Hero Carles Puyol ensures new name on World Cup

Published on Wednesday 7 July 2010 18:49

CARLES Puyol emerged as an unlikely hero for Spain as his powerful 73rd minute header settled a tense World Cup semi-final with Germany and set-up a mouth-watering final against the Netherlands on Sunday at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

• Carles Puyol is mobbed by jubilant Spain team-mates after his stunning headed winner. Picture: Getty

Neither Spain or the Dutch – runners-up in 1974 and 1978 – have lifted the trophy before and the tournament is guaranteed a new winner from two European nations who have had many great teams over the years, but none that have claimed football's ultimate prize.

In a match dominated by the European champions, Puyol finally found the mark with a powerful header from a Xavi corner. Spain's 1-0 victory in Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, was a repeat of their win against the same opponents in the European Championship final two years ago in Vienna.

Spain's best previous World Cup finish was fourth in 1950, when the final round consisted of a four-team group.

Confident Spain controlled the match throughout with their precision passing game, but had trouble finishing until Puyol's late strike.

For much of the game, three-time champions Germany merely sat back and waited patiently to snuff out Spain's attack, hoping to launch counter-attacks that rarely took off.

It was a different story from Germany's past two outings, when they rattled four goals each past England and Argentina. Spain had never beaten Germany at the World Cup in three previous attempts, but this crop of players is well used to rewriting history.

At Euro 2008, Spain ended a 44-year major title drought, and the team has lost only two games since November 2006 – the last coming in their World Cup opener against Switzerland.

Fernando Torres was dropped from Spain's line-up and Pedro Rodriguez was given his first start, complementing David Villa in attack. But it was Puyol, the defensive stalwart, who stole the show from another six of his club colleagues in a Barcelona-heavy starting XI.

Spain then nearly doubled the lead when a run on goal from Pedro faltered in the 82nd minute – a pass to the unmarked substitute Torres would surely have brought a killer second goal. It proved a harmless miss though, as Spain stood firm to claim their place in Sunday's final.

Match report

• Germany 0 - 1 Spain: Puyol propels slick Spain into first final

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