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Match Day 1 > Friday 9Jun06

Match 1: GERMANY v. COSTA RICA

Booking: CRAP!

Barely above-average match for both sides – GERMANY didn’t play nearly as well as the score showed .. .. They were allowed to create at will and their first two of three goals came off a deflection at some point .. .. Once they got deep in CRC territory, those short passes failed .. .. Their reliance on the offside trap allowed WANCHOPE to get free by playing their off-side trap .. .. Looked like the old Germany as they pumped in 10 crosses from both sides .. ..

COSTA RICA were found out at the back despite packing it in .. .. Their main weapon was WANCHOPE breaking free behind the defense .. ..

Both sides entertained but showed a lot of holes – I would look elsewhere if you think GER is going to go deep .. ..

GER MoM (Man of the Match): #7 BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER looked terrific on the left side of midfield .. .. His brilliant square-ball to KLOSE set up GER’s second goal and his square-ball to FRINGS set up his long-range bomb for the final goal .. .. Showed terrific ball skills when he hit an over-head outlet pass on the money to set a teammate free .. .. Bayern Munich bad boy was once found in the Bayern sauna with his girlfriend one evening .. ..

CRC MoM: #9 PAULO WANCHOPE was the entire offense for CRC and scored both his goals when he got free behind the defense and coolly slotted home .. .. But we’ve all seen that before, huh?!

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Match 2: POLAND v. ECUADOR

Booking: CLAP!

A pretty good upset of sorts – POL brought a slew full of supporters from just across the border but stumbled to a side that has previously played very poorly away from home and altitude .. .. POL was out-quicked and out-played almost the entire match .. .. Actually showed a nice build-up until the final third when the attack fell apart .. .. Just wasn’t their day as they had point-blank shots hit the post twice in the second half .. ..

ECU was just too quick and looked to be the more settled side .. .. Where as POL used the wings, ECU was more direct and looked more dangerous .. .. Their offense was opportunistic and their defense was heroic in their own third .. .. FULL CREDIT to them .. ..

POL MoM: None

ECU MoM: #11 AUGUSTIN DELGADO played like the Ecuadorian hero he is despite his creaky knees .. .. Created the first goal when he headed on a throw-in to TINORIO for his goal .. .. And, slotted home his own score when he took a beautiful center from KAVIEDES and easily slotted home under the keeper .. ..