Germany kicks off the 2006 FIFA World Cup on Friday in Munich, facing Costa Rica in the tournament's opening match. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann has declared his goal of winning Germany's fourth world title, though he acknowledges the squad lacks the elite talent of previous German generations and will need strong crowd support to succeed.
Captain Michael Ballack, carrying a calf injury that kept him out of training for two days, expects to play and says the team is taking Costa Rica seriously despite the hosts being heavy favorites. A loss or poor showing would likely intensify public pressure on both Klinsmann and his players.
Costa Rica's Brazilian coach Alex Guimares is dealing with his own fitness concerns: star forward Paolo Wanchope, the country's all-time leading scorer and a veteran of West Ham United and Manchester City, has been unable to train due to a knee problem.
This is Costa Rica's third World Cup appearance. Their best result came in 1990, when they advanced to the second round. That same tournament saw West Germany claim the title with a 1-0 victory over Argentina, having opened with a 4-1 win over Yugoslavia, a scoreline German supporters would welcome against Friday's opponents.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.