Everyone agrees: it's already a classic. Germany and Argentina, the top-scoring sides at this year's World Cup, in relieving us of these two days of soccer deprivation, are sure to serve up drama, suspense, shrapnel, fireworks, you name it...Hmm, the last time a match received this much hype (Argentina-Netherlands) it turned out to be very snooze-worthy indeed. But that's not stopping the Associated Press from proclaiming, "It would have been a classic World Cup final." It also didn't stop German legend Franz Beckenbauer from proclaiming: "It's a shame... In terms of potential, this could easily be a final." Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann, who the media refer to endearingly as "California Klinsi," echoes his side's verve, saying, "We are full of energy and enthusiasm, we are very confident, although we have great respect for Argentina. It's one of the best teams in the world. We will go in with total aggression and total passion and we'll see how Argentina reacts." It's an interesting battle tactically, because Germany hold a distinct height advantage over the Argentines. Argentina should expect an aerial assault and should be particularly cautious on set pieces. Germany, meanwhile, will have to watch out for Juan Ramon Riquelme, Javier Saviola and Lionel Messi's ability to deliver killer passessomething Costa Rica exploited in Germany's first game.

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