Posted on 06/30/2006 11:08:19 PM PDT by soccer_maniac
COME ON ENGLAND
Go England!!!
I am so exited I can hardly bare it.
Four hours to go.
Cheers.
That was yesterday. Today I´m still happy and relaxed. I´m looking forward for Tuesday, when we won´t send Italy home, but give them flight tickets to Stuttgart for Saturday.
Both games today are exciting: there´s a small rivalry between Portugal and England, and Brazil wants to beat the French because of their defeat in the final 1998.
There have been a lot of football vs fussball jibes which is frankly juvenile and pedestrian.
What fascinates me is the joy and exuberance of the fans during this World Cup. The national pride and joy shown by the fans for their teams has been intoxicating.
As an American, I wonder when our jaded stadium sports fans last broke out in song and (dare I say the word ) 'gaiety' out of national pride?
When was the last time we cheered 750,000 strong in the streets for an American team?
Are we so self-absorbed that we've lost that pride which truly makes the World Cup the premier world sports event ?
I'd also say that the World Cup is the best answer yet to one-world multi-culturalism.
By the way this is the first time I've ever closely followed a World Cup - the fact that I'm seeing it over here in Europe has made me appreciate it all the more.
hehe.
I hoped you enjoyed the party yesterday.
I was very happy to see Germany stay in the tournament.
I also want you to beat Italy.
And then get crushed by England in the final :-)
BTW: I am very impressed by the show you (the Germans) have put on for the last few weeks. I cannot remember a World Cup with such an atmosphere.
The people at Norwegian TV suggested yesterday that Germany should host every world cup because it was so great :-)
Cheers.
VAI BRASIL!
Good grief. You've lost your mind. Portugal is going to send England home.
Churchill giving a speech on the eve of the England game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSNOr26ZbrQ
Quit your whinning and go have a beer.
What are you doing in Europe?? Hawaii is a great place during the entire year! :)
The World Cup is indeed a good answer to the multi-kulti ideology - peacefully united in diversity. Nobody gives up his identity but respects the pride of the others as a matter of course. The World Cup in Germany has made this feeling understandable even for the Germans, who have often enough had problems to stand behind their nation and its symbols. Germany is a normal nation, at last. No need to feel shame when your own anthem is played, but it´s a reason to rise your voice and join the choir.
Gotta love it. While I was too excited to watch the quarter final against Argentina at one of the large screens in an inner city, I will join the masses and be at such a place on Tuesday when we play Italy.
America isn´t a nation that likes crowds. And where would you go? Most inner cities aren´t charming with their modern office towers and almost no pedestrians-only zones. You´d feel lost there. So, the average American puts its US flag with no less pride at his house and cheers the victory of his team with a few invited friends. I couldn´t imagine to see him dancing/partying on the streets with strangers. That may happen in Italian neighbourhoods or so, but not in the averge town/suburb.
91% of the visitors asked in a poll whether they want to come back to Germany, recommend Germany to their friends and whether they enjoyed their stay answered with "Yes, definitely." We must have done something right. :-) That´s all we wanted: being a good host to our guests and showing that the united Germany is a friendly country. I hope everything will be fine also during the next week.
>I am still in mourning for my beloved Argentina...<
Argentina got hosed by the f-ing ref. That was a clear foul on Maxi Rodriguez in the box with about 3 minutes left to play in regulation. Should have been a penalty kick, instead they gave him a yellow for diving. I was ready to throw a glass through the tv.
> They just put away a South American football power without breaking a sweat. <
They beat Argentina because they had the ref as a 12th man. Peckeman's strategic blunder of trying to sit on a 1-0 lead didn't help matters either, nor did having to waste a sub on their goalie.
Is there a verse incuding "Deutschland Uber Alles?"
Michael, I just got back from Germany yesterday. It was great to see the wonderful, positive attitude from all of my German colleagues. Everyone is very proud of their nation.
I think it will be very difficult for any team to beat Germany in this Cup.
Change your calendar. It isn't 1939 anymore.
Rodrigues might have been fouled, but he ruined it by diving like a little ballerina.
Re: Deutschland-Song:
While the third stanza is currently used as the German National Anthem, the first stanza has since been omitted. Originally it was a call for Germans to place their allegiance in a unified Germany instead of the numerous kingdoms and principalities constituting the German Confederation. However, the lyrics "über alles in der Welt" ("above everything in the world") were abused by the Nazis during their rule and are still misinterpreted today, both within and outside of Germany, as encouraging German rule over other nations, instead of encouraging Germans to rise above petty particularism.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_songs#The_National_Anthem_of_pre-1945_Germany
You aren´t a good loser, are you? There was no penalty and no red-card during the game (but afterwards), and I can´t see a wrong decision of the ref. Germany had a 12th man, that´s right, but these were appr. 60,000 out of the 66,000 spectators in the stadium.
Thanks for that.
Very few Americans understand that it was a call to consider oneself German, rather than merely Bavarian or Prussian or Hessian etc. Only Hitler perverted the understanding of it, as he did with so many other things.
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