Wow game 1 of the World Cup opener was worth the wait.  I did not sleep much last night in anticipation of the best sporting event in the world and now I know why.

Germany started things off with a blast from Lahm from the corner of the 18 yard line.  An absolute rocket with no spin moved into the upper right V of the goal off the post and in.  Beautiful strike left the Ticos keeper Porras looking helpless.  But the overmatched Ticos did not wait long to strike back.  Minutes later Wanchope escaped for a one on one with Lehmann and punched it in the net.  I can only imagine the uproar that ensued in little Cost Rica who declared today a national holdiay to watch the match.

The celebration would not be allowed to continue for long though.  Germany struck back with a nice cross that left Klose all alone for a back door goal that again Porras was helpless to stop.  2-1 Germany and we are only 16 minutes into the game.

2nd half Germany is dominating and looking to put the little Ticos away. Klose again is a lone back door this time for a header that Porras gets his hands on, but he should have wrapped the ball up or punched further away.  Instead he set it right back up for Klose who pounded it into the net.  At this point I thought Deutschland had the game out of reach. 

But the Ticos made it interesting once again.  This time with a beautiful goal set up by a nice little chip of a through ball to Wanchope.  Wanchope hesitated as Lehmann came out and a German defender sprinted from the side.  Calmly or tranquilo in Spanish Wanchope did a stutter step and floated a pretty little lob right past the German keeper and sliding German defender and into the net.

Suddenly the Ticos looked like they could pull out an unlikely tie.  But that hope would not come to fruition.  It was the Germans that awnsered again with a Goal.  With Famed German striker Juergen Klinnsman as the coach it is no wonder that this once brutal defensive squad is playing like an offensive powerhouse.  It is strange seeing Germany protect the lead by adding to it and not by hanging back and beating up its opponent, but by scoring.  It was Frings who would put the incredible icing on the cake today and set his Nation's hopes on fire.  If Lahm's goal was a rocket than Frings must have been something faster than a rocket a warhead perhaps.  A onetimer blast from 40 yards out that moved from the center of the goal to the outside and past the outstretched finger of Porras.  A goal we will see a hundred or so times in this World Cup because of its brilliance.

Germany wins it 4-2. An opener as thrilling as any and a game that will set the stage for what is sure to be another epic World Cup.