The German Road to Glory

Dear fellas, here’s my very first blog entry. It’s about a country’s Mannschaft, that fell apart, got their act together, fell apart again, got their act together again and so on. The question is: Are we again falling apart or are we finally getting our act together?

Sometimes it really sucks being a fan of this team. As Bob mentioned in an entry before, that team ain’t the old juggernaut. The sheer will and forcing your luck made them triple WC and Euro champs. The German team was supposedly Rocky, who had lost the eye of the tiger after 1996. 2002 was only a dramatic comedy the football gods set up to piss us off. Thinking we can dare to win it, Kahn blew it blundering. With him being the only reason we got there in the first place. Now, hold your tongues and listen to what I’m soothsaying:

This’ll be it. Germany opens the tournament with a 1:0 against the Ticos, very late goal by Podolski. The media is spilling hatred all over Klinsmann. Next game. Germany is drawing 1:1 against Poland in Dortmund, and a serious number of fans pooped their pants (Hey, this rhymes!) because that draw can be considered as a very lucky one. A header by Ballack in the 78th minute was the equalizer. The media spills even more hatred over Klinsmann. The Germans are not going anywhere, they didn’t even start the tournament in their heads, to be honest. And the final 2:0 against Ecuador in the last group stage game makes them coming in at the second spot. Round of the last 16 game against group B winner England. Full stop. German fans are already choking.

This will be the breaking point, the do-or-die. If Germany will overcome this English squad, they will march on to win the World Cup. And Germany starts well, takes the lead with a free-kick by Schweinsteiger. England equalizes in the early second half, Lampard hits it low. The game is over, extra time it is, ladies and gentlemen. Friedrich can’t stop Gerrard, he stumbles and falls – penalty for England in the 114th minute. Friedrich is being red-carded by the ref and sent off. Beckham steps up and chips it right into the midnight sky of Stuttgart. The over-time is done without any goal giving a team the edge. A penalty shootout must decide who can keep their dreams alive.

The stadium announcer puts in a CD – it’s the “Eye of the tiger”. And NO, the fans didn’t vow for Hasselhoff. 3 kick-takers have no trouble with putting it behind the goalies. Beckham undoubtedly hits the net and makes the 4:3 (And pigs are flying thru the skies - that’s not gonna happen, too). Ballack can hold the draw, 4:4. Lampard is denied by the hands of Kahn. Metzelder steps up, hits the post, the ball flips back on the head of James, and it is…. it is…. IIIIIIIIINNNNNNN. What drama we’ve seen here. The English, inconsolably sad of what just happened, turn their backs to the field. Again on penalties, again against those Germans, again going home while having one of the most talented teams by far. Kahn is calmly recognizing the success, but tells his fellow countrymates to shut up and concentrate on the next game while he has a couple of them in a stranglehold.

They lived on happily ever after, and if anybody is following my success story for Germany glory, I will provide you up with the quarterfinal.