On the pitch

09 Jun 2006

Dutch at full strength

Dutch players Stijn Schaars and Nigel de Jong, called up earlier in the week by coach Marco van Basten as possible last-minute injury replacements, returned home on Friday.

Three Dutch players, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Phillip Cocu, have been carrying injuries.

"Sending Schaars and de Jong home does not mean that the 23 selected players are at 100 percent but simply that their complete recovery in the short term is no longer in doubt in the eyes of the medical team," said Dutch press officer Kees Jansma.

Ecuador stun Poland 2-0

South American outsiders Ecuador scored once in each half to surprise Poland 2-0 on the opening day of the World Cup and take a commanding position in Group A.

Carlos Tenorio put Ecuador ahead in the 24th minute, heading home after a long throw-in had been flicked on by Augustin Delgado.

Augustin Delgado then tucked away the second from close range with Poland pushing forward to give Ecuador a dream start to their campaign.

It was the 31-year-old's 30th international goal.

Ecuador failed to make it beyond the first round in their one previous World Cup appearance four years ago. Poland claimed third place in 1974 and 1982.

Hosts Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 in the tournament's opening match in Munich earlier on Friday.

Germany and Costa Rica set record

Germany and Costa Rica got the World Cup off to a flying start on Friday by setting a new record for goals scored in the opening game of the tournament.

The six goals in Germany's 4-2 win in Munich were the most in the first game of a World Cup finals since France beat Mexico 4-1 in the inaugural tournament in Uruguay in 1930.

It also equalled the total goals scored in the opening matches of the last four World Cups.

Germany off to winning start in goal fest

The World Cup opening match produced a record number of goals as Miroslav Klose struck twice to help Germany to a 4-2 win over plucky Costa Rica.

Philipp Lahm opened the scoring after just 7 minutes with a wonderful shot high into the corner but Paulo Wanchope stunned the Munich crowd when he beat the offside trap and slipped his shot past Jens Lehmann.

Klose then restored the lead when he deflected home a wayward shot from Bastian Schweinsteiger as Germany led 2-1 at the break.

The goals continued as Klose converted his own rebound to put the hosts 3-1 up but again the Ticos battled back to pull within one when again Wanchope broke in alone and beat the hapless Lehmann.

With time running out Torsten Frings blasted home a screamer from 30 yards which finally eased the home nerves and buried the Costa Rica challenge

Gerrard fit to play in opener

England midfielder Steven Gerrard has shaken off a back injury and will play in England's opening World Cup match against Paraguay on Saturday, according to coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

But, as expected, Wayne Rooney will take no part in the game.

"He's fit. Steven Gerrard trained very well and he should be on the pitch tomorrow," said the England boss.

"He did everything except some crosses at the end," Eriksson said of Gerrard, who is an automatic pick if fit.

While Gerrard is expected to play, Rooney still lacks match fitness and will sit out the game.

"We've talked a lot about Wayne Rooney. He will play when we think he is match fit. He will not play tomorrow," said Eriksson.

Japan in better shape after training

Japan striker Atsushi Yanagisawa returned to full training Friday after 10 days on the sidelines with injury and declared himself fit for the Asian champions' World Cup opener against Australia.

"After playing today, I feel convinced that I can go on," the 29-year-old said "I don't have any problem with the injury."

His strike partner Naohiro Takahara, who was also injured in the Germany match in which he scored twice, is also back to full fitness.

"I have not just come back in time but also joined with everybody else in aiming for a victory by playing brilliantly," said Yanagisawa.

Playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, with a sore hamstring, and Brazilian-born left-winger Alessandro "Alex" Santos, who has a sore ankle, also returned to training.

Winger Akira Kaji is Japan's only fitness doubt.

Klinsmann sees positives in victory

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann said he could see many positives after his side beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening match on Friday.

"We are delighted," Klinsmann said. "It is looking positive after this.

"We absorbed a lot of pressure and I was happy with the performance.

"We managed to impose our playing style on the match and we played at a high tempo.

"I confess that I would have preferred not to concede any goals but we did score four."

Michael Ballack said he was disappointed not to have been able to lead out his side, but said he had accepted the judgement of the team doctors.

"I wanted to play, but if the medical team say the risk of causing a more serious injury is too great, then I must accept that.

"I had just wanted to signal that I was ready to play".

Paraguay set to decide on Santa Cruz

Paraguay's star striker Roque Santa Cruz will learn in hours whether he can play in their Group B World Cup opener against England, said coach Anibal Ruiz on Friday.

Ruiz said he hadn't ruled out the Bayern Munich forward's participation, but added that he had trained with the same intensity as his fellow team-mates indicating that the left knee problem which flared up earlier this week had improved.

"Roque trained just the same as his team-mates and now we are going to evaluate his condition," said the Uruguayan.

Paraguay have never beaten England losing on the two previous occasions -- 3-0 in the 1986 finals in the second round and 4-0 in a 2002 friendly.

Scolari ready to risk Deco

Portuguese coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is prepared to risk playing midfielder Deco in their opening World Cup encounter against Angola he said on Friday.

"He (Deco) is slightly injured, but I am going to risk playing him," said Scolari. If the match was today (Friday), he would not have been able to play.

"But as the match is in two days, he has enough time to be fully operational."

Deco picked up the injury after he was clattered into by team-mate and former FC Porto clubmate Costinha at training on Thursday.

This provoked Deco to storm off the pitch, hitting several chairs on the way, and refusing to explain why he was in such a rage.

World Cup greats grace ceremony

A parade of more than 140 former World Cup winners was the centrepiece of the colourful opening ceremony of the World Cup here on Friday.

Brazilian legend Pele and German supermodel Claudia Schiffer carried the golden World Cup trophy into the high-tech Munich stadium before German President Horst Koehler declared the 18th World Cup open.

The oldest World Cup winner in the parade was Alcides Ghiggia, 80, who scored the winning goal for Uruguay against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro in 1950.

Bobby Charlton and his brother Jack were among the representatives of England's victorious 1966 squad, while all of West Germany's winning 1974 team were present.