75 mins: Joy for Ballack after his vital goal (Allsport)

By James Dart, Sportinglife.com

Final score: South Korea 0 Germany 1

Man-of-the-match: Kim Tae-Young was one of the few South Korean players that didn't deserve to be on the losing side today after a storming performance at the back. Unfortunately for South Korea, the one time he was stretched at the back saw Ballack score the winning goal.

90 mins: The dream is over for South Korea and the team that lost 5-1 at home to England in qualification for this tournament has reached the final where they will meet either Brazil or Turkey. They were disciplined and well-organised, yet will surely go down as one of the weakest teams to reach a World Cup final in history. South Korea were disappointing and this was just a game too far. Their luck ran out, as did their ideas.

90 mins: Lee Min-Sung is booked for a tangle with Bierhoff and South Korea's chance looks over now.

90 mins: A real chance for Park Ji-Sung to level, but he slices a shot off the end of his boot from the edge of the German box, with Linke making a brave dive with an attempted block.

89 mins: There are four minutes of added-time for South Korea to find a dramatic leveller to save their World Cup dream.

88 mins: It's just a case of getting the ball forward for South Korea now, but when they do, Lee Yong-Pyo slices a weak drive well wide of Kahn's right-hand post.

87 mins: Voller makes his final substitution of the game with Neuville coming off and Gerald Asamoah taking his place in attack.

86 mins: The problem for South Korea at the moment is that they just can't create anything inside the Germany half. Voller's defensive line remains resolute.

85 mins: A long through ball sees Neuville and Lee Woon-Jae rush to meet in inside the South Korean box. The German wins the foot-race, but takes a dive in a vain effort to win a penalty. All he gets is the booking he deserves.

84 mins: Germany add some bite to their team as Jens Jeremies comes on for Schneider.

83 mins: Lee Yong-Pyo attempts to win the ball deep in German territory, but he has got his hands all over Frings' shirt and he gives away a free-kick.

82 mins: A powerful surge by Cha Du-Ri down the left ends as Metzelder gets his body between the player and ball to win a free-kick as he is pushed down.

81 mins: Schneider crosses from the right and Neuville's flick at the near post draws a comfortable save out of Lee Woon-Jae.

80 mins: A final throw of the dice from South Korea as forward Seol Ki-Hyeon comes on as captain Hong Myung-Bo is sacrificed at the back.

79 mins: Germany win a free-kick around 25 yards out from goal. Schneider and Hamann tap the ball to Bode, whose shot is well-fisted behind by Lee Woon-Jae.

78 mins: Do South Korea have anything left to give? Well, the game is entering its final stages and they have been a team to profit from late goals so far in the tournament.

77 mins: The eerie silence that met with Ballack's goal continues with the atmosphere leaking out of the stadium like air from a deflating balloon.

76 mins: South Korea look to hit back quickly and Kahn turns the ball behind from a deep Song Chong-Gug cross. The corner is poor from Song Chong-Gug, though, and Kahn is able to fist the ball well upfield.

75 mins: GOAL BALLACK - He may be out of the final, but the midfielder scores at the second attempt from nine yards out. Neuville does superbly down the right and pills the ball back. Bierhoff gets out of the way, enabling Ballack to shoot. His effort is blocked by Lee Woon-Jae, but he poaches the rebound to slide past the goalkeeper to put his side ahead.

74 mins: Should South Korea fail to win this match they will rue their last chance where Park Ji-Sung was fouled just outside the German area. He may have been brought down crudely, but he had such a great opportunity to feed two free team-mates just across from him in space inside the German box.

73 mins: Lee Chun-Soo sees his free-kick flicked over the bar by Metzelder. The corner is subsequently whipped in by Ahn Jung Hwan, cleared to Song Chong-Gung, and shot straight at Kahn from fully 30 yards out from goal.

72 mins: The chance of the game for South Korea as they break clear with two extra men in attack. Park Ji-Sing is eventually tripped on the edge of the German box by Ballack, who collects a booking. He will miss the final through suspension if Germany get that far.

71 mins: Frings twists and turns on the right flank before crossing into the South Korea box. Hong Myung-Bo heads away.

