Hosts to open party

ByEurosport

Published 09/06/2006 at 13:43 GMT

The focus of the world will be on Munich on Friday as hosts Germany open the World Cup against Costa Rica. Jurgen Klinsmann's carefully-laid plans have been two years in their fruition, but only when his team takes to the Allianz Arena pitch will he know

The coach has already withstood fierce criticism from within the German game - most notably from the voluble and vastly influential Franz Beckenbauer.

And anything less than a positive performance and more importantly a win in their first game will turn the pressure up to fever pitch.

The omens will have German heads worried.

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So often, two years of almost meaningless friendlies find big teams off the pace when the real business starts - witness France in 2002 and Argentina in 1990 - and recent friendly results hardly inspire confidence.

FOOTBALL 2005-2006 Friendly Match Germany-Luxemburg Klinsmann Löw

Image credit: dpa

The furore and mystery surrounding captain Michael Ballack's nagging calf strain certainly does not help matters.

MASSIVE MISS

Werder midfielder Tim Borowski - coming off a fine Bundesliga season - will step into the breach, but the goal threat of Ballack from outside the box and particularly from set-pieces will be a massive miss if he does not play.

Ballack's absence would see ex-Bayern team-mate Bastian Schweinsteiger need to step up to boss the middle of the park, while Klinsmann will be hoping his promising strike duo of Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose click from the off.

FOOTBALL 2005-2006 Friendly Match Germany Klose

Image credit: dpa

Podolski has shone in a woeful, relegated Cologne side this season, bagging 12 goals before sealing a move to Bayern, and his 12 goals in 25 internationals suggests he could emerge as one of the tournament's stars.

POWDER PUFF

The defence lacks the commanding air of previous generations, though if Phillip Lahm has sufficiently recovered from fracturing an elbow in the build-up, his bursts down the left wing will add to the hosts' offensive threat.

Keeper Jens Lehmann will also be under close scrutiny having gained Klinsmann's faith over Oliver Kahn following a highly-public saga over which of the bickering duo should be the number one choice.

But given Lehmann's Champions League form and the lack of threat which the powder-puff Costa Rican attack pose, the Arsenal man - and the host nation - should enjoy a comfortable afternoon.

A 1-0 defeat to a Czech Republic side who never got out of first gear and a 4-0 trouncing in Ukraine sees Alexander Guimaraes' side enter the fray with confidence at a low ebb.

FOOTBALL Mundial 2006 Amistoso República Checa-Costa Rica Wanchope salta ante Rozenhal

Image credit: EFE

While they may still believe they can catch Germany cold, only Paolo Wanchope - mercurially inconsistent at best - has the pedigree to trouble the host nation.

With vaunted midfielder Carlos Hernandez failing to spark in the warm-up, Guimaraes is poised to name the tigerish Danny Fonseca in a starting line-up designed to stifle rather than sparkle.

PREDICTION: The hosts' nervous tension to disappear early, but there may only be one goal in it - 1-0.

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