Klinsmann, who has been coach since 2004, drew a hail of criticism from newspapers and former players such as Franz Beckenbauer when his young team failed to gel in the run-up to the tournament. The mass-selling Bild newspaper slammed his team's "dozy" defense and Beckenbauer, who led Germany to win the World Cup as captain and coach, said his decision to spend so much time with his family in California was "irritating."

Now that Klinsmann's squad, which has five players aged 22 and under, reached the semifinal after beating then-tournament favorites Argentina in the previous round, former critics are calling on him to stay.

"The team, especially the younger players, have great faith in him," Beckenbauer said. "I really hope Klinsmann will stay on."

Media reports have linked Klinsmann with the job of coaching the U.S., which finished last in its group at this World Cup. The U.S. soccer federation may approach Klinsmann to take over from Bruce Arena, Bild reported last month.

Weeping

Fans in Berlin and across the country fell silent last night and some burst into tears as they made their way home after the game.

"We Weep With You," declared Bild on its front page today below a photograph of the 41-year-old Klinsmann holding his head in his hands. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany's equivalent of the New York Times, described Klinsmann's success with a team eliminated in the first phase of the 2004 European Championships under the headline: "Victory in Defeat."

A survey in May by the Allensbach research group showed that 7 percent of Germans expected the team to win the July 9 final in Berlin.

The team's progress sparked a wave of patriotism across a country hesitant to embrace national symbols since the end of World War II. As many as 1 million people gathered to watch the match on the so-called Fan Mile leading up to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and fans in Dortmund's Westfalenstadion stadium periodically sang verses of the German national anthem during the game.

Euro 2008

Klinsmann's advocates say his team can go on to win the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland or even the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"This team is not at the zenith of its achievements," said Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, president of the German football association, who was an early advocate of appointing Klinsmann after former Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld turned down the job. "In 2008 and 2010 they can reach the level of experience that was shown by Italy last night."

Some former critics have yet to fully recant on their earlier jibes. Bild has heaped more praise on players such as strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski than on Klinsmann himself, and the paper reported that the football association may insist he return to his native country before offering him a new contract.

"I hope the executive embraces him with zeal and doesn't create more problems for him," said Mayer-Vorfelder, who retires this year and won't be involved in talks with Klinsmann.