On a rainy Thursday night in Basel, German power beat Portuguese skill 3-2, sending Germany to its first European semifinal in 12 years.

It was a game that brought early relief to the Germans playing against the team many thought was on its way to winning the tournament. Using a new formation and a few new starters, the Germans started the game tense before Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger slid past his defender in the 22nd minute to drive a cross into the Portuguese goal.

Four minutes later, Miroslav Klose's header put Germany ahead 2-0. Although they would outshoot the Germans two-to-one, the Portuguese managed only one goal before halftime and another near the end of the game.

The late goal, though, was only enough to bring the Portuguese within 3-2 -- setting up a nerve-wracking final few minutes for German fans fearful of the powerful Portuguese offense led by scoring machine and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. In the end, though, Ronaldo left the field scoreless and frustrated, later telling reporters about a previously undisclosed, three-month-old foot injury as well as a possible move from Manchester United to Real Madrid.

While team captain Michael Ballack led the team in resolve and level-headedness, Schweinsteiger provided the passion. Returning from a one-game suspension for shoving an opponent in Germany's 2-1 loss to Croatia, Schweinsteiger had a foot in all of Germany's goals, making one himself and setting up the other two with free kicks.

"Everything is possible," said an elated Schweinstieger after the game. "We can battle."

A battle it was, and a battle won without a general. German coach Joachim Löw was forced by the UEFA to sit in a glass luxury box without any contact with the team as punishment for arguing with a UEFA official during Germany's 1-0 victory over Austria on Monday. Löw paced, picked his nose and -- after Portugal came within one goal of the Germans near the end of the game -- jumped up to light a nerve-calming cigarette.

"It was terrible to be up there," Löw told reporters after the game. "It was a lot more nerve-wracking. You're so far from the pitch. You see some things a bit better, but the distance…gets on your nerves."

Another man with nerve problems was Luiz Felipe Scolari, as he coached his last game for the Portuguese team. In general, Scolari was frustrated by how the larger German players out-hustled and out-muscled his smaller, faster and more graceful players.

In particular, though, Scolari was livid about a no-call when Germany scored its third and winning goal. On his way to heading a Schweinsteiger free kick into the goal, Michael Ballack freed up some space with a shove in the back of Paulo Ferreira.

After the game, Scolari sharply criticized Swedish referee Peter Frojdfeldt for missing the call. "We made some mistakes in the first two goals, but I can contest the third, and television can show it clearly."

Perhaps Scolari, Ferreira and Ballack will have more time to discuss the issue soon as Scolari will be joining the two players as coach in Chelsea in July.

Ballack credited the win to Germany's switch from its usual 4-2-2-2 formation to a 4-2-3-1 system, which put him in a more offensive role. Coach Löw described his reasons for the switch, telling reporters: "After the game against Austria, we had to make changes. … Against a Portuguese team that could play so strongly in the midfield, it was important to jam things up."

Germany's assistant coach Hansi Flick, who led the team in Löw's absence, also credited the team's embattled passion, saying that his team played "hungry and hot."