Righto, that's all from me for today. As always, I have enjoyed bringing the updates to you fans. See you all at the Uruguay vs Germany third-place play-off game. Until then, goodbye everyone.
Lest you forget... Paul the Octopus once again predicted the outcome of the game correctly. Is Paul the Octopus the new Nostradamus?
Some facts on the final:
Europe will extend their hegemony over South America from 4-3 to 5-3 i.e Right now, four European nations have won the World Cup compared to the three won by South American nations.
The BBC says Spain and Netherlands have never played in a World Cup before... what a time to break a head-to-head World Cup duck.
Both the nations have never won a World Cup.
Spain were good value for the win today. Although they did not have many openings, they did what was required of them: keep the ball, fashion an opening, score a goal and then play within your mates till the final whistle. Although it looks like a simple blueprint for success, trust me, it is harder than that.
Two years after playing possession football and winning the Euros, they have again replicated the same system - with fewer goals - to the same effect until now. Can they keep the patch going or will the Dutch class of 2010 complete the legacy which was started by Johan Cruyff. Or will Spain, universally accepted as the greatest chokers in the history of Football, become the first Iberian nation to lift the World Cup?
Germany, which has arguably been the best team of the tournament, will now play Uruguay in a pointless third-place play-off game on Saturday. This is the time of Spain.
So the Spanish will face Netherlands on Sunday. And whichever wins, history will be made as neither of the two nations have won the World Cup before.
They have done it. Spain have reached their first ever World Cup final.
Just thirty seconds remaining. Marchena replaces Alonso.
89th minute Torres runs at the German defence before trying to cut on the left and make a yard of space. But Friedrich reads it well and puts it behind for a corner.
86th minute Pedro repalced by Silva
85th minute Schweinsteiger goes down just near the penalty box but appeals of a free-kick are to no avail. Replays suggest some contact from Puyol.
82nd minute What a chance for Spain. They should have put this to bed. Pedro, with the freedom of Durban, runs into the German area but he tries toi escape the attention a back-tracking German defender before slotting it past Neuer. But the opportunity goes as he delays. Torres was unmarked and near him.. wailing for the pass.
81st minute Torres replaces Villa. Gomez replaces Khedira.
79th minute Villa has a one-on-one situation deep inside the German area but the situation does not develop.
76th minute Germany almost has an opening. Kroos's long-range free-kick drifts into the far post where Klose shows a huge interest but Casillas reads the situation.
73rd minuteSpain ahead. Xavi delivers a great corner and an unmarked Puyol, who made a great little run, plants an emphatic header which nestles into the back of the net.
69th minute Best chance for Germany. A clever run down the left by Ozil is not tracked and he plays in Podolski who cuts back before crossing across the six-yard box. An unmarked Kroos takes it firsat-time but Casillas gets down and saves it on his near post.
68th minute Some attacking football from the Spanish but the final ball continues to evade them.
63rd minute An Alonso chip from outside the area almost finds Ramos just outside the six-yard box but Podolski, does enough to check Ramos's progress. He claims he was tripped there, Ramos.
62nd minute Kroos comes on for Trochowski.
58th minute That could so easily be Spain's first goal. Alonso plays an awesome back-heel to release Iniesta into the box. From the left, he drifts in a lovely little pass along the carpet and it is millimetres away from finding the studs of Villa's boot. Margins... literally. Moments later Pedro fires in a shot from 20-yards which evades the target.
55nd minute A pass from Xavi finds Villa just outside the box but Villa's shot, he tries to curl the ball into far post, misses. The idea was right but the execution wasn't there.
52nd minute Jansen replaces Boateng
50th minute Alonso has another punt from outside the box but it's again unsuccessful.
49th minute Pedro makes Friedrich and Boateng dance to his tunes for about thirty seconds before teeing up Alonso. But his first-time effort from about 20-yards goes wide. Clever play that on the right by Pedro.
46th minute Ramos releases Pedro down the right. He takes the ball a bit further down the right before trying to find Villa inside the six-yard box. He gets the first part right as the cross eludes Mertesacker but it also eludes Villa.
No changes for either side.
The second-half has kicked-off.
Minutes before the second-half. The absence of a Plan B is stciking out like a sore thumb for the Spanish.
Join us in five minutes for all the second-half action
Spain have been wordclass at playing the sideways pass but their forward pass has let them down. Villa has been frustrated and to be fair to him he not had the greatest service till now.
Puyol, arguably, had the best chance of the opening 45-minutes before Ozil had a chance on a German counter seconds before the whistle. Replays suggest not a penalty. Would have been very soft if it had been awarded.
