100th-cap Klose eyes Ronaldo´s all-time record

On the eve of his 100th cap, Germany striker Miroslav Klose admits he is eyeing Ronaldo’s all-time record for the most amount of goals at the World Cup finals.

Klose will make his 100th appearance for Germany in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final against Diego Maradona’s Argentina in Cape Town and the Bayern Munich hot-shot is looking for his third goal of the current tournament.

The 32-year-old scored his 50th goal for Germany in last Sunday’s 4-1 rout of England in the round of 16 and his tally puts him third on the table of Germany’s all-time goal-scorers.

Having scored five at each of the last two finals, Klose has now scored 12 goals in three World Cups — the same amount as Brazilian legend Pele.

He is the only player at South Africa 2010 with a realistic chance of reaching Ronaldo’s tally of 15 goals in this year’s tournament and Klose has the Brazilian’s record firmly in his sights.

“Until now, I have scored five times at each of the last two World Cups,” said Klose, who was the top scorer at Germany 2006.

“So a few more goals should come here, if I continue my rate and score like I did at the last two tournaments, and I can catch up with Ronaldo.”

Despite dropping retirement hints last Monday, the 32-year-old Polish-born forward now says he wants to play at Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and the Ukraine.

“My main goal is to play at Euro 2012,” Klose told German magazine Sport Bild.

“I was born in Poland, have relatives there and love the country and the people.

“It would be nice to play a big tournament there once again.”

Klose arrived in South Africa on the back of a poor Bundesliga season with Bayern Munich, where he warmed the bench and scored just three German league goals, but he has re-paid the faith showed in him by Germany coach Joachim Loew.