Germany defeats France to gain World Cup semifinals

Joachim Loew's decision to reshuffle his lineup and return captain Philipp Lahm to right back paid off immediately Friday, galvanizing the defense and earning Germany a place in the semifinals of the World Cup.

Germany's 1-0 win over France in the quarterfinal at Maracana Stadium was not particularly entertaining, but at least coach Loew's team didn't repeat the slapstick mistakes of its 2-1 victory over Algeria at the start of the knockout round.

Loew took Lahm out of the midfield and returned him to his favorite position as right back. The coach reinserted Mats Hummels, who was healthy again after flu, and he scored the only goal on a header in the 13th minute.

Germany's back four looked solid again, with Hummels making some key defensive interventions.

"The team was not surprised by the changes," Loew said. "We need all the players and when I have the feeling that I have to give the team a push, I do it. The team is improving from match to match."

Germany's midfield had the upper hand for most of the match, as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira helped the defense out and intercepted many France attacks.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who saved Germany from an embarrassing second-round exit against Algeria, again proved to be a big last obstacle for the attacking team -- his one-handed save of Karim Benzema's blistering shot in stoppage time was France's last chance to force extra time.

"We played like a team again. Overall it was a good performance from us," Lahm said. "It wasn't easy today, it was brutally hot. We wanted to put some pressure on the right with me and Thomas [Mueller]. We should have scored a second. Both teams played a good tactical match. Whether I play as right back again will depend from game to game and opponent to opponent."