Final Score - WC2010 Group B, Greece vs Argentina

Tuesday 22nd June 2010 - Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane - Att. 38,891
Referee: Ravshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)

LINEUPS:
Greece (442): Tzorvas, Vyntra, Torosidis, Papadopolous, Kygriakos, Papastathopoulos, Tziolis (Prittas 63'), Katsouranis, Gekas, Samaras (Salpigidis 63'), Karagounis
Argentina (442): Romero, Otamendi, Heinze, Demichalis (Samuel 82'), Burdisso (Pastore 9'), Mascherano, Rodriguez, Di Maria, Higuain, Tevez, Messi (Milito 70')

Argentina held their nerve in a rather uneventful match but Greece were not completely non-threatening when they manafactured a pair of good chances. The first came in the 8th minute when Karagounis climbed highest in a crowded penalty area to head the ball at Romero, and the second great Greek opportunity came late in the game when they were 2-0 down. Katsouranis wasted no time after receiving a pass from Prittas in crossing the ball for Gekas to shoot wide.

For their part Argentina did enough to secure victory and a place in the second round, but it was not until after a very dull first half that they truly threatened the Greek goal. A quick rush began when Pastore provided a great flick behind the defence for Gabriel Heinze to run onto. His shot was saved but the rebound went straight to Carlos Tevez for an easy finish five minutes into the second half. The insurance goal came twelve minutes from time, Tevez turning provider for Gonzalo Higuain to become the fifth different Argentine to score in the group stage.

Greece 0 - 2 Argentina
Goalscorers:
ARG Tevez 50'
ARG Higuain 78'

Discipline:
ARG Demichalis 55'

Man of the Match:
ARG Carlos Tevez
 

GROUP B
Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
South Korea	3	3	0	0	4	0	+4	9
Argentina	3	2	0	1	5	1	+4	6
Greece	3	1	0	2	1	4	-3	3
Nigeria	3	0	0	3	0	5	-5	0

Final Score - WC2010, Group B, Greece vs Nigeria

Thursday 17th June 2010, Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein - Att. 31,593
Referee: Óscar Ruiz (Colombia)

LINEUPS:
Greece (442): Tzorvas, Vyntra, Torosidis, Papadopoulos, Kygriakos, Papastathopoulos, Tziolis, Katsouranis (Ninis 62'), Gekas (Moras 80'), Samaras (Salpigidis 59'), Karagounis
Nigeria (451): Enyeama, Odiah, Taiwo, Yobo, Shittu, Etuhu, Haruna, Kalta (Obinna 45'), Ayegbeni (Utaka 77'), Uche, Obasi (Martins 84')

A Loukas Vyntra goal was all that Greece needed to win their first match of the World Cup and stay in the hunt for a place in the second round. The only goal of this one-sided match occurred when Enyeama dropped a simple cross, leaving Vyntra with a very easy finish just fourteen minutes in. Before that Greece created a good chance on the counter that Samaras could not finish.

After a long period of little activity Nigeria tested the Greek keeper when Kalu Uche had his own free kick rebound straight back to him and his second effort was well saved. In the second half Vincent Enyeama was busy making up for his mistake by stopping shots from Karagounis and Papasthathopoulos. The Greeks did get another ball past him but Gekas watched his effort ricochet back off the post.

Greece 1 - 0 Nigeria
Goalscorers:
GRE Vyntra 14'

Discipline:
NGA Yobo 51'


Man of the Match:
GRE Loukas Vyntra

GROUP B
Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Argentina	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3	3
South Korea	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	3
Greece	2	1	0	1	1	2	-1	3
Nigeria	2	0	0	2	0	4	-4	0

Final Score - WC2010 Group B, South Korea vs Greece

Saturday 12th June - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth. Att: 31,513
Referee: Michael Hester (New Zealand)

LINEUPS:
South Korea (451): Ryong, Ri, Pyo, Hyung, LJ Soo, Woo (KJ Sung 69'), Hun, Young, PJ Sung (Hwan 75'), Yong
Greece (442): Tzorvas, Vyntra, Torosidis (Kapetanos 82'), Papadopoulos, Kygriakos (Patsatzoglou 69'), Papastathopoulos, Tziolis (Ninis 61'), Katsouranis, Gekas, Samaras, Karagounis

South Korea began this match off-key and Greece enjoyed much of the ball in the opening twenty minutes. Katsouranis was put clean through by Georgias Samaras but his finish was very weak leading to an easy save. Shooter then turned provider as his headed flick on led to another one-on-one situation; Korea again escaping, this time when the offside flag went up against Karagounis.

After those scares one Park Chu Young forced himself upon the game with three scoring chances before the halftime whistle. Two of them came from crosses that he sent over the goal, but his first opportunity to score came on the counter attack when Pyo found the striker ahead of his marker and he neatly passed the ball past the keeper. Between acts of The Young Show, Papastathopoulos watched his shot hit the underside of the bar and bounce back down to the goaline. Despite vehement protests from the Greek players the officials ruled that the ball did not cross the line and play continued.

Samaras and the Greeks had another early chance in the second half but, as before, the shot lacked any real power and the Koreans breathed another sigh of relief. Young continued to be the catalyst of any attack from his team, even trying the spectacular with a bicycle kick that sailed wide. He then turned provider, Hun running onto the cross to score after his own good play got the ball to Young. Greece would test Ryong in his goal again, this time on a thirty yarder off the boot of Katsouranis, but they would go away thinking of their missed chances earlier in the game.

South Korea 2 - 0 Greece
Goalscorers:
KOR Young 18'
KOR Hun 60'

Discipline:
No Cards

Man of the Match:
KOR Park Chu Young

GROUP B
Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
South Korea	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2	3
Argentina	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Nigeria	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Greece	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2	0