70 mins: Germany do indeed introduce Bierhoff into the game, with Golden Boot contender Klose jogging off after a disappointing game in front of goal.

69 mins: Voller looks poised to make his first change of the game with Oliver Bierhoff set to bolster Germany's forward line.

68 mins: Lee Chun-Soo wins a corner on the left off the foot of Frings. Lee Yong-Pyo crosses deep, but Kahn punches away when he could have even caught the ball.

67 mins: It's always a sign of the lack of excitement in a game when a Mexican Wave begins in the stands. Well, the Korean Wave has started in Seoul.

66 mins: As the second half drifts on, it looks more and more as though a single goal will be enough to decide the game. It could well come down to which team holds its nerve the better.

65 mins: Germany continue to look at their most dangerous when Ramelow breaks forward. He does so again and crosses to Klose, who gets across his marker Kim Tae-Young, but fires a volley shockingly into the stands from 14 yards out. The finishing so far in the match has been abysmal.

64 mins: Room for Ahn Jung Hwan on the right of the German penalty area, but he is tackled before firing in a shot. The sacked Perugia player does well to win himself another chance to shoot, but slices his effort badly.

63 mins: Ballack does well to turn in a cross from the by-line and Klose meets it from around seven yards out, but fails to connect with any power, looping a tame header into Lee Woon-Jae's arms.

62 mins: A short routine from the corner ends with Song Chong-Gug's deep cross being headed away by Metzelder.

61 mins: Lee Chun-Soo wastes the free-kick with his team-mates waiting in the middle, hitting the wall. Luckily for him, he regains the ball and sees a second attempt at a cross deflected behind for a corner.

60 mins: Clumsy defending from Frings as he shoulders Lee Chun-Soo to the ground on the left flank deep inside the German half.

59 mins: A quick run from Neuville in from the left touchline ends with a poor shot that is dragged well wide of Lee Woon-Jae's right-hand upright. Germany just can't test out the South Korean goalkeeper.

58 mins: Ramelow drifts a cross in towards Bode inside the South Korean box, but Song Chong-Gug tracks back well and heads behind. Schneider crosses with pace, but Yoo Sang-Chul meets it first to head out.

57 mins: A second substitution for South Korea as the reliable Choi Jin-Cheul is taken off and Lee Min-Sung comes on.

56 mins: Schneider picks out an unmarked Linke from the corner, but the defender positions himself all wrong and heads well wide of goal.

55 mins: Seconds after Ahn Jung Hwan comes on to a standing ovation for South Korea in place of Hwang Sun-Hong, Germany win a corner.

54 mins: Lee Chun-Soo instigates a flowing move down the left, before being tackled by Linke. Germany break themselves, ending with Frings shooting weakly wide of Lee Woon-Jae's goal from 20 yards out.

53 mins: A crucial tackle from Frings denies Cha Du-Ri a clear run in on the Germany goal, as Voller's side lose their shape and concentration for a split second.

52 mins: Now Kim Tae-Young is on the ground in a heap after colliding with Bode as the two went up for a header. He comes back on after treatment, joining the returning Ballack in the game as well.

51 mins: Ballack has struggled with a calf problem coming into these finals and this is a real fear for Germany that he could have suffered a recurrence of this injury.

50 mins: A nasty kick on the calf for Ballack from Kim Tae-Young leaves the new Bayern Munich man in agony on the floor.

49 mins: Schneider curls the corner in with his right boot, but Bode's header rolls tamely out for a goal-kick thanks to a pressurising challenge by Choi Jin-Cheul.

48 mins: A great move from Germany down the right side ends with Schneider's cross being flicked behind by Song Chong-Gug with Bode waiting at the back post.

47 mins: Ramelow breaks from inside his own half, but his final ball inside towards Neuville is a real shocker and Kim Tae-Young collects possession.

46 mins: Germany get the action started in the second half with neither side showing any changes in personnel on the pitch.

HT: South Korea 0 Germany 0

45 mins: The half-time whistle goes to end an interesting first period. Germany have edged both possession and pressure, although they are yet to bring a tough save out of Lee Woon-Jae. South Korea have looked bright at times, but other than Lee Chun-Soo's ninth-minute shot that forced a good save out of Kahn, they have created little attacking threat.

