EURO 2008 SF: Germany 3-2 Turkey, Basel Boral 22', Schweinsteiger 27', Klose 79', Semturk 86', Lahm 90' "They can play games like this, when maybe they are not the best team, and still win. That is why they are so good." Fatih Terim, Turkey's coach, could have uttered these words tonight, but in fact it was Bruce Arena after Germany had edged the States 1-0 in Ulsan in the 2002 World Cup quarter-final. Only two years ago, we were talking about how long, or rather short, Germany would last at home in the World Cup. Jurgen Klinsmann's team had been the most inept German 'elftal' (eleven) in living memory in the run-up to the 2006 tournament, but then surprised the doubters by reaching the semi-final. Now the Mannschaft have reached the EURO 2008 final with a 3-2 win over an arguably better team, nodding heads are attributing their triumph to simply being German, a synonym for depressingly successful. A Protestant work ethic (Colombia's Achilles Heel), physical force and endeavour (Portugal's downfall), mental toughness (the Dutch weakness), self-belief (count out the Spaniards), efficient organisation (bye-bye England) and a resolve to keep fighting until the end (Au revoir Les Bleus) in an 'all for one, one for all' spirit of teamwork have been in the German genes for so long, their roll of honour comes as no surprise: SEVEN World Cup finals (won three of them) and SIX European championship finals (won three of them so far) is an amazing record confirmed by Euro 2008. England have, in comparison, reached one final ever... In 1994 and 1998, Germany exited the World Cup before the semi-final stage. A colourless performance at Euro 2000 had everyone expecting them to collapse in the 2002 World Cup; instead they reached the final. Then another weak German eleven in Euro 2004 boded ill for the following World Cup, yet Germany finished third. Even in eras of weakness, they bounce back strongly. But wait a minute, didn't Croatia beat them 2-1 in this tournament? Did not the Germans look clearly second best that night, their status as early favourites following their victory over the Poles suddenly diluted? A week is a long time in football; Croatia have now been eliminated, Germany have beaten their conquerors, Turkey, and have reached yet another final, prolonging an extraordinary record. "They always put up a good show," a drunken Finn opined to me about the Germans, slumped on a Swedish park bench in Norrköpping at Euro '92. He was not wrong. Despite all the close scrapes and near misses of outrageous fortune, 'Germany are always there' is the shrugged conclusion we must draw once more, however short memories are in football. Incidentally, thank God tonight's game was in Basel and not Vienna. The Austrian capital witnessed a thunderstorm so strong it forced the evacuation of the central FanZone fifteen minutes before the end of the game. Two people were trampled in the rush to escape the tempest, requiring hospital treatment, while those who did make it to nearby bars would not have seen Miroslav Klose's strike, as the Austrian TV channel showing the game, ORF1, lost its signal for eight minutes due to the inclement weather. German TV suffered a similar break in transmission, thanks to a thunderstorm near Basel knocking out the picture relay. Vienna's central FanZone, the largest at EURO 2008, has played host to crowds of up to 100,000 people on match nights. * * * Charlie Dempsey, the Scots-born New Zealander who was President of the Oceania Football Confederation for an amazing 36 years, has died aged 87. Dempsey famously hit the world's headlines when he abstained in 2000 from voting for the destination of the 2006 World Cup, thereby handing the tournament to Germany instead of its expected hosts, South Africa. The world's cameras were suddenly focused on a rather doddery old Scot who had decided not to vote as a member of FIFA's 24-strong executive committee on the most important sporting tournament in the world. Dempsey claimed others had attempted to bribe him and that he had no wish to make enemies by voting. As it happened, Germany ran a hugely successful World Cup in 2006 and South Africa got four more years to prepare to host it, winning the vote for 2010 unopposed. Dempsey rather should be remembered for promoting football in a country obsessed with another sport (rugby union) and getting Oceania to join FIFA as a full member confederation in 1996. Soon after the World Cup vote in 2000, Dempsey quit as President, dismayed at the media assault on him and his family on account of his perceived cowardice. Oceania is still fighting for a permanent place in the World Cup Finals, after New Zealand's poor performance at the 2005 Confederations Cup persuaded FIFA President Sepp Blatter to change his mind about awarding it an automatic qualification slot, precipitating Australia's unprecedented move to the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. Dempsey's proudest achievement was seeing his beloved New Zealand compete in the 1982 World Cup Finals in Spain. (c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile Bet with Bet 365 World Soccer News Soccer betting tips Soccer Books & DVDs Tags Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting

The USA retained its crown as the top nation in North & Central America by defeating traditional rivals Mexico 2-1 in the final of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup in Chicago. Neither nation had impressed in squeezing past their semi-final opponents; the US beat Canada 2-1 and Mexico edged Guadeloupe 1-0, but the big two of this FIFA region served up a rip-roaring climax to the tournament. The 50,760 in attendance at Soldier Field in Chicago were largely Mexican expats, who saw El Tricolor snatch a precious lead a minute before the interval through Atlas' starlet Andres Guardado.

