SALVADOR, Brazil -- Thomas Muller scored a hat trick as Germany turned on its style and power to rout 10-man Portugal 4-0 in their World Cup Group G opener on Monday. Muller, who scored five goals in the 2010 World Cup, was ruthless against a weak Portugal team that was clearly outplayed despite the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. "To score three goals in the World Cup opener against such an opponent is great," Muller said. With Chancellor Angela Merkel supporting in the stands, the German team celebrated its 100th World Cup match with a rousing victory that was virtually assured by halftime. "After 20 minutes, we looked up at the clock and thought it was going to be a long day," Muller said. "But we got into the match very well and when you lead by 2-0 in this heat and then even get the third, it was all over." Germany always aims to have an impressive start and it certainly did this time. Four years ago, it started with a 4-0 win over Australia and reached the semifinals. What must be worrying for Germanys opponents is the apparent ease with which Joachim Loews lineup disposed of the fourth-ranked team in the world. Germany next faces Ghana on June 21 and the United States on June 26. Germany coach Joachim Loew said his team implemented his game plan very well, winning the ball in midfield and then quickly attacking. Muller scored either side of Mats Hummels headed goal as Germany took a 3-0 lead at the break, and added his third goal in the 81st. Ronaldo started at Arena Fonte Nova after overcoming a knee injury. He faded after threatening early in the match, including a shot from a break that Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could only block, but there was nobody from Portugal to pounce on the rebound. "We lost the game already in the first half," Portugal coach Paulo Bento said. "We couldnt come back in the second. Germany played very well, we couldnt do anything." Portugal was already 2-0 down before Pepe was red carded in the 37th minute for apparently head-butting Muller when the German player was sitting on the ground. Pepe had stuck his hand into Muellers face and the German went down. "I got hit but after that I am not really sure what happened," Muller said. It was Mueller who opened the scoring in the 12th minute after Mario Goetze had been pulled down by Joao Pereira in the box, coolly slotting the penalty kick into the right corner of Rui Patricios goal. "Ive been in some big matches before, so its not like I was afraid," Muller said. Hummels had risen above Pepe to double Germanys lead with a well-timed header from a corner in the 32nd, and Muller extended the buffer just before the break when he stripped the ball from Bruno Alves and drilled in a low shot. The Bayern Munich forward completed the rout late in the second half, poking in from close range after Patricio had fumbled a low cross from substitute Andre Schuerrle. He said the margin should have been bigger. "We should have used some of our chances better," Muller said, adding that it was hard to play in midday heat and humidity. Portugals chances were limited. Ronaldo fired a powerful free kick late in the match but Neuer punched it away. Portugal also lost big striker Hugo Almeida to an injury. He was replaced by Eder in the 28th. Fabio Coentrao injured a groin muscle and was helped off the field in 65th, to be replaced by Andre Almeida. Hummels then limped off the field with a right-knee injury, giving substitute defender Shkodran Mustafi his second cap. Germany could have scored more goals after the break but Mario Goetze and Mesut Ozil wasted good chances. In the second Group D match later Monday, the United States was playing Ghana at Natal. Stitched Penguins Jerseys . Nathan Beaulieu, Tomas Jurco, Danick Gauthier and Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist each as the Sea Dogs extended the longest streak in the Canadian Hockey League this season. Penguins Jerseys 2019 . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ . Old times for a defence that has looked just plain old recently? "No," safety Ryan Clark said. "We used to be much better than that. Wholesale Penguins Jerseys .C. -- Authorities say the brother of Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White has been shot and killed outside a South Carolina nightclub. Fake Penguins Jerseys .com) - The Oakland Athletics needed to rely on a lot of young pitchers to win an American League West title this season.INDIANAPOLIS -- San Antonio is steamrolling its way into the playoffs. Indiana cant even figure out whats wrong. And a game that might have been billed as an NBA Finals preview just a week or two ago demonstrated just how wide the disparity is now. Tony Parker scored 22 points, Boris Diaw added 14 and the Spurs broke the franchise record with their 18th consecutive victory, 103-77 over the Pacers on Monday night. "Great streak right now, this was a good win for us tonight," Tim Duncan said. "To continue the streak, all that is good. Well worry about a couple of things, staying healthy, finishing the season strong and hopefully going into the playoffs with the confidence were playing with now." It seems nothing can derail the Spurs (58-16) right now. On a night Duncan went 3 of 10 from the field and Manu Ginobili managed only six points and two assists in 16 minutes, San Antonios Big Three added one more line to its already impressive resume by breaking the franchise record on the 18th anniversary of the only previous 17-game winning streak in Spurs history. This was not just another win. About 75 minutes before tip-off, the Spurs blunt-speaking coach, Gregg Popovich, told reporters that sometimes when a team wins a lot, it just needs to get "slapped." Popovichs players followed a different tack -- taking control early, fending off every challenge along the way and wrapping it up late. The result: San Antonio handed the Pacers their worst home loss of the season and dropped them percentage points behind Miami for the Eastern Conferences top seed. "I think hell be happy if we lose anytime soon," Parker said of Popovich. "Im pretty sure because hes going to rest like half of the team." The loss was a devastating blow to the Pacers (52-23), who have made no secret of their desire to get home-court advantage in the East and had a seemingly safe three-game lead after beating Miami at home last Wednesday. But the Pacers have lost three straight, finished March with an 8-9 record and with the lowest scoring average of any team in the league. They have lost five of six overall and seem to be in full panic mode with seven games left in the regular season. "Its awful, weve been in a downward spiral and weve been splintering a liittle bit," Roy Hibbert said.dddddddddddd "Weve had plenty of players-only meetings and plenty of sit-downs as a team with coaches and weve had some upper management in here, so I dont know. Maybe we should all go to group therapy or something, sit down with Dr. (Chris) Carr and figure out some of our grievances." Carr is the teams performance psychologist. Whatever the problem, these are not the same Pacers who have led the East from opening night through the end of March. Indiana fans, who have seen their team go an NBA-best 33-5 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season, let them know they didnt like it by booing briefly throughout the game, most extensively when coach Frank Vogel conceded the loss by sitting his starters for the final 3:37. Paul George scored 16 points. Hibbert and Lance Stephenson each finished with 15, but the Pacers were outrebounded 15-7 on the offensive glass and were beaten 42-28 on second-chance points. "Their togetherness really showed, thats where they beat us," George said. "That was a team thats all together playing as one, the team that we were to start the year." The Spurs put Indiana in a 13-5 hole, then used a 15-0 run to take a 32-15 lead early in the second quarter, forcing Indiana to play catch-up. The Pacers never got closer than seven. Indiana did have a few bursts. Lance Stephenson provided some spunk with a one-handed dunk, a steal and a driving layup in a 39-second span of the second quarter to get the Pacers within 37-26. But Parker hit a 20-footer, Ginobili made 1 of 2 free throws and Parker drove in for a layup to rebuild the lead, which was 48-35 at halftime When George scored four in a row to finally get the Pacers within single digits at 59-50, Parkers layup during a 5-0 spurt helped San Antonio make it 64-50. And when Indiana got as close as seven early in the fourth, the Spurs pulled away. "Its hard to explain," Parker said when asked about the Pacers collapse. "Everybody goes through this. Im not worried about them. Theyll still make it to the Eastern Conference finals and theyll still play Miami." Notes: The 26-point margin also matched Indianas worst loss of the season, at Houston on March 7. ... Indiana has lost six straight home games to San Antonio. ' ' '