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Brazil wow crowds in Weggis
30 May 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

The population of the sleepy Swiss hamlet of Weggis has swollen to five times its normal size since the Brazil national team set up camp there. Such is the allure of the five-time world champions that Weggis, a town whose population usually numbers around 4,000, is now pulling in over 20,000 visitors a day. The presence of those Brazilian staples of samba, caiparinha and feijoada have helped turn Weggis into a small corner of Brazil and the visitors who travelled from miles around were rewarded when the Seleção put on an awesome display in their first training match.

Sating the fans' hunger for action, the Brazil team thrashed Fluminense's U-20 side 13-1 at their Swiss mountain camp on Sunday. It may only have been a training session but the fans who flocked to this peaceful mountain idyll enjoyed a glimpse of the awesome force of the Brazil attack. With rain falling steadily throughout the match, a flood of goals was just what was needed to take people's minds off the weather.

The Brazilian team that took to the pitch in the unlikely Alpine setting included such world-renowned legends as Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Cafu and Adriano. Unsurprisingly, the resistance put up by the opposition was minimal, despite the fact that it was Thiago Santos, and not one of the Auriverde big guns, who found the net first. Santos's goal, however, was merely the prelude to a show of Brazilian firepower.

The first half ended 5-1, with goals scored in quick succession by Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka, Cafu and, fresh from his success in the UEFA Champions League, Ronaldinho. The reserves who took over in the second half managed even better, with Robinho, Juninho, Fred and Ricardinho adding eight more without reply.
Captain Cafu declared that the match had been an important warm-up for the team, despite the ease with which they dispatched the opposition. Cafu also reassured fans who were concerned about the possible implications of an operation to his right knee. "It was a great match, and I withstood the 45 minutes without any problem."

Swiss supporters and the confident visiting Brazilians are now awaiting the Seleção's second practice match against Lucerne on Tuesday in Basle. Crowd favourite Ronaldo, who has been out of action through injury, expressed doubts about whether or not he will play the full 90 minutes. "I don't know. I've been training normally for a week. It all depends on what Parreira wants from me," he said.

Brazil will play their last friendly before Germany 2006 against New Zealand in Geneva on 4 June. The team will then leave Switzerland for Konigstein in Germany, where they will finalise their preparations for their much-anticipated first match against Croatia on 13 June.

The show that began in tiny Weggis is set to continue in Germany. Konigstein FC president Jorg Poschl, a member of the welcoming committee set up to greet the Brazilians, announced that he intends to open up training sessions to fans. "We are going to build seating for at least 800 people in the Zagallo Arena," he said. If the scenes taking place in Weggis are anything to go by, then Konigstein can prepare to be engulfed by a Brazilian football carnival.

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Henry and Wiltord shoot down Danes
31 May 2006
by AFP

Goals in either half from Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord boosted home hopes of FIFA World Cup™ success this summer with a 2-0 friendly win over Denmark in Lens on Wednesday.

Returning to the Felix-Bollaert stadium where he made his international debut nine years ago, Arsenal striker Henry found the net after 13 minutes when he deflected in a Louis Saha header. Substitute Wiltord added the second after 76 minutes from a penalty.

The win was greeted with a warmer response from the home crowd than their 1-0 victory over Mexico in Paris last weekend, with cheers of "Allez les Bleus! Allez les Bleus!" replacing the whistles and jeers of the Stade de France.

France coach Raymond Domenech made five substitutions as the 1998 champions prepare their push to reclaim the title they lost four years ago in Germany when they open their FIFA World Cup campaign against Switzerland in Stuttgart on 13 June.

Their final warm-up match is against China in Saint-Etienne on 7 June. "It's always good to win matches, but you have to remember they are still only friendlies," said Domenech. "It's not about the team of all 11 now but the 23. We have to fine tune the team so that they learn to work together as a unit."

He added: "We still have one match left and after that the breaking-in period will be over and it's down to business."

The French pinned back the Danes from the start with Henry having a fruitless early run at goal and a free-kick from captain Zinedine Zidane after seven minutes flying over the bar. But as the hosts continued to push forward the pressure paid off with Henry netting his 32nd goal for France when he deflected in Saha's effort through the feet of advancing Denmark goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen.

An immediate counter offensive from the Danes failed to reap rewards with a Christian Poulsen header missing the target. Christiansen shortly made up for his earlier blunder on 19 minutes when he held a Zidane free-kick after Lyon midfielder Florent Malouda was left clutching his leg following a rough tackle from Denmark skipper Thomas Helveg.

The Danes had a chance to draw level two minutes later with Fabien Barthez beaten and the French defence in disarray but Stuttgart striker Jon Dahl Tomasson could only watch as his effort flew past the post.

Henry missed a golden opportunity to double his tally after 29 minutes when he failed to finish off a cross from Malouda. The Danes continued to push forward but their efforts failed to reduce the deficit when a Thomas Gravesen free-kick just before the break landed straight in the gloves of Barthez.

Back after the break Henry again missed on 55 minutes and could only watch as the ball slid past the post. France skipper Zidane was substituted by Franck Ribery after 65 minutes with the Real Madrid star, playing one of his last games for the national side, receiving an ovation from the crowd as he left the pitch.

Lyon striker Wiltord, who came off the bench to replace Saha after 55 minutes, stepped up to fire in past Christiansen after Poulsen brought down Ribery in the box. The Danes then pushed back with Barthez doing well to keep out a Soren Larsen effort ten minutes from time, but the French held on with a last-gasp effort from Djibril Cisse just missing the target.

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Greedy Togolese players demand N575 million appearance fee

A bonus payments row is threatening to derail Togo’s preparations for their maiden World Cup appearance. Togolese FA president Rock Gnassingbe has revealed that national team members are refusing to play in Germany unless they are awarded substantial bonuses.

Gnassingbe said the footballers are demanding £100,000 each to take part. "These amounts are too high for the country’s financial standing," said Gnassingbe, who lands in Germany on Tuesday to hold talks with the squad.

In addition to the appearance bonuses, the players also want to be paid US$40,000 (£20,000) for each win and US$20,000 (£10,000) for a draw. The players made similar threats just before their winless campaign at January’s African Cup of Nations. These latest demands have been received with a mixture of sadness and anger by Hawks fans in Togo.

Togo play their first ever match at the World Cup finals when they take on South Korea on 13 June. They then play Switzerland and former colonial masters France.

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Happiness for US is a second-round berth
2 June 2006
by Reuters



The US FIFA World Cup™ squad arrived in Germany on Friday to extremely tight security and professing initial ambitions only of escaping their highly competitive opening group.
Manager Bruce Arena told reporters at the team hotel in the Hamburg city centre a week from the tournament kickoff that he had no particular fears the States team would be a terrorist target.

"I'm not in the business of planning terrorist attacks but I don't think so," he said.

As expected, security has been extremely tight around the US team, which will conduct daily sessions at Hamburg SV's training facility away from the media and public. The team has scheduled a closed-doors friendly with fellow finalists Angola on Monday.

Apart from the focus of the security forces, the US are arriving at a FIFA World Cup finals in the unusual position of having a reputation to live up to as reasonably serious contenders.

"As a group, we feel we have a lot to prove," he said. "All 32 teams have something to prove. We want to play three very good games and get out of our group. We're not just here to have a good time. We're serious about being here and doing well."

The U.S. open their Group E campaign against the Czech Republic on 12 June in Gelsenkirchen, followed by Italy on 17 June in Kaiserslautern and debutants Ghana on 22 June in Nuremburg.


RANKED FIFTH

They are fifth in the latest FIFA rankings and astonished most experts at the last finals in 2002 in Japan and Korea Republic by reaching the last eight.

Arena, who was also in charge then, said success for the Americans would not necessarily mean matching that achievement.

"We're still on the outside looking in," he insisted. "To earn respect at the international level is to have a successful World Cup - 2002 was a good FIFA World Cup for the US team, 1998 was not.

