Day 5 – playing with the Germans

Heads up, I’m just posting these as I have time and in whatever order I feel like. If you’re hoping for up-to-the-minute scores, check out FIFA’s website. Lunched with Nina’s family, had the white asparagus so popular here for the first time. It was really good and made my piss smell different that regular asparagus. Then off to Lasser’s for sone BBQ with some friends and to watch Germany play Ecuador. Both teams were going through and Germany dominated, so the game wasn’t very exciting.

After the game I got to play some soccer with Tobi and Lasser’s club team, a semi-final match. They didn’t have enough jerseys so I was honored to sport the German national jersey, the only one out. We all enjoyed the irony, especially as it was suggested that I not talk since there would be no Americans in this league.

I was astonished that the turf we were to play on was a red clay. Just touching it took skin. We went up 1-0 in the first half and held it through the game, which was played largely in the center of the field. I mostly played defense but got 5-10 minutes at forward in which I beat the keeper (too intent on pushing me out of the way to go for the ball) on a corner for a header off the crossbar. Also a nice turning cross, returned just a step ahead of me…oh, so close! Overall, I think I did pretty well for an American.

After the game we sang….fee-nahl-uh—oh-ay-oh from time to time and had some beers. It seems that German fields all have locker rooms with showers and such for both teams. We don’t even get toilets in the US at most fields.

And then back to Lasser’s to watch England v Sweden, and exciting game. Though both teams were almost certainly through (a drastic upset by Trinidad & Tobago could put them through in some outcomes), they were yet to determine who plays Germany and who gets Ecuador in the next round.

The game ended a tie with solid play from both sides, and some really nice goals. Rooney looked pissed after he was pulled, thogh they didn’t show his face when his replacement scored.