Host nation Germany got the World Cup start they wanted with a 4-2 (2-1) win over Costa Rica in the opening match of the finals on Friday.
Striker Miroslav Klose celebrated his 28th birthday with his 25th and 26th international goals to appease the home supporters. Despite being deprived of their injured captain Michael Ballack,
Germany were too strong for Costa Rica, but the two goals from
former West Ham United and Manchester City striker Paulo Wanchope
will worry manager Jürgen Klinsmann.
However three points are on the board and they give Germany
something to build on ahead of their next Group A match against
Poland in Dortmund on Wednesday. With the pressure from the home crowd tangible and audible, Germany wanted an early goal and defender Philipp Lahm duly obliged on six minutes, cutting in from the left to curl a right-footed shot into the top corner.
It was Lahm's second international goal and all the more sweet
as it was on the club ground where he plays for Bayern Munich. It was expected to open the floodgates but Costa Rica equalised
five minutes later through Wanchope. The gangly Wanchope broke the offside trap to drill a low shot past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, making his World Cup debut, who could do nothing about it.
But the visitors looked fragile at the back and in the 17th
minute Germany restored their lead through Klose. Klose had the simple task of rolling the ball into an unguarded net after Bastian Schweinsteiger shot into his path. Bernd Schneider, stand-in captain for the injured Ballack, was providing most of Germany's good work down the right and had released Schweinsteiger for the goal with a clever cut-back.
Just 120 seconds into the second half Danny Fonseca had a clear
header from a corner but it went wide. Klose gave the hosts the breathing space they craved when he struck his second goal on 61 minutes, looping the ball into the net after his initial header was saved.
Wanchope pulled one back in the 73rd minute again but that did not stop the hosts pouring forward and Torsten Frings scored six minutes from time with a great strike from distance.
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[bild1]Host nation Germany got the World Cup start they wanted with a 4-2 (2-1) win over Costa Rica in the opening match of the finals on Friday.
Striker Miroslav Klose celebrated his 28th birthday with his 25th and 26th international goals to appease the home supporters. Despite being deprived of their injured captain Michael Ballack,
Germany were too strong for Costa Rica, but the two goals from
former West Ham United and Manchester City striker Paulo Wanchope
will worry manager Jürgen Klinsmann.
However three points are on the board and they give Germany
something to build on ahead of their next Group A match against
Poland in Dortmund on Wednesday. With the pressure from the home crowd tangible and audible, Germany wanted an early goal and defender Philipp Lahm duly obliged on six minutes, cutting in from the left to curl a right-footed shot into the top corner.
It was Lahm's second international goal and all the more sweet
as it was on the club ground where he plays for Bayern Munich. It was expected to open the floodgates but Costa Rica equalised
five minutes later through Wanchope. The gangly Wanchope broke the offside trap to drill a low shot past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, making his World Cup debut, who could do nothing about it.
[bild2]
But the visitors looked fragile at the back and in the 17th
minute Germany restored their lead through Klose. Klose had the simple task of rolling the ball into an unguarded net after Bastian Schweinsteiger shot into his path. Bernd Schneider, stand-in captain for the injured Ballack, was providing most of Germany's good work down the right and had released Schweinsteiger for the goal with a clever cut-back.
Just 120 seconds into the second half Danny Fonseca had a clear
header from a corner but it went wide. Klose gave the hosts the breathing space they craved when he struck his second goal on 61 minutes, looping the ball into the net after his initial header was saved.
Wanchope pulled one back in the 73rd minute again but that did not stop the hosts pouring forward and Torsten Frings scored six minutes from time with a great strike from distance.
