Germany wins, 4-2 over Costa Rica in first World Cup match
{{date|June 9, 2006}}

[[Image:World Cup 2006 logo.png|left|50px]]The 2006 soccer World Cup kicked off in the Allianz Arena in Munich, Friday, with hosts Germany cruising to a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

[[Image:Allianz Arena Pahu.jpg|thumb|300px|The Allianz Arena Stadium, Munich, Germany.]]

The first match of Group A, which was full of attacking football, was a goal-fest for Jürgen Klinsmann's side, whose Miroslav Klose notched up a brace.

The highlight of the match went to German midfielder Torsten Frings for a 30-yard shot that sent the new tournament football swerving viciously past a hapless Costa Rican keeper.

The match had started brightly for the side, missing captain Michael Ballack, when on 6 minutes left-back Philipp Lahm curled in from the top-left of the penalty area. 

But the joy the home crowd had after the spectacular start was punctured 6 minutes later by Paulo Wanchope. The Costa Rican striker broke through a static German defence to pass the ball neatly by Jens Lehmann. 

[[Image:WC 2006 - Germany v Costa Rica - teams.jpg|left|thumb|Opening lineup]]

Klose, who had 7 goals for the team in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, tapped in a second to again give the German side the lead with a quarter of an hour gone.

During the game possession of the ball was dominated by the hosts who, while looking vulnerable on the break, looked like scoring whenever they went forward.

They scored a third, Klose's second, on 61 minutes, when the striker was first to react to a rebound from his own header, which had been saved by Jose Porras.

Wanchope kept the home team on their toes breaking the German defence for a second time but any chance of the Central American team pulling off a shock was ended when Frings' bullet hit the back off the net.

The game was played in spirit, the only yellow card going to Costa Rica's Daniel Fonseca for a first-half challenge.

{{Audio|worldcup_opening.ogg|2006-06-09}}

==Statistics==

'''Group A'''
{{User:Flipbaywood/Football box|bg = #eeeeee |date = June 9, 2006<br />18:00 |team1 = {{User:Flipbaywood/Flagicon|country = Germany}} Germany |score = 4&ndash;2 |team2 = {{User:Flipbaywood/Flagicon|country = Costa Rica}} Costa Rica |goals1 = Philipp Lahm 6'<br />Miroslav Klose 17', 61'<br /> Torsten Frings 87' |goals2 = Paulo Wanchope 12', 73' |stadium = Allianz Arena}}

Attendance: 64,950

Referee: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).[[Image:Yellow card.svg|10px]][[Image:Red card.svg|10px]]  

===Germany===
[[Image:Flag of Germany.svg|100px|right]]

* 01 J Lehmann
* 03 A Friedrich
* 17 P Mertesacker
* 21 C Metzelder
* 16 P Lahm
* 07 B Schweinsteiger
* 08 T Frings
* 18 T Borowski (Substitute: 72 S Kehl )
* 19 B Schneider (Substitute: 90 D Odonkor )
* 20 L Podolski
* 11 M Klose (Substitute: 79 O Neuville )

===Costa Rica===
[[Image:Flag of Costa Rica.svg|100px|right]]

* 18 J Porras
* 03 L Marin
* 04 M Umana
* 12 L Gonzalez
* 05 G Martinez (Substitute: 67 J Drummond )
* 06 D Fonseca   31'[[Image:Yellow card.svg|10px]]
* 08 M Solis (Substitute: 78 C Bolanos )
* 10 W Centeno
* 20 D Sequeira
* 11 R Gomez (Substitute: 90 R Azofeifa )
* 09 P Wanchope

==Related news ==
*{{Wikinews|title=Ecuador beat Poland in second Group A match
|date=June 9, 2006}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/4852498.stm
|title= Germany 4-2 Costa Rica
|author=
|pub=BBC Online
|date=June 9, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/match/1/mr.html
|title= FIFA match report 
|author= 
|pub= FIFA
|date=June 12, 2006}}
{{WorldCup2006}}
{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Germany Wins, 4-2 Over Costa Rica In First World Cup Match}}
[[Category:Sports]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:Football (soccer)]]
[[Category:Costa Rica]]
[[Category:FIFA World Cup 2006]]
[[Category:Philipp Lahm]]