"We want to continue to show we are improving and are a player in the world's game.

"We want to play well, but walking away without points would not be good," Arena said. "Advancing out of our group, in my mind, would be a successful World Cup.

"We realise we're in a group with three very good teams, but we're very confident in our ability," Arena said. "Hamburg is a great city and it's an ideal situation for us so we look forward to these 10 days of preparation."

Minus captain Claudio Reyna, who is carrying a hamstring injury suffered in a May 23 friendly against Morocco, Arena said his entire squad is ready to play although Reyna said that he "hoped to be training in the next couple of days".

"I think we're healthy, right across the board which is a change from 2002 when we had a couple of question marks," Arena added.

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UN Boss Caught In Football Fever

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has sung the praises of football in a contribution to a German newspaper, saying the World Cup 2006 would bring nations together in a way no other event could.

"The fact is that the World Cup makes us green with envy," Annan wrote in a guest editorial in the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.

"As the only game in the world that is played in every country and by people of every race and religion, football is one of the few institutions that are as exceptional as the United Nations."

Annan pointed out that the world soccer governing body FIFA has 205 members compared to the United Nations' 191 and that "everybody on the planet will talk about the World Cup".

He said he wished people would discuss development issues as seriously as they would discuss their team's performance in the world's biggest sporting event and that nations would compete with each other in governance the way they would on the field from June 9 to July 9.

"I wish countries would compete with each other on respecting human rights, that they would try to outdo one another on the survival rate of children or to shine in education," he said.

"I wish we had other things which levelled the playing fields the way football does, where only talent and team spirit matter, such as freer and fairer trade."

Annan said it was "a special honour" for Ghana, his home country, to have qualified for the World Cup for the first time and that for each African nation taking part, the tournament would have a special meaning.

"For a country like Angola, which knew years of misery, the World Cup will bring a sense of renewal.

"And for a nation like Cote d’Ivoire, which has been torn apart by conflict, it is a symbol of national unity and the hope for a new start."

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Rooney waits as England limber up
6 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com


As England held their first training session on German soil, the undoubted star attraction was the man who should know in the next 24 hours if his FIFA World Cup™ dream is alive or over.
Wayne Rooney, who will fly back to Manchester to have a final scan on his fractured metatarsal on Wednesday, took on light exercises involving a little ball work and some sprinting, but nothing like the scissor kick he was pictured performing in England’s final workout before flying to Germany.

A crowd of around 500, comprising local schoolchildren and the world's media, gathered at the picturesque Mittelbergstadion set high in the vineyard-covered hills of Buhlertal, just outside England’s tournament headquarters at Baden Baden. All watched in wonder as Rooney and the squad prepared for the finals on a pitch specially prepared for England by the company supplying the turf for the new Wembley Stadium.

Rooney was reduced to onlooker status himself after taking part in the early stages of the 90-minute session, while team captain David Beckham (ankle knock) and Arsenal defender Ashley Cole (thigh strain) also skipped the more physical aspects of the workout and concentrated instead on light jogging duties with England physio Gary Lewin.

Liverpool's midfield general Steven Gerrard finished training five minutes early complaining of a stiff back, but head coach Sven-Goran Eriksson expects the trio to return to more competitive work on Wednesday, while Rooney heads to England to learn his fate.

Eriksson encouraged the press to be patient for just a little while longer at a media conference, though the vast majority of the questions were still, inevitably, about Rooney. Eriksson said of his star striker: "Let the specialists and the surgeons have their say. I know it's big news and he's a big football player, but let's wait."

Rooney’s Manchester United team-mate Gary Neville, who missed Korea/Japan 2002 with a broken metatarsal, urged caution over Rooney’s prospects as he said: "I was taken to the specialist thinking I would be given the all-clear but it wasn't to be and it is not always what you think. I was jogging prior to my scan but I was told I had to have an operation four days later. I hope that doesn't happen to Wayne.”

