Going Deutsch, Football Style

SOCCER FEVER GOES DEUTSCH
By: Akshay A. Kalbag
Once every four years, football fans get the opportunity to either throng the stadia or sit glued to their television sets and catch all the action and excitement that is associated with every match of the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament–the pinnacle of international footballing glory.
This summer, ardent aficionados of the ‘beautiful game’–as football is, rather ironically, nicknamed–will focus their attention on the 32 nations that will vie for top honours as they compete for the title of world champions and passionately follow each country’s campaign at the World Cup finals.
Come June 9, three–time world champions Germany will play host to football’s premier competition, which they last hosted 32 years ago. Incidentally, Germany also won the World Cup in 1974, beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the final at Munich. The Germans also trounced Hungary 3-2 at Berne, Switzerland in 1954 and defeated Argentina by one goal to nil at Rome, Italy in 1990. For the record, Germany has also ended up on the losing side on as many occasions as they have emerged victorious. They were runners–up to England by two goals to the hosts’ four at Wembley, England in 1966, lost by one goal to the Italians’ three at Madrid, Spain in 1982 and suffered defeat at the hands of Argentina by two goals to the South American nation’s three at Mexico City, Mexico in 1986.
While the Germans would obviously like to exploit the home advantage to the fullest and clinch the trophy for the fourth time in eighteen editions of the soccer extravaganza, defending champions Brazil would be hoping that their flair would help them samba into the finals, defend their title successfully and emerge triumphant for the sixth time. The Brazilians won the 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002 editions of the World Cup. Other previous winners include Uruguay (in 1930 and 1950), Italy (in 1934, 1938 and 1982), England (in 1966), Argentina (in 1978 and 1986) and France (in 1998).
A month of nail–biting soccer is on the cards! Football fanatics will be eager to know who eventually takes home the glittering Cup. The current German squad will be looking forward to follow in the footsteps of their greats such as Franz Beckenbauer (also known as ‘the Kaiser’), Juergen Klinsmann and Lothar Matthaeus. As for the present Brazilian outfit, it remains to be seen if the boots of two of their legendary icons, Pele and Romario, prove to be too big for their star players, including Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Ronaldinho, to fill, or they achieve their goals easily.
The question on every football fan’s mind at this point is: which country will witness scenes of wild celebrations after what promises to be an exciting month–long feast for every soccer fan–one of the European or South American nations (which have traditionally been the football powerhouses) or one of the others? Come July 2006, we will have the answer. Till then, the most passionate soccer supporters of the world will be gripped by football fever and their cups of joy will overflow!