Football Club

I’m glad Spain have reached the World Cup final because they are the team that plays the most attacking, adventurous and stylish football. I love to watch them.

I always thought the reigning European champions would get this far in the tournament, even after they opened their campaign with a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Switzerland.

I’m not surprised the Netherlands have reached Sunday’s final at Johannesburg’s Soccer City either, especially after their win over Brazil in the quarter-finals.

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk has got his tactics spot on and has made his side difficult to beat. He has found a good system that suits his players and is reaping the rewards.

They were excellent during the second half of their win over Brazil, when they fought back from 1-0 down to win 2-1, and have been very good in spells in their other games, too.

The Dutch are a classic example of how a team does not have to play brilliant football to reach a World Cup final.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t think they possess the players to be an outstanding side.

Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie are world-class performers, no doubt about that, while Mark van Bommel is a very effective holding midfielder, but their defenders and goalkeeper are certainly not in that bracket.

Nevertheless, their success shows that the right tactics and team spirit can pay off in a big way.

The Dutch might be happier to be facing Spain in the final rather than losing semi-finalists Germany, with whom they share an interesting footballing history, but I am not sure how effective their approach will be against the side coached by Vicente del Bosque.

Germany and the Netherlands adopt very similar tactics – and the Spanish proved very effective in nullifying Miroslav Klose and co in the semi-finals.

Both the Germans and the Dutch employ the same 4-2-3-1 formation, using their players in an almost identical way.

Just like Germany with Mesut Ozil, the Netherlands leave Sneijder to roam where he likes without any defensive responsibilities.

The Dutch also play one up front in Van Persie, with two men on either side who drop back to help out. For Thomas Mueller and Lukas Podolski, read Robben on the right and Dirk Kuyt on the left, although the Dutch do swap their wide men round a lot more than Germany.

I can see Van Persie and the rest of the Dutch forwards causing Del Bosque’s men some problems because I do not think the Spanish defence is as strong as it was when the team won Euro 2008.

At 32, Carles Puyol is two years older, while Gerard Pique, though terrific on the ball, is liable to make the occasional mistake and do the odd stupid thing, as we saw in the quarter-final against Paraguay when he gave away a penalty for holding on to an opponent at a corner.

That said, Spain do not have too much else to fear from the Dutch.

Del Bosque’s side are pretty unique for an international team when it comes to keeping hold of the ball. They do it so brilliantly, such are the skills of Andres Iniesta and Xavi.

For me, the only thing that stops them being overriding favourites to win is the form and fitness of Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker.

Torres has been struggling since the start of the tournament after having knee surgery in April and I think Del Bosque will probably leave him out again, just as he did against Germany in the semi-final, and play Pedro or even Cesc Fabregas in his place.

It is a real shame for Torres, who is a sensational player when at his best, but the simple fact is that six weeks out of action can take a lot of getting over. Sometimes it can take a while for a player to recover his sharpness, which is crucial for a forward.

The Reds forward could still face the Netherlands but it is unlikely he will suddenly rediscover his best form now, especially with all the pressure that comes with playing in a final.

It might actually help Spain if Torres does begin the game on the bench. That way, David Villa might play in a more central role.

Del Bosque badly needs someone in that central area when his side attack. At times, there has been a gap because Villa has been too far left and Torres too far right. Iniesta and Xavi are not the sort of players to burst into the box between them.

The Spanish definitely need to address that issue but I still feel they will come out on top.

I have tipped Spain to triumph all along, just as I did two years ago. I am definitely going to stick with them now.

Miroslav Klose’s hopes of becoming the World Cup’s all-time top scorer could be dashed by a back injury.

The Germany striker, 32, needs one goal against Uruguay in Saturday’s third-place play-off to draw level with Brazilian Ronaldo’s record of 15.

“He was hurt in an aerial duel, and we are hoping that he will be okay,” stated assistant coach Hansi Flick.

Captain Philipp Lahm shrugged off his own injury worries, saying: “It would astonish me if I wasn’t ready.”

“I have time to rest and the body can absorb the pain during a day off,” Lahm continued.

Germany had to settle for the third-place play-off for the second World Cup in a row after losing 1-0 to Spain in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

In 2006 the Germans beat Portugal to finish third and Lahm will be hoping for a similar consolation this time around.

“Four years ago, we thought it was fantastic to play for third place,” he added.

