Football mania in Munich
- 9 Jun 06, 11:03 AM
MUNICH 鈥 There are a whole lot of very excited people in Munich.
It鈥檚 still early but the crowds in the main square, Marienplatz, are already dancing, cheering 鈥 and drinking large steins of the local brew.
A clock on a big screen is counting down to the match. Can everyone really sustain this level of fervour?
I鈥檝e seen lots of wearing face paints in their red, yellow and black, not to mention silly hats, big flags and Hawaiian-style leis in the team colours.
The Costa Ricans may be fewer in number but they seem determined to make up for it in volume. For every refrain of 鈥淒eutschland, Deutschland, Deutschland鈥 that goes up, a rival shout of 鈥淥e oe oe oe !鈥 swiftly follows.
There鈥檚 certainly no escaping the World Cup. Even the poshest shop windows are decorated in astro turf 鈥 perhaps hoping to attract the footballers鈥 wives 鈥 not to mention some soccer-playing garden gnomes in Munich鈥檚 main food market.
Some Brazilian teenagers were up bright and early to play five-a-side against local and international teams as part of the "FanFest". Could one of them be a in the making?
It may have been a friendly but judging by the shouts of their manager on the touchline (I could only go by volume, speaking no Portuguese), he was determined they were not going to let their country down.
Everyone seems in good spirits and I for one hope it lasts through the opening ceremony this afternoon, the game and the partying afterwards 鈥 whoever wins.
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This is all about the preparation of all teams ahead of the opening ceremony. Sitting in front of my computer screen I can feel the festive mood of Munich. It is really good to think that another world festival is just a few hours away. Football is the only language in the world now.
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This is all about the preparation of all teams ahead of the opening ceremony. Sitting in front of my computer screen I can feel the festive mood of Munich. It is really good to think that another world festival is just a few hours away. Football is the only language in the world now.
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Happy Germany trip Laura! Hurray for the FIFi world cup. (And the naked photos.) I think that it was not Zanzibar but the Turkish republic team that won..?! Go on the Greenland..
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At least you can celebrate as much as you like before the match. When its finished its time to think again and hope for better in the next game if the first one didnt go well. I wonder what the Costa Ricans are thinking now.
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Well me and my online girl friends have started a World Cup Sweepstake. There are eight of us, so four teams each. Being girls and not really interested in footie we are playing as ourselves and booing and geeing each other through the games. So far there has only been two games played but what fun we are having.
Each girl has to donate 拢5 to the winner outright but that money they dont keep - oh no it goes to Breakthrough Breast Cancer to help them fund research.
What a great way to have fun and raise money for a good cause.
Jackie Rudd
PS If you want to help
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