Soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany Started

Today started the biggest Sport event in the world which is watched by more people than the Olympic Games.

Four years ago did I receive some good meant comments from friendly fellow Americans, who reminded me, that the Superball is not this time of the year. The rest simply ignored me having no clue what I was talking about.

But this year is everything a bit different. The fact that the American National Team beat first Mexico and then almost Germany, two "soccer nations", the Information that they were making it as far as the Quarter Finals eventually got around in a Nation that considers Soccer a sport for Girls (The Women Soccer Team was always one of the Top Teams in the World).

Back then when the US kicked Mexico out of the play-offs and moved up to the quarter finals took nobody notice, While the US Team had the success of their Life did the general US population (excluding the Latinos) watch the re-run of an old Seinfeld episode. Comments on the Day after reached from "I am not buying anything" to "That explains why the Mexican/American made such a long face today.".

Now it's 2006 Time for another World Cup (every 4 years), this time being held in Germany, the country I was born and grew up in. I was amazed, that Americans began to mention that the soccer world cup is going to start in Germany soon.

Today on Friday 6/9/06 was the opening match and the nation that was until now as far advanced in Soccer Culture as the Pacific Island/Kingdom of Tonga in the development of High Speed Railway Trains.

The match was between the host of the Cup, Germany and Costa Rica and was played at the capital of the Independent State of Bavaria, Munich; the location which became with it's annual Oktoberfest the synonym for Germany and German Culture.

Germany won 4:2 which was not a surprise since Germany is one of the Favorites for the Title. Germany lost against Brazil at the 2002 World Cup Final. Germany won the title 3 times already only topped by Brazil who won 5 times.

Germany won the 1954, 1974 and 1990 World Cups. The World Cup Title in 1990 was a blessing for Germany.

The Berlin Wall fell less than 1 year earlier and the German reunion was only a few month away. For the few weeks of the Cup and the ecstasy of joy that followed the Winning of the Title reaching its peak when east and west Germany were united again on October 3rd, after 45 years of separation, a true feeling of unity was felt across the nation which was unfortunately not going to last much longer after.

The separation is felt to this day,socially and economically. Remember, the reunion was almost 16 years ago. There is the hope, that this world cup in Germany might can accomplish what years of political work failed to accomplish. The true feeling of unity again.

I left Germany over 7 years ago and are living for 6 years in the US now.

I will share my favors between the German National Team of course and the US National Team which is considered again a strong contender.I hope that I will be able to enjoy several games together with American Friends this time and not only with my European and Mexican/American friends. I will remain neutral if the US and Mexico should clash again, but be on Germany's side whenever they will meet the US or Mexico in a peaceful duel.

FIFA Soccer World Cup 2006 / Germany - Start June,9th (Munich) - Final July, 9th (Berlin)

If you want to learn more about Germany and the Soccer World Cup, visit the following resources.

Germany.Info - Info and Resource Website, Email Newsletter and Podcast in English Language provided by the German Embassy to the United States of America. The Podcast features currently short mini videos introducing the individual National Teams.

M4V World Cup 2006 Intro
M4V Video for Team USA

Visit the Homepage of the International Football Association (FIFA) or Fifa World Cup Homepage. The 2006 Soccer World Cup is sponsored by Yahoo!

For further reading check the Wikipedia entry about the History of the German National Football (soccer) Team

Let's scream together this year: Toooooooor ... or .... Goooooooooal!