“Before, like a lot of people, I didn’t even want to watch this match on television. But now I believe that winning this match is important.”

General manager Oliver Bierhoff has been impressed by the way in which Germany have played in South Africa and has no doubt coach Joachim Loew’s young team have still to peak.

“We have some very young players with a very big future and this will be an important experience for them as they go forward in their careers,” Bierhoff reflected.

While Klose is unlikely to feature in the next World Cup – the 2014 finals in Brazil – the rest of the squad now has four years in which to get over their semi-final disappointment.

Bierhoff has no doubt that defeat will make Loew’s squad stronger for the challenges ahead.

“It is tough. If you dream, if you believe you are going to get a big performance it is hard when you lose.”

He added that it was simply a lack of experience which led to Germany’s undoing – with Spain offering an extra edge when compared to England and Argentina , against whom Loew’s side scored four goals apiece.

“Spain are probably the best team in the world, certainly in Europe,” Bierhoff reflected.

“It is bad for us, but we are a very young team and perhaps you could see a lack of experience. Some players were tired and we didn’t have the precision in our passing. We have to live with that.

“They were better on the pitch. They kept the ball. They deserved to win.

“The truth is we didn’t find a system to break them down. It is a big disappointment not to win but overall we are very satisfied with the tournament.”

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has warned Germany that his side will “fight to the death” in Saturday’s World Cup third-place play-off in Port Elizabeth.

After missing out on a place in the final, the clash of the losing World Cup semi-finalists is often seen as little more than a glorified friendly.

But Tabarez said: “Yes, fourth position is not the same as others.

“But we will go in with the same commitment and enthusiasm as always. We will prepare to fight to the death.”

Uruguay missed out on a place in Sunday’s showpiece final in Johannesburg after their 3-2 defeat by Netherlands, while Germany crashed out at the penultimate hurdle 1-0 to Spain.

But both camps are insistent that they will resist the temptation to take their foot off the pedal at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

“For us, this World Cup is anything but over,” said Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff. “We will be 100 percent focused and dedicated (on Saturday).

“We want to play with the same fresh, free-flowing football we have shown so far here.”

Tabarez added: “At the moment, Germany and Uruguay have both secured fourth place by reaching the semi-final.

“But the challenge for Uruguay is to finish third in the World Cup. I know Germany and they will make it very difficult for us, so we must fight hard to win.”

La Celeste have already surpassed expectations by reaching the last four, despite winning the tournament twice before (in 1934 and 1950) largely thanks to the inspired form of frontman Diego Forlan.

The 31-year-old has scored four goals in the tournament so far – but his hopes of winning this year’s Golden Boot may well be scuppered by a thigh injury that affected his performance in the semi-final defeat by the Netherlands.

He hopes to be fit, but should he miss out on selection Uruguay can at least recall a natural successor in Luis Suarez – the Ajax forward available again after being suspended for the semi-final thanks to his controversial last-minute handball in the quarters against Ghana.

Germany may also have selection issues up front, with another Golden Boot contender – Miroslav Klose – struggling with a bad back.

Lukas Podolski and Philipp Lahm are also battling to shake off flu, but Thomas Mueller looks certain to be recalled after he too was suspended for the semi-final.

Either way, it is likely that Germany will give an opportunity to some of those players yet to make their mark in the tournament.

“Last night, some flu virus hit us hard, maybe to do with the flights, air conditioning and maybe the disappointment (of losing to Spain),” said Bierhoff, who revealed manager Joachim Loew was one of those suffering with the virus.

“Loew has a serious case of flu, but we are trying to get him fit and on the bench for Saturday.

“It remains to be seen if Klose will play, likewise we don’t want Lahm to get injured and then carry that into the new Bundesliga season.

“Sometimes it is good to field unspoiled players for this sort of match.”

Uruguay may consider themselves fresher given the advantage of having had an extra day off with their semi-final having been played on Tuesday.

And Tabarez, in his second spell in charge having guided Uruguay to the last 16 in 1990, said: “To use a term that is common in the team – we have to bury this match and get over our sorrow.

“We must give a good image like the one we delivered against the Netherlands on the pitch to show people in football that Uruguay wants to play at an equal level with others.

“We want to show that this is a team with pride, despite our limitations, and this third-place play-off match is important for this reason.”

