Careless defending, Carles scores: Spain 1 Germany 0 and we're in for a first-time World Cup winner on Sunday

In the end, amid all the hair gel, the untidy locks of Carles Puyol decided things at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. But mark my words, this was a bad result for this World Cup. Spain survive by strangling the life out of their opponents. Germany would have been far worthier final opponents.

While the sleek thoroughbreds knocked the ball backwards and forwards, it was left to the long-haired lover from Le Poblo de Segur to give Spain the 73^rd-minute edge over Germany in a dreadfully tight World Cup semi-final.

He’s only 5ft 10in, but Carles loves careless marking in the opposition penalty area. After endless pontificating in Durban, it took a decisive head to put the European Champions through to their first ever World Cup final against the Netherlands at Soccer City on Sunday.

Without Thomas Mueller, Germany simply didn’t look capable of breaking down the well-organised (and dare I say boring) Spaniards. One Lucas Podolski chance, well saved by Iker Casillas in the 68^th minute, was all they had to offer in a game dominated by the luvvies from La Liga.

Spain should have won it comfortably. Shot after shot flew wide as La Rojas painstakingly pulled the young Germans apart. And whatever happens now, we will have brand new World Cup winners – neither the Dutch nor the Spanish have ever lifted the Jules Rimet trophy before.

In fact, Spain had never got beyond five quarter-finals before this crusade, which started with the curious blip against lowly Switzerland nearly a month ago.

Puyol, who moved from his village club to Barcelona in 1997, had won 89 caps and scored just three goals before last night’s effort. In 331 games for his beloved Barca he has managed just six goals.

But statistics mean nothing when there’s a World Cup to be won, history to be made.

The man who started his footballing career as a goalkeeper was a striker when he came to Barcelona. He got his big chance under Louis van Gaal as a right back but by 2005 he was voted best centre-back in Europe.

By then he had spent five years playing internationally for La Rojas and, with Barca team-mate Gerard Pique, he has made this Spanish side difficult to break down.

Up front, David Villa – ear-marked for the golden boot with five goals so far – was so quiet, boss Vincente Del Bosque turned to the out-of-form Fernando Torres in an attempt to open things up. But he always had Puyol. The poodle among the greyhounds, he ended German dreams.

Now we can sit back and prepare to witness the first European win on a foreign continent in the history of the World Cup.

Curiously, an octopus called Paul has been predicting these things in his aquarium throughout the tournament. Germany certainly ran out of legs in Durban. I’ll put five squid on Holland to win the final though.

Neal Collins is in South Africa to witness the greatest World Cup of all and promote his first novel, A GAME APART, which predicts so much of what has happened at South Africa 2010. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

Bottoms up for Robben and the Dutch as Arjen insists: I won't allow us to lose the World Cup final

Aarjen Robben won’t let Holland lose the World Cup final. It’s as simple as that. Caught with his trousers down (see great Getty Images picture) after an epic 3-2 semi-final win over Uruguay in Cape Town last night, Robben has no intention of dropping his guard in the final at Soccer City on Sunday.

Haunted by memories of their two successive World Cup final defeats at Germany 74 and Argentina 78, losing is simply not an option for Robben, who was unable to prevent Bayern Munich going down to Inter Milan in the Champions League showdown seven weeks ago.

Robben, who scored a glorious header to seal last night’s epic semi, said: “This Dutch team is simply a great squad. We had a good look at each other before the game... and I was convinced we'd win.

"We’re nearly there. We need only one more victory now. I’ve already lost a big final with Bayern and I won't let that happen again.

"If Germany turn out to be our next opponent, I'll be even more motivated. I can't afford to lose against Germany, because my team-mates at Bayern will make fun of me all season."

Cape Town’s Green Point Stadium was awash with Orange by the time Robben scored the third goal, his second of the tournament after his late arrival with a hamstring injury. By then Wesley Sneijder and captain Gio van Bronkhorst had already given the Dutch a slender 2-1 advantage after Diego Forlan’s equaliser.

Uruguay pulled back a late goal but by then forlorn Forlan had been recklessly substituted and Uruguay had given up the fight.

Two of the smallest nations in the world – Holland are ranked 134^th in the world on land mass while Uruguay are 90^th – contrived to produce a fitting showdown in Cape Town, the city established by Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck in 1652.

South Africa, boasting over ten million people who still speak Afrikaans or “kitchen Dutch”, were unanimously behind the Oranjes after Uruguay’s cynical efforts had deprived both Bafana Bafana and BaGhana BaGhana of an African representative at this glorious tournament.

The last surviving Latin American nation were at it again last night, diving about, falling over, generally making a nuisance of themselves. But credit to Uruguay, who only qualified for this tournament on a play-off against Costa Rica after finishing fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifying group, they gave it a good shot.

