Germany defeated Uruguay 3-2 in a highly entertaining third-place FIFA World Cup match Saturday in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
Main storyline
It’s the game that no team wants to play in.
Just a few days removed from heartbreaking losses in the semifinals, Germany and Uruguay had to pick themselves up to battle for third place.
And while both squads would rather have been playing for the World Cup trophy on Sunday, they still put on quite a show for the rain-soaked crowd at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Man of the match
Germany’s Thomas Mueller, returning to action after sitting out the semifinal versus Spain due to yellow cards, showed why he was one of the breakout stars of the World Cup. The 20-year-old scored his fifth goal of the tournament in the 19th minute, deftly sidefooting in a rebound from a Bastian Schweinsteiger shot, and kept the Uruguayan defence honest all night long with his speed and skill.
Watch the Goals: