Both teams know how important this game is to their chances of progressing. A loss here and with a game still to come against Germany things will look decidely bleak. A draw and it wil likely come down who can get the best result against Costa Rica.

Ecuador traditionally travels more poorly than cheap wine so they will be up against it. Poland looks to be a workman like side who should have enough to win this one. It would be nice if we could see another six goals but do not hold your breath. Prediction 1-0 Poland and the goal from a set piece.

Only seconds left to kick off.

 As an aside - as I made my way to the FSC studios this morning I was informed by the world wide leader in sports (radio version) that the FI-FA (as oppossed to the FE-FA) World Cup kicks off today. Cute or what!

 No surprises for Germany - Ballack on the bench. Germany with a bright start. Good effort from Frings as Costa Rica is caught in possession.

Philipp Lahm turns a negative into a positive. Lahm and Sweinsteiger are both right footed players playing on the left side which makes the German a bit unbalanced. But it does allow Lahm to check back inside onto his right foot and he hits an absolute corker. Great start for Germany.  

Back come the Ticos. Well worked goal from Wanchope. Looks like Friedrich played the striker onside. Suspect defending from Geramny as they are caught very square.

Two goals in first 12 minutes - not a bad start.

Oh yes what a fantastic start to the tournament - another goal. Schweinsteiger given too much space as he arrives late - shot come cross and Klose gets a goalscorers goal. Schweinsteiger could be one of te stars of this tournament. Costa Rico has Gomez playing deep so they are really playing a 4-5-1. However they seem to be dropping back to quickly and giving Germany far too much time on the ball.

The first yellow card of the game to Fonseca but this one has been an easy game so far for the ref.

 The game has settled down - will Germany look to hold what they have or are there more goals? Here's a chance as a Germany get the their first free kick within shooting distance.

Podalski is a bit high with his effort but maybe it will help him get his range should the chance come along. Back to back corners - from the left it was poor - the second more dangerous. Into the last couple of minutes of the half - important time.

Half time arrives and time to take a breather. If Germany continue to push there are more goals in this game. They have the option of shutting the game down but the defense has not looked solid. In fact both back fours look more than capable of driving a coach to drink or beyond.

Underway again... ball drops to Podalski who rips one just over the bar. Corner for Costa Rica and a bit of slack marking allows a free header but the ball goes wide. Germany is starting to press again - the Ticos defense is giving Germany acres of space to work in.

 Coming up to the hour mark and the game is drifting with neither team able to create a clear cut chance. Ooops drifting no longer - Lahm turns provider and Klose score his second. Borowski gives Lahm a clear run to the goal line and this time the full  back crosses on the run with his left peg. Klose gets the header in - the keeper saves but Klose puts the rebound away. 3-1 Germany. We haven't seen as many goals as this in a world Cup opener since 1962 - I think - one more and it will exceed the 62 opener when Chile beat Switzerland 3-1.

Borowski comes off and on comes Sebastian Kehl. I don't he did himself any favours with his display.

Costa Rica back in this one - Friedrich decides to play his own offside trap and gets caught not playing with the other members of the back four as Mertesacker and Metzelder step up and the full back doesn't. Friedrich came into the tournament as a player who plays well north to south but is poor east to west. It's cost Germany two goals. Oh by the way - Wanchope got the goal.

78 minutes - Klose off and Neuville on. Germany create a couple of chances straight away but Costa Rica clear the danger.

Into the last five minutes and Frings has just put this game away. Square ball played into his path and he just put his foot right through the ball. Not bad for a holding midfield player!

 Whistle goes - all Germany celebrates but there will also be a sense of relief. Costa Rica kept it close with their two goals but the German defense looked bad on both of them. Even the slighest bit of pressure indecision spread through the German back four like a bad outbreak of the flu. For the neutrals - six goals is not a bad start and two of them (Lahm and Frings) are earlier contenders for goals of the tournament.

Man of the match for me - Philipp Lahm. A great goal and a good cross for the third one.

My esteemed colleague Nick Webster Nick Webster reports of a possible move to the Riverside for Oguchi Onyewu . Further reports have Reading possibly joining the race for his signature.  

With the start of the World Cup just a day away, injuries and sickness are front and centre. The Rooney recovery still dominates the headlines although I have a feeling that the true test will come when Sven decides to give young Wayne his first serious action.

As English fans rejoice at the news of Rooney's recovery, a doubt about Steven Gerrard's fitness for the first game has now surfaced. Gerrard's name joins the likes of Gattuso (Italy), Ballack (Germany), Isaksson (Sweden), Ronaldo (Brazil) and Cisse of France as either being doubtful for their countries opening game or - in the case of Cisse - out of the competition altogether. 

Moreover, these are just the players we know about. As in other World Cups, countries that can avoid injuries to key players have an advantage but often an understudy gets a chance to play Hamlet and pulls off a standing ovation or two.

 Pele was injured and missed most of the 1962 Finals in Chile. His replacement Amarildo scored and set-up goals in the final while Garrincha became the star of the tournament.

Four years later Jimmy Greaves - the Michael Owen of his generation except better - damaged his shin during group play. Alf Ramsay brought in Geoff Hurst who at that time was considered largely untested. Hurst scored the only game of the quarterfinal against Argentina and then had a hat trick in a winning cause against West Germany in the final.

A legend was born.

Few people remember that the injury to Emerson - while playing goalie during practice - sent tremors through the Brazilian camp four years ago. Gilberto Silva was the beneficiary and earned himself a move to the Premiership based on some great performances.

Of course, sometimes the injuries are just too much to overcome. Think about the 1994 Final with Baggio on the limp and Baresi struggling badly. However, World Cup history has shown that often a very dark cloud has a silver lining. Who will step forward this time?

The first weekend in June brought increasing temperatures across Canada just in time for the start of the Stanley Cup Final. Most of the sports pages were filled with previews of the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes match-up with Canadian Football League exhibition games the secondary story.

So far coverage of the build-up to the World Cup has been limited although the National Post - one of the two national papers - had a number of different takes on the biggest and most important sporting event in the world. (It seems that this time around there appears to be a lot less North Americans trying to claim that other events such as the Summer Olympics or God save us - the Super Bowl - rate more highly.)

The financial section had a story by Jacqueline Thorpe that suggested that the World Cup was a "really impressive example of successful globalization of the First and Third World". There are the usual remarks that only North Americans seem to be able to make regarding the game - the ones that make fans cringe - but the article really misses the mark by giving too much attention to David Beckham's move from United to Real Madrid.

There is mention of merchandising, TV revenues, highest level of operating profits etc. With so much financial information you would have thought that they could at least mentioned the amount of money Real Madrid has saved in silver polish over the last three years. For all the apparent wealth, it fails to mention that Real Madrid over the last three seasons has won nothing.

Also in the financial section there is a warning to employers that employees may spend a lot of time following the World Cup on their office computers. Who could have thought such a thing? (Remember to log on to FOX Sports for full World Cup Coverage.)

Perhaps the most inventive piece was by Karen Burshtein that takes a look at each countries uniform. Unfortunately the article is locked unless you are a NP subscriber. However, here is a rundown of some of her likes and dislikes. Likes - Angola, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Mexico, Poland, and Trinidad and Tobago. Fashion faux pas - Costa Rica, Croatia, Japan, South Korea, Paraguay, and Ukraine. 

The World Cup coverage actually extends to the sports page and Dan Stinson looks at Canada's single appearance in the Finals in Mexico in 1986. It also lists where the players are today and overall it is an enjoyable and well researched article.