Croatia make history

That decision turned the match. Until then, Germany had played some of their best football of the competition and had dominated the Croats without making a scoring breakthrough.

The victory not only allowed Croatia to avenge their defeat by Germany in the 1996 European Championship quarter-final, but also meant they became the first country since Portugal in 1966 to reach the semifinals in their first World Cup.

They now face hosts France inWednesday8217;s semi-final at the Stade de France in Paris.

The Croat players went wild at the end, pushing past the security guards to throw their shirts to their supporters and hugging and kissing each other.Germany quietly disappeared from the competition after suffering their worst defeat in a World Cup match since they lost 6-3 to France in the third-place playoff in 1958.

Their elimination signals the end of the international careers of Lothar Matthaeus after 129 games and a record of 25 World Cup matches and Juergen Klinsmann after 108 matches.

Several other veterans may step down too, as could Vogts after eight years in charge.

Germany8217;s task, against a side they had dominated but one which always looked threatening on the counter-attack, was made all the more difficult after Woerns was sent off in the 40th minute by Norwegian referee Rune Pedersen for slamming into Suker.

His dismissal had an almost immediate effect. Eight minutes after he walked, the German defence were slow to snuff out arun by Croatia8217;s man-of-the-match Mario Stanic who set up Jarni with a short, square pass.

After Woerns went, Stanic was freed virtually to control the mid-field and his incisive passes and runs caused havoc.

The first goal came as a direct result of Stanic8217;s freedom with Joerg Heinrich not reacting quickly enough. Jarni, out on the left wing, had time to choose his spot and gave German goalkeeper Andreas Koepke no chance with a fiercely-struck drive that flew into the far corner of net.

The second goal was brilliantly executed by Vlaovic who swung the outside of his right foot at the ball on the edge of the penalty area to send it curling past Koepke.

Suker8217;s goal was also expertly taken. Collecting a long pass on the left he cut inside and rounded Heinrich and Juergen Kohler before shooting through Koepke8217;s legs.