DORTMUND, Germany -- Juergen Klinsmann revived the German team and took it into semifinals of the World Cup, falling short of his ambition to win the World Cup title.

But he won over the hearts of the skeptics and the fans, which chanted his name after the team's 2-0 loss to Italy in Tuesday's semifinals.

Now that even the critics want him to stay, Klinsmann remained undecided about his future.

"I need time to let this sink in," Klinsmann said. "I haven't made a decision. I was only thinking so far as the final, not beyond it. I've asked the federation to give me time."

Klinsmann's contract ends after the World Cup and he has said before he wants to consult his family before making a decision. Klinsmann has resisted calls to move back to Germany from his adopted home in California.

"My own situation is not the most important thing right now," he said.

Franz Beckenbauer, who won the title in 1974 as player and in 1990 as coach, urged Klinsmann to stay on at least until the 2008 European Championship.

"He started a job that he hasn't finished. He wanted to be world champion, and he didn't manage it, so he has to continue," Beckenbauer said.

"He's formed a young team that he trusts and that trusts him. It would be a terrible shame if we would go back to California," Beckenbauer said. "He has to carry on this work. He has no choice."

Beckenbauer and other influential German soccer officials have criticized the way Klinsmann has overhauled the team and ditched Germany's usual safety-first tactics. The coach has also drawn fire for adopting U.S.-style training methods and commuting from his home in the United States.

Asked about Beckenbauer's remarks, Klinsmann, still visibly upset after the game, hesitated and then said he was "happy to receive compliments for our work."

"We have worked very intensively for two years and I think we have built a good team. The boys really gave everything and it's a wonderful thing to earn praise whether from experts or fans."

Klinsmann was trying to match Beckenbauer's feat on winning the title as player and coach.

"It's a huge disappointment, but we have to pay a huge compliment to our team for the way they played at the entire World Cup. That's how it goes. That's what makes football so fascinating," Klinsmann said. "It was amazing spirit they showed, their character. I think they made the whole country proud."

"We have a lot of young players coming through," he added. "From the opening game throughout every game, they played really tremendously. They gave all their heart, all their passion. Everything that was in them."

Germany played flowing, attacking soccer at the start of the tournament but went out against a vastly more experienced Italian team.

This is Klinsmann's team and it probably won't even reach its peak until the 2010 World Cup.

"It's been a huge success for us as a team, a huge success. We showed a whole new German face to the world, it's something people can be proud of," he said.

"Of course our disappointment is huge now, no doubt about it. It hurts. It hurts to get this fatal blow in the last minutes of the match. But I already told my team in the dressing room that the team has every reason to be proud of themselves. They really achieved amazing things at this World Cup."