Report by Carol Muthondu

The hunt of the Golden at the 2010 World Cup is narrowing down to three players with Spain’s David Villa topping the list with five goals.

Germany’s Miroslav Klose is ominously lurking behind the new Barcelona forward, with four goals following a clinical brace against Argentina on Saturday.

Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller, in his first year in the national team and also in line for the Young Player of the Tournament Award, is also level with Klose on four goals.

The lanky 21-year-old has been in red-hot form and opened the floodgates against Diego Maradona’s Argentina with a perfectly placed header in Green Point Stadium.

With Spain’s highly rated striker Fernando Torres yet to find the back of the net, Villa has emerged as the matador and was decisive against Paraguay on Saturday night at Ellis Park Stadium.
Villa scored twice in the 2-0 defeat of Honduras, hit one against Chile in their 2-1 win and broke Portuguese hearts in the second round.

But with Klose maintaining his scoring form in every World Cup making his debut in 2002 when he scored five goals, Villa may have company all the way.

Brazil’s Ronaldo holds the all-time scorer’s record but Klose stands at the gates of Hall of Fame.

Other strikers likely to challenge the trio are Uruguay’s Diego Forlan who is on three goals.

His countryman Luis Suarez, also on with three goals must wait for his fate after he was sent off against Ghana for blocking a goal-bound effort from Ghana’s Dominic Adiyiah.

Fifa are considering extending his ban beyond the mandatory one match suspension and should he face further wrath his World cup might be over.

Netherland’s Wesley Sneijder, the two goal-hero against Brazil is also on three goals should he find the net and his Oranje side progresses to finals he could still upstage the leading goal hunters.

With Germany still in the glory-trail, Lukas Podolski with two goals still has an outside chance of netting the Golden Boot.