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Germans celebrate final place

The celebrations in Seoul were set to be matched across Germany

BERLIN, Germany -- Germans were celebrating as their national football team defied expectations and secured a place in the World Cup final.

As the team's followers began partying into the night in Seoul, South Korea, back home German workers swept onto the streets mid-afternoon to begin their own celebrations.

German television replayed Michael Ballack's only goal of Tuesday's semi-final match which put Germany through to their seventh World Cup final with a 1-0 win over hosts South Korea. (Match report)

Germany now go forward to Sunday's final in Yokohama, Japan, to meet Brazil or Turkey who play their semifinal on Wednesday. (Preview)

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In Berlin, revellers set off firecrackers, others drove around cities in cars honking their horns.

On the city's Kurfuerstendamm shopping avenue, traffic came to a standstill as hundreds of people waving flags blocked the road chanting: "Germany returns!"

It was a far cry from the German team that was humiliated at the European Championship in 2000, when it was the defending champion but went home without winning a game.

To add to that misery the Germans took on more humiliation when they lost 5-1 to England at home in a World Cup qualifying clash last summer.

Fans said the team owed its success to the skill of goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

"At least 70 percent of Germany's success is due to Kahn," said Florian Kay, 23, a banker returning to work in the financial capital Frankfurt after watching the match.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said he plans to travel to Japan for Sunday's final.

"We were simply the better team," Schroeder said after the semi-final victory. "We absolutely deserved to win."