FIFA World Cup: Germany humiliate old foes England

Germany's thrilling strike force tore apart old rivals England to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on Sunday in a 4-1 win marked by an extraordinary blunder from the match officials who ruled out a good goal.

Two of the most attractive teams of the tournament — Argentina and Mexico — face off in the day's second knockout game, with Diego Maradona's men hoping to put out their fellow Latin Americans for a second consecutive World Cup.

In an incident-packed game at Bloemfontein's Free State Stadium, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski took advantage of some shambolic defending by the Three Lions to put Germany 2-0 up after 32 minutes before Matthew Upson headed one back 

Minutes later, a shot by England's Frank Lampard went over the goalkeeper, hit the bar, and bounced behind the goal-line.

But neither Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda nor his assistants saw the goal, and waved play on.

The sense of injustice burning among England's legions of passionate fans dimmed, however, when Thomas Mueller scored twice in the second half to give the English their worst ever defeat at a World Cup.

"A huge performance, we were fabulous in our offensive play," Mueller said.

The English trooped despondently off the pitch knowing that yet again they had succumbed to the Germans, though not in the cruelly close circumstances of their penalty shootout defeats at the 1990 World Cup and the 1996 European championship.

Though England beat Germany to win the 1966 World Cup, the old joke — "England invented football, but Germany win it" — will still hold after Saturday's events.

England's coach Fabio Capello was devastated but realistic.

"We made some mistakes and the referee made one big mistake, but Germany played a good game," he said.

Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel and Britain's prime minister David Cameron took time out from the G20 summit in Canada to watch the match together.

"This was a fantastic game and a fantastic victory," Merkel told reporters, adding that Cameron had congratulated her and the match was viewed in "a very nice sporting atmosphere".

Next up on Sunday night is a game between all-attacking Argentina and slick-passing Mexico at Johannesburg's Soccer City, where the final will be played on July 11.

Just as happened with him in the 1986 World Cup that Argentina won, Maradona has built a team around his brilliant World Player of the Year, Lionel Messi, who has lit up the tournament with his dribbling and shots, though he is yet to score.

"Mexico are nobodies' favourite. We're way down in the betting," said Mexico's coach Javier Aguirre on the eve of the match.

The Mexicans want revenge after Argentina dumped them out of the World Cup in Germany four years ago 2-1 in extra time.

Maradona, whose brilliant playing career was tarnished by drug abuse problems, is enjoying a personal renaissance as coach.

"All my life I've picked up the experience that today I'm giving my players with all my soul and heart, saying to the lads, 'that's how it was for me'," the ever-passionate Maradona said.

Ghanaians were partying after their 2-1 extra-time win over the United States on Friday night equalled the best World Cup performance by an African side. Cameroon had reached the quarter-finals in 1990 and Senegal in 2002.

That raised the mood across Africa, which is hosting its first World Cup but lost five of its six teams early on.

"Ghana has lifted dampened hearts," said farmer Klu Borboley, offering free drinks to youths who had watched the game through the window of a pub in the town of Keta.

Taxi drivers offered special half-fares, drinks flowed, and one group of Ghanaians held a mock funeral of a US effigy.

Uruguay are the other team already in the quarter-finals, having underlined South America's great form in their 2-1 win over South Korea. The 1930 and 1950 winners are in the last eight for the first time in 40 years and now face Ghana.

"We waited a long time for this," coach Oscar Tabarez said.