In the end, there were no complaints. Members of the German team I saw answering questions about Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final defeat admitted that Spain deserved to win. They did it in a clear, honest and analytical way, displaying an emotional control that struck me as being a very German quality.

It reminded me of an incident in Dortmund four years ago after Germany had been knocked out of the tournament at the same stage by Italy. A German journalist walked past my desk within minutes of the final whistle, looked at some statistics of the game on a television screen and told me dispassionately that the best team had won.

I asked Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on Wednesday what he thought of the match. The 24-year-old simply replied: “Spain was the better team today.”

Team manager Oliver Bierhoff was slightly more expansive. “You saw in the match how strong Spain are and how well they keep the ball,” said the former Germany striker. “We did not find our rhythm or the system to break down their very well-organised team and, at the end of the day, I thought it was a deserved victory for Spain.”

Germany should be applauded for their contribution to this competition. They swept aside both England and Argentina in the knock-out stage and introduced three stars to the global stage in Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Thomas Mueller, who was unfortunately suspended for Wednesday’s game.

But I felt that the Germans played slightly into Spain’s hands by sitting too deep and hoping to strike on the counter attack. They looked hesitant and uncertain. Bierhoff suggested they lacked experience at crucial moments.

Neuer added: “We wanted to be strong in defence and make fast breaks but Spain were good in defence and did not let us. We maybe showed Spain too much respect.”

Spain were the better team and deserved their victory after producing a more fluid performance than we have seen in most of their previous games in South Africa. They had 13 shots at goal, with five on target. Germany, who lost 1-0 to Spain in the Euro 2008 final, managed only two on target from five attempts.

With Pedro selected ahead of the out-of-form Fernando Torres, there was more energy to Spain’s play and better interchange in midfield. The tiki-taka passing game that Paraguay successfully stifled for so long in the previous round was up and running again.

Even so, Spain’s dominance for long periods did not produce many clear-cut openings and Vicente Del Bosque’s side have now won their last three games 1-0.

I thought Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso shed a lot of light on his team’s performance when he said: “We have seen when Germany have gone ahead in games that they have often scored again on the counter attack and we were really concerned about that.”

It explains why Spain were prepared to remain patient for so long, scoring the decisive goal through Carles Puyol, who found the net with header from a corner on 73 minutes.

It might not have been the sort of goal you would necessarily expect from this Spain team but it was nonetheless well-worked, with both Puyol and fellow defender Gerard Pique making a similar run and creating a two-against-one situation.

“We knew it might be the small details that make the difference,” said goalkeeper Pepe Reina. “So we have been practising these sorts of things for the entire tournament.”

A victory for Germany would have set up a final against the Netherlands that would have been rich in historical significance and rivalry. Germany’s victory over Johann Cruyff’s team in the 1974 final is known as “De moeder aller nederlagen” (the mother of all defeats) in the Netherlands. Subsequent matches have been brutal, spicy affairs that have often degenerated into unseemly contests.

I was at their last encounter at a major tournament, a 1-1 draw in Porto at Euro 2004. The atmosphere was sensational, the sort that can only be produced by the weight of history, and would have helped to create a thrilling final in Johannesburg.

In contrast, Spain against the Netherlands is the final with no history. Spain are at their 13th World Cup, the Netherlands their ninth, but remarkably they have never played each other in a major tournament.

All of the Spanish players I spoke to after Wednesday’s game expressed an admiration for the Dutch and are expecting a very tough match at Soccer City.

“I have seen most of Holland’s games,” added Alonso. “They have a solid team with good quality. They work well and are strong in attack. We are expecting a tough game. Physical, technical, tactical – they are a very complete team.”

I asked Neuer who he thought would win the final. Almost immediately he said: “Spain.” German coach Joachim Loew agreed with his goalkeeper. “Spain are a wonderful team,” he said. “They are the masters of the game. You can see it in every pass. They can hardly be beaten. They are extremely calm and convincing.”

This current Spain team, the Euro 2008 champions, stand on the brink of greatness. But whatever happens, history will be made on Sunday. It will be the first World Cup final that does not involve one of Brazil, Argentina, Italy or (West) Germany.

And it means that the first World Cup in Africa will have a new winner, the eighth and the first since France lifted the trophy in 1998. That, surely, must be a good thing.

Goal-line technology is back on the agenda after Fifa revealed this World Cup is set to be the last tournament under the existing refereeing system.

