England return from the World Cup.

By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer, Tokyo

When David Beckham puts his feet up for a hard-earned rest this week and no doubt tunes in to the denouement of this World Cup the inescapable feeling will be of paradise lost.

Already he has admitted he believed England should have lifted the trophy at the International Stadium in Yokohama next Sunday night.

This week's semi-finals are guaranteed to compound the agony and lead Beckham to ask some pertinent questions.

How on earth can Germany find themselves just 90 minutes from the World Cup finals after having been decimated by England in that famous 5-1 drubbing in Munich less than nine months ago?

How can South Korea, co-hosts and riding a wave of home hysteria, have beaten such established powers as Italy and Spain? How can Turkey, a team of seasoned veterans, have prospered in a tournament which was supposed to be all about heat and draining humidity and the power of vibrant youth? We all know the strength of Brazil's magical individuals, though they surprised many with the efficiency of their defending in a second half during which their 10 men outpassed, outmanoeuvred and outplayed England's 11.

But the other three semi-finalists have simply turned soccer logic on its head, the overriding feeling at perhaps the most unpredictable World Cup of all time.

It has to be said the Germans, a fading force in most estimations, have enjoyed good fortune. Their opening phase against Saudi Arabia, Cameroon and the Republic of Ireland was by no means the toughest group, though they acquitted themselves well.

Throw in victories against Paraguay and a United States side of huge over-achievement to reach the quarter-final and the resurgence of Germany becomes more understandable.

It is true they rattled in eight goals against Saudi Arabia, but success has been based largely on the pragmatic virtues of sound organisation and Teutonic power rather than the technical excellence of so many of their forebears.

The smart money says on Tuesday in Seoul they will have too much power for South Korea. Which is a pity because no team has enlivened what has been an essentially defensive tournament quite like the Koreans under the guidance of coach Guus Hiddink.

Not a day goes by when another public building in South Korea is not named after the Dutchman or another statue raised in honour of the man who has presided over Asian football's greatest adventure.

Hiddink's philosophy has been refreshingly simple from the moment he noticed there was a hierarchy in the dressing room which prevented the younger members of the team mixing with more seasoned professionals.

The coach swept all that psychological baggage and inhibition aside, instead insisting everyone ate and mixed together - and the results have been dramatic.

No side has shown more musketeer-style all-for-one passion. No side has demonstrated greater fitness, most notably in their impressive golden goal victory against Italy which saw scorer Ahn Jung-hwan sacked from his club Perugia in a grotesque fit of Italian pique.

"What did you expect me to do? Keep a player who ruined Italian football?" asked Perugia's amoeba-brained president Luciano Gaucci.

And you wondered quite what more there was to ruin about a soccer-mad country which perfectly lived up to that tag with its ludicrous suggestions that the referee was a cheat, the match was fixed and that sent-off Francesco Totti had not dived even though television evidence supported the official?

The truth? Italy were cautious, arrogant, predictable, and not nearly as fit or inventive as Hiddink's heroes.

The Koreans, however, have only two days to recover from their triumph on penalties in the quarter-final against Spain and the likelihood is that will prove too little against a German side whose aerial power strikes at the heart of Korea's weakness.

Miroslav Klose is the tournament's joint leading scorer with five goals and Michael Ballack demonstrated his similar strength with the headed goal which disposed of the United States.

If Turkey's quarter-final with Senegal is anything to go by then Brazil should have little to fear in Saitama on Wednesday. It was a match which could easily have finished 7-6 to either side and while Turkey eventually deserved their golden goal 1-0 triumph it was clear that defending is not the long suit of the Turks.

The likes of Rivaldo and Ronaldo will not be as generous as profligate Senegal, a team to whom the tournament owes a debt for its sheer exuberance.

So Germany v Brazil. For a tournament which has been unpredictable throughout that's a pretty routine sort of final act - Europe against Latin America. Three-times winners against four-times winners.

Old established order against the game's spiritual home.

It might not happen. It might be South Korea v Turkey but surely not even this extraordinary World Cup could come up with a twist like that. Pele, the greatest World Cup competitor of all, is not so sure.

"What this World Cup has proved is that soccer has spread so effectively, so fast and so far around the planet that almost any country with ambition can now be at least competitive on the international stage," said Pele.

"You insult the opposition if you do not concentrate as hard on every game."

Germany and Brazil have been warned.

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