World Cup - Germany 1 United States 0

Germany reached a record 10th World Cup semi final with a narrow win over the United States that flattered the European team.

Germany were very lucky not to concede a penalty kick when the US were enjoying their best spell of the game.

Greg Berhalter steered a corner kick from close range towards goal and German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn fumbled the save sending the ball towards goal where it was halted on the goal line by defender Torsten Frings as he stood next to the post.

The US protested – first that the ball may have crossed the line from Kahn’s fluffed save and then that Frings had handled the ball – but Scottish referee Hugh Dallas did not give the penalty kick.

That ended the best chance the US had to equalize and at that stage they were totally dominating a bad-tempered game.

Claudio Reyna ran midfield and centre back Tony Sanneh was excellent and contributed all over the pitch.

Germany rarely threatened in the second half but a great Sanneh tackle took a cross off the foot of top scorer Miroslav Klose in the 64th minute and seconds later Kahn headed a through ball away from goal only to be beaten by a hooked volley back over his head by an alert Reyna which drifted just wide of the post.

Sanneh headed a cross wide into the side-netting in the last minute but Germany held on for another narrow win.

The US started in good form with Landon Donovan forcing a good save at full stretch from Kahn after a cut inside on a run from the right wing to shoot.

Kahn had to save again from close range after a great cross from Brian McBride saw Eddie Lewis shoot on target in the 36th minute.

But three minutes later Michael Ballack scored the winning goal.

The midfielder met an in-swinging free kick from the right wing by Christian Ziege to glance in a header past goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Only two other German players celebrated the goal with the notoriously arrogant Ballack.

Klose added a second in the 43rd minute when he met an Oliver Neuville cross from the left wing with a header which struck the post.