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke told the BBC that TV replays showing Frank Lampard scoring a goal against Germany was a “bad day” for organisers.

And Valcke suggested changes will be made before the 2014 World Cup.

“We’re talking about a goal not seen by the referee which is why we are talking about new technology,” said Valcke.

Fifa’s general secretary also suggested that the use of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line – a system trialled last season in the Europa League and set to be used in the Champions League this coming season – might be used in future World Cups.

“Let’s see if this system will help or whether giving the referee an additional four eyes will give him the comfort and make duty easier to perform,” added Valcke.

“I would say that it is the final World Cup with the current refereeing system.”

Although Valcke’s comments will be interpreted as a change of policy by Fifa following the International Football Association Board’s (Ifab) decision to reject goal-line technology and other aids for referees in March, the Fifa general secretary wants the whole approach to refereeing to be reformed.

“The teams and the players are so strong and so fast. The game is different and the referees are older than all the players,” said Valcke.

“The game is so fast, the ball is flying so quickly, we have to help them and we have to do something and that’s why I say it is the last World Cup under the current system.”

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has repeatedly rejected calls for the introduction of goal-line technology or TV replays, insisting an element of human error has always been a part of the game.

Opponents have also pointed to concerns over universality – that all levels of the game should be subjected to the same rules and methods of refereeing.

But following the Lampard “goal” in England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany and Carlos Tevez’s offside strike for Argentina against Mexico in a game the South American side won 3-1, Blatter performed a U-turn, saying that it would be a “nonsense” not to reopen the file on technology.

Ifab – the game’s rule making body which consists of representatives of the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs as well as four representatives from Fifa – is due to hold a meeting on 21 July where the issue is expected to be discussed.

But Valcke said it was unlikely serious discussions would be held until a further meeting scheduled for October.

In March, Ifab heard presentations from two companies pitching to introduce systems which they say provide definitive proof when the ball has crossed the line for a goal.

But both the proposals from Cairos Goal-line technology, which uses a microchip inside a football and magnetic fields around the goal line, and Hawk-Eye, which uses six television cameras positioned around the goal, were rejected.

The Cairos system was tested by Fifa in the World Club Championships in Japan in 2007, but despite their claims that the test was a success, Ifab again rejected the proposal in March 2008.

It was debated again in 2009 but again turned down.

Both Hawk-Eye and Cairos insist cost is not an issue as they offered to pay for the installation of the system in return for a share of sponsorship rights.

Ifab also turned down the chance to introduce the system of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line in time for the World Cup in South Africa.

Strangely, when they returned to Cape Town on Tuesday, that same press pack were complaining a lot less. I saw nothing but smiles from them after the win over Uruguay but then reaching a World Cup final tends to play havoc with your emotions – the usually impassive Van Marwijk was fighting back tears as he faced journalists at the final whistle.

What is Van Marwijk’s secret? Other than his undoubted tactical nous, some people see him primarily as a peacemaker, keeping his players happy and stopping egos from clashing, as has happened inside Dutch camps in the past.

But there is far more to his man-management than just achieving harmony in his squad. I spoke to De Boer shortly after the Dutch had reached their first final in 32 years. He said Van Marwijk has given the squad the self-belief they can lift the trophy on 11 July.

De Boer told me: “The first thing that Bert said to these players on his first day as coach was ‘we have a mission and that mission is to be world champions’.

“From day one, we tried to give them the belief they could win this World Cup. A lot of our players didn’t believe it, while some said they did. I knew they didn’t really think it.

“Getting them to actually have that belief was so important and it is a process we have been working on for the past two years. The fact it is working is a compliment to everyone in our camp from the kit man to the head coach.

“For us, since we have been in South Africa, it has been all about winning the final. That is something I didn’t have in 1998 when we reached the semi-finals. Then, reaching the final four was enough.

“I saw the same in the Uruguay players before kick-off in our semi-final. Some of them came on to the pitch with cameras and were filming themselves and the stadium. That showed they were happy just to be there. Our approach was much better and now we have to keep that focus.”

From what I heard from the Dutch players I managed to get near to in a very crowded post-match mixed zone, the coaching staff have indeed succeeded in convincing them of their potential. Dirk Kuyt, for example, mentioned he had the “belief” to win the World Cup about eight times in a two-minute interview before scurrying on to the coach.

But as well as making his side mentally strong, Van Marwijk has taught them to be disciplined, too.

