1. Germany-Costa Rica 4:2 (2:1)

Match 1
Group A
June 9, 2006
Munich

Referee: Horacio Elizondo (ARG)
Assistant Referee 1: Dario Garcia (ARG)
Assistant Referee 2: Rodolfo Otero (ARG)
Fourth Official: Carlos Chandia (CHI)
Fifth Official: Cristian Julio (CHI)

Official match report: html/pdf

The referee team worked very well together. The assistants made foul calls in their areas (such as handling call on CRC 32') as well as some excellent offside and onside decisions. Elizondo controlled the game effectively with foul calls, rarely needing to issue cautions. All in all, the excellent placement of the referees along with their thorough knowledge and consistent interpretation of the Laws made it possible for these teams to play a great game of football.

ONSIDE/OFFSIDE DECISIONS OF NOTE

12' Wanchope (CRC) was exactly even with second-to-last defender when ball was played, as shown definitively by the ESPN half-time replay with virtual line. - ONSIDE

17' Klose (GER) was played onside by a CRC defender slow getting back from goal line. - ONSIDE

25' GER forward ruled offside due to midfielder playing ball forward by deflecting a CRC kick, a perfect application of the law ("...teammate touches or plays the ball..."). Intention of the player is irrelevant, since the forward gained a significant advantage by being in an offside position. - OFFSIDE

33' GER forward ruled offside; an example of a very close call, but a correct one. While parts of his body may have been onside, parts that were able to play the ball were offside (see specific language of LAW 11); if play had been allowed to continue he would have gained an advantage by his position. - OFFSIDE

45' CRC player ruled offside; though he stood still as the ball was played, allowing the defenders to end up behind him as he received the ball and played it back, he gained a significant advantage by being in an offside position when the ball was played. - OFFSIDE

73' The most definitive replay shows that CRC Wanchope’s head and part of his torso may have been offside while much of the rest of his body was not. However, remember that the assistant was not standing even with Wanchope; he was moving with the second-to-last defender. In this case, that defender was on the far side of the field and (for some reason) moving quickly toward his own goal in an attempt to catch his man who, like Wanchope, was in an offside position as the ball was about to be played forward. This is one of the most difficult situations for an assistant since the ball is played at the moment when you become even with the attacker. The defender could certainly have made it much easier on the assistant by stopping when he saw two players in an offside position and the ball about to be played. It appears, in the replays, as if Wanchope had his eye on that defender and was adjusting accordingly. - ONSIDE