World Cup Corner

The final group stage round begins today. The next four days we are going to watch simultaneously played games starting today with Group A and Group B. The first packet will be played at 16:00 CET and the second one at 21:00 CET.

Group A
Ecuador - Germany, 16:00 CET, Berlin
Both teams are already through to the last sixteen, but first place in Group A is still up for grabs.

Costa Rica - Poland, 16:00, Hanover
Poland will be keen to avoid finishing bottom of the group against Ticos before making the trip home.

Group B
Sweden - England, 21:00, Cologne
Sweden needs a draw to finish second in Group B and to secure the second round.

Paraguay - Trinidad & Tobago, 21:00, Kaiserslautern
Trinidad & Tobago needs all three points to have any chance of reaching the last sixteen.

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Group A
15:00 Hamburg (50.000 attendance)
Ecuador : Costa Rica 3:0 (1:0)
Tenorio (8′), Delgado (54′), Kaviedes (92′)

Group B
18:00 Nuremberg (41.000)
England : Trinidad & Tobago 2:0 (0:0)
Crouch (83′), Gerrard (91′)

21:00 Berlin (72.000)
Sweden : Paraguay 1:0 (0:0)
Ljunberg (89′)

All matches and results

Group H
15:00 Leipzig (43.000 attendance)
Spain : Ukraine 4:0 (2:0)
Xabi (13′), Villa (17′, 48′ PEN), Torres (81′)

18:00 Munich (66.000)
Tunisia - Saudi Arabia 2:2 (1:0)
Jazirim (23′), Jaidi (92′); Al Kahtani (57′), Al Jaber (84′)

Group A
21:00 Dortmund (65.000)
Germany : Poland 1:0 (0:0)
Neuville (91′)

All matches and results

And another one from Google Maps.

Known nationwide as the Bundesliga’s opera house, the Westfalenstadion was originally built for the 1974 FIFA World Cup. No fewer than 1.4 million spectators thronged to Germany’s biggest stadium in 2004-5, making an average of over 77,000 and a Bundesliga and European record.

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Another Google Maps picture!

AOL-Arena in Hamburg boasts a capacity of 56,114 for Bundesliga matches. The arena officially qualifies as one of the best football grounds in Europe after earning a maximum five stars from UEFA. The stadium is home to Hamburg SV, the only club ever-present in the German top-flight throughout the Bundesliga’s 42-year history.

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Arena AufSchalke stadium in Gelsenkirchen - very nice over head shot.

The Arena can justifiably claim to be the most modern stadium in Europe thanks to an array of ground-breaking technical facilities set to revolutionise standards in stadium design, including a removable playing surface, giant video cube, a retractable roof and electronic admission controls.

Check out the Berlin Olympic Stadium, which will host the 2006 World Cup finale, on Google Maps. If you look closer you can see how they water the grass. Great shot!

Stadium: Olympiastadion
Investment: 242 million Euro
Gross Capacity: 74,220
Total Seating Capacity: 66,021

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