June 9: Here We Go
The absence of Michael Ballack from the German side was the chief pre-kick off issue. Was he really injured, as the official party line stated, or was Jurgen Klinsmann making a point in response to some unkind comments the new Chelsea man had made about the German team's build-up? Who knows? But if the opposition had been stronger than Costa Rica, Klinsmann would surely have thought twice about such a gesture.
Before a ball was kicked, there was a minute's silence for 'the FIFA family's absent friends'. It is good to see that the traditional silence is still preferred to the fake applause being pushed by certain others. Mind you, listening to the far from strict observance of the silence, I wondered if some of the GFITW were in attendance at the Allainz Arena or, as FIFA's commercial interests have renamed it, the Munich FIFA World Cup Arena.
Without Ballack in the side, the betting on the first goalscorer would have been interesting. I was torn between Klose and Podolski and ultimately decided against having a punt. So who all backed Germany's sixth minute hero Philipp Lahm? Hey, until fairly recently I'd never heard of the Bayern Munich left-back, to which one of the pub know-alls promptly piped up: "He played for Stuttgart against the Gers in the Champions League a few years ago." Check out the cover star on the programme from the away game!!!
Lahm may well have been an outsider to open the scoring but you would have got even longer odds against Costa Rica hitting back six minutes later but Paulo Wanchope certainly did well to cash in on a very square German back line. But the underdogs were only level for a further seven minutes when Miroslav Klose struck with a typical strikers goal. Checking my watch and my World Cup wallchart, I wondered if I was watching the right game.
It was great stuff. The Germans were pouring forward in numbers but Costa Rica always looked dangerous on the break and, while it was only 2-1, the outcome was in the balance. When a waft of wind caused Podolski to fall over it was good to see the ref turn away and later in the game he was brave enough to ignore Schneider's attempts to buy a penalty. But will his colleagues be equally brave once we get to the nitty-gritty stage of the competition? I'll be watching with interest.
Lahm continued to impress going forward and his cross set up Klose for the third goal, with the striker seeing his header saved but following up sharply to bang the rebound into the roof of the net. Game over? No way! Again Wanchope got behind the German defence, got the benefit of the doubt with the defenders claiming offside, and he fired Costa Rica back into the match.
But nobody really expected them to draw level and the game was finally settled by a humdinger of a shot from Torsten Frings. He must have been 35 yards out when he let fly but the ball curled away from the keeper and high into the net. Cue a debate about the ‘new' ball. Goalkeepers are always looking for excuses and no doubt they'll be queuing up to whinge every time they are beaten from distance.
Maybe Artur Boruc will have a thing or two to say after Poland's 2-0 defeat from Ecuador. It was good of Clive Tyldesley to remind us of what a good season he and Zurawski have just had – thanks for nothing! – but I took issue with him informing his audience that the attacker is known as Magic ‘north of the border'. Some of us are more inclined to refer to him as a dirty, rotten, cheating, diving bassa!!! No doubt viewers will pass their own judgements as the World Cup unfolds.
And I just about choked when, with Zurawski coming out to the left to take wide free-kicks and corners, the commentator drew parallels between him and Thierry Henry. Oh dear, I anticipate another hoopy hype gathering momentum. It must be true, Clive Tyldesley says so…and he certainly knows his stuff, does our Clive. No sooner had he and Gareth Southgate been waxing lyrical about Poland's defensive partnership of Bak and Jop – "They won't miss much in the air" – than they were caught out with a long throw to the near post, the ball was glanced on and Carlos Tenoria headed Ecuador into the lead. Did the new ball move too fast for Artur Boruc?
Clearly Ecuador are not just making up the numbers in Group A. They were perfectly happy to let Poland make the running, absorb all the pressure, then hit hard on the break. The realisation that they might be a useful team did, of course, merit the mention of the prospect of a second round meeting with England who are, of course, a stick-on to win Group B. Wouldn't it be great to treat a match in its own right, instead of all the ifs and buts and maybes of possible future clashes with Sven's men.
Ecuador hit the Poles with the classic sucker punch in the latter stages to wrap up the points and the one they call Magic, having been invisible for 83 minutes, finally disappeared altogether when he was subbed. How many Charlie Sims backed him to be the World Cup's top scorer? I didn't know the giro dosh stretched that far. Oh dear, what a shame!!!
So you certainly won't hear me complaining about the opening day's fitba. The quality of the play exceeded all expectations…and having tipped Germany to win it, then lapped up seeing two of Breezeblock Boulevard's finest getting gubbed, I'm not too disappointed with the results either. Long may it continue.
LITTLE BOY BLUE