Spain Tops Germany, Advances to 1st WC Final

2010-07-08 07:58:29

Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the 2010 World Cup semifinals early Thursday morning, Korean time, to reach the championship match against the Netherlands.

A spectacular header in the 73rd minute by veteran Carlos Puyol sealed the victory for Spain in the game held in Durban, giving La Roja its first ever spot in the World Cup final.

The game against the Netherlands, which beat Uruguay 3-2 the previous day, will be held at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg in the early hours of Monday morning, Korean time.

Spain’s best showing at the World Cup had been a fourth-place finish in the 1950 World Cup in Brazil despite having qualified for 13 World Cups in its history. Its previous record against the German team in the World Cup: two ties and a loss.

Prior to Thursday’s win, Spain defeated Germany in the UEFA European Championship final match in 2008.