Jubilent Germany
I had the great fortune to be at the Olympiastadion last night to witness the home team’s victory over Argentina. First of all, my camera batteries died so I have no photos to share with you. The story will have to suffice.
The Olympiastadion itself is steeped in history. It was completed in 1936 for the infamous Games of the XI Olympiad which were managed during the Nazi rule in Germany. It was here that 110,000 people watched Jesse Owens win four gold medals, after which Adolf Hitler refused to shake his hand because he was black.
It is a handsome arena (very German) and a great place to watch football. Our seats were ridiculously close to the field (row 13 from the pitch). It was the first time that I could easily recognize players faces and see their intricate footwork up close.
The match lived up to expectations with a 1:1 tie during regulation. Roberto Ayala put in a header just at the beginning of the second half. Then it looked like Argentinia went into a defensive position to hold the lead. But Klose put the equalizer into the net at the 80th minute and the stadium erupted. Chants of “Deustchland, Deustschland” were deafening.
The die-hard Argentineans held out hope. But the home field advantage added to the momentum and no further scoring was to be seen. So we went into a penalty shootout. If you haven’t seen this, watch more Univision because it is a spectacle. The teams line up and take alternating shoots on the goal. Just one goalie and one player from the other team. This put everyone on the edge of their seats. The Germans, including star player Michael Ballack, netted four goals to only two for the South Americans. At the final save, the stadium turned into a giant party. Dancing in the stands and celebration on the field.
A victory at this level of competition can do wonders for the self-esteem of an entire country. Just ask any Greek following the 2004 Euro. I took the subway downtown and wandered around the fan park and Brandenburg Gate just to savor the celebration myself. Flags flying, people chanting and high-fiving strangers.
It is a great atmosphere here now in Germany with the home team doing so well. I’m glad to be a part of the celebration.
I had the great fortune to be at the Olympiastadion last night to witness the home team’s victory over Argentina. First of all, my camera batteries died so I have no photos to share with you. The story will have to suffice.
The Olympiastadion itself is steeped in history. It was completed in 1936 for the infamous Games of the XI Olympiad which were managed during the Nazi rule in Germany. It was here that 110,000 people watched Jesse Owens win four gold medals, after which Adolf Hitler refused to shake his hand because he was black.
It is a handsome arena (very German) and a great place to watch football. Our seats were ridiculously close to the field (row 13 from the pitch). It was the first time that I could easily recognize players faces and see their intricate footwork up close.
The match lived up to expectations with a 1:1 tie during regulation. Roberto Ayala put in a header just at the beginning of the second half. Then it looked like Argentinia went into a defensive position to hold the lead. But Klose put the equalizer into the net at the 80th minute and the stadium erupted. Chants of “Deustchland, Deustschland” were deafening.
The die-hard Argentineans held out hope. But the home field advantage added to the momentum and no further scoring was to be seen. So we went into a penalty shootout. If you haven’t seen this, watch more Univision because it is a spectacle. The teams line up and take alternating shoots on the goal. Just one goalie and one player from the other team. This put everyone on the edge of their seats. The Germans, including star player Michael Ballack, netted four goals to only two for the South Americans. At the final save, the stadium turned into a giant party. Dancing in the stands and celebration on the field.
A victory at this level of competition can do wonders for the self-esteem of an entire country. Just ask any Greek following the 2004 Euro. I took the subway downtown and wandered around the fan park and Brandenburg Gate just to savor the celebration myself. Flags flying, people chanting and high-fiving strangers.
It is a great atmosphere here now in Germany with the home team doing so well. I’m glad to be a part of the celebration.
posted by Petro at 2:32 PM
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