45 mins: In comes the corner from Schneider, but Bode is unable to make contact with the ball from five yards out, and after the ensuing melee, a South Korea boot thumps it clear. There will be three minutes of stoppage-time played.

44 mins: A deep cross from Frings is headed behind by Song Chong-Gug at the far post with Bode waiting.

43 mins: Song Chong-Gug tugs down Neuville wide on the left and Germany have a free-kick. Schneider crosses with pace, but South Korea are able to smuggle the ball out of the box as Bode's attempt at an overhead kick sees him fail to connect with it at all.

42 mins: Throw-in for Germany wide on the left and deep in South Korean territory. Bode takes it short to Hamann, but his attempt at a run beyond marker Song Chong-Gug fails to take him past and he concedes a throw of his own.

41 mins: As we close in on the interval, it remains goalless and pretty well even between the two sides. Germany are showing a little more attacking impetus at the moment and are looking to nick ahead before the break.

40 mins: A classy turn from Klose just outside the South Korean box and his shot is well-blocked by the leg of Choi Jin-Cheul.

39 mins: South Korea finally manage to get the ball away from their own box after Schneider's corner is bravely headed clear by Hong Myung-Bo as Ballack pressures.

38 mins: A good corner move almost catches out South Korea. Schneider pulls the ball back short to Hamann, who stands a cross up to the back post where Bode's knock back is turned behind again.

37 mins: Germany win a corner as Neuville plays the ball of Kim Tae-Young's legs.

36 mins: Delivery from Song Chong-Gug is better on this occasion, but Germany are again able to head the ball away through the leaping Frings.

35 mins: Song Chong-Gug's corner is poor and cleared at the near post. When the ball is turned back in, Metzelder heads behind to give South Korea another corner.

34 mins: Persistent work on the edge of the Germany area and Hwang Sun-Hong eventually fires off a shot that is deflected behind by Thomas Linke.

33 mins: Bode turns his marker inside the South Korea half, but he just can't feed the ball on to the advancing Metzelder.

32 mins: Patient play from Germany as they knock the ball around at the back with South Korea unable to rob them of possession.

31 mins: Schneider's corner is cleared out to Frings, who tries his luck with a 35-yard daisy-cutter that sails past all the legs inside the South Korean box, but also well wide of Lee Woon-Jae's right-hand post.

30 mins: We're a third of the way through the game and Germany have a corner after Frings plays the ball of Yoo Sang-Chul.

29 mins: Good work by Cha Du-Ri as he bursts inside from the right touchline, but his attempt at threading the ball through to Hwang Sun-Hong is poor and Kahn comes out to collect.

28 mins: Germany have a free-kick after a push on Neuville by Kim Tae-Young. It is floated into the South Korea area by Schneider and headed across the box, where Neuville is unable to hook his boot around the ball, sending it tamely out for a goal-kick.

27 mins: The tempo of the game rises again as Hamann ghosts down the left and sees his cross headed away by Kim Tae-Young with both Bode and Klose waiting to be picked out. South Korea break with purpose, but Kahn catches Park Ji-Sung's cross after a deflection from Frings.

26 mins: Hwang Sun-Hong looks to spin Ramelow as the two wait for a long ball from Kim Tae-Young, but as Ramelow is outmuscled, the referee awards a free-kick to Germany.

25 mins: Hiddink's team is back up to full strength with Lee Yong-Pyo seemingly none the worse after coming back on to the pitch, having had treatment from his medical staff.

24 mins: One of the best moves of the game from Germany ends with Neuville's curling cross from the left look for Klose in the box, but he goes down with ease under the challenge of masked defender Kim Tae-Young. No penalty is the call and probably the right one as Klose performed his theatrics.

23 mins: The game has tightened up at the moment with both sides cancelling each other out in a tight middle third of the pitch.

22 mins: South Korea are temporarily down to ten men as Lee Yong-Pyo receives treatment on the side of the field.

21 mins: An injury break as South Korean midfielder Lee Yong-Pyo stays down after catching a stray boot from Klose in a tackle.

20 mins: A little bit of room for Lee Chun-Soo on the left flank for South Korea, but he runs straight at Ramelow, who simply stands his ground to win the ball easily.

