Voeller not happy with his team's play, but its the win that

Updated: Friday June 21, 2002 10:50 a.m. ET

ULSAN, South Korea (AP) -- Germany coach Rudi Voeller wasn't pleased with the way his team played Friday, but he was happy to earn a spot in the semifinals of the World Cup after holding off the United States 1-0.

The three-time champion wasn't expected to be much of a threat at this World Cup, but Voeller's team is proving again that a Germany team playing below its peak is still a Germany to be taken seriously.

"From the beginning we didn't really play the way that I wanted to us play, we withdrew far too much into our own half," Voeller said. "America put a lot of pressure on us and we just didn't get the combination play going as I would have liked to."

Germany is usually one of the tournament favorites, but after a so-so qualifying campaign and a 5-1 loss to England at home last summer, the German team appeared to be weak.

"Prior to the World Cup people didn't really think we had any chance of doing anything at the World Cup. Some even thought that we wouldn't be able to survive the group stage.

"Well, we've proved them wrong and I'm happy to have done that, he said. "You must not forget that many experienced players like Jens Novotny and so on and so forth are not at the World Cup."

Michael Ballack was the hero Friday, scoring from a header in the 39th minute.

"He usually scores goals from that position," Voeller said. "Don't forget, he came to this World Cup not quite fit."

Voeller, who played on Germany's winning 1990 World Cup team, is trying to become just the second man to play and coach a World Cup winner.

His 1990 coach, Franz Beckenbauer, was the first after playing on the 1974 West German team.

But Voeller isn't expecting that feat to come easy.

"I know that we have to increase, we have to play better football in order to survive the semifinal, otherwise the semifinal is it," Voeller said.