I only recently became interested in soccer the more my daughter has played and became interested in herself. When she switched from midfielder to goalkeeper we started watching Bayern and Germany because of Neuer.
I would have participated more in these conversations, but while I feel I understand the game, my knowledge of the players themselves is fairly limited. I enjoyed this tournament immensely.
As far as first World Cup Final...2006, I was working at IMG at the time and they played the game in the cafe for all of the athletes and campers. Watching the games with a large number of French and Italian kids and adults made watching the game far more exciting.
Not sure I ever told my 2006 World Cup story but here it goes.
I flew into Düsseldorf with my dad just before the start of the knockout rounds. I mean it was just insane the energy in that country for the tournament.
So I have family deep in the woods in Bavaria and we decided to drive from the Düsseldorf/Cologne area to the middle of these Woods, east of Frankfurt . . . .the same day as the Germany-Argentina quarterfinal.
I got familiar with the word “stau” that trip lol
So we were delayed and the game is about to start and we just get to the Woods and we find the most German little house with a tiny small bar area. We found out this was not a restaurant, but the man and wife invited us to sit on their porch and watch the game on this tiny Tv with ok reception and served us their cold beer for free LOL . . .amazing. I want to say Argentina scored first and it was 1-0.
So halftime hits and we thank the couple and we haul butt to my families house, which we weren’t 100% sure where it was lol (keep in mind I had a cell phone but no coverage and no gps and no data)
We get to the city and my aunt notices us (small town they know people who aren’t normally there) and points to her house on top the hill where there was more cold beer and a much bigger TV. Germany tied it up 1-1 and they went to extra time.
At that time we were told to hurry down the hill to the big restaurant and bar where an uncle had rented the place out and I get handed a huge Weiss beer and have prime seating for the rest of stoppage time and PKs.
Germany wins and literally the whole place went bananas and People got in their cars and start blowing there horns and driving around for the next 2 hours with the German flags up.
So then I meet this beautiful German girl and she knows I am not from there but she liked me and wanted to buy me and my cousin dinner and beers all night LOL. We ended up not spending any money all day (I bought nearly 100 euros of gas earlier and never got charged on my visa card either) and were as drunk and full as maybe I have ever been. She invited friends and it was just a good night out, I usually push hard to hit something like that but the vibe was right and she was married but wanted a night out and soft touches as her husband was “an asshole” lol so I gave her that. I ****ed up tho . . .she bought us a shot of Jaeger late and I was throwing up in the morning as I has so much beer in me to mix that **** in.
Made it home around 4 am and Then my dad and family decide to wake up at 7 a.m. to drive to Kreuzburg to drink morning beer with the monks LOL. I was sooo done and got made fun of in the process.
But it was just an epic 24 hours, one that will stick with me forever.
As a follow up, I Went back last year to Germany for the first time since 2006 and went back to that same German town and that same uncle had a 60th Birthday party that was Bayern themed as he is head of the Bayern fan club in that area.
I drunk them ALL under the table and even mixed a shot in (Schnapps not Jaeger bleh) . . .They wanted to get me drunk again but I was ready :) . . . Did not run into the