German players take Costa Rica cultural studies

BERLIN, June 6 (Reuters) Germany have been studying Costa Rica's culture and lifestyle for clues on how their opponents will play in the opening match of the World Cup on Friday.

As well as the usual video clips of set-pieces and players to watch, the German team have been viewing a short film about the friendly Central American country, famed for its diverse wildlife and the fact that it has no military forces.

''We introduced the players to the country, how the people live there and what their mentality is like,'' Germany's assistant coach Joachim Loew said today.

''We've also seen from games that they're technically skilful and they love to play beautiful football,'' said Loew. ''That's a reflection of the national character.'' Germany captain Michael Ballack said the players had enjoyed the lesson.

''It was highly educational,'' Ballack said. ''We all loved hearing about Costa Rica and getting an insight into the culture.'' REUTERS DH BST2016