Here is the second article about the World Cup that I wrote for Natural Selections, "A Newsletter of the Rockefeller University Community". Photo is of me at the Sweden v. Paraguay match at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
I was fortunate enough to have been able to attend three matches in Germany. The Sweden v. Paraguay match in Berlin’s renovated Olympic Stadium was a sight to behold with upwards of 60,000 yellow-clad and partying Swedes who rejoiced into the wee hours following Ljungberg’s injury time winner. The Paraguayans were buoyed by their enthusiastic though severely outnumbered supporters.
Next up, it was USA v. Italy at the Fritz Walter Stadium in Kaiserslautern where the atmosphere was electric. K-town, as Kaiserslautern is known to US military personnel, and its surroundings are populated by more than 30,000 Americans as the massive Ramstein Air Base is nearby. As such, the American presence was strong at the match and helped the US earn a valuable point while playing with sheer grit and determination against a tentative Italian side. That said, heart alone is not enough if you want success on the soccer pitch, and the US lads will have to, as we say over here, raise their game if they want to compete for a trophy in future World Cups.
Finally, on to Nürnberg where sentimental favorites Ghana received generous support from the locals in their 2-1 victory against the US. Unlike the US v. Italy match where I was seated amongst thousands of Americans, in Nürnberg, I found myself in a “neutral” section made up of mostly Germans who opted to support Ghana.