Germany has regained its place among football's elite, even if Joachim Loew's young team fails to win the country's fourth World Cup title.

The players have reached that level with a flair rarely, if ever, seen in previous German teams that instead relied on traditional national values of power and discipline.

While losing none of the strengths that always made Germany a feared opponent, this multicultural squad has brought something new to Germany's style - a lightness and creativity that has won it numerous fans, and not only back home.

And with 13 goals, Germany leads the tournament ahead of Wednesday's semifinal against Spain in Durban.

"The semi-final was our target and we've reached it. Everything else is a bonus," said Miroslav Klose, the 32-year-old striker who is one of the few veterans in the squad.

Klose typifies the German revival.

With only three Bundesliga goals last season after spending more time on the bench than on the field for Bayern Munich, Klose has starred at the World Cup, scoring four goals to move within one of Ronaldo's all-time record of 15.

Klose has benefited from the mercurial play of Mesut Oezil, the space created by Thomas Mueller and the runs of Lukas Podolski, another player with an indifferent Bundesliga season behind him. Mueller, 20, has only played one full season with Bayern.

Perhaps the most remarkable transformation has come from midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has shown newfound maturity and vision after his career had appeared to stall not too long ago.

Central defender Arne Friedrich is another player peaking at the right time. Friedrich's form was mediocre as his Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin was relegated. But he has proven to be a pillar of stability in South Africa, even scoring his first goal for Germany in eight years.

Klose and Friedrich are among the squad's oldest players, but Podolski and Schweinsteiger also have plenty of international experience with 150 games for Germany despite both only being 25.

Loew has stood behind some players who struggled with their clubs, and they have justified his faith by standing out at the World Cup.

Podolski and Klose were both culpable in Germany's only blemish in the tournament, a 1-0 loss to Serbia. Podolski missed a penalty and Klose earned a red card, but Loew didn't criticise either player.

Since that loss, Germany has beaten Ghana 1-0 and dismantled England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0, its two old rivals.

Loew's team took ruthless advantage of the slow English and Argentine defenses, tearing apart and even toying with two teams which had recently beaten Germany at home with ease.

"Of course, I want to have good results but I am more interested in how we play," Loew said.

"We still have order and discipline, but we don't put players into corsets in which they can't move. We have a philosophy, the way we want to play. I had a script in my mind and I picked players who can implement what I want."

To assist his trusted veterans, Loew turned to a crop of young players nursed through Germany's youth system, promoting six members of the under-21 team that won the European title last year to his World Cup squad.

Loew is now reaping the benefits of a program installed after Germany failed to qualify from the group stage in the 2000 European Championship.

The football federation began scouting talent across the nation and developing a certain style of play that would be used at every level. Promising youngsters at preschool age hone their skills at nearly 400 football academies spread around the country.

The sons of immigrants brought their own style and different skills to make the German team more unpredictable and creative.

Loew's team plays a quick-passing game that is a joy to watch. Once the team gains possession, Germany charges forward at high pace, moving the ball down the flanks and getting behind defenders.

Some of the plays are rehearsed, but Loew has also given his players the freedom to improvise and come up with the unexpected. On one of his two goals against Argentina, Klose virtually walked the ball into the net after the opposing defense was left stranded.

Germany had been successful in its past two World Cups, reaching the final in 2002 and finishing third at home in 2006. But the 2002 team only plodded through due to its stamina and hard work, relying on Michael Ballack to score decisive goals in later stages.

Now, Ballack is missing with an ankle injury and many observers believe this has given Germany more options and speed.

Under Juergen Klinsmann as coach four years ago, the team provided some inspiring play to eliminate Argentina on penalties before losing to eventual winner Italy in the semifinals.

Loew was Klinsmann's assistant and even then was responsible for devising shrewd game plans. In South Africa, Loew came up with clever tactics to beat England and Argentina.

Schweinsteiger has become the team's leader on the field, taking the central midfield role that once belonged to Ballack. He breaks up opponents' attacks, intercepting the ball and then launching his side forward with accurate passing to teammates.

"There are few midfielders today who are playing at his level," Loew said after the win over Argentina.

Before the tournament, captain Philipp Lahm said this was the best German team he's ever played on despite it being the second youngest the country had sent to a World Cup, with an average of under 25.

He was speaking the truth.

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