The 4-2-3-1 formation that he favours is not his invention – his predecessor Marco van Basten used it with far more flair and far less success. The Dutch shone brightly in the group stages of Euro 2008 before, in a repeat of their fate at the 2006 World Cup, crashing out after losing their first knock-out match.

Van Marwijk also uses largely the same squad as Van Basten did, with the exception of Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, now retired (again) from international football, and son-in-law Mark van Bommel, who has returned to add some steel to the midfield after falling out with the previous coach.

De Boer, who won a Dutch record 112 caps for an outfield player and is behind only Van der Sar (118) in his country’s record books, added: “In the past we would go to tournaments as one of the favourites, have two or three good games then crash out. But now this team has shown it is much more stable even if we don’t hit top form.

“If we don’t play our best, we still win, or draw. We don’t lose. The only reason that happened against Australia [in September 2008] was because we were down to 10 men. The reason we are so stable is because the players trust the system we play in.”

The reaction to just about every Dutch victory in South Africa has been along the same lines – that they can play much better than they just did, although they were pretty impressive during the second half of their extraordinary fightback against Brazil.

Personally, I’m not so sure there is much more to come, or that they necessarily need to produce it to beat Spain, who do not exactly appear to be on top of their game either.

Like several other sides at this World Cup, the Oranje have a couple of world-class performers – Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben – and a couple of players with the potential to reach that level. Robin van Persie is one and has worked hard despite looking uncomfortable in his role as a lone striker.

They have all played their part in getting their side this far. While improvement is clearly possible, it is not imperative because more of the same could well suffice.

Don’t get me wrong, the Netherlands will be worthy winners if they do overcome European champions Spain at Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium on Sunday but there have been more roundly-talented Dutch teams that have left tournaments empty-handed.

Van Marwijk is probably closer to getting the maximum out of his side than it may seem at first glance and deserves a lot more credit than he has received so far.

He has already matched what former Dutch bosses Rinus Michels and Ernst Happel did in 1974 and 1978 but with a much less stellar squad. The irony for a nation used to seeing their teams fail to live up to their promise is that this time Van Marwijk has overachieved just by taking them to the final.

Goal-line technology is back on the agenda after Fifa revealed this World Cup is set to be the last tournament under the existing refereeing system.

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke told the BBC that TV replays showing Frank Lampard scoring a goal against Germany was a “bad day” for organisers.

And Valcke suggested changes will be made before the 2014 World Cup.

“We’re talking about a goal not seen by the referee which is why we are talking about new technology,” said Valcke.

Fifa’s general secretary also suggested that the use of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line – a system trialled last season in the Europa League and set to be used in the Champions League this coming season – might be used in future World Cups.

“Let’s see if this system will help or whether giving the referee an additional four eyes will give him the comfort and make duty easier to perform,” added Valcke.

“I would say that it is the final World Cup with the current refereeing system.”

Although Valcke’s comments will be interpreted as a change of policy by Fifa following the International Football Association Board’s (Ifab) decision to reject goal-line technology and other aids for referees in March, the Fifa general secretary wants the whole approach to refereeing to be reformed.

“The teams and the players are so strong and so fast. The game is different and the referees are older than all the players,” said Valcke.

“The game is so fast, the ball is flying so quickly, we have to help them and we have to do something and that’s why I say it is the last World Cup under the current system.”

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has repeatedly rejected calls for the introduction of goal-line technology or TV replays, insisting an element of human error has always been a part of the game.

Opponents have also pointed to concerns over universality – that all levels of the game should be subjected to the same rules and methods of refereeing.

But following the Lampard “goal” in England’s 4-1 defeat by Germany and Carlos Tevez’s offside strike for Argentina against Mexico in a game the South American side won 3-1, Blatter performed a U-turn, saying that it would be a “nonsense” not to reopen the file on technology.

Ifab – the game’s rule making body which consists of representatives of the English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh FAs as well as four representatives from Fifa – is due to hold a meeting on 21 July where the issue is expected to be discussed.

But Valcke said it was unlikely serious discussions would be held until a further meeting scheduled for October.

In March, Ifab heard presentations from two companies pitching to introduce systems which they say provide definitive proof when the ball has crossed the line for a goal.

But both the proposals from Cairos Goal-line technology, which uses a microchip inside a football and magnetic fields around the goal line, and Hawk-Eye, which uses six television cameras positioned around the goal, were rejected.

