Published>Thu, Jul 08 10 11:45 AM
Spain scripted history by qualifying for their maiden World Cup final since their first appearance 76 years ago with a 1-0 victory over three-time champions Germany to set up a summit clash against the Netherlands here today.
Central defender Carles Puyol scored the winner in the 73rd minute, heading home a corner in an absorbing semifinal which though lacked the spark in terms of goals and scoring chances, at the Mabhida Moses Stadium.
Spain's best show in a World Cup before today had been a fourth-place finish in 1950 but at that time the champion team was decided after a final round league format.
Vicente Del Bosque's 'La Furia Roja' side will now take on the Netherlands at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on July 11 in the grand finale which will saw a new World Cup winner being crowned.
Spain and the Netherlands, both world football's underachievers, had never won a World Cup. The former had two European Championships titles -- in 1964 and 2008 -- in their kitty while the latter had been the losing finalists in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup. The Dutch had also won the European Championships title in 1988.
Germany will now play Uruguay in the third-place play-off match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on July 10.
Germany were the tournament's most impressive side with their fast-paced, all-the-time moving and chasing style and clinical finishing.
But today, they failed to produce their menacing form which saw them humble former champions England and Argentina 4-1 and 4-0 respectively in the earlier stages.
Playing in their first semifinal in 13 World Cup appearances since 1934, Spain dominated for most part of the match and enjoyed a majority of possession, dishing out their'passing carousal' made famous by Barcelona FC whose eight players made it to the starting line-up today.
In a repeat of the Euro 2008 final in Vienna, the match ended with the same scoreline and with the same victors. Six players of each side's starting line-up today were in the first XI in Vienna two years ago.
German lost in the battle of midfield, with Bastian Schweinsteiger and the Co. failing for the second time -- after their 0-1 loss to Serbia in group stages -- to dictate terms on their opponents as they were not given the space to maneuver by the Spaniards.
On the other hand, Andre Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, two of the main proponents of passing carousal, were all over the centre of the park, untirelessly holding the ball, supplying and taking shots themselves.
Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez, who started in place of out-of-form Fernando Torres, was outstanding in the upfront weaving his way through German defenders from the right many a times to create havoc in the opposition goal.
He was though guilty of not releasing the ball for Torres, who came in towards the end of the match as substitute for a subdued David Villa, who was alone with the German keeper Manuel Neuer after a Spanish counterattack.
Spain had two chances inside 15 minutes. First, David Villa toe-poked a Pedro pass in the sixth minute but found an advancing German keeper blocking it in the sixth minute and eight minutes later a Puyol header off an Iniesta cross from the right skied over the bar.
Germany had their first chance in the 32nd minute with Piotr Trochowski, who made it to the starting line-up in place of suspended Thomas Mueller, sent a low left footer off around 30 metres but Spain keeper and captain Iker Casillas dived to his left to deflect it for a corner.
After an intense first half, Spain came out to continue their domination in the second session. Two Xabi Alonso long rangers in the early minutes of second session, one off a pass by Pedro and the other by Xavi Hernandez, went off the target.
Two minutes before the hour mark, German defence was on seize for a while with Spain getting two chances in quick succession.
Following their characteristic slow build-up using small passes, Pedro struck a right footer from just outside the box but the German keeper was equal to the task blocking the shot by diving to his right.
Spanish danger was still on with Iniesta cutting through the left side of German box but his ground cross across the goal narrowly missed the outstretched legs of Villa.
German though had a golden chance to break Spanish hearts in the 69th minute. But Toni Kroos, who came in for Trochowski in the 62nd minute, shot straight to Casillas in a one-on-one situation off a pass by Lukas Podolski.
The relentless grind of the German defence resulted to the winner in the 73rd minute with Puyol heading in a Xavi Hernanndez corner and Spanish supporters erupted in joy.
The Germans were known for many a famous fightback but Jochim Loew's side, touted by many as one of the best sides in their World Cup history, could not emulate their countrymates of yesteryears.
They pressed hard but not to speak of an equaliser they did not even get a clear chance in the remaining 17 minutes of normal time and subsequent three-minute injury time.
Striker Miroslav Klose though still have a chance to equal and even surpass Brazillian Ronaldo's most number of World Cup goals in Germany's third-place match against Uruguay on July 10. Klose has scored 14 World Cup goals as against 15of Ronaldo.
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