Germany reached the World Cup final for the seventh time in their history when a Michael Ballack goal ended the astonishing run of co-hosts South Korea in the semi-final in Seoul today.
In a bitter twist, Ballack will miss the final in Yokohama, Japan, on Sunday after receiving a yellow card for tripping Lee Chun-Soo to earn him a one-match suspension.
The goal was a result of Germany's growing dominance of the match in the second half and they deservedly earned the right to meet Brazil or Turkey in the final as they seek a fourth world title.
With a quarter of an hour left to play, Oliver Neuville ran down the right wing and, despite the attention of a handful of defenders, managed to send over a low cross.
Ballack met it with a right-footed shot that South Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae parried but Ballack was perfectly placed to hit home the rebound with his left foot, silencing the 65,000 home crowd at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Within minutes, Neuville was booked for diving but he will be eligible for the final after having a yellow card awarded in the quarter-final against the United States cancelled by FIFA earlier on Tuesday.
AFP