The half-time whistle blows. Been a very patient Spain against a very unhurried German side till now. They are prepared to wait for counters and are not shy of mopping up Iniesta's and Xavi's passes when they enter the final third.
45+1 Ozil, has a shooting opportunity, but he takes a tumble inside the box with Ramos snapping at his heels. Cue for penalty appeals. Not really sure there.
42nd minute A free-kick down the right, 25-yards from goal for the Spanish. An opportunity for the Spanish to flight it but they elect to play it short. But the situation is cleared comfortably. They have been wasteful while trying to find a non-existent final ball. Possession stats shows 57% in favour of the Spanish. The germans have found the ball more as the half wore on.
38th minute Ozil, ball at his feet, tries to make a yard of space before finding the corner. He procrastinates and attempts a Messiesque run into the box but he runs into a cul-de-sac.
35th minute Iniesta goes on a mazy little run but his attemped pass at finding Villa, who's free on the right, is blocked.
32nd minute Some passing from the Germans finally and they almost sneak a goal. Trochowski, from just near the start of the attacking third, unleases a drive with his left-foot but Casillas palms it behind. It looked like sneaking in.
30th minute Another patient build-up sees Alonso lets one fly from abour 30 yards. But Neuer is not concerned. Ambitious from Alonso.
27th minute Ramos snaps at Podolski to leave the German on the mat. Podolski gingerly feels his shin after that.
22nd minute Klose almost fashions an opening for himself with some trickery inside the box but the situation is under control. Seconds later, a Spanish midfielder almost plays a killer ball but it is intercepted well.
19th minute Alonso plays a super ball to Ramos, whose shot from outside the box goes horribly wide.
16th minute Consecutive corners for Germany. The first corner is put behind nervously by Casillas for another corner.
15th minute Pique, who has been unsure tonight, concedes a corner with no pressure around him.
13th minute Spain almost grab the opener. A short corner is worked well between Xavi and Iniesta before the latter drills a pass across the six-yard box. But a flying Puyol gets too much and it goes flying over the bar.
12th minute Iniesta goes on a little run near the 18-yard box but it comes to nothing. He had an opportunity to play the killer pass to release Villa there.
10th minute An opportunity out of nothing for Germany. Down the left, Pique tries to marshall the ball out of play but Klose almost robs him. Ozil, moments later, is flagged offside. They will have to make better use of the ball when they have possession.
Germany and Spain have been playing hide and seek with the ball with Spain carefully concealing the ball without Germany unable to find it. But what matters is quality, not quantity.
6th minute Pedro finds Villa with an inch-perfect pass but Villa's first-time effort from inside the box is parried away by Neuer. What an opening that was.
4th minute There is a pitch invader and the play is halted for about 45 seconds before the guards take him away.
2nd minute Some very patient build-up from the Spanish before Capdevila, from the left, tries to find Villa with a floater. But it goes out of bounds. Been a very cagey start this.
Just seconds from kick-off. Germany do the honours and they will be playing from left to right.
The anthems have begun.
The teams are walking out of the tunnel - always wondered what they talk in the tunnel.
Minutes away from kick-off. The La Furia Roja against the Nationalmannschaft.
Paul the Octopus, which has been nothing short of Nostradamus in its predictions till now, has picked Spain to beat Germany. I, myself, am not a big fan of random predictors but the Octopus is on a hot streak. Disclaimer: The Octopus's predictions are void in a court of law.... so punters who might want to sue the Octopus after the game can take a chill pill and rest.
Key battles which could decide the encounter:
Schweinsteiger and Khedira against the likes of Xavi and Iniesta.
The ability of the Spanish backline, along with Busquets and Alonso, to repel the searing counters which demolished Argentina and England
David Villa against Germany; Villa did not turn up for one game (against Switzerland) and that was the only game which Spain have lost till now.
This is a match made in heaven for the neutrals. The counter attacking force of the Germans against the simply outstanding ball players of Spain.
The Germans, who have been magnificient in this tournament, are forced to making a change. The suspended Thomas Mueller makes way for Piotr Trochowski.
Detailed Team News:
Germany: Manuel Neuer Philipp Lahm, Arne Friedrich, Per Mertesacker, Jerome Boateng, Piotr Trochowski, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil, Miroslav Klose.
Spain: Iker Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Xabi Alonso, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Pedro, David Villa.
The Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas conundrum filled out most of the newspaper columns over the last few days but both of them are left on the bench as Barcelona's Pedro gets the nod in attack.
A cracking match in the offing. The two finalists of the last Euro Championship - in 2008 when Spain beat Germany - will be going head to head for a place in Sunday's final.
Welcome to our live coverage of the second semi-final between Germany and Spain.
