La Copa Mundial

 

In a pub in Clifden, Ireland. World Cup Final 2018

Do you watch the World Cup?

Despite having grown up in a soccer crazy country - where soccer is called Fußball, literally football, like in most countries outside the US - I'm a less than moderate fan. If I watch football (let me keep that world-wide term for this world-wide game), it's usually the women's teams. But I used to watch the World Cup, of course rooting for the German team.

The World Cup has always been a big thing in Europe. While traveling the European countries the enthusiasm for the sport was on display as well as the pride for the national team. It happenend that we were in Europe during the World Cup 2014 and 2018.

In 2014, we visited Scotland, England, Paris, Germany and Amsterdam. England was not doing well in the game, so there was some encouragement given by a bakery in York, England.

At that time, France had won the World Cup once, in 1998. I remember that day very well, because the final fell on the date of Kaefer's christening. My two godmothers, both in their seventies at that time, became restless toward the evening, when the game would start at 8:00 pm. The entire "christening group" (mainly relatives) ended up watching the game and we had a lot of fun (and I got to see a completely new and surprising side of my two aunts). 

So of course France was in World Cup mood in 2014 as well. You could buy cheap sunglasses in the colors of the nations participating in the games.

Of course Kaefer - who has always been a Fußballfan and used to play it as well - had to try on the German one.

For Nicole's Friday Face Off

Growing up in Germany, you would see the German flag at official buildings, but very seldom anywhere else. We just didn't fly the flag and mostly stayed away from any kind of "national or patriotic display". Our awful recent history prevented us from doing that. However, in 2014 for the World Cup we experienced a very different picture.

The stores were full with cheap items - the German team was doing well in the games and won the World Cup that year.

Care for some fake finger nails and eye lashes?

The Netherlands is quite football crazy as well. It was very visible all over Amsterdam.

Watching the games in pubs is a favorite passtime.

In 2018 we traveled Turkey and Ireland. Germany was not doing well in the games, and in Istanbul we were approached by Turkish people who had rooted for the German team and now expressed their disappointment and sympathy to us (you just have to love the Turkish peolpe). In Ireland we watched two games in a pub, including the final game (pictured on top) between Croatia and France. Watching it with so many other people - strangers all of them - is a lot of fun. You cheer and commiserate together. We were rooting for the Croatian team and I was surprised that almost all of the people in the pub were doing the same. Oh, what fun we had even though our team lost.

But this year? Completely different.

I'm not interested. I'm disgusted by FIFA, the exorbitant high ticket prices, the way football fans from outside the US are "milked" for every little bit (if they were lucky enough to get into the country). It was refreshing to see the German fans march through Toronto before the game against Ivory Coast (thank you Canada). I'm completely turned off by all the advertising the American people get to see on TV during the shortest "hydration breaks". And I wonder why the heck the Cup is taking place in the US when the country isn't even soccer crazy? Is it only because it can make a lot of money with it?

Then I read an article by a columnist in our local paper, who has been similarly turned off like me. He instead watches the Copa Mundial on Telemundo. So I thought "why not?" and checked into the game Colombia vs. DR Congo on Telemundo. Oh my word! While I did understand maybe 10% of what the sports reporter said - well, excitingly shouted - and thoroughly enjoyed his way of exageratingly rolling his R's, I felt the enthusiasm of the fans for the game. The game took place in Guadalajara in México, another fútbol crazy country. It was a blast! ¡bravo!

I'm still rooting for the German team, no matter how well or badly they're doing. I love my native fußballverrücktes country. And if I have time, I'll watch a game or two on Telemundo. En serio!