SHANGHAI, Sept. 11 -- GERMANY trounced Argentina 11-0 with a record-setting victory in the opening game of the women's World Cup in Shanghai yesterday, sending a message it is a serious about defending the title it won four years ago.

The margin of victory was the largest in the women's World Cup, and the goals were the most by a single team.

Veteran forwards Birgit Prinz and Sandra Smisek combined for six goals - three each - as the Germans dominated every part of the game over their smaller opponents.

Prinz, playing in her 165th game for Germany, scored with a thumping header, knocked in a loose ball at the far post, and then slipped a glancing header past Argentine goalkeeper Vanina Correa.

The last was Prinz's 12th overall in the World Cup finals, surpassing the previous German record of 11 by Bettina Wiegmann.

Smisek, who has played nearly 120 times for Germany, scored a second-half hat trick.

With Germany's midfield in complete control, the Germans were able to knock balls over the Argentine back wall and also attack down the wings for a 5-0 lead at halftime.

Prinz scored twice in the first half for Germany, which also got a lucky first goal in the 12th minute when Correa punched a corner kick from Melanie Behringer into her own goal.

The other first half goals for Germany, which beat Sweden in extra time of the final four years ago, came from forward Kerstin Garefrekes and midfielder Melanie Behringer.

The second half started the same way for Germany, with veteran midfielder Renate Lingor jumping on a poor clearance at the edge of the area to loop it over Correa into the far corner.

Smisek then took over, seizing on errors in the Argentine defense. Her partner up front, Prinz, also scored once in the second half. Correa also mishandled another corner kick in the last minute of play for Germany's 11 goal.

Argentina was without suspended Catalina Perez and also lost the services of midfielder Mariela Coronel on the eve of the tournament because of a knee injury.

The huge win was a strong message to the other favored teams in the tournament, especially United States, which is ranked No. 1 in the world, one spot ahead of the Germans. The Americans open against the "mysterious" North Koreans in their Group B fixture today.

Only a few US players have faced Asia's top team and FIFA's No. 5-ranked side. And that was four years ago - when the Americans won 3-0 - in the last World Cup. In the only other game between the two, the US also won 3-0 in the 1999 World Cup.

"No one has seen them play, so it's very easy for the reputation to keep growing and growing and growing about how good they are," defender Kate Markgraf said. "That has to be based on something."

The other Group A opener today will be Japan against England.

The teams, which have never faced each other in the World Cup, are both led by star midfielders, Kelly Smith of England and Homare Sawa of Japan.

The 16-team tournament is spread around five cities in China with the final back in Shanghai on September 30.