Germany Sends a Mixed Message
A sea of black, red and yellow, Germany’s colors, decorated the spiked mohawk hairdos of Goth-like fans marching toward the stadium Friday. They streamed proudly behind a young female passenger in a BMW convertible, they stood out on a window-washer’s scaffolding 20 stories up the glass side of a skyscraper.
All of Germany, it seemed, was willing its team to start the World Cup on the right foot, having ended the last one with a loss to Brazil in the final four years ago in Japan.
As World Cup opening games go, Germany’s 4-2 victory over Costa Rica was a cut above. Relief was felt across this Bavarian city, but it was a joy tinged with concern.
The opener wasn’t so much a six-goal thriller, however, as a demonstration of why neither team is likely to win this year’s World Cup.
The German goals -- the last of them by workhorse midfielder Torsten Frings being of top-drawer quality -- gave evidence of a lively and energetic offense, but that positive was offset by a defense that was penetrated all too frequently.
“It was the opening game, and the players felt the tension,” German Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said.
Against a better opponent than the Ticos, Germany would have struggled.
And there are better opponents lying in wait. Having cleared the first hurdle, Germany, a three-time world champion, must contend with Poland, an altogether different foe, before closing out group play against surprising Ecuador, which defeated the Poles, 2-0, Friday.
Klinsmann was visibly nervous on the sideline Friday. The victory, though, was never in serious doubt, and was achieved without talismanic midfield leader Michael Ballack, out because of a sore calf muscle.
But the 41-year-old coach can only harbor doubts about his back line and, surprisingly, about goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Right back Arne Friedrich was a weak point in the German defense, susceptible to speed and prone to mistakes, and Lehmann, who was controversially chosen over veteran Oliver Kahn, was far from authoritative in the nets.
On Costa Rica’s second goal, in particular, Lehmann appeared uncertain of what to do.
“The German defense was deplorable,” Costa Rica striker Ronald Gomez said after the game. “They were really slow, and we got behind them with ease. They won’t reach the final.”
The return of Ballack will help Germany, but more is needed.
As for Costa Rica, teams that lose their first game have only a 12% chance of advancing out of the first round. That said, the Ticos put up an entertaining battle, never allowing the Germans to get comfortably enough ahead until the 33-yard rising and then dipping rocket by Frings streaked into the upper right corner of goalkeeper Jose Porras’ net to put the outcome beyond doubt three minutes from the end.
Before the kickoff on a warm evening, chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole, Ti-cos, Ti-cos” came from about 2,500 red-clad Costa Rica fans gathered in one corner of the stadium. Outside, a bus sported a handwritten placard in the back window reading, “Non Tenemos Miedo” in large letters, with the smaller translation “We Are Not Afraid” in each corner.
Just 5:11 into the game, German defender Philipp Lahm wrong-footed two Costa Rican players in the left corner and curled a shot into the upper right corner of the net off the inside of the post.
It was a clinical finish by Lahm, who was impressive all evening on his attacking forays down the right flank.
Instead of being rocked by this setback, Costa Rica replied in kind. Within six minutes, the Ticos were back on level terms. Not surprisingly, it was veteran Paulo Wanchope who provided the goal, racing onto a downfield pass and then steering the ball past Lehmann as a desperate tackle arrived a second too late.
Five minutes later, German striker Miroslav Klose, who scored five goals at the 2002 World Cup, put Germany ahead again, the move developing down the right wing and ending with Klose driving a cross home from close range.
Klinsmann, who had been up off the bench wearing shirt sleeves and a frown, broke into a smile.
Just after the hour mark, Klose scored his second off a well-contrived move. Tim Borowski, filling in for the injured Ballack, fed the ball out to the overlapping Lahm on the left, and Lahm’s cross reached Klose at the far post.
Porras blocked Klose’s header, but the ball rebounded to the striker, who put it in the net on the second attempt.
Wanchope’s second goal, when he again caught the German defense flat-footed, cut Germany’s lead to 3-2, but Frings applied the coup de grace just before the end and started the German fans chanting “Deutschland, Deutschland” before streaming out into the night.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
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Day 1 at a glance
RESULTS
Group A
* Germany 4, Costa Rica 2
* Ecuador 2, Poland 0
STAT OF THE DAY
* The three goals in the first 18 minutes of the Germany-Costa Rica game were the fastest three scored in a World Cup opener. The six goals were the most in any opener.
TODAY
* England vs. Paraguay
6 a.m. PDT, Ch. 7 and Ch. 34
* Sweden vs. Trinidad and Tobago
9 a.m. PDT, Ch. 7 and Ch. 34
* Argentina vs. Ivory Coast
Noon PDT, ESPN2 and Ch. 34
