IT'S HERE! THE WORLD CUP of SOCCER!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

The World Cup of soccer, the globe's most-watched sporting spectacle, kicked off in Germany Friday amid tight security and massive crowds that have descended for the event.

But aside from some scattered arrests, opening day was mostly trouble free.

The first match of the tournament pitted the host country Germany against Costa Rica -- a match German fans were desperate for their team to win. The team didn't disappoint, beating Costa Rica 4-2 Friday in the highest-scoring opener in tournament history.

In the day's other match, Ecuador disposed of Poland with a 2-0 victory, scoring one of its biggest wins ever thousands of miles from home.

The World Cup's return to Munich comes nearly 32 years after West Germany won the 10th World Cup in the same city.

Thousands of people arrived in Munich for the start of the tournament, cramming into countless beer tents along the city's so-called "Party Mile" to watch the games on giant screens.

Kegs were stacked in ranks on pallets along the street in preparation for legions of thirsty fans, and 35,000 people were expected to visit the city's Olympic Park.

Germans, hosting their first major international sporting event since East and West Germany were reunified, were anxious to start the tournament by marking a win on the scoreboard.

The team took the field minus its captain and 29-year-old star midfielder Michael Ballack, and fans were nervous about what his absence might mean for the team.

But Miroslav Klose eased Ballack's absence by scoring twice on his 28th birthday.

"That's how I imagined this day, more or less," Klose said. "Every opener is difficult and we are pleased that we won."

Vic Rauter, TSN's soccer analyst, said many Canadians -- who are just now hopping on the football bandwagon -- don't understand the true scale of the event.

"It's second probably only to the summer games in terms of how big it is," he told CTV's Canada AM.

"One-hundred-and-ninety-seven countries start this two-year process, including the Canadians, within five geographic areas of the world. You whittle it down, whittle it down, whittle it down, until you get to 31, plus the host which is Germany."

Just getting to the tournament is a massive accomplishment, and in order to win "the stars really have to align," he said.

"You have to avoid injuries. Maybe a ball goes off the post, maybe somebody scores, maybe somebody plays so defensively, as the Greeks did two years ago at the European Championship, shutting down people.

There is one clear favourite, however.

"If the Brazilians play to their ability, nobody touches them," Rauter said.

Security measures

Meanwhile, police in Munich implemented tight security measures, and were prepared for trouble.

Police reported making 67 arrests, mostly for minor incidents such as pick pocketing. The most serious one involved an attack by two Germans on a man who was waving a Danish flag. The man suffered a broken rib.

There were no racially-motivated attacks, as many had feared. But hours before the Germany-Costa Rica game, police said they removed a World Cup banner with swastikas from a highway bridge. In Berlin, police said they raided the headquarters of a far-right political party, confiscating about 3,000 World Cup guides with racist overtones.

Across the country, security officials were doing everything they could to pull off the event without a hitch.

Security at the Polish border, about an hour from Munich, was also boosted.

The event is expected to jolt the German economy after several slow years.

The 64-match tournament is expected to pull in one million visitors, who are expected to spend $1 billion Euros -- contributing 0.2 percentage points to the 1.8 per cent of growth that is expected to occur this year.

The German government, headed by Angela Merkel, the nation's first female chancellor, is enjoying consistently high approval ratings after six months in office.

Germany capable of "top-class performances."

Merkel said the World Cup presents a unique opportunity for Germany to prove itself on the world stage.

"We all want to show that Germany is capable of top-class performances -- and not just in soccer stadiums," Merkel told AP.

"We are looking forward to guests from every corner of the Earth and we want to celebrate a great festival with them, peacefully and joyfully."

With thousands of international journalists visiting for the tournament, however, there are fears any isolated incidents of violence or racism will receive extensive coverage around the world.

Recently, a Turkish-born Berlin state legislator suffered a concussion after an attack by two men shouted anti-Turkish.

In addition to concerns about attacks on foreigners and minorities, there have also been worries about the availability of tickets.

Government officials have warned those who promote violence will face swift justice.

And your very welcome!