The Cairos system was tested by Fifa in the World Club Championships in Japan in 2007, but despite their claims that the test was a success, Ifab again rejected the proposal in March 2008.

It was debated again in 2009 but again turned down.

Both Hawk-Eye and Cairos insist cost is not an issue as they offered to pay for the installation of the system in return for a share of sponsorship rights.

Ifab also turned down the chance to introduce the system of two extra referees positioned on the goal-line in time for the World Cup in South Africa.

Midfielder Fabregas

Barcelona failed to pay their players at the end of June, club president Sandro Rosell has revealed.

Rosell, who succeeded Joan Laporta at the financially troubled Catalan outfit last week, also said a loan of about £125m had been secured to pay wages.

“We found a club in debt, with liquidity problems. At this point we have to take a loan to pay the wages of the players,” he told Sport.

But Rosell said Barca can still afford Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Barca recently sold defender Dmitro Chygrynskiy to Shakhtar Donetsk for about £12.5m to help raise much-needed funds, even though coach Pep Guardiola had been keen to keep him.

They also sold Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure to Manchester City for about £20m.

However, Rosell has moved to reassure worried fans that Barca’s problems are under control and that the process of securing a loan had already started under the previous board.

“The banks know that we have a business plan that will allow them to recover the money. The club is not bankrupt because it generates income,” he added.

“The members shouldn’t be afraid because it is under control. We must resolve this tension.

“It can be done in two ways: to have extra income, like selling Chygrynskiy, and/or taking a loan, which is what we have done.

“The previous board had already begun this process. We followed the same path – the same banks, the same target but with a different business plan. They [Laporta's board] also knew they needed this credit.”

And Rosell even claimed that over 50m euros (about £41m) would still be available to spend on new players.

Despite their financial issues, Barcelona have been pursuing Arsenal star Fabregas for some time and recently signed Spain striker David Villa from Valencia.

Rosell intends to meet Gunners manager Arsene Wenger in South Africa shortly to discuss a deal for Fabregas, who started his career at the Nou Camp.

“It’s now or never. We’ll do it fast. It won’t be protracted,” said Rosell.

“I’ll try to see Wenger in South Africa, then we’ll tell you what happens.

“We would not pay the 50-60m euros that I have read about. If Arsenal do not go crazy, he might play at Barca.

“There will be 50m euros to sign more players. This is the case every year. This is our plan for the future.

“Technically, as of now we have 50m euros plus 15 for Chygrynskiy and 24 for Toure. In total, 89m euros (about £75m).”

Spain boss Vicente del Bosque urged his players to go on and win the World Cup final only moments after their 1-0 semi-final victory against Germany.

Carles Puyol’s second-half header put Spain in the final for the first time and Del Bosque is already focused on beating Netherlands on Sunday.

He said: “Our players carried out their job in a magnificent way.

“But let’s think about the game in front of us. We’re in good shape physically – let’s try to win.”

Puyol grabbed the winner in the 73rd minute, powering home an unstoppable header from Xavi’s pin-point corner.

It was just reward for arguably Spain’s best performance of the tournament so far, one which saw them control possession for large periods and restrict Germany – who had been prolific in attack in the lead up to the last-four clash – to only a handful of half chances.

In the end, Spain had 13 attempts to Germany’s five, and Del Bosque said: “From defence through to attack I think we played a great game.”

Those sentiments were echoed by leading striker David Villa.

Villa is top of the World Cup scoring charts with five goals – and Puyol’s strike against Germany was in fact the first of La Furia Roja’s seven goals that Villa did not either score or create.

And he says Spain must now go on and add the world title to their Euro 2008 triumph.

“We’ve shown that in the big moments we can grow even more,” he said. “We should have scored more goals, but one from Puyol has put us in the final.

“The group deserves this but we want more. We are happy to be in the final, that was our objective, but now we want to be champions.”

But Spain defender Gerard Pique insisted his side face a tough match against the Dutch in Johannesburg.

The Barcelona centre-back produced a fine performance alongside Puyol to keep Germany at bay in Durban, but asked if his team should be worried about Netherlands in the final, he told BBC Five Live: “Yes, of course.

“The Netherlands have a lot of good players – [Arjen] Robben, [Robin] Van Persie, [Wesley] Sneijder – and we have to try to stop them.

