Germany 4-2 Costa Rica

2006 World Cup Finals, Group A
5pm (BST), Friday 9 June 2006
Allianz-Arena, Munich

Hosts Germany opened the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals with a 4-2 win over Group A rivals Costa Rica in Munich.

An exciting Opening Match produced three goals inside the first 17 minutes as Philipp Lahm fired Germany in front on six minutes, Paulo Wanchope drew the Ticos level six minutes later and then Miroslav Klose restored the hosts' lead.

Klose, celebrating his 28th birthday, made it 3-1 after 61 minutes and although Wanchope narrowed the deficit with his second goal on 73 minutes.

Jurgen Klinsmann's men secured the three points through a spectacular Torsten Frings strike three minutes from time.

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Frings, Borowski (Kehl 72), Schneider (Odonkor 90), Podolski, Klose (Neuville 79).
Subs Not Used: Asamoah, Ballack, Hildebrand, Hitzlsperger, Huth, Jansen, Kahn, Nowotny.

Goals: Lahm 6, Klose 17, 61, Frings 87

Costa Rica: Porras, Marin, Umana, Gonzalez, Martinez (Drummond 67), Fonseca, Solis (Bolanos 78), Centeno, Sequeira, Gomez (Azofeifa 90), Wanchope.
Subs Not Used: Alfaro, Badilla, Bernard, Hernandez, Mesen, Nunez, Rodriguez, Saborio, Wallace.

Goals: Wanchope 12, 73

Attendance: 64,950

Referee: Horacio Marcelo Elizondo (Argentina).