World Cup Semifinals Country Profile: Germany

Germany

Sixteenth appearance. Best performances: Winner in 1954, 1974, 1990.

First-Round Results: Victories over Costa Rica 4-2, Poland 1-0, and Ecuador 3-0.

Second-Round Result: Beat Sweden 2-0.

Quarterfinal Result: Beat Argentina 4-2 in shootout after 1-1 tie.

Stars: Miroslav Klose has five goals and has set up others for scores as he dominates opposing defenses. Jens Lehmann saved two penalty kicks to lift Germany into the semifinals, finishing off Argentina with a perfectly timed leap to deflect Esteban Cambiasso's shot. Lukas Podolski scored both goals vs. Sweden.

Outlook: Germany has been one of the best teams in the tournament, inspired by the raucous home fans and a defense that has performed better than expected. The midfield has been solid, and the team is gaining confidence with each win. Coach Juergen Klinsmann has the team playing aggressively from the opening kickoff.

The Germans have not won the title since 1990 and, despite being the host nation, initially didn't seem to be in form to capture a fourth. But German teams are renowned for overachieving. They were surprise finalists in 2002 in Japan, losing to Brazil 2-0.

WORLD CUP SEMIFINALS PICK: GERMANY 2-1 IN EXTRA TIME.