The longest day of the year sees CONCACAF's final four square up as the North/Central American tournament nears its conclusion. Hosts the United States play Canada while traditional giants Mexico tackle unfancied Guadeloupe for a place in the final at Soldier Field, Chicago, on Saturday. As another Gold Cup field whittles down almost inevitably to another USA v Mexico final, the weaknesses of this region are again exposed, despite the three and a half places in the World Cup finals FIFA generously awards them. Beyond the big two of CONCACAF, a revolving door of alternately Costa Rica, Jamaica or Trinidad & Tobago have represented the region at the FIFA World Cup in recent years, and have invariably come home 'before the postcards'.

Quotes to follow tomorrow but, as expected, the Brazilians proved effusive customers as they prepared for the final with a session in Frankfurt two hours before their opponents... apart, that is, from Gilberto Silva, who was plain elusive. Brazil's confidence is understandably high and the players were conspicuously relaxed as they went through a 10 v 10 practice match using only half the pitch. Ronaldinho may look good wearing most things, but a rapper's bandana is not one of them. Players and journalists alike got the jaw-jaw out of the way with half an eye on catching the u-20 curtain-raiser live from the Netherlands, which Brazil promptly lost.

Well, it may not have been head-to-head, presidential election style, but the coaches of the Confed finalists both entered the media fray after training on Tuesday and no one was talking about Velez Sarsfield or Santos. Yesterday´s big news was Adriano`s recovery from an ankle problem picked up in training on Monday, as Brazil boss Carlos Alberto Parreira revealed that his starting line-up would remain unchanged. Jose Pekerman revealed a clean bill of health too... although the accumulated strains of a long season have taken their inevitable toll: "There are some players who have had too many minutes on the field but they could all still play. There's no big injury.

Hannover, Thursday 16th June 2005 1800h Goalscorers: Yanagisawa 12, Zinha 39, Fonseca 64. CONCACAF got the better of the Asian Football Federation in Hannover as Mexico topped Japan 2-1 despite falling behind to a goal from Atsushi Yanagisawa. The Japanese were on a high having become the first nation to have qualified for Germany 2006 barely a week ago and they included their three Italian-based players in their starting line-up: Shunsuke Nakamura, Yanagisawa and talisman Hidetoshi Nakata. Mexico, coached by Argentinian Ricardo La Volpe and missing a number of key players, took the game to their opponents from the whistle with Jaime Lozano crossing for Jose Fonseca to nod narrowly over the bar.

Argentina kicked off the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup with a comfortable 2-1 win over Tunisia in Cologne. Goals from Villareal's Juan Riquelme and Monaco's Javier Saviola were enough to kill off the spirited though limited African champions. The North Africans started as firm underdogs but took the game to the twice World Cup winners in the opening minutes, backed by the noisy drums and chants of their expat support in the half-full Rhein-Energie Stadion. The Tunisians, coached by Roger Lemerre, the man who led the French to the most pathetic defence of a World Cup in Korea three summers ago, gave Argentina an early scare in the fifth minute when Imed Mhadhbi's flick released Haykel Guemamdia who left Fabio Coloccini for dead before before Mario Santana intervened with a last-ditch tackle.

A twenty minute ride from downtown Cologne and I was at the Rhein-Energie stadium (looks like the corporate naming disease has infected Germany too). It is a classic English-style arena but perfectly symmetrical and set amidst rolling green fields. Inside the ground I got my first sight of next year's World Cup official refreshments. Oh dear it is true. Crudweiser is the official and only beer on sale. The world's best selling and worst tasting beer that no self-respecting European would be seen dead preferring to a local brew. As if to shamefully appeal to Germans' sense of ancestral pride however, the famous Budweiser name is relegated to small letters below the larger name of its German founders Anheuser-Busch. A crushing blow for money against sense. Also, €3 for a small bottle of water guys?

Ah the Confederations Cup, one of Herr Sepp Blatter's famous "50 ideas a day" ('and fifty-one of them are bad!'). It does still strive to be anything more than a friendly summer tournament and sits odddly with the much-trumpeted desire not to over-tire our top soccer stars but maybe we are forgetting the fans who want to see it. They may not be numerous, indeed it might well be called the half-full stadium cup, but this is a barren football summer with no World Cup or European Championships to follow and those poor darlings are still on a hundred grand a week! Tickets are as cheap as €17 and plentiful. Add the lovely beer (not FIFA's official Bud), the sausages and leafy Germany, a land too often overlooked as a Summer destination and you won't find me complaining about credibility.

Leipzig, Thursday 16th June 2005 Goalscorers: Adriano 41, Robinho 46, Juninho 81 The world champions must start as favourites to retain their title in Germany next year after demolishing Greece in Leipzig on Thursday. Brazil not only outclassed the surprise European Champions but barely broke into a sweat as they eased effortlessly into their higher gears of football. Despite the absent Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos they have three attackers in Ronaldinho, Robinho and Kaka who are worthy of the title world class, not to mention the lethal Adriano, the globe's number one striker.