As Eriksson looked ahead to England’s opening match against Paraguay in Frankfurt, he added: “Everything so far is absolutely perfect and I can't see any problems for Saturday.”
Peter Crouch, who scored a hat-trick but was embarrassed after chipping a penalty over the crossbar in a 6-0 win over Jamaica at the weekend, is expected to continue standing in for Rooney alongside Michael Owen in attack. The Liverpool giant already appears to have become something of a cult figure in Germany as onlookers were willing him to perform his famous 'Robokop' goal celebration, but to no avail.

Crouch had an opportunity to find the net from the spot during training and although he unsurprisingly ditched the flawed technique he deployed at Old Trafford, he missed once again as back-up goalkeeper David James dived low to his right to palm the ball away.

Eriksson said: “We always practise penalties, but maybe a little bit more now and the players like it. It’s very good when you (journalists) and photographers are there because that puts pressure on them a little bit.”

England goalkeeper Paul Robinson added: “It’s difficult because the lads get used to taking penalties against you and you generally tend to know which way they like going. At some stage we will have to ask them to tell us which way they will go and we won’t dive until they’ve kicked it to make it harder for them to score. They really have to put it right in the corners then.”

Training wrapped up with a practice match between the youngest players in the squad and the oldest, which finished in a draw. The result was settled on penalties, with the senior players emerging victorious.

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And for a nation like Cote d’Ivoire, which has been torn apart by conflict, it is a symbol of national unity and the hope for a new start."

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Kanu, Westerhof to Anchor World Cup Matches

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
June 8, 2006
Lagos

Former Super Eagles Coach, Clemens Westerhof and Nwankwo Kanu are on the list of presenters and analysts contracted to anchor the live broadcast of the 64 matches of the forthcoming FIFA World Cup tagged Germany 200.

Optima Sports Management International (OSMI), Nigeria's leading sports marketing organization and New Media rights holders of the 18th FIFA World Cup, and Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON) said yesterday that those selected were considered based on their experience of the game.

At the presentation ceremony held recently in Lagos, representative of OSMI, Mr. Ayobami Amoo, said that the list of presenters billed to anchor the event was taken from the pool of experienced and well-grounded Nigerian TV and radio sports presenters.

According to Amoo, the selected presenters and analysts will provide incisive and informed analyses and commentaries during the matches.

Speaking at the occasion, Tony Akiotu, the head of the BON delegates, declared that the selection of ex-internationals and current Nigerian players as analysts for Germany 2006 matches was based on exposure and experience, particularly on the international scene.

For the first round of matches, scheduled for between June 9 and June 14, 2006, a total of nine presenters were lined up to anchor the 16 matches. These include veteran Paul Bassey, Tony Akiotu, Abdulrahman Ibn-Mohammed, Hameed Adio Charles Anazodo, Colin Udoh, Aisha Falode and Bawa Idris, among others.

For the analyses, some experienced coaches, players and enthusiasts have also been contracted. Some of the Coaches include Clemens Westerhof, Samson Siasia and Daniel Amokachi.

Players and ex -internationals are Waheed Akanni, Ifeanyi Udeze, Kanu Nwankwo, Ayo Makinwa and Garuba Lawal. Others include Ghana star, Joetex Frimpong, Vincent Enyeama, Emmanuel Babayaro and Taribo West among many others.

Experienced journalists and enthusiasts on board include Mumini Alao, Mitchell Obi, Deji Omotoyinbo, Ken Egbas, Kodjo Williams, Mike Mayaki, Deji Tinubu and Emeka Anyadike. Deji Tinubu and Deji Omotoyinbo will present the highlight of the matches.

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A world of difference: 1974-2006
8 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

When you watch archive footage from the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ in Germany, it is sometimes difficult to believe your eyes. Has it really been only 32 years since Franz Beckenbauer could walk around undisturbed, only noticed by a handful of journalists?

In 1974, the world economy was still reeling from the effects of the previous year's oil crisis. Europe's political landscape was dominated by the division of Germany into East and West and the FIFA World Cup host city of Leipzig was still firmly behind the Iron Curtain.

