Loew buries head in the sand to get another top tip

Germany coach Joachim Loew is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares for Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina and he was still hard at work while strolling along the beach on Thursday.

Loew was walking at the squad's training base with scout Urs Siegenthaler who suddenly stopped, bent down and started drawing lines in the sand.

Siegenthaler, who has been gathering intelligence on Germany's opponents for a decade, spent a minute sketching out a diagram which Loew studied intently before it was washed away by a wave.

Loew and Siegenthaler, both barefoot and in shorts, had earlier been engaged in an animated discussion while walking on the beach a few dozen meters away from photographers, autograph seekers, Germany fans and beachgoers.