BERLIN – Miroslav Klose scored twice to help the World Cup host beat Ecuador 3-0 on Tuesday. The victory gave Germany the maximum nine points and first place in Group A. Lukas Podolski also scored for Germany, which last won its first three matches at a World Cup in 1970.

Even better than the prolific offense – eight goals in the first round – is a once-vulnerable defense that has not conceded a goal in two straight games.

Both teams were assured of advancing to the second round before the kickoff. Their opponents would be determined after later matches pitting England vs. Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago vs. Paraguay. Germany, a three-time World Cup winner, will play Saturday in Munich, and Ecuador will play Sunday in Stuttgart.

Klose, who now has nine World Cup goals, finished strong German pressure early in the match when he scored in the fourth minute. Klose celebrated with his trademark somersault, a gesture he says is reserved for important goals in big games.

On the second goal, captain Michael Ballack chipped a pass to the edge of the Ecuador box, Klose shook off two defenders while playing the ball off his thigh, went around Mora and coolly slotted home.

Poland 2, Costa Rica 1

HANOVER, Germany – Poland’s first 2006 World Cup victory again came too late. Bartosz Bosacki scored twice in a Group A game between two teams already eliminated from the tournament.

Poland, which lost its first two games in Germany, also won its last game at the 2002 World Cup, when it beat the United States 3-1 in South Korea after dropping its first two group games.

The winner against Costa Rica came in the 66th minute, when Bosacki rose above Paulo Wanchope to powerfully head Jacek Krzynowek’s corner kick into the goal.

Costa Rica took a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute when Ronald Gomez’s low, left-footed free kick from 19 yards got past the defensive wall and goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Bosacki tied the score in the 33rd off a corner kick by Maciej Zurawski. Costa Rica goalkeeper Jose Porras ran out in an attempt to punch the corner kick away, but he stumbled and the ball fell to Bosacki, who knocked it in the net.

AP-ES-06-20-06 1212EDT