However, 'Little Paris', as it was dubbed in the 18th century when it became the centre of a classical literary movement, is now a symbol of the historic changes over the last three decades, with its revitalised Zentralstadion set to host five fixtures this summer.

High-tech stadiums ensure maximum comfort
Sixteen teams arrived in Germany in 1974 to compete for the world title, whereas 32 nations will be battling it out this year. Spectators will watch 64 games in 12 high-tech arenas, including nine completely new stadiums. In 2006, all of the venues will provide the ultimate in spectator comfort, far removed from the conditions fans had to endure back in 1974, when they stood on the terraces, often at the mercy of the elements.

"Compared with today, the 1974 tournament was like the stone age in terms of stadiums," said Organising Committee Vice-President Wolfgang Niersbach. OC President Franz Beckenbauer takes a similar view: "It's like night and day. Many of the games weren't even sold out."

While 1.7 million people watched the 38 games of the finals across nine venues in 1974, the figure this summer will be more than three million. In 1974, the public purse contributed the equivalent of Euro 120 million to the tournament, whereas 2006 will see around Euro five billion of public money invested in improvements in infrastructure.

A total of 194 countries, the highest figure ever, set out on the long road to qualification on 6 September 2003, contesting an astounding 847 qualifying games. In 1974, 98 associations competed for only 14 qualifying berths. Back then, the world champions Brazil and hosts Germany qualified automatically, whereas this time Carlos Alberto Parreira's men had to come through South American qualification to secure their finals place.

Each of the 32 national sides receives Euro 4.5 million for participating in 2006. In total, FIFA will pay out around Euro 170 million in appearance fees and bonuses. The world champions can look forward to an award of Euro 16.5 million in addition to the FIFA World Cup Trophy. The 16 nations that took part in 1974 could only dream of such riches.

Horst R. Schmidt, General Secretary of the German Football Association and Senior Vice-President of the OC, was also involved in organising the 1974 tournament: "The organisation of the FIFA World Cup is now on a scale that was unimaginable in 1974."

The huge changes in the intervening period become even clearer when you consider the development in terms of the media. In 1974, 4,616 media representatives from 72 countries were accredited, while the figure will be well over 10,000 in 2006. Back then, match reports were still written up on typewriters or transcribed by telephone to the editorial team at home, whereas data is now electronically transmitted around the globe in a matter of seconds. In the early 1970s, colour TV transmission represented one of the few technological breakthroughs, while today's fans can now take in video highlights on the internet or their mobile phones.

Things have also changed somewhat for the supporters. At one time, fans were more likely to meet in someone's house or at the local pub to watch the games on TV. Nowadays, it is commonplace for thousands of them to meet in public spaces to see the action on giant screens.

However, there is one thing that has not changed, namely the immense pressure of expectation on the German team to clinch the trophy in front of their home fans.

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9 June: The countdown ends
9 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

Germany, the hosts of the 18th FIFA World Cup™, kick off the tournament on Friday against Costa Rica in Munich. This represents a change to a tradition established back in 1974 which saw the defending world champions having the honour of getting the proceedings under way. The other two teams in Group A, Poland and Ecuador, will fight it out later in the evening.
View the full match schedule

Germany-Costa Rica, 18:00 (CET), Munich, Group A
After a mixed warm-up campaign consisting solely of friendly games, Germany now need a big performance to get the entire nation rallying behind them. Providing the opposition are a Costa Rica side who have been lacklustre in recent matches, but have nothing to lose against the three-time world champions. The Central Americans will therefore fancy their chances of creating the latest in a long line of Opening Match upsets.

Poland-Ecuador, 21:00, Gelsenkirchen, Group A
The winner of this match will place one foot in the second round, with the European outfit looking best equipped to do so. Both teams will be seeking to erase the memory of their disappointing campaigns in the Far East in 2002.

