Poland pose problems for Germany in Group A

FRANKFURT, Jun 2: Germany will be wary of a Poland side with fond memories of the last World Cup held in these parts but the hosts have little to fear from their other Group A rivals Costa Rica and Ecuador.

Germany have clearly improved since Juergen Klinsmann replaced Rudi Voeller as coach in the wake of a sub-standard Euro 2004 display.

How close they are to challenging for a fourth World Cup success is hard to tell.

As hosts, the Germans qualified automatically and their only competitive football in the last two years has been the Confederations Cup in 2005, when they went out to an outstanding Brazil side in the semi-finals.

Germans recognise they often get the luck of the draw and the 2006 World Cup has been no exception.

Poland, Costa Rica and Ecuador all went out in the first round of the last World Cup in South Korea and Japan, while the Germans reached the final for the seventh time, losing 2-0 to Brazil.

Klinsmann's side will play the opening match against Costa Rica at the Allianz Arena in Munich on June 9 and it will be a huge surprise if they don't win.

It's true Germany are over-reliant on Michael Ballack but home advantage should surely steer them home against Costa Rica, whose main aim will be to match their achievement of reaching the second round on debut in 1990.

Germany's second game, against Poland in Dortmund on June 14, may well decide which of the two European teams will go through as group winners.

Poland enjoyed an excellent World Cup run the last time the tournament was held on German soil in 1974, only missing out on a place in the final when they were beaten 4-2 by the hosts in the decisive match of the second group phase.

It would be stretching it a bit to describe the current group of players as comprising a second golden age for Poland, who were ranked fifth in 1978 and were semi-finalists in 1982.

They clearly have potential, though, and in Borussia Dortmund's Euzebiusz Smolarek, son of the great Wlodzimierz Smolarek, they have a technically gifted midfielder who will relish playing in Germany.

Germany close out the first phase with a game against Ecuador at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.

Ecuador didn't impress much in their first appearance in the finals four years ago and there remain suspicions that they only manage to qualify via the advantage of playing their home games at 2,800 metres above sea level in Quito.

Winning the group is important, with the runners-up likely to have to face England in the second round.

Reuters