19 mins: Hamann and Ballack link up excellently down the left touchline, but the Liverpool man's cross is really weak with his left foot and South Korea are able to hack the ball out of the danger area.

18 mins: So far the two teams are providing an entertaining spectacle, with just the finishing lacking a little.

17 mins: Play swings from end to end as firstly Park Ji-Sung is denied with a shot straight at Kahn from 14 yards out after good work by Song Chong-Gug down the right. Then, a weak header from Hong Myung-Bo enables Neuville to dart in and volley straight at Lee Woon-Jae from just outside the South Korean area.

16 mins: A neat move from Germany as the ball is played wide to Bode on the left, whose first-time cross picks out Oliver Neuville at the far post. Sadly for the Germans, Bode's ball is inches too high for the small forward, who can only get the top of his head to it.

15 mins: Space for Song Chong-Gug to cross from the right, but his centre is low and disappointing. Torsten Frings has the simple task of intercepting.

14 mins: A long ball is hit by Ramelow with Klose his target inside the South Korean area. However, Choi Jin-Cheul rises alongside the German top scorer to head safely back to his goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae.

13 mins: Metzelder does well under pressure from Cha Du-Ri to see the ball out for a goal-kick.

12 mins: Building pressure from South Korea with Song Chong-Gug winning two throw-ins deep in the German half on the right. Eventually, the ball runs through to Kahn, though, and Germany can clear their lines.

11 mins: Germany have just lost their way in midfield for the time being with both Ballack and Dietmar Hamann guilty of conceding possession cheaply.

10 mins: Kahn continues to show why he has been the best goalkeeper at the finals with what was a vital intervention to deny Lee Chun-Soo. If it wasn't for the Bayern Munich stopper, Germany could well have been on their way back home by now.

9 mins: A rampaging break from Lee Chun-Soo from inside his own half takes him into German territory, but Michael Ballack tackles well. Soon after, there is a good effort from Lee Chun-Soo as he meets Cha Du-Ri's low pull-back from the right with a first-time shot. His effort is goalbound, but Kahn makes a flying save with his right fist and the rebound falls to a German player.

8 mins: Bode and Miroslave Klose go up alongside goalkeeper Lee Woon-Jae in an attempt to get on the end of Bernd Schneider's cross, but it is the South Korean who reaches the ball first to catch well.

7 mins: It's been a lively opening to the game with South Korea doing a little more of the pressing, but Germany looking solid at the back and a threat on the counter.

6 mins: Hwang Sun-Hong breaks the German offside trap down the right side of the field. He looks to turn back onto his left side, but this allows Christoph Metzelder to get back and block his attempted cross.

5 mins: A little bit of pressure from South Korea down the left flank, but Cha Du-Ri is unable to get a cross into the German penalty area and test goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

4 mins: Ramelow's opportunity is a warning to Guus Hiddink's side, but they are quick to try and establish themselves in the match with some neat passing in midfield.

3 mins: The first chance of the game surprisingly falls to Ramelow, who pops up on the right, before cutting inside the South Korean penalty area onto his left boot, but shooting straight at Lee Woon-Jae from 12 yards out.

2 mins: Much of the talk ahead of this match has been on the controversial decisions that have helped South Korea reach this stage. All eyes are on the European officials tonight.

1 min: Swiss referee Urs Meier is the man in charge of this evening's game in Seoul and he sounds his whistle to get the action started inside a stadium that is reverberating with noise from the partisan home supporters.

Pre-match: Ahead of the biggest game in their history, South Korea were dealt a blow with the news that star forward Ahn Jung Hwan was not fit to start. Cha Du-Ri took his place, whilst fellow striker Seol Ki-Hyeon was dropped and Hwang Sun-Hong came into the team. Kim Nam-Il and Choi Yong-Soo also moved down to the bench as Lee Yong-Pyo and Lee Chun-Soo replaced them. For Germany, coach Rudi Voller called upon the services of defender Carsten Ramelow and Marco Bode, with Christian Ziege and Sebastian Kehl being forced to start as substitutes. Around seven million people were expected on the streets of South Korea to watch the match on large television screens as football fever continued to sweep the nation.