England goalkeeper David James has taken a swipe at second-round opponents Germany by claiming that Ghana would have been a "tougher obstacle" to overcome.
Fabio Capello's men would have faced the Ghanaians if they had finished top of Group C, but USA's win over Algeria consigned them to the runners-up spot.
The widely-held belief is that England now face a more demanding route to the final, but James appears to disagree with that assumption.
"In some respects Ghana would have been a tougher obstacle because they seem to be a much more free-flowing side," he said.
"But no matter what the opposition, we still need to go through the same process of identifying strengths and weaknesses. It is Germany and for all the folks at home, we are looking forward to making it a special day for England."