Flaying Start

Two goals from Miroslav Klose helped hosts Germany to a 4-2 win in the opening game of the World Cup in Munich on Friday. Philipp Lahm opening the scoring with a sixth-minute rocket before Klose's brace and a stunning strike from Torsten Frings five minutes from time.


Paulo Wanchope kept the Costa Ricans in the match with two strikes either side of half-time.
"It is always important to start off with a win," Lahm told reporters after the match. "You could see what euphoria there was in the stadium.
"Part of the victory should be credited to the fans. They were the 12th man on the pitch."
With Michael Ballack being left out of the starting line-up by coach Juergen Klinsmann, many feared Germany would be left open in midfield.
But any worries subsided after just six minutes, Lahm cutting inside from the left to fire an unstoppable shot into Costa Rica goalkeeper's Jose Francisco Porras' top left-hand corner.
And with the Germans pushing forward for a second, their defensive frailties were there for all to see as Wanchope beat the offside trap to slot the ball past Jens Lehmann and into the German net.
But just five minutes later, the Germans moved back into the lead. Frings played Bernd Schneider in down the right, and the right winger cut the ball inside to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who cut the ball across the face of the goal for Klose to tap in.

DODGY DEFENCE
But the Germans' defending was as bad as their attacking good, with Costa Rica missing a golden opportunity to equalise just after the break, Danny Fonseca turning a free header wide after being found unmarked by Walter Centeno.
And the Germans punished Alexandre Guimaraes' side in the 61st minute. Borowski found Lahm on the left, and the Bayern Munich wing-back found Klose at the back-post, who struck the ball home after seeing his intial effort saved by Porras.

But 12 minutes later, Lehmann was beaten again. Centeno left the defence static with an outrageous flick through to Wanchope, who flicked the ball past the German goalkeeper.
And it was only when Frings took a Schweinsteiger pass and rifled the ball into the top corner from 30 yards that the home fans could breathe a sigh of relief.
"At such a mega event like the World Cup, we've got to put this behind us quickly," Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann told ZDF television.
"The players can have a little glass of beer tonight if they want but our focus has to turn right away to the next match (against Poland on Wednesday). We're happy with this start."


Man of the match: Torsten Frings (GER) - With Ballack out, Frings didn't put a foot wrong in midfield, capping off a fine match with a stunning goal.