With big guns Brazil and Argentina out, they fought hard to end the Dutch record of 25 successive unbeaten outings. But as I said two months ago, this Dutch side – with Sneijder and Robben the form players in Europe last season – were always a good outside bet at 12-1.

Cape Town, treated to awful 0-0 draws between Uruguay and France followed by England and Algeria early in the tournament, can now boast the highest-scoring venue of this World Cup. And the men in orange, unbeaten in qualifying, have now set a new record of 14 games without defeat in a single tournament, not to mention ten wins on the trot.

Unheralded coach Bert van Marwijk said: “Unbelievable. When I took this job two years ago, I said to the players, “we're on a mission, and we just have to believe in ourselves”. We're only a small country but we're through to the final again after 32 years, that's just unbelievable.”

And perhaps most telling of all, with Brazil lying in their wake and Germany or Spain to come, he added: “I love beautiful football, but I also want to win.”

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez sighed: “It was the right result and it was a match worthy of the World Cup semi-finals. I'm proud of my players. We're disappointed, but we've shown everyone who wrote us off beforehand that we're not very far off the top.

“We gave it our best shot, but it wasn’t quite enough.”

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his book A GAME APART. For more details see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

The eternal neighbours: Spain v Portugal, Ronaldo v Torres, Cape Town, Tuesday. Their first ever World Cup showdown

Spain and Portugal. Eternal neighbours. They share 754 miles of Iberian border and still squabble over the area between the Caia and Cuncos rivers, an argument going back to 1801. And that was before anybody had heard of Eusebio.

Statistically, Spain – a nation of 45,555,716 people and 194,883 square miles - are the big brother. Portugal offer a population 10,622,413 with an area of 35,500 square miles. But on Tuesday at 8.30pm local time, it comes down to 11 men each fighting it out on an area of less than two acres bordered entirely by the brand new Green Point Stadium, boasting an expected population of 66,000.

We can reduce it still further. Cape Town, as always in a World Cup showdown of this calibre, will be focused on the goalden couple. Cristiano Ronaldo, the most expensive man in world football when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid last summer, and Fernando Torres, who used to have the nicest hair in world football before his current cadet crop.

Ronaldo, emerging unscathed from a shin-shuddering clash with Brazil captain Lucio in Durban last Friday, has been voted Man of the Match three times in three games at South Africa 2010 – but managed just one of Portugal’s seven Group G goals. He admits: “Three or four players have deserved those awards more than me. I do not enjoy playing as a lone striker up front, but the coach knows what he’s doing.

“The most important thing about the draw with Brazil is that we have qualified for the next stage. We would like to have topped the group but a draw was a fair result, that’s about it.

“We don’t fear anybody. The team has full confidence of performing well. Spain are a great side but if we perform well then we can knock them out of the World Cup.

“I am confident of providing more to this team and we will try to win against whoever comes. It has been our dream to win the World Cup and right now we are on the right path.”

Spain appear less confident. Torres, allegedly unsettled at Liverpool and still recovering from a knee operation, has been playing second fiddle to David Villa and Andres Iniesta so far. He says: “Personally speaking, I am very happy to have played but we need to practice a bit more with this (ultra-light) Jabulani because we are having a bit of bother with it.

"We have managed to turn things around after the opening defeat against Switzerland. If we go down we will do so remaining true to our ideas. We mustn't go crazy and start changing things, but retain our confidence in our qualities.

"We're not going to start playing a long ball game or being cagey and staying back. That is not the Spanish way."

Incredibly, the Iberians have never met in the World Cup finals before. And neither of these great footballing nations has ever won the beautiful game’s greatest prize.

Spain, the reigning European champions, have reached the quarter-finals five times – in 1934, at home in 1982, 1986, 1994 and 2002, when they went out controversially to hosts South Korea on penalties.

Portuguese people of around my age believe they should have won it in 1966 when they offered Eusébio – born in South Africa’s neighbour Mocambique - José Torres, Mário Coluna and António Simões. Again, they were stopped by the hosts, England, in the semi-final at Wembley when a balding lad called Bobby Charlton scored both goals.

Since then? Seven times they’ve failed to qualify, twice they failed to emerge from their group – but in Germany four years ago they finished fourth with winking Ronaldo inspiring that epic quarter-final win over England.

Something has to give. Spain are ranked second by FIFA coming into this World Cup, and they edged out Chile to top Group H with six points despite a nervous opening defeat against Sepp Blatter’s Switzerland. Portugal, ranked third, also suffered a nervous opening – 0-0 against the Ivory Coast – but bounced back with a 7-0 hammering of North Korea before that awful Friday night stale-mate against Brazil in Durban.

