Elizondo Nearly Flawless as Germany Light Up the Scoreboard

It was a perfect start to the planet’s most popular quadrennial spectacle as the home side scored a couple of spectacular goals on their way to a 4 – 2 victory over CONCACAF’s third-place team, Costa Rica.

After only seventeen minutes it was already 2 – 1 in favor of Germany as midfielder Phillipp Lahm began the goalfest when he hammered the ball perfectly, striking the far post inches below the crossbar in only the game’s 6th minute. Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rica’s all-time leading scorer was on-side just a few minutes later before slipping the ball past a helpless Jens Lehmann. And then it was Miroslave Klose for Germany scoring from close range from a precise pass by Sebastian Schweinsteiger, on this, Klose’s 28th birthday.

The Argentine ref, Horacio Elizondo, was on top of the action throughout the opening period, making all the right calls, encouraging players to shake hands when needed, and doling out the game’s lone caution in the 30th minute when Danny Fonseca stepped in front of a German free-kick.

The only refereeing miscues, as far as I’m concerned, were by Elizondo’s two assistants who each called a player for being offside when it appeared as though they were not. My guess is that you will see much more of this throughout the tournament and that these situations will lead to the greatest controversy as the World Cup progresses. It’s why I believe that the rule should simply be taken out of FIFA’s Laws of the Game.

In fact, it was an offside decision that almost lead to a Costa Rican comeback after Klose got his second birthday present in the 62nd minute when he followed up his rebounded header by stuffing the ball into the roof of the net, thus giving Germany a seemingly insurmountable 3 – 1 lead. But only eleven minutes later it was Paulo Wanchope once again to provide for the Ticos as Germany, for some inexplicable reason, were playing an offside trap.

Nobody on the German team argued the decision of the referee’s assistant to keep his flag down, but American announcer and former U.S. National team player Marcelo Balboa seemed to feel that Wanchope was obviously offside. Well, it wasn’t so obvious to me…although it was VERY close. Again, get rid of the rule and you eliminate any controversy.

In any event, it was a tight 3 – 2 margin for the Germans up until Torsten Frings finished off the Central Americans with what is sure to be one of the best goals you’ll see all tournament – a 35-yard blast that swerved away from the goalie as it traveled through space.

Congratulations to the Germans on starting the tournament off right – by winning and by winning in style. And thanks to Horacio Elizondo and his team of officials for doing their job and being more or less invisible throughout as the players lit up the scoreboard in Game 1 of the greatest show on earth.

Until next time…

peace,
ac