[[ca:Alemanya venç a Costa Rica a l'inici de la Copa Mundial d'Alemanya 2006]]
[[de:Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft: Auftakt in der Gruppe A]]
[[es:Con triunfo local, se inicia la Copa Mundial de Fútbol Alemania 2006]]
[[fr:La coupe du monde de football est lancée]]
[[ja:2006FIFAワールドカップサッカー選手権ドイツ大会開幕]]
[[pl:Mundial 2006: Niemcy 4-2 Kostaryka]]
[[pt:Alemanha vence Costa Rica em partida de muitos gols na abertura da Copa 2006]]
[[zh:2006年世界杯足球赛在慕尼黑开锣]]
50pxThe 2006 soccer World Cup kicked off in the Allianz Arena in Munich, Friday, with hosts Germany cruising to a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

The Allianz Arena Stadium, Munich, Germany.

The first match of Group A, which was full of attacking football, was a goal-fest for Jürgen Klinsmann's side, whose Miroslav Klose notched up a brace.

The highlight of the match went to German midfielder Torsten Frings for a 30-yard shot that sent the new tournament football swerving viciously past a hapless Costa Rican keeper.

The match had started brightly for the side, missing captain Michael Ballack, when on 6 minutes left-back Philipp Lahm curled in from the top-left of the penalty area. 

But the joy the home crowd had after the spectacular start was punctured 6 minutes later by Paulo Wanchope. The Costa Rican striker broke through a static German defence to pass the ball neatly by Jens Lehmann. 

Opening lineup

Klose, who had 7 goals for the team in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, tapped in a second to again give the German side the lead with a quarter of an hour gone.

During the game possession of the ball was dominated by the hosts who, while looking vulnerable on the break, looked like scoring whenever they went forward.

They scored a third, Klose's second, on 61 minutes, when the striker was first to react to a rebound from his own header, which had been saved by Jose Porras.

Wanchope kept the home team on their toes breaking the German defence for a second time but any chance of the Central American team pulling off a shock was ended when Frings' bullet hit the back off the net.

The game was played in spirit, the only yellow card going to Costa Rica's Daniel Fonseca for a first-half challenge.

Attendance: 64,950

Referee: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).10px10px  

* 01 J Lehmann
* 03 A Friedrich
* 17 P Mertesacker
* 21 C Metzelder
* 16 P Lahm
* 07 B Schweinsteiger
* 08 T Frings
* 18 T Borowski (Substitute: 72 S Kehl )
* 19 B Schneider (Substitute: 90 D Odonkor )
* 20 L Podolski
* 11 M Klose (Substitute: 79 O Neuville )

* 18 J Porras
* 03 L Marin
* 04 M Umana
* 12 L Gonzalez
* 05 G Martinez (Substitute: 67 J Drummond )
* 06 D Fonseca   31'10px
* 08 M Solis (Substitute: 78 C Bolanos )
* 10 W Centeno
* 20 D Sequeira
* 11 R Gomez (Substitute: 90 R Azofeifa )
* 09 P Wanchope

ca:Alemanya venç a Costa Rica a l'inici de la Copa Mundial d'Alemanya 2006
de:Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft: Auftakt in der Gruppe A
es:Con triunfo local, se inicia la Copa Mundial de Fútbol Alemania 2006
fr:La coupe du monde de football est lancée
ja:2006FIFAワールドカップサッカー選手権ドイツ大会開幕
pl:Mundial 2006: Niemcy 4-2 Kostaryka
Alemanha vence Costa Rica em partida de muitos gols na abertura da Copa 2006
Sports Germany Football (soccer) Costa Rica FIFA World Cup 2006 Philipp Lahm