Germany celebrates semi-final place

Goal-scorer Thomas Mueller expected the party back home to already be in full-swing as Germany demolished Argentina 4-0 on Saturday to book their place in the World Cups semi-finals.

Diego Maradona’s side were swept aside as the men in black ran riot at Green Point Stadium with Miroslav Klose celebrating his 100th cap with two goals after Mueller’s early header and defender Arne Friedrich scoring with a tap-in.

Germany will face either Spain or Paraguay, who meet on Saturday night, in the semi-final next Wednesday in Durban, but 20-year-old Mueller, who will be suspended for the semi, says he now wants his team-mates to make the final.

With four goals, Mueller is Germany’s top scorer at this World Cup as his third-minute header added to this double in the 4-1 win over England in the round of 16 and his goal in the opening 4-0 victory over Australia.

“I think Germany is rocking right now and rightly so,” said Mueller whose 35th-minute handball earned him a yellow card which costs him a semi-final place.

“What has happened here has been insane.

“It is hard to find the words at this moment after beating Argentina 4-0.

“This was unequivocally another team performance, we played right to the limits, everyone played their part, it is just insane.

“If I want to be the top-scorer, I must hope my colleagues do everything right in the semi-final, then maybe I can score a few more in the final.”

Man-of-the-match Bastian Schweinsteiger over-shadowed world footballer of the year Lionel Messi and tore huge holes in the Argentinian defence, but is already eyeing a place in the final at Soccer City on July 11.

“I have real goose bumps and I am sure that the people will be celebrating hard back home,” he said.

“If now I said that I didn’t want to reach the final, that wouldn’t be right.

“We have beaten two strong teams and have come quite far.

“If we face Spain in the semi-finals, they are the strongest team in the world, but we can believe in ourselves and we have enough self-confidence.”

Klose’s double edges him closer to Ronaldo’s all-time World Cup goal-scoring record and gives him 14 at three World Cup finals and within striking distance of the record of 15 scored by Brazil’s Ronaldo.

It put him level with Germany’s goal-scoring legend Gerd Mueller, who also scored 14 World Cup goals in his incredible tally of 68 strikes in 62 games.

“I am just happy that we have won the play and did everything that we had planned,” said Klose.

“I am just glad we are in the semi-finals as that was our purpose.”

Centre-back Friedrich has now gone from the lows of Bundesliga relegation with his former club Hertha Berlin to the highs of his first international goal and said a place in the final is the goal.

“I can’t really find the words for what has happened here,” said the 31-year-old who won his 77th cap.

“There is an unbelievable team spirit here, I didn’t even think about scoring. I am over the moon.

“But we are all keeping our feet on the ground, there is still only one goal in our minds.”