Two experienced players with a small point to prove. Jens Lehmann, the German goalkeeper, wants to show that Jurgen Klinsmann has made the right decision. And what better place to do it than on the stomping ground of his great rival, Oliver Kahn? Up against him will be 29-year-old Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rica’s biggest star, out to inspire his team-mates by adding to his impressive tally of 43 goals in 67 international matches.

Mike HANKE (GER) – 2-match suspension (FIFA Confederations Cup)

Poland 3-0 Ecuador, 18 November 2005, Barcelona. In their only meeting to date, Ecuador came unstuck against a solid and clinical Polish side. Back home in Ecuador, this loss was rather generously put down to the absence of key players and a sodden pitch more suited to the Europeans’ rugged style of play.

Will Jurgen Klinsmann’s men be able to handle the pressure? The confidence reserves are not exactly overflowing in Germany at the moment after some highly erratic friendly results. Nevertheless, the Mannschaft will remember their first-round struggles from 1974, which included a 1-0 defeat by neighbours East Germany, before they went on to lift the world title.

5: Germany have been involved at the last five FIFA World Cups, as have Argentina, Brazil, Korea Republic, Italy and Spain.
6: With the exception of Spain in 1982 (Round of 16) and the United States in 1994 (Round of 16), the host country has always reached the quarter-finals at least.
14: Germany are the only country to have got to the quarter-final stage at least in 15 different tournaments, followed by Brazil, who have been in the last eight on 13 separate occasions.

Miroslav Klose will hope to have extra reason to enjoy his 28th birthday. Originally from Poland, the Germany striker will be determined to give his country their own special reason to celebrate. Also blowing out candles on Friday will be Otto Addo (GHA, 31), Masoud Shojaei (KSA, 22) and Wesley Sneijder (NED, 22).


A FIFA World Cup blast from the past
Italy 1-0 Austria, 9 June 1990, Rome. At the Olympic Stadium, Italy got ‘their own’ FIFA World Cup under way with a victory by the narrowest of margins over Austria. The only goal of the game came from Juventus’s Sicilian striking sensation Salvatore Schillaci. Four minutes after coming on as a substitute, 'Toto' scored his first goal for Italy on only his second-ever appearance for the Azzurri . Schillaci went on to finish the competition as the top scorer with six goals.

Not a lot of people know this...
The former star of the Germany side, Uwe Seeler (43 goals in 72 games), explains why he did not produce his papers before watching the Americans in Hamburg: "I didn’t need to show my identity card, as everyone recognises my strange haircut!"

A quote from Gennaro Gattuso, set to miss his side’s first two games through injury but who has kept his place in the squad: "I’m disappointed, as two matches are a lot to miss, but I’m going to the World Cup, even if I have to tie myself to the bus with a rope!"

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GERMANY 4-2 COSTA RICA
9 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

Hosts Germany opened the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals with a 4-2 win over Group A rivals Costa Rica in Munich on Friday, 9 June 2006.
An exciting Opening Match produced three goals inside the first 17 minutes as Philipp Lahm fired Germany in front on six minutes, Paulo Wanchope drew the Ticos level six minutes later and then Miroslav Klose restored the hosts' lead.

Klose, celebrating his 28th birthday, made it 3-1 after 61 minutes and although Wanchope narrowed the deficit with his second goal on 73 minutes, Jurgen Klinsmann's men secured the three points through Torsten Frings' spectacular drive three minutes from time.

The match:
3': Germany’s Torsten Frings fired the first shot in anger at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a dipping effort which had Costa Rica goalkeeper Jose Porras well beaten, but the ball just cleared the crossbar and landed on the roof of the net.

6': The tournament hosts got off to a fantastic start as full-back Lahm cut inside on the left flank and curled a beautiful drive which clipped into the net off the far post to send Germany into an early lead (1-0).

12': After weathering the early storm, Costa Rica provided the perfect riposte as Ronald Gomez released Wanchope who beat Germany's offside trap, sprinted clear and composed himself before sliding the ball past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to score the equaliser (1-1).