Ronaldo, the former darling of the Stretford End before his £80m move to the Bernebeu, is backed by household names like Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Bruno Alves and Pepe. Portugal also have an ex-pat South African population of over a million behind them here.

Liverpool’s former Atletico Madrid star Torres can rely on an even stronger playing cast, Xavi, David Villa, Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Iker Casillas – plus a growing following of locals.

All we can hope for is that the Iberian neighbours don’t reproduce Friday night’s fare, ridiculously described as “a feast of football” by Portgual coach Carlos Queiroz, who used to manage Bafana Bafana. No wonder they parted company.

This is knock-out football, where 0-0 is not an option. Though history suggests otherwise – no side has ever won the World Cup after losing their opening game – Torres issues the final word: “We know how to can pick ourselves up and we can still win the tournament.”

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his World Cup novel A GAME APART, currently No24 on Amazon's African best-sellers list. For more information see www.nealcollins.co.uk.

To see Neal speak at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown next week, go to: http://www.computicket.com/web/event/neal_collins_a_game_apart/148367625

England 0 Algeria 0: what an absolute stinker. Happy birthday Fabio. Now do your job.

Happy birthday Fabio Capello, 64 today. That’s the pleasantries out of the way. Now for the harsh reality, Generalissimo you have failed us.

You and all your over-paid, pampered England stars. I can honestly say I have never witnessed quite such a shambles as last night’s 23^rd game at the 2010 World Cup. A drab goalless draw against mighty Algeria.

And it was all set up for a major Italian birthday celebration. All day long, England’s 30,000 travelling fans had turned South Africa’s Mother City into the mother of all parties in the shadow of Table Mountain. The USA and Slovenia had slugged out a 2-2 draw, Group C was there, begging to be taken.

And the opponents? Algeria's Desert Rats, recently beaten by Slovenia in the second worst game of the tournament so far. England have never lost to an African country in 17 games. They did their best to do just that last night.

The problem? England’s overpaid, pampered Premier League stars are simply not motivated by a huge red-and-white gathering at the brand new Green Point Stadium. We see other teams crying their eyes out during the anthems, this lot are barely moved. In fact they barely moved all night.

Captain Gerrard admitted afterwards: “Not good enough. Why? I don’t know. We weren’t aggressive enough. We didn’t win the ball back well enough. This was Algeria’s cup final, the managed to get a draw off us.

“We need more, we want to stay in this tournament. We weren’t good enough in the final third to make the breakthrough.

“No excuses. We’ve got to win the last game. That means more pressure. You’ve got to play under pressure.”

Algeria coach Rabah Saadane must have thought all his birthdays had come at once, as England started like a train. An express going backwards fast. The first half hour, England barely got a touch, took only 44 percent of the possession and generally couldn’t be bothered.

They played for perhaps ten minutes before half-time and managed their single shot on target, a scuffed left foot effort from Frank Lampard on 32 minutes. His first meaningful touch of the game was saved by Rais M’Bohli, the standby Algerian goalkeeper. Any Chelsea fans explain how their 20-goals a season midfielder can be so utterly awful?

Here’s your birthday gift Mr Capello. Advice. After a half like that you’re supposed to rip into your team. Even Sven Goran-Eriksson managed that. We all took the micky out of him but at least he got us to three successive quarter-finals in major championships. This lot will be lucky to get out of the group.

With Robert "Phokeng" Green axed, David James - at 39 years and 321 days - became the oldest World Cup debutant. Nearly old enough to remember when it mattered playing for England. His biggest scare? A lax back pass from John Terry, the man who lost his captain’s armband for his off-field escapades.

Wayne Rooney, proclaimed the new Pele, was playing like the real Pele. He’s 69. Rooney, so masterful for Manchester United, produced a hat-trick at one point during the dire second half. Yes, three times he single-handedly halted England’s attack with ham-footed touches.

They can do it for United, Chelsea and Tottenham when they are surrounded by talented foreigners. But together, in white, they are a bumbling circus. Given their off-field shenanigans, perhaps they should be re-dubbed the Three Loins, Ashley Cole, Terry and limp Lamps.

You got my drift yet? All those England fans, all those miles, all the preparation, all the hype. And we were comfortably providing the worst fare of the World Cup so far. German legend Franz Beckenbauer said during the week England had resorted to kick-and-rush football. Wrong. They rush, but they rarely get a kick. Even against Algeria with their 17 French-born players and hopeful smiles.

Sure, the closing stages were marked by a couple of flusters in the green penalty area. But it was never dangerous. Emile Heskey probably worked hardest of the lot. But his touch is so poor it makes no difference. Tonight, Slovenia, a nation of two million, stand top of the group. England, a nation of nearly 50 million, have got them next, in Port Elizabeth on June 23.

