Poles gear up for game against Germany

Warsaw: Poland's soccer fans are still optimistic of their team's chances at the World Cup despite an opening loss to Ecuador.

Fans dressed in white-and-red colors, some sporting painted faces, crowded special trains and buses and headed for Germany on Wednesday, while others chartered planes and packed cars to get to Dortmund for the match against the hosts.

After Poland's opening loss, the national team needs at least a draw to have a chance to advance to the second round. However, in 14 matches, Poland has never beaten Germany.

The local media, which was critical of the team after last week's defeat, were filled with advice for the team.

The Superexpress tabloid even invoked history with a huge headline reading "You can defeat the Germans" against a background of a popular painting of Poland's 15th-century military victory over Teutonic knights.

Dziennik daily seemed to be evoking Poland's more recent World War II struggles against Nazi Germany with a headline reading "A battle against the Germans."

Some windows and cars in Warsaw were decorated with white-and-red national team flags. But despite all the fanfare, there were signs of pessimism.

The latest joke was that the goal scorers would certainly be Poles. Germany strikers Miroslaw Klose and Lukas Podolski are of Polish origin.

Klose and Podolski sometimes communicate in Polish on the field.

Costa Rica is also in Group A at the tournament.