Germany's goalscorer Michael Ballack, right, jubilates past South Korea's Park Ji Sung after Germany beat South Korea 1-0 in their 2002 World Cup semifinal soccer match at the Seoul World Cup stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday. (AP/Yun Jai-hyoung)

SEOUL (AP) - Michael Ballack got Germany into the semifinal, then shot the three-time champion into the final.

But he'll watch the biggest match in any soccer player's career from the sidelines. "He is the tragic figure tonight," German coach Rudi Voeller said after his team beat South Korea 1-0 on Ballack's 75th-minute goal. "He was the first guy I saw, he was so sad, he was crying after the match in the locker-room. I had to lift his spirits." Ballack earned a yellow card just four minutes before scoring the winner. That was his second yellow card of the competition and he is automatically suspended from Sunday's final in Yokohama, Japan.

Ballack made the foul on Lee Chun-soo to stop a fast Korean break that had caught the Germans undermanned in defence after a mistake by Torsten Frings.

"What he did tonight was sensational," Voeller said.

"The whole of Germany should take its hat off to him," Voeller said. "He knew he'll be out of the final but he still did it, he had to do it, it was a tactical foul. He did a great service to his team and to Germany, and not only by scoring goals.

"He was injured for a long time but he's been playing for the team the entire tournament," Voeller said.

"Not too many players would have done what he did. We'll try to win the cup for him now," the coach said.

The 25-year-old midfielder, who is leaving Bayer Leverkusen for Bayern Munich after the World Cup, came into the tournament with a nagging right-foot injury and has been playing every game although he's not fully fit.

Ballack said missing the final would be "bitter, very bitter."

"It was a stupid situation, they were outnumbering us in their attack and I had to do it. It was my first foul, I knew what would happen but I had to do it," he said.

"My dream of the World Cup final is destroyed. It's just about the most bitter thing that can happen to a soccer player.

"Still, I am happy that the team is in the final," Ballack said.

Right after the foul, Ballack was angry at Frings whose error led to the South Korean counterattack, but said he bore no ill feeling toward his teammate.

"It's all settled now," he said.

Ballack also headed in the winner against the United States in the quarter-final. He will finish the tournament with three goals.

He has also set up four of the five goals scored by striker Miroslav Klose, who has been shut out the last three games, making Ballack's goals even more important.

Ballack, although mostly a defensive midfielder, is a prolific scorer and hit 13 for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga this season. He was Germany's top scorer in World Cup qualifying with six goals.

Germany's rival in the final will be decided Wednesday between Brazil and Turkey.

"Turkey played a fantastic quarter-final, but playing Brazil in the final would be fantastic," Ballack said.

Germany and Brazil have never met at the World Cup finals. Germany could match Brazil's record of four World Cup titles.