Germany reached the semi-final stage of the World Cup for the eleventh time in fifteenth tournaments with a 4-0 demolition of Argentina.
The match promised to be one of the tastiest games in the quarter finals stages as both sides had played some great football in recent weeks.
With two goals from Miroslav Klose he now moves within one goal of the highest scorer of all time at a World Cup, which is Brazil’s Ronaldo with fifteen goals.
Despite the South American sides producing the best football in the group stages the knock out stages have not been as successful for the sides and it’s Uruguay who unexpectedly have a place in the semi final and not Brazil.
Going into the match the youthfulness and inexperience of the German side perhaps played into the hands of the Argentinean side, but it was not to be as Germany played some outstanding football that was worthy of winning the World Cup.
And the Germans showed their intent early as they made a super quick stars and Muller found the back of the net after just three minutes.
The two sides met at the same stage four years ago, an encounter which ended in a brawl after German won on penalties. And it proved to be as passionate an affair when Demichelis was taken out by Klose in the second minutes before Otamendi picked up the first booking nine minutes later for fouling Fredrich.
The Germans made the quicker start but Argentina finally came to life just after the quarter of an hour mark when Per Mertesacker headed a corner clear.
But the South American side’s first chance came in courtesy of Messi, who was still looking for his first 2010 World Cup goal, as he an outstanding pass almost found the feet of Tevez but Neuer was quick to deal with the danger.
Germany had a great chance to put his side two up but he sent a pass from Muller over the crossbar. But the Argentineans were warming up and Heinze shot wide, while Messi sent a free kick high as they searched for the equaliser.
Argentina put the German goal under more pressure as Di Maris send a shot straight to keeper Neuer while Higuain got the better of Friedrich in the box, forcing a good save from Neuer.
Otamendi did equalise but the goal was disallowed after Tevez was off-side and the half finished with Germany just with their noses ahead 1-0.
Into the second half and Argentina looked to be beginning to stretch Germany as Di Maria had an early chance, but sent the shot wide.
Mertesacker stopped a twelve yard shot from Tevez with his face before Neuer had a heart stopping moment when he fumbled a cross from Higuain, but Lahm was on hand to clear the danger,
But in the sixty seventh minute Klose got s second goal when he tapped home an easy ball from Podolski as the Argentinean defence were caught napping.
The second goal seemed to deflate Argentina, who had come so close to an equaliser. From then on in it was a master class from the young German side as they extended their lead in the seventy fourth minute when Fredrich netted from close range, his first ever goal for his country.
Klose added his second a minute from time to end Diego Maradona’s hopes of lifting the World Cup as a manager as well as as a player.
The German side are improving with every game they kept the strike force of Tevez and Messi, who leaves this World Cup without a goal, a strategy that proved to be very effective.
They will now face the European Champions Spain as they came through 1-0 against Paraguay.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
by Helen Earnshaw
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