“But at the same time we need to play our game, to pass the ball around like we know we can, and create chances.

“Sometimes we can overplay it, and we don’t shoot on goal enough. But I think that at the moment we are on a great run and if the opposition do not score, one goal is enough to win the game.”

Spain reached the World Cup final for the first time after a second-half header from Carles Puyol secured a narrow victory over Germany after an intriguing match in Durban.

Vicente del Bosque’s side won their fourth straight game 1-0 and will now play the Netherlands in Sunday’s final at Soccer City.

Spain deserved their victory after controlling huge periods of the match, but once again it was far from a vintage performance.

Del Bosque’s team improved on their scrappy performance against Paraguay in the previous round but still struggled to carve out clear openings.

The winning goal came when Puyol showed great determination to atone for a poor first-half miss by heading home Xavi’s corner with 17 minutes remaining.

The Euro 2008 champions, who defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of that competition, should have scored a second after striking with the sort of counter-attack that had been a trademark of their opponents’ play in this competition, but Pedro failed to pick out a completely unmarked Fernando Torres.

Germany had invited pressure by adopting an increasingly deep defensive line as the match wore on – and may regret not taking the game to their opponents more while it remained goalless.

Joachim Loew’s team scored four against both England and Argentina in their previous games and had illuminated the competition with their bold play.

But they had few opportunities to strike on the counter against Spain and so Germany taste defeat at the semi-final stage for the second successive World Cup.

Spain coach Del Bosque chose Wednesday’s tie to drop the out-of-form Torres, drafting in Barcelona’s lively young forward Pedro and deploying David Villa as a lone striker.

And while Del Bosque’s team certainly looked comfortable as they worked the ball around midfield, Germany showed excellent shape and discipline, and were rarely dragged out of position.

Spain did occasionally pick holes in the German defensive structure, with Pedro playing in Villa only for keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him after only five minutes.

Puyol headed over from a firm Andres Iniesta cross, wasting an excellent chance, while a raking cross-field pass from Xabi Alonso found Sergio Ramos in space, only for the Real Madrid full-back to drill his ambitious shot wide.

Germany did not have the opportunity to launch a counter attack until the 22nd minute, but that broke down after a miscommunication between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski.

Loew’s team looked increasingly threatening as the half wore on and had what initially appeared to be a strong penalty appeal in injury-time, after Ozil went down under a clumsy challenge from Ramos.

Ozil was certainly in a very threatening position after collecting a pass from Miroslav Klose and looked to be fouled, but replays suggested the initial contact had been made outside the area.

The start of the second half was a repeat of the first in that Spain passed and probed – but this time they started to seriously threaten Neuer’s goal.

Alonso twice shot wide from distance, as did Villa with a low effort he tried to curl across goal, but the impressive Pedro did force a sharp save from Neuer.

Germany were dropping ever deeper and would have fallen behind but for two near misses. The first saw Villa come within inches of converting a low Iniesta cross, while Ramos was likewise agonisingly close to converting from Alonso’s angled pass.

Loew brought on Marcell Jansen and Toni Kroos for Jerome Boateng and Trochowski as he tried to change the game in his team’s favour.

And Kroos forced a save after a deep cross from Podolski, but shortly afterwards Puyol struck and Spain were able to close out the match to seal their place in the final and ensure that the World Cup will have a first-time winner in 2010.

Miroslav Klose spent most of last season warming the bench at Bayern Munich – but here in South Africa he has been of crucial importance to Germany for the third World Cup in succession.

His brace against Argentina on Saturday took him to four goals in the current tournament and 14 overall, level with compatriot Gerd Muller and one behind Brazil’s Ronaldo.

The 32-year-old is now just a good day at the office away from becoming the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.

In an attempt to put this into perspective, the Polish-born Klose recently recalled a conversation he had with Ronaldo after the 2002 tournament.

The Brazilian had just whacked in eight goals, including a brace in the 2-0 win over Germany in the final – and Klose remembers thinking that he would never scale such heady heights.

“Two goals to go past his record – it is just crazy,” said Klose after the 4-0 victory over Diego Maradona’s team set up Wednesday’s semi-final tie against Spain in Durban.

I suspect many people would agree with him.

He scored five goals at both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, with the latter tally enough to secure the coveted Fifa Golden Shoe Award.

