<p>German soccer fans exploded in jubilation Friday after their team beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the opening match of the World Cup, waving black-red-gold flags and singing: "We will be world champions." </p><p>After weeks of detailed preparation, intense worry over security measures and efforts to make sure visitors felt welcome, the victory lifted spirits and raised hopes that the long anticipated tournament will bring the country international praise and economic gain _ trophy or no. </p><p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="5" align="center" bgcolor="#000000" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="middle" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img alt="" hspace="0" src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2006-06/10/xin_570603101019054720516.jpg" align="baseline" border="1"/><br/><font face="Arial" size="2">A German supporter celebrates the third goal of the German national soccer team in their opening match of the soccer World Cup against Costa Rica as they watch the match on a huge tv screen at a so-called 'fan festival' in Munich, June 9, 2006.[Reuters]</font></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>In Munich's Hofbraeukeller beer garden, hundreds of fans packed the long wooden benches under a canopy of leafy chestnut trees. As the final whistle blew, the green of the trees disappeared behind a sea of waving German flags. </p><p>"That is a beautiful memory," said Torsten Hoentsch with a sigh, gazing over the cheering crowd. </p><p>Stefan Bannach, 22, from Ingolstadt, loved the high-scoring game: "I like the offensive football that we are playing now. If we keep it up, I think we can make it to the final." </p><p>Across the country, in private parties and at major organized events, the mood was equally euphoric. Police reported no major incidents, though they arrested 67 people in Munich, mostly for minor offenses such as pickpocketing. The most serious incident involved an attack by two Germans on a man waving a Danish flag. The victim suffered a broken rib. </p><p>"We're bound for Berlin," chanted fans as they poured through Munich's streets, in reference to the final match that will be played in the German capital on July 9. </p><p>In Berlin, more than 300,000 people watched Friday's win on big screens along the "fan mile" that stretches from the Brandenburg Gate. Another 80,000 gathered outdoors in Stuttgart. </p><p>More than 35,000 packed Munich's official viewing event at the Olympic Park where Germany won the 1974 World Cup. Nearly two hours before the game kicked off, fans were being turned away because it was too full. </p><p>Germans are counting on the world's largest sporting event _ watched by hundreds of millions around the globe _ as a chance to show off the "new Germany": reunified, rejuvenated and prospering. <br/></p>

<font face="Arial">With the shadow of the Nazis ever present, Germans have tended to steer away from overt displays of patriotism. But more than 15 years after the former East and West Germanys fused and 60 years since the war, such taboos seem to be melting away. </font><p>Germany stands to benefit from the million fans pouring into the country to attend the matches in 12 cities. Fans are expected to pack not only the stadiums, but hundreds of organized outdoor viewing points, as well as the nation's many beer gardens, pubs and restaurants. </p><p>The tournament opens with the German economy _ Europe's biggest _ picking up after several stagnant years. Economists say the World Cup may contribute 0.2 percentage points of the 1.8 percent growth this year. A million foreign visitors are expected to spend a billion euros (US$1.2 billion). </p><p>olice aren't taking any chances. A spike in racially motivated attacks in Berlin and surrounding areas ahead of the tournament raised concerns about neo-Nazis. British and Polish hooligans have also raised fears _ hundreds of known troublemakers from Britain had their passports confiscated and officials tightened Germany's border with Poland _ an hour's train ride from Berlin. </p><p>But Poland's first match, a 2-0 loss to Ecuador in Gelsenkirchen, finished without major incident. Roughly 10,000 Polish fans and 6,000 from Ecuador partied peacefully. </p><p>"It's very quiet," said Gelsenkirchen press spokesman Frank Sobotta. "I can live with this for four weeks, can't you?" </p><p>The soccer excitement spread beyond Germany. </p><p>In Denmark, which did not qualify, all newspapers featured the World Cup on their front pages, while public radio throughout the day played sound bites from sports commentators yelling and shouting when Danish teams scored in past tournaments. </p><p>"Football's popularity reaches all corners of the world," Former Polish soccer star Zbigniew Boniek wrote in Fakt newspaper. "One can of course also talk about hooligans making trouble, which applies to a tiny percentage of real fans, but actually football today unites the whole world." </p><p>A potential cloud over the tournament is the political dispute surrounding qualifier Iran, whose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has indicated he may travel to Germany to support the national team in person. No specific plans have been announced. Vice President Mohammed Aliabadi came to Germany and is expected to attend. </p><p>Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust a "myth" and said the Jewish state should be "wiped off the map," leading a German Jewish group and Amnesty International to organize demonstrations before the team's first game in Nuremberg on Sunday. </p><p></p><p></p><br/>