PES predicts!

Friday 9 June 2006
Throughout the 2006 World Cup we'll be predicting each day's results - using Pro Evolution Soccer! We'll select the teams and let the game play out the action on its own, before posting a quick match report and the final, PES-predicted score.

Disclaimer: GamesRadar accepts no responsibility for large sums of money lost in ridiculously optimistic betting flings. OK?

2006 World Cup: Day One

Match one: Germany vs Costa Rica
Michael Ballack is injured, so we settled on Borowski as the most likely replacement. Germany started slow, while the South American tiddlers had two storming chances in the first half: a bursting run and shot just flashing wide in the opening stages. But by the 23rd minute Germany looked good for the win, with Klose leaping like a salmon to plant his head on the end of a fine corner kick to score.

Wasteful midfield passing in the second half by Costa Rica was easily broken up by the host nation and, finally, with 65 minutes on the clock, Frings smashed in a header from a storming cross to give Germany an easy victory.

Final score: Germany 2, Costa Rica 0

Above: Ecuador's defence bumbles the ball into their own goal for a tragic World Cup start

Match two: Poland vs Ecuador
Immediately Ecuador worried the Polish defence, outnumbering the Poles in their own half. But with three excellent chances in sight of the Polish goalmouth wasted, all the fight went out of the South American side. Poland looked the better team in the second half, but neither side was closing down, giving the midfield players acres of space to run in.

Finally, in the dying seconds, Poland took the win after a tragically comic own goal from Ecuador; a fierce shot that was always going wide ricocheted like a pinball across the box, hitting the legs of two Ecuador players before trickling over the line.

Final score: Poland 1, Ecuador 0