17': Germany went in front again in probably the most spectacular start to an Opening Match in the rich history of the finals. Team captain Bernd Schneider fed Bastian Schweinsteiger from near the corner flag and his cross from just inside the area was turned home by Klose from two metres out to restore Germany’s advantage (2-1).

24': Klose tried his luck from distance and Porras had an anxious moment as the drive bounced back off his chest but there was nobody in a white shirt on hand to capitalise on the rebound.

38': Wanchope provided Germany with a worrying moment of their own as he found himself in space again and lobbed the ball over Lehmann, but his attempt floated wide and play was called back for an offside flag against the striker.
40': German forward Lukas Podolski curled a left-footed free-kick just over the top from 18 metres as the relentless pace of the first half had the crowd in Munich on the edge of their seats.

46': The second half was barely 30 seconds old when Germany came charging at Costa Rica again, with Podolski cracking in another fierce drive which Porras was happy to see fly a metre over the centre of his goal.

48': The Ticos were in no mood to sit back and let Germany completely dominate proceedings and Danny Fonseca managed to beat the markers at a corner and send a diving header flashing past Lehmann’s right-hand post.

55': Porras had be alert and athletic as he sprinted off his line to gather a dangerous pass which Per Mertesacker was hoping to make the most of.

61': Germany increased their lead as Klose, one of the strikers tipped to challenge for the adidas Golden Shoe, scored his second goal of the 2006 finals and his seventh overall in the FIFA World Cup. From Lahm's teasing cross, the ball looped up off Costa Rican defender Michael Umana and although Klose's initial header was well saved by Porras, the Werder Bremen player followed up to lift it high into the net (3-1).

73': With echoes of the first half, Wanchope matched Klose by once again skipping through Germany’s defence courtesy of a delicate chipped pass by Walter Centeno and wrong-footing Lehmann, who was left exposed for a second time (3-2).

79': Mertesacker forced a great save out of Porras by rising highest from a corner and sending a firm header towards goal, but the Costa Rican keeper was equal to it.
87': Werder Bremen provided the goalscorer again as midfielder Frings put the icing on the cake of a truly spectacular Opening Match with an unstoppable drive into the corner from some 25 metres (4-2).

In conclusion:
Germany made the best possible start to the finals with three points and a healthy return of four goals, but there will be questions raised about their offside tactics after being caught out twice at the back.

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POLAND 0-2 ECUADOR
9 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

Luis Suarez’s Ecuador side began their 2006 FIFA World Cup™ campaign with a convincing 2-0 win over Poland in Gelsenkirchen on Friday, 9 June 2006. A hard-fought encounter witnessed goals either side of half-time for La Tri. Carlos Tenorio profited from Agustin Delgado’s flicked header in the 24th minute to give the South Americans the lead.

With ten minutes of normal time remaining, the provider turned goalscorer as Delgado side-footed home from close range to put Ecuador second in the Group A table behind Germany on goal difference.

5': The balmy late spring conditions in Gelsenkirchen contrasted with those in Barcelona where the teams met in a friendly last year just ahead of the Final Draw for Germany 2006. On that evening, a torrential downpour did not prevent Poland from scoring a convincing 3-0 victory. However, Ecuador began this first competitive fixture between the nations brightly and Luis Valencia had the first attempt, screwing a 20 yarder wide of the target.

11': It was a fast opening with the excitement generated by the teams' colourful and boisterous followings adding to the tempo. While Ecuador goalkeeper Cristian Mora's painted face caught the eye, Artur Boruc was the busier of the two keepers. The Celtic custodian had to be alert to stop a speculative 30-yard volley from Segundo Castillo.

24': Chances were few and far between but just as it appeared the game would become a midfield battle, the South Americans struck in a straightforward fashion. Ulises de la Cruz hurled in a long throw from the right, Agustin Delgado provided the flick-on and Tenorio, reading the move to perfection, raced in to guide his header into the far corner of the net. (0-1)

29': On top now, Ecuador almost doubled their lead with a