World Cup Central
Friday June 9, 2006
BERLIN, GERMANY - What I have failed to mention to this point is the thing you are seeing on your world news coverage if you are seeing anything at all about Germany…the World Cup. As I write this, the German team is about to kick off against Costa Rica in round one of the cup. That match is being played in Munich. However, since Berlin is the site of other games, including the final next month, Berlin is hopping with activity. A continuous celebration, including live music on stage, is set up around the Brandenburg Gate. A street full of fan activities stretches down the street from the gate for the “Fan Mile.” A replica stadium seating a few thousand has been constructed by Adidas in front of the Reichstag so fans can watch the games on giant screens. Public viewing areas are located all around the city. Fans from across the globe are in town. I’ve seen fans from Mexico, the U.S., Sweden, Korea and Poland here. It is a palpable excitement that is sort of like the Final Four, only about eight times bigger.
It is amazing to be in the midst of all this, and certainly exciting. I must admit a lack of knowledge about soccer, but a great respect for the sport. This event is clearly like nothing else. The Super Bowl, World Series, Final Four nor anything else draws this kind of interest.
It is a bit disappointing, however, for my first view of the Brandenburg Gate to have been obscured by a giant soccer ball.
Germans are disappointed that it appears their star player will miss tonight’s game because of a calf strain. The captain of the team injured himself slightly earlier this week. The host team is not a favorite, but the fans here are hoping for another miracle. Germany won in 1990, capping the incredible year of the country’s reunification.