Ballack regained focus after his yellow card (Allsport)

By Neal Collins

Strange isn't it? When Paul Gascoigne was booked in the 1990 World Cup semi-finals he dissolved in tears and played no further meaningful part in proceedings.

When Michael Ballack, perhaps Germany's Von Gazza of this World Cup, was booked and forced out of the final in Seoul on Tuesday, he picked himself up, dusted himself down, and scored the goal which put Germany through.

And really that sums up the difference between us and them.

Gazza thought only about himself in 1990 when Andreas Brehme's dive cost him a possible place in the-final-that-never-was.

His collapse distracted Gary "You'd better have a word with him" Lineker and ended our semi-final hopes (though Chris Waddle did go on to hit the post and plenty of penalties were subsequently missed in the shoot- out).

But just look at how these Germans respond to adversity.

Ballack, so brilliant for Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last season and now bound for Bayern Munich, never hesitated.

He got straight into the defensive wall after that harsh booking and then surged down the other end of the field to end the Korea dream.

This is no great German outfit. England proved that by winning 5-1 in Munich last September. But Rudi Voller has restored their self-belief, even after that shocking 1-0 pre-tournament defeat against Wales in Cardiff.

The opening 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia did no harm. They were awful in the last 16 against Paraguay and lucky against the USA in the quarter-final.

How Scotland's finest ref Hugh Dallas failed to spot the German handball on the line is beyond me.

So yes, they' ve been lucky. And boring. Apart from their opening splurge and two goals against Cameroon in the group stage, they haven't scored more than one goal in a match. And they haven't looked likely to.

But at the back, they have been beaten just once, by Robbie Keane's last-gasp effort in Group E.

Oliver Kahn, the ageless Bayern goalkeeper, has been simply magnificent.

Back home in Germany, the nation has been swept by what they call "Kahnsin". He's come a long way since Michael Owen struck three past him at the Olympicstadion.

Here, Oli was at it again, producing a fine one- handed save to deny the frantic Koreans, who only got this far thanks to incompetent refereeing against Portugal (two sent off), Italy (two disallowed goals and one sent off) and Spain (two goals disallowed).

Still, it was Korea's progress which has kept this World Cup alive through the tense, too-tight knock- out stages. Guus Hiddink, whose reign started with 5-0 defeats against France and the Czech Republic, has certainly worked miracles.

So make no mistake, these Germans have done well to beat these under-sized Korean supermen.

And they're not to be classed as an Ayrian bunch portraying with typical Teutonism. Remember, this squad features Ghana's Gerald Asamoah, Switzerland's Oliver Neuvil and Poland's Miroslav Klose.

It's not about BMW-style efficiency. They were 16- 1 at the start of the tournament. They've over- turned those odds with a display of spirit and determination - stiff-upper-lip if you want - England simply couldn't match.

Franz Beckenbauer says; "If England had the mental strength of Germany they would be in the semi-final and favourites to win the tournament."

Who can argue with that? From Gazza's tears in 1990, Gareth Southgate's missed penalty in 1996, David Batty's first-ever spot-kick in 1998 and that pathetic second half against Brazil this time, we have lacked belief. Wins over Argentina and Denmark can't disguise our ability to pluck failure from the jaws of success.

But the Germans know how to do it. With average players and an untried coach in Rudi Voller, they have done what they always do; reach the latter stages.

Now, for the seventh time, they're into the final in Yokohama on Sunday. Brazil - they've never played them in the World Cup - or Turkey will join them.

I've said before only big sides win World Cups. Germany have the mental strength, Brazil the flair.

Turkey have neither, just a manic fanatisism and the worst striker in the world, Hakan Sukur.

Has a player ever lost it quite as badly as the Turkish legend? For his sake, I hope he gets one against Brazil. He deserves to be remembered as something better than the plonker he has been at this tournament.

Of the three I'll go for steadily improving Germany, even without Michael Ballack. Especially if Brazil insist on starting with an unfit Ronaldo with his new hair cut.

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