First-round exit unthinkable for Germany: Mertesacker

German central defender Per Mertesacker said Monday that the first round exit is unthinkable for the whole German team and they will show their best form in the opening match of the World Cup against Costa Rica on June 9.

The Hanover 96's defender told a press conference here that all of the German players are fit for the World Cup and are looking forward to the matches.

Statistics show that all World Cup hosts have advanced through the group stage, even if they come from Asia, like South Korea and Japan in 2002.

There is no reason for soccer powerhouse Germany to be the exception. And their target is to win the World Cup.

Mertesacker, who had proven his worth in impressive fashion at 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup, admitted that the German team were not playing their best in their 2-2 draw with Japan in a recent warm-up.

"But I promise that we will play all out in the World Cup opening game against Costa Rica," he noted.

"We need a good start to gain confidence," he said.

As for second group A match against Poland, Mertesacker said," Poland is a strong team indeed and we take them seriously."

But the opening match with Costa Rica is crucial and the game with Poland doesn't count as much, the defender added.

Costa Rica did not perform well in the recent warm-ups when they were crushed by Ukraine 4-0 and lost to Czech Republic 1-0.

Source: Xinhua