Are You Following Germany To The World Cup?
In just a few weeks, the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa will begin.
The German national team is meeting now to prepare, and millions of Germans and foreigners are watching these preparations closely. How well will Germany do at the games?
Traditionally, Germany turns in a great performance at the World Cup games. We have won the tournament three times, behind only Brazil and Italy. In the last 14 World Cups, we have always made the quarterfinals, won the most vice-champions, and it looks good for us this year, too.
Currently, Germany is ranked 5th overall. We’re a part of Group D, along with Serbia, Australia, and Ghana. Tickets for the matches still don’t sell that fast, but the Germany vs. Ghana match sold out back in March. To watch live, you will now have to try and find a secondary dealer for tickets, likely at a very inflated price.
Fortunately, the games will be broadcast on international television, and you can be sure that it will be no mystery when the games are on in Germany! World Cup watch parties and “Public Viewing” are popular in Germany, and local beer halls frequently have special events related to broadcasts.
After hosting the World Cup games in 2006, Germans have been even bigger supporters of the games. If you are traveling through Germany between June 11th and July 11th, expect to see us all in our jerseys on game days and to hear endless discussions of the matches.
Don’t be surprised at all the other gossip that is discussed, either. Not all of the drama is on the field! For example, because the coach of the German national team, Joachim Löw, has a contract expiration date near the date of the games, there has been a great deal of speculation about his next move. Mesut Ozil, one of the star players, is also a big topic of discussion.
Whether you like to watch the games or simply talk about them, I encourage you to follow Germany’s progress through the 2010 World Cup tournament. You can get the latest news about the team and their group on the Germany Team page on fifa.com or in any German publication with a sports section!
—Marcus
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3 Responses to “Are You Following Germany To The World Cup?”
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I was waiting for a flight to Ecuador in Miami when a huge crowd gathered near my gate. They weren’t waiting for my flight – they were craning to see the only screen in the terminal playing the Spain vs. Germany match! By the time I boarded, there must have been 300 people standing there trying to see. Germany’s World Cup performance really does have global appeal . . . and fortunately I boarded before the match ended badly for Germany.
A team that presents such an embarrassing performance in a World Cup semi-final match rightly deserves to not be in the final.
We’ll have to see how they do in this match with Uraguay . . . my bar in Ecuador is 50 – 50 on whether they will do well or not with the players out sick. Should be fun to watch and looking forward to it!