What will this lot get up to there? I dread to think. Happy birthday Generalissimo, now get to work.

Neal Collins (nealcol on Twitter) is in South Africa to get very angry about England and promote his first novel A GAME APART, the real story behind the 2010 FIFA World Cup. For more information, see www.nealcollins.co.uk .

England v Algeria preview: Have our World Cup hopes hit a new Nadir?

ENGLAND’S World Cup campaign hit a new Nadir when Portsmouth-based Algerian Belhadj put the knife in before Friday’s win-or-bust Group C encounter in Cape Town.

Nadir Belhadj played 32 games for relegated Pompey last season, and his nation slumped to defeat against Slovenia in their opening game at Polokwane on Sunday.

But the French-born 27-year-old insists his side, ranked 30th in the world after seeing off African champions Egypt to reach South Africa, have no fear of England’s Premier League superstars, ranked eighth.

Belhadj said: “We could create history by qualifying from our group. It’s easy to create chances against this England team. The defence is one of their weak points. We have seen some gaps.

He may have a point. Spurs centre-back Ledley King is out, his half-time replacement in the 1-1 draw against the USA in Rustenburg last Saturday was Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher. And the man who reversed his international retirement to be here was booked and done for pace by Jozy Altidore in an embarrassing sprint which nearly left England pointless.

Algeria offer Rafik Djebbour, the 26-year-old AEK Athens star, as their spearhead... and he’s quick. Belhadj added: “It is a vital match against England, who are clearly the stronger side, but we are going to play a lot better in attack than we did against Slovenia in our first match.

"It will be an open game and we must win - but so must England. They are the group favourites but anything is possible in football. On paper, England are the best team, but they have had some difficulties, especially in the friendly against Japan.”

With Matthew Upson and captain Rio Ferdinand’s late replacement Michael Dawson also in the squad, John Terry has yet to discover who will partner him at the back. England coach Fabio Capello is refusing to release his selection until two hours before kick-off, though he has told fit-again Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry he will feature.

Sochaux striker Ryad Boudebouz, the 20-year-old Algerian striker also born in France, backs up Belhadj, insisting: "England are the team under pressure. They are the ones who claimed that they came to win the World Cup."

And to cap it all, their coach Rabah Saadane added: "England have their backs to the wall. We have nothing to lose and everything to win."

With Saadane employing an ultra-defensive 4-5-1 formation, the question most are asking is: will there be goals? Before yesterday’s games, there had been 25 scored in 16 games, the lowest on record – compare that to Germany at the same stage four years ago (39) and Japan/South Korea in 2002 (46).

But given the performance of the goalkeepers in their opening games – few need reminding of Rob Greens’ Phokeng howler and Algeria’s Faouzi Chaouchi did little better with Slovenian Robert Koren’s only goal in Polokwane – that may be about to change.

Belhadj believes Portsmouth team-mate David James, 39, is the answer to Capello’s goalkeeping conundrum: "For me it was a surprise not to see David in goal against the USA. I think he is a far better goalkeeper and much more experienced, and he should be in goal against us later this week. Green made a very bad mistake and I can't see how he can carry on.

“But I have a lot of respect for all the England players. I have played with some of them, such as Glen Johnson and Peter Crouch, but, on match day, I will fight for my national team. On the pitch, they will not be my friends."

Probable teams: ENGLAND: Green; Johnson, Upson, Terry, A Cole; Lennon, Lampard, Barry, Gerrard; Rooney, Heskey. ALGERIA: Chaouchi; Bougherra, Belhadj, Yahia, Halliche; Lacen, Ziani, Yebda, Foued Kadir, Djebbour, Matmour.

Both sets of fans may want to participate in the Host City Cape Town Fan Walk, starting from Cape Town’s main thoroughfare, Adderley Street, and the spanking new Green Point Stadium. Open to ticket holders and ticketless fans, the local paper describes the 2.5km amble as ‘… safe, entertaining and probably the most fun way to get to the stadium.’

Fans will be offered vendor kiosks and street entertainment ranging from buskers and minstrels, to jazz bands, rappers, opera singers and solo artists belting out the blues. Oh, and if you thought vuvuzelas were dangerous, try this: they’ll have a 20-foot horn blowing three-metre flames along the route too.

There will also be a parade from St Andrews Square to the stadium, beginning 90 minutes prior to kick-off. Kiosks begin operating six hours before kickoff and entertainment begins five hours before kickoff.

Neal Collins is in South Africa to promote his first novel A GAME APART, the World Cup book you must read. For more details see www.nealcollins.co.uk.