So this period of the World Cup has gone by extremely fast. It's already time for incredibly unpredictable semifinals.
1. Ghana should be there; I was so upset when they didn't make it. It seemed like they gave up in Penalty Kicks. What a disappointing way for Africa to go. Well, I guess at least they made it this far.
2. Good for Uruguay to be the only South American team to make it through to the Semis when we thought that 2 others would, and when all 5 went past the Group Stage.
3. Oh my god, Germany and Netherlands! Two of my favorite teams. What games you played!
In this post, I would like to discuss the joy of watching Germany get to the Semifinals amongst a big crowd. Since watching Estudiantes de la Plata in La Plata, Argentina, this was the first time I viewed true football passion in a year.
There are always reasonably large crowds (for Geneva) to watch teams play the World Cup outside the Geneve-Servette Hockey Club stadium in Vernets. It's a huge TV screen, much like the set up in many other cities around the world, with tents walling off the venue, selling latin themed food and drink. With the Rolex building casting its shadow onto the stadium, it's like a Genevois football paradise.
But the best part, the reason you are there, are the people. Understand, it was hot for Geneva, like almost 90 degrees, with that amplified by the blacktop. It was like Summer Marching Band again, except with more people and less coordinated movement. In any case, it was worth the sweat, because we (me and a group of interns from the ILO, some of whom were German) were right in between a cluster of German fans and Argentinian fans. Understand, who I was supporting yesterday was a difficult decision, but even though I was in Argentina for a month, I had been loyal to Deutschland for 4 years before that. So, I put on my Klose jersey and went to town.
The people were great. Songs on both sides, but I had to be unilateral on deciding which ones to sing. It's okay, because Germany had a lot, and we got explanations from Christoph, a german ILO intern. It was great discussing with people the technicalities of the game while still being fans with such fervor. That is what I wanted. And, at halftime, I saw a certain spirit of communal brotherhood. I went and joined a juggling circle with some people clearly labelled as German supporters and others who were for Argentina. Despite this we were passing the ball around to each other like we were all friends. It was the cooperation that I wanted proof of all along, and I got it finally.
4 goals to nil. I felt bad for Argentina, specifically for Messi, for having so many wonderful shots but no goals. But I was so proud of Germany for playing so efficient, for playing a style close to the Dutch Total Football of the '70s. All 4 goals were well deserved and well executed.
Klose got 2, and I was jubilant. I have been pushing for him this entire tournament; he is old, maybe out of shape compared to the rest of the team. But he has stuck with it the longest and has been modest about his work. There's nothing I could admire more.
After the game, the celebrations were amazing. We all ducked down to the ground to do a "Give me an A" sort of routine in the pit of Deutschland fans. And then we rose to dance around for about 5 minutes. It was exhilarating. And then, going out on European streets (obviously to a lesser degree than in Germany, but a good dose) and seeing truckloads of German supporters driving by and honking. It was great. It was European Football. My experience of it came to a climax yesterday. And I loved it.
One person said that "god waited for us to win to rain". Because right after we got out of the match, it started pouring. Destiny and fate still exist, my friends. It all just depends on whether you want to view them with having real possibility in our world. I just saw that as destiny.
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