¡¡¡¡PORTLAND, United States, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Defending champions the United States were dethroned by Germany 3-0 in the semifinals of the fourth Women's World Cup soccer tournament at Portland's PGE Park on Sunday.

¡¡¡¡The European champions avenged a 3-2 defeat to the hosts in the last World Cup quarter-finals four years ago and are every bit like becoming the new world champions.

¡¡¡¡Kerstin Garefrekes opened the scoring in the 15th minute with aheader. The US side, cheered by a sell-out home crowd of 22,000, looked sure to level the score before Germany killed off the matchby scoring twice in the injury time of the second half through Maren Meinert and Birgit Prinz.

¡¡¡¡Just like their former fellow World Cup finalists China, who were sent home by lowly Canada 1-0 in the quarter-finals, the Americans created numerous chances but their finishing touch proved awful.

¡¡¡¡German 'keeper Silke Rottenberg also made several crucial savesto keep their goal intact.

¡¡¡¡This is the second time for the Germans to reach the World Cup final. They lost to the United States in the inaugural tournament in China in 1991.

¡¡¡¡Both sides attempted to control the midfield from the start, and the hosts were apparently commanding with their super star No.1 Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach constantly caused Germany trouble up front.

¡¡¡¡The visitors' pressure were abruptly eased in the 15th minute when Garefrekes rose well to head Renate Lingor's corner into the back of the net off the underside of the American crossbar.

¡¡¡¡The Americans launched an all-out attack and every one believedit was just a matter of time for them to get the equalizer with Cindy Parlow, Wambach and Hamm all close to scoring.

¡¡¡¡Kristine Lilly wasted a perfect chance in the 26th minute, but her 20-meter shot was well saved by a diving Rottenberg.

¡¡¡¡Wambach should have scored six minutes later if she had not directed her shot inches wide of the post.

¡¡¡¡Hamm will have enough to regret in the 34th minute after being denied by a brave Rottenberg in front of the goal.

¡¡¡¡The Americans, who came back from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate Germany in the last World Cup, looked more determined after the restart. Unfortunately, they could have conceded a second goal without Scurry's superb performance.

¡¡¡¡The American goalie dove to save a header from Prinz, deflecteda shot from Bettina Wiegmann to safety in the 53rd minute.

¡¡¡¡With the Americans' continuing to push forward in search of a goal, Germany began to sit back and defense.

¡¡¡¡But the Germans' counter attacks remained dangerous and Prinz missed a sitter at the back post in the 78th minute.

¡¡¡¡The United States were heading for the rocks in the last 10 minutes because they could not breach the water tight German defense.

¡¡¡¡And the Europeans surprising went further ahead in the stoppagetime.

¡¡¡¡Meinert found herself all of a sudden to have Scurry to beat one minute in to the injury time, firing home a Prinz cross from close range.

¡¡¡¡She set up seconds later for top-scorer Prinz to net her seventh goal of the World Cup.

¡¡¡¡US coach April Heinrichs were full of praise for her weeping players.

¡¡¡¡"The margin is so slim in these matches, and you have to give Germany credit," she said.

¡¡¡¡"This was perhaps the greatest game ever played in women's soccer.

¡¡¡¡"When we switched into three at the back they got a couple of more chances but I thought it was worth it in order to get back into the match. When you switch to a system like that you're exposing yourself but I felt we could turn the momentum. "

¡¡¡¡Germany head coach Tina Theune-Meyer also spoke highly of her team.

¡¡¡¡"Silke Rottenberg had an amazing match and the whole side worked really well for each other. All of our players were very disciplined and everyone tried to do something with the ball. Now we are confident to fulfill the task of winning the champions." Enditem