2010 World Cup - group stage - Big Shots

2010 World Cup - group stage

The defending champions are out. The runner-up from the last Cup is out. And stunning upsets have highlighted the matches so far in the 2010 World Cup, the first to held on the African continent. The home cooking wasn't much help for the locals, however, as only Ghana advanced past the group phase, with South Africa becoming the first host nation in history not to advance. But not advancing hasn't dimmed the enthusiasm for the Cup in South Africa, where children play the game in the streets and people gather around televisions wherever they can to catch the action in the latest quadrennial, all under the omnipresent buzz of the vuvuzela. I'll have another World Cup post following the conclusion of the tournament. ( 32 photos total)

Soccer fans cheer before the South Africa - Uruguay game in a fan zone in Centurion near Pretoria June 16. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala kicks between Mexican defenders during their opening match at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg June 11. (REUTERS/David Gray) #

A fan celebrates South Africa's first goal against Mexico, the first goal of the 2010 World Cup, as he watches a live broadcast of the opening match in Nelspruit June 11. (MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP/Getty Images) #

Javier Mascherano of Argentina checks on the injured Lukman Haruna of Nigeria during their match at Ellis Park Stadium June 12 in Johannesburg. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) #

Argentina head coach Diego Maradona reacts during the match against Nigeria at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg June 12. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) #

Argentina's Jonas Gutierrez (right) vies with Nigeria's Chinedu Obasi during their match June 12 at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) #

Supporters of Ghana react as they watch on TV their match against Serbia June 13 in Johannesburg. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Japan's Yuichi Komano (bottom) vies for the ball with Cameroon's Eric Choupo-Moting during their match at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein June 14. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) #

North Korea's Jong Tae-Se cries while listening to his country's anthem before their match against Brazil June 15 at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg. (STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty Images) #

Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba fights for the ball with a defender from Portugal during their match June 15 at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Port Elizabeth. (KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images) #

Fans watch the South Africa vs. Uruguay match at a fan park in Soweto June 16. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) #

Residents of a squatters' camp in Kliptown, a suburb of Soweto, watch the South Africa vs. Uruguay match on a television supplied with illicit electricity June 16. (YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images) #

Fans wear their teams' colors while they watch first round games. (photos by REUTERS, AFP/Getty Images, Getty Images, and AP) #

Argentina's Carlos Tevez controls the ball during the match against South Korea at Soccer City in Johannesburg June 17. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) #

Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama (right) saves a shot in front of Greece's Dimitris Salpingidis during their match at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein June 17. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn) #

A view of the Green Point Stadium as England's players train in Cape Town June 17. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) #

The Netherlands' Dirk Kuyt (right) vies with Japan's Yuki Abe during their match June 19 at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. (JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) #

South African boys play soccer in a field in the Diepsloot township June 19. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) #

Australia's Luke Wilkshire (left) fights for the ball with Ghana's Lee Addy during their match June 19 at Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images) #

Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o (center) celebrates after scoring a goal during the match against Denmark at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoria June 19. (REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi) #

Slovakia's Stanislav Sestak (right) heads the ball next to Paraguay's Paulo da Silva during their match June 20 at Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein. (JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images) #

Honduras' Roger Espinoza kicks the ball in front of Spain's Joan Capdevila during their match at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg June 21. (REUTERS/Eddie Keogh) #

A South Africa fan weeps as South Africa win their match but leave the competetion during their match against France at the Free State Stadium June 22 in Mangaung/Bloemfontein. (Clive Mason/Getty Images) #

South Africans react as they watch their team play France in a township near Roodepoort June 22. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell) #

Uruguay's Jorge Fucile falls to the pitch during their match June 22 at Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg. (PEDRO UGARTE/AFP/Getty Images) #

France's Djibril Cisse leaves the pitch at the end of their match against South Africa June 22 at Free State Stadium in Mangaung/Bloemfontein. (VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images) #

Algeria's Hassan Yebda eyes the ball during their match June 23 at Loftus Verfeld stadium in Tshwane/Pretoria. (HOANG DINH NAM/AFP/Getty Images) #

Youths play soccer in Johannesburg June 16. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) #

Slovakia's Robert Vittek (right) looks up at Italy's Gennaro Gattuso after a clash during their match June 24 at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg. (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images) #

Kids play soccer in a dusty lot as the sun goes down in a rural community outside Rustenburg June 24. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) #

Japan's Yuji Nakazawa (left), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (back) and Makoto Hasebe celebrate after beating Denmark June 24 at Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg. (THOMAS COEX/AFP/Getty Images) #

South African children play with a soccer ball in a street in Diepsloot June 25. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) #

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2010 World Cup - group stage