But the cynics might suggest that three of his goals in 2002 came in an 8-0 turkey-shoot against Saudi Arabia.

All of his goals in 2002 were headers, while in 2006 he scored twice against both Costa Rica and Ecuador – a record which suggests a one-dimensional forward who scores the bulk of his goals against weaker opposition.

His domestic career – all of which has been spent in Germany – has been a mixed bag. Last season, for example, he managed just three Bundesliga goals for Bayern.

Certainly, in terms of reputation and profile, Klose would be some way down the list of leading strikers to have played at the World Cup since he made his tournament debut in 2002.

Consider the competition at the start of the tournament in South Africa. Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney and Kaka arrived as arguably the big five (although Spain’s David Villa might have something to say about that) but went home having mustered two goals between them.

Klose, by contrast, might have seen red in the defeat against Serbia but is in excellent goalscoring form despite seeing Ivica Olic and Mario Gomez picked ahead of him virtually all season at Bayern.

Take, for example, Klose’s first goal in the 4-1 thrashing of England. He showed the strength and persistence to shake off John Terry and Matthew Upson and the instincts of a true goal poacher to expertly steer a long clearance from Manuel Neuer beyond David James.

It showed that there is so much more to his game than his fabulous heading ability.

“Since 2002 he has always been a top performer in the major tournaments, always great for the national team, scoring decisive goals,” German coach Joachim Loew told me as he spoke to the media on Tuesday (just for the record, he arrived four minutes early).

“When it counts, Miroslav is there. It is not a surprise to me that he is scoring goals.”

He is the type of player who responds to encouragement from those around him, particularly the coach. Perhaps that is why Klose thrives under Loew but struggled last season under Bayern boss Louis van Gaal, who has a more removed management style.

“Miroslav is fantastic in various ways,” added Loew. “He integrates well with our style of play and is excellent at assessing his own performance.

“He knew when he joined the squad that he had not played as much as the other players and he knew that he had to train harder.”

In a recent interview with German newspaper Bild, Klose explained that he had put himself through a strenuous personal fitness routine towards the end of last season. As a consequence, he lost weight and felt in better shape than he had for a long time.

The 2002 World Cup runner-up, who won his 100th cap against Argentina, also recently stated that personal scoring records are inconsequential: leaving South Africa with the trophy is what matters.

To have a chance to do that his side must defeat Spain on Wednesday in what will be a rematch of the Euro 2008 final.

The Spaniards deservedly won 1-0 in Vienna, with Fernando Torres scoring in the first half.

Much has changed since then, not least the loss of form by Torres after an injury-troubled season at Liverpool, as well as the emergence of a new generation of German talent.

Mesut Ozil, Thomas Mueller (who is suspended on Wednesday) and Sami Khedira have all enjoyed excellent tournaments. Khedira, a replacement for the injured Michael Ballack, is the oldest of the trio at 23.

The vibrancy, vim and vivacity that they have brought to the tournament has been well documented and should ensure that Wednesday’s encounter is very different to their meeting two years ago.

“Germany are better than at Euro 2008, they have got stronger and we know it will be tough,” Spain’s Pepe Reina told me.

“As well as their attacking ability, their defending has been really good and tactically they are well organised. They have skilful players with a lot of pace and they have been the best team so far in the tournament.”

Germany should have the self-belief built after scoring four goals in three separate matches and demolishing England and Argentina in the knockout stage.

Torres, meanwhile, has yet to score for Spain and Cesc Fabregas, so influential after coming off the bench against Paraguay, is not certain to play after sustaining a leg injury in training.

I thought Paraguay very effectively neutralised Spain’s quick, accurate passing game during their tight quarter-final meeting in Johannesburg.

Spain, who like Germany have already tasted defeat in Durban, have scored seven in five games (in contrast to Germany’s 13) and just once have won by more than a one-goal margin, against Honduras in the group stage.

But as they pursue their dream of reaching the World Cup final for the first time, Reina is adamant that his side possess the tools to end Klose and Germany’s World Cup dream.

“We have seen all of Germany’s games – we knew that we could face them in the semi-final and, God bless us, we have to be ready for the battle,” added the Liverpool keeper.

“We have to keep our philosophy that brought us here and continue to trust in our ability.”

Everywhere in Durban there are signs telling us that it is the “warmest place to be” during the World Cup.

Hopefully it will be red-hot on Wednesday.