Superman146;s touch sets up the phantom final

In some ways Sunday8217;s final between Brazil and Germany represents the perfect ending to the first World Cup in Asia. In another way it ...

In some ways Sunday8217;s final between Brazil and Germany represents the perfect ending to the first World Cup in Asia. In another way it could hardly be more ironic.

Almost incredibly, the two nations who between them have won the World Cup seven times have never met before in the finals.

Brazil boast the best World Cup record of all with four wins and two defeats from their previous six final appearances.

Like Brazil, the Germans will be appearing in their seventh final having won three and lost three of their previous six.

In a historical sense at least, the final stamps this World Cup tournament with an authenticity that may have been lost if South Korea and Turkey had made it through at their expense.

Without disrespect to either, the world wants to see a clash of the titans. In a soccer sense, this is one battle that has taken far too long to be realised. South Korea and Turkey have covered themselves in glory by reaching the last four for the first time and Saturday8217;s third place match in Taegu is likely to be the most fiercely contested play-off for years. The Koreans will see to that. But the heavyweight bout in Yokohama needed to be between the heavyweights themselves 8212; especially after the trauma the tournament has gone through in the last week or so since first Italy, and then Spain, were eliminated by South Korea due largely to controversial refereeing decisions.

But there is one big irony under-pinning Sunday8217;s showdown. Neither Brazil nor Germany, despite their long, glorious histories, ever expected to get so far.

Both countries 8212; unusually 8212; struggled to reach the finals.

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In the past both have switched on the cruise control buttonand motored smoothly through whatever obstacles came their way.

But Brazil needed victory in their 18th and last qualifying match against Venezuela to book their place in the finals. Germany, beaten 5-1 at home by England just nine months ago, had to manoeuvre their way past Ukraine in the European play-offs after finishing second in their qualifying group.

But put Brazil and Germany into the context of the World Cup and they usually shake off their ailments.

Germany have reached the final conceding just one goal. Brazil have won six matches on the trot. Despite some critics in their own countries moaning that today8217;s teams pale into insignificance compared to the giants of the past, the point is irrelevant now.

Reuters