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This is a failure to carry out the World Cup finals. “Argentina and the Spanish media before World War in the Assi, such sentences are used to emphasize the importance of the game. The World Cup in South Africa, Argentina, Germany 0 to 4 were eliminated, failed to move forward Lionel Messi and Barcelona teammates also not met a reality. This defect was up after the World Cup, while Argentina is the fans happy that Batista’s team has to a large score 4 to 1, defeated the new world champion . debacle from 0 to 4, to 4 to 1 victory, behind Argentina’s Phoenix Nirvana, has anything changed?

Argentina’s national team media compared Batista and Diego Maradona’s team some of the differences. First, the use of personnel, Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso, these Maradona won the reuse of abandoned children age, these players are hard, with the fighting spirit to support the team, their presence is Argentina’s style has become tough, become more sound footing. In addition, the midfield, Esteban Cambiasso’s play is no longer alone to Mascherano, Banega’s play for Argentina gained more control of the ball. Front line, the staff has not changed, or Messi, Higuain and Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, but not so on the list the location, and Batista even ordered the retreat more than 30 meters are not allowed Massey, location forward , the greater the power of Messi.

45 minutes of the time, Argentina will defeat the world champion Spain, and Argentina is very obvious advantage in the midfield. Batista let Banega and Esteban Cambiasso to help Mascherano, Argentina’s midfield looked more decisive force, more rhythm, more focused attention on the players. Under the disadvantages, Fabregas and Aweiluoya can stop Carlos Tevez, Fernando Alonso could not find Iniesta.

After the game’s rating, Banega received 8 points, the experts praised Banega in the right flank of the pass very well, he’s with a very good job with Javier Mascherano, Banega is the organization of Argentina who is the distribution of the ball who match his performance proved that he can be firmly installed in the location of main national team. Mascherano received 7 points, he is no longer the World Cup in South Africa as helpless, he blocked well, like a broom as the guardian of defense, Esteban Cambiasso and Banega given him a great help, running no more than the World Cup, but the effect larger. Esteban Cambiasso also 7 points, reviews, said the Inter Titans not radiant performance, but Argentina’s offense and defense conversion are essential for in defense, he can fill the seats Heinze , in the attack, he can give support Carlos Tevez is a rare all-around player.

In contrast, the Spanish team’s performance in several midfield a lot worse. As captain of Alonso did not know how to lead the team, he often disappeared in Argentina, surrounded by players. Fabregas is not out of step with the team, he does not know how to pass, we are unable to meet with Iniesta, who because of their friends, eat card foul Messi. Iniesta this can not be called the team’s brain, he can not get the ball, the race has nothing to show. Spain’s midfield is a strong guarantee of victory, but this time they lost the midfield against Argentina.

The Argentina has become a real team, team offensive and defensive order. Unlike in the World Cup as Germany with a clear tactical victory and a strong midfield, while Argentina’s situation in backward tying spite of its desire, but the court has fallen into chaos, not scored, no strategy, players bleak, as a single defensive midfielder Javier Mascherano isolated, the other in the backcourt defense let Argentina’s little man combination is almost impossible to close to restricted areas. But now, Argentina’s performance has been very different.

Argentina’s “national newspaper” that Diego Maradona for his Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso not bring South Africa to pay the price. In these two players, led by the Argentine team have demonstrated a very strong fighting spirit, not only has Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to keep the pace up, even Messi and Higuain are actively scraping . Banega, particularly commendable, the former Boca player steals and passing aspects reflect a strong ability on the pitch, Mascherano, Banega become a natural partner, but as time carried out co-ordination between them will become more understanding. Esteban Cambiasso of Argentina midfielder rejoin enhanced hardness, so that the tactical team is more balanced, Argentina 433 tactics can safely play, while the World Cup in South Africa, this tactic because the midfielder’s weak, totally is an adventure.

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Spain’s victorious World Cup squad have returned to Madrid amid scenes of joyous celebration in the capital city.

An estimated one million people lined a five-mile route in the Spanish capital as the team paraded in an open-top bus.

Captain Iker Casillas had earlier carried the trophy down the steps of the plane as the squad made a triumphant return from South Africa.

The players then went on to meet Spain’s royal family and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

And the celebrations concluded with the bus parade that snaked through the heart of Madrid, as firefighters hosed down fans sweltering in 40C temperatures and Spanish air force fighter jets flew overhead trailing the colours of the national flag.

The parade came to a halt at the esplanade near the Puente del Rey, where the festivities continued.

European champions Spain won the World Cup for the first time thanks to Andres Iniesta’s extra-time winner against the Netherlands in Johannesburg on Sunday.

During the celebrations on Monday night, some team-mates forced Cesc Fabregas to briefly wear a Barcelona shirt as they stood on stage in front of supporters.

The Barcelona defenders grabbed the Arsenal midfielder, who has been linked with a return to the Nou Camp where he played as a teenager, and managed to pull the shirt over his head.

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos and Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina had been at the centre of the players’ celebrations on the team bus as the parade inched its way down Madrid’s Gran Via.

Once the whole 23-man squad plus the coaching and backroom staff made their way onto the stage, various members of the party spoke to the assembled supporters.

Coach Vicente del Bosque said at a brief presentation: “This cup, this triumph is for all of you, and for the whole Spanish football factory.”

Casillas, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, said: “I don’t know what to say, only that I’m delighted to be here with you. We (the players) have achieved the dream that we’ve all had since we were small.”

Coach Del Bosque added: “It’s not only winning but how you win, and that’s what these players have done, they are an example to all.

“Thanks for all the support you’ve sent to us in South Africa, you are also world champions.”

Iniesta held a toy octopus in reference to Paul, the sea creature based in a German aquarium made famous for correctly predicting winning teams during the World Cup, including Spain in the final.

“Thanks to the octopus we are champions,” he joked.

The gifted playmaker added: “I only want to say that you should be proud of this group. They’re the best. I’m very proud to be part of them.”

Many fans made the trip to Madrid’s Barajas Airport to greet the returning heroes.

The flight landed at 1338 local time with Spanish flags flying from the cockpit windows and two fire engines making a guard of honour with their jet streams.

The plane was emblazoned with the words ‘Campeones’ (Champions) and ‘Orgullosos de nuestra seleccion’ (Proud of our squad).

Casillas, who was in floods of tears after the final whistle at the Soccer City Stadium on Sunday night, again appeared to be on the verge of crying as he led his team across the tarmac to a waiting coach.

They were taken to a nearby hotel to eat and rest before heading to the Royal Palace for a reception with the Spanish royal family.

King Juan Carlos was accompanied by his wife, Queen Sofia, his eldest daughter, Princess Elena, and his son Prince Felipe and his wife Letizia.

“Thank you champions, in the name of all of Spain and all Spaniards,” he said after personally greeting each of the players.

“This is a well deserved victory for an exceptional team which thrilled the hearts of all Spaniards. You brought together all Spaniards, made our dreams a reality and projected the name of Spain around the world.”

The squad then moved on to the Moncloa Palace to be greeted by Prime Minister Zapatero, who singled out match-winner Iniesta for special praise.

Immediately after scoring the winning goal, the 26-year-old had taken off his Spain shirt to reveal a white T-shirt bearing the message: “Dani Jarque: always with us”.

Jarque collapsed and died at the age of 26 in August 2009 following a training session with his Espanyol team.

“He represents like no-one else good football and human qualities,” Zapatero said of Iniesta. “I want to make a special mention of somebody who yesterday remembered someone who is no longer with us when he scored the winning goal.

“There is no better role model for our youths, given his talent and personal qualities. Thank you Iniesta for remembering Dani yesterday during an unforgettable day for Spain.”

While the celebrations continued across Spain, the Dutch team were also given special treatment as they returned home on Monday and were escorted through Dutch airspace by two fighter jets, one of them orange.

The squad met Queen Beatrix at her palace in The Hague in the morning, followed by a boat tour through Amsterdam’s canals and a party in the city’s Museum Square.

“It’s a little bit strange to stand here now, we haven’t quite overcome the disappointment yet,” said coach Bert van Marwijk.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque tipped his side to dominate world football for the foreseeable future after leading them to their first World Cup triumph.

Andres Iniesta’s strike gave Spain a 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands in Sunday’s Johannesburg final to add the World Cup to the Euro 2008 triumph.

And Del Bosque said: “I think our effort, our flair is never-ending.

“This World Cup draws from what we did in 2008 and it is the continuity and continuation of a very good legacy.”

Iniesta’s strike deep in the 116th minute settled a nervy, ill-tempered affair – one that failed in many ways to live up to pre-match expectations.

However, that did not temper Spain’s joy in victory and Del Bosque declared: “Everyone in the dressing room is ecstatic.

“Spain, the country, deserves this triumph. This goes beyond sport. We have to celebrate and are delighted to be able to offer this victory to all the people of Spain.”

Much of the focus in the immediate aftermath of the match centred on the physical approach by the Netherlands, with their players being shown nine yellow cards, two of which led to Johnny Heitinga’s extra-time dismissal.

However, while Del Bosque said the result “was a reward for beautiful football” he was keen not to criticise the Dutch for the way they played the game.

“I should congratulate our opponents,” stated the Spanish coach. “They made it very difficult for us to play comfortably and they had some good chances.

“To try and match Holland when they are playing at that pace is very difficult but we did it and, for the most part, I think we dominated the match.

“Yes it was rough at times but that is part of football.”

One key to Spain’s success proved to be the introduction of Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who provided the crucial pass to Iniesta for the winning goal to cap a fine cameo late in the game.

“Fabregas came on and we began to dominate,” commented Del Bosque. “We had greater ball possession and depth in our game. We created chances for Cesc and David Villa which we could have converted.”

Spanish captain Iker Casillas conceded it would take some time for his team-mates to realise the magnitude of what they had achieved in South Africa.

“It’s a historic moment for Spanish football,” said the Real Madrid goalkeeper. “This achievement is something that we, the players, are still not aware of, what the significance really is.

“I think it’s something we will only realise over time.”

Casillas, 29, who also picked up the Golden Glove award as the best keeper at the tournament, added: “It’s what we have dreamt of since we were children.

“It is a much happier moment than when we won the European Championships [in 2008]. We are now the world champions.”

Match-winner Iniesta could barely hide his delight following the final whistle.

“I can’t quite believe this yet. I had the opportunity to score that goal that was so important for my team and it’s incredible,” he enthused.

“I’ve made a small contribution in a very tough game, a very rough game – there were all sorts of things happening on the pitch.

“Spain deserved to win this World Cup. It’s something we have to remember and enjoy and should feel very proud of everyone in this squad.

“The manner in which it happened, we gave everything. To win the World Cup – there are no words to describe it.”

After scoring the winning goal, Barcelona midfielder Iniesta took off his shirt to reveal a T-shirt paying tribute to Daniel Jarque, the Espanyol player who died from a heart attack in August, with the message ‘Dani Jarque is always with us’.

And Iniesta explained: “I wanted to carry Dani Jarque with me and with my other team-mates. We wanted to feel his strength. We wanted to pay tribute to him in the world of football and this was the best opportunity to do so.

“This is for Dani Jarque, for my family, for all of the people. It is the result of hard work over a long time and some difficult moments.”

Asked about Spain defending the title in 2014, Iniesta replied: “Now’s the time to enjoy this World Cup. We’ll see what happens four years down the line.”

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.

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.

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.

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz admitted the best team won after Spain beat their Iberian neighbours 1-0 to book a World Cup quarter-final with Paraguay.

David Villa’s strike proved to be the difference in Cape Town.

“Spain had the better chances and I think, sadly, they deserved to win,” said Queiroz.

“Spain were much more effective moving the ball around. We were looking for chances on the counter-attack. We had our chances – we just didn’t score.”

Despite their conservative game plan – Portugal only really came to life in a desperate final five minutes – Queiroz insisted his side had given their all.

“We showed ambition and desire to win but it just wasn’t possible. We’ll have to come back stronger,” he added.

“I believe the fans have justifiable reason to be proud of the way the team has played.

“We wanted to do well and when we compete at this level, if we manage to obtain second or third, it is not satisfactory.

“We always have as our main goal to win. We also want to have an honourable performance to dignify Portuguese football.

“I wanted us to be able to leave the field with our heads held high, and I think we accomplished this.”

Portugal’s star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, had a frustrating night and was frequently marginalised as Spain controlled possession, and he refused to talk to reporters as he left the ground.