The coach's young team is not expected to achieve that lofty goal, but no one believed Germany would go all the way to the final like four years ago, either.

    Klinsmann took over as coach when Rudi Voeller stepped down after Germany's first-round exit at the 2004 European Championship. He has profoundly shaken up the infrastructure, and rejuvenated a team that hasn't beaten a major power since October 2000.

    The team also changed from its slow, predictable style to a faster pace, and focused on attacking. Klinsmann's methods have been met with skepticism and, sometimes, open hostility, but he has stayed true to his beliefs in revamping the team's image.

    Klinsmann is aiming to equal the achievement of Franz Beckenbauer, who won the title as a player and a coach. Beckenbauer played in Germany's 1974 triumph on home soil, and then led his country to its third title in 1990, with Klinsmann as a forward on the team.

    (Source: Shenzhen Daily/Agencies)