue the injury-time free-kick against the crossbar that denied him a sixth goal, while Miroslav Klose's absence with a back injury left him rooted on five too.

Both teams featured changed lineups after their semi-final losses. Germany coach Joachim Low went for a wholly new forward line from that which began against Spain with starting roles for the trio of Muller, Cacau and Jansen. Further back Dennis Aogo came in for Philipp Lahm and goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt for Manuel Neuer. As for Uruguay, they welcomed back captain Diego Lugano from injury together with Jorge Fucile and Luis Suarez, both suspended for last Tuesday's defeat by the Netherlands.

Muller made his mark early with his fifth goal in South Africa. The 20-year-old had already had one effort ruled out for offside when he fired Low’s side ahead in the 19th minute. Bastian Schweinsteiger sent in a shot from 30 yards that goalkeeper Diego Muslera, seemingly deceived by the swerve and dip, parried straight to Muller who had an easy task to score. A German breakthrough was hardly a surprise given by that stage they had also seen Arne Friedrich head a Mesut Ozil corner against the crossbar yet Oscar Tabarez's side soon responded.

Uruguay threatened in the 25th minute when Per Mertesacker got a block on Forlan's far-post header. Four minutes later, though, they had their equaliser from a swift counter. Diego Perez dispossessed Schweinsteiger just inside the Celeste half with a powerful challenge and fed Suarez who played in Cavani down the inside left-channel. The Palermo striker took one touch before prodding a low finish into the bottom corner. Suarez should then have put Uruguay ahead three minutes before the break when Forlan picked out his diagonal run but bearing down on Butt's goal from the right, he arrowed his shot wide of the far post.

Futher changes went begging moments after the restart when Butt saved at Cavani's feet and then got a hand to Suarez’s shot on the follow-up. Butt was left helpless when Forlan made it 2-1 after 51 minutes, however. The Atletico Madrid striker connected acrobatically with Egidio Arevalo's cross on the edge of the box, sending the ball into the rain-sodden turf and back up past Butt. Yet the lead lasted only five minutes before Muslera missed Jerome Boateng's deep cross and Jansen headed home.

The game was now wide open as both teams chased a third goal. Butt kept out a flying strike from Suarez and came out to save at the feet of Forlan. At the other end Muslera beat away a shot from Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling, who missed two other inviting chances. The winning goal, when it came, followed an Ozil corner. The ball bounced off Friedrich and then Lugano before rising fortuitously to Khedira who headed home.

source: FIFA.com

Holland ran over Uruguay

Uruguay beat Netherlands 3:2 in the first semifinal match of the World Cup in South Africa played on Stadium Green Point in Cape Town. With the goal of Giovanni van Bronhorst in 18 minutes Holland opened the scoring, and Diego Forlan equalized in the 40th minute. In the second part of Sneijder and Robben made it 3:1, but Pereira late in the game shape the outcome.

In front of 65,000 spectators at the stadium aroused Green Point in Cape Town teams of the Netherlands and Uruguay are cast in a battle to decide the winner of the semifinal match from the first minute.
Already in the third minute Robben attack launched by the right wing continue to cross the box, there Muslera turned by hand, the ball fell to Kuyt, who shoots over the door.
Three minutes later tried to pass Pereira Stekelenburg, but the ball went over the door. The Dutch created a new danger in the 13 th minute when Sneijder fired from the edge of the box but the ball natseli body of Van Persie.
And get up to 18 minutes when a brilliant kick from Giovanni van Bronhorst 35 meters sent the ball through the beam in the network Muslera and the result was found.
In 27 minutes of football boots Caceres natseli its Zeuf Demi December, but the Dutch player was able to continue the game after he was given medical attention. Five minutes later Cavan fell in the penalty area after contact with Van Bronhorst but no penalty and the judge Irmatov remained silent.
Uruguay rose a storm and get back in the game hit with countervailing case of Diego Forlan in 40 minutes. Striker "urusite" stuff Stekelenburg, who had gone to the border of the field goalkeeper could not reflect the impact and ended up leveling.
Not to break new goals and dropped two of Appeal should continue to dispute the second victory in 45 minutes.
The second part began actively to both the composition. Netherlands to try to find the second goal, but to do this little Uruguayan footballers. The 50-minute Boulahrouz returned to bungle Stekelenburg, Cavan fight for the ball, it fell in Pereira, who tried to record as a mistake and did not submit the free Forlan.
Uruguay get another chance in 67 minutes as a free kick from Forlan and fired perfectly reflect the impact Stekelenburg. In the next attack Robben missed by several yards to lead "tulips" forward in the result, but it did Wesley Sneijder in the 70th minute with a precise shot. The moment was slightly controversial, as Van Persie was offside and influence the game, but the side judge determines that no such goal and the judge began to read.
Three minutes later Robben checkmate Muslera for the third time taking advantage of the Kite and assist with Chapter 3:1 make this goal gave the Dutch wings. Four minutes before the end of the match Robben missed complicate the situation of Uruguay, increasing the score, but failed. Shortly before Boulahrouz back again to gambling ball Stekelenburg, but the watchman of the "Tulip" to cope successfully with the situation.
In the second minute of the three-minute given by the judge for Pereira back a goal for Uruguay and the result was - 2:3. Despite the pressure exerted by urusite "a new hit and it was not and the Netherlands is the final for the first time since 1978 and overall third in the team history of tulips. 

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Bert van Marwijk: I will be satisfied only if we get the world title

Coach of the Dutch national football team - Bert van Marwijk said "will be satisfied only world title.




Coach and revealed facts about his team before tomorrow's semifinal match Mondial'10 program in South Africa, Uruguay where the Netherlands meeting in Cape Town.

"Uruguay play with passion that makes this team very dangerous. Every team has strengths in Uruguay, it is passion," said Marwijk.

"The first and most important thing is that all players are ready for this meeting. Including Joris Matiysen and Robin van Persie.

In Sunday's practice players were a little tired. Today they have already regained its freshness. All are very well prepared. Sneijder is also 100% ready for a coach and player is such a blessing.

It is an example for all, "said the Dutch team coach. We came here with one purpose and that is the world title.

Semifinal is a difficult stage that we should move. Still not happy, because we are far from the ultimate goal. . ., "He Marwijk.

Diego Maradona: My period ended

Argentina coach Diego Maradona told Argentine media that his "era is over", although the football association announced that he has not resigned.


"This is my era is over. I gave everything I could," said Maradona to Journal "Chronicle" two days after losing 0:4 to Argentina from Germany in the quarterfinals of Mondial'10 in South Africa.

Spokesman of the Argentine Football Association said that Maradona is not officially resigned, but President Julio Grondona will meet with Maradona after the World Cup.

At the same time one of the assistants of Maradona - Alejandro Mankuso, declared itself in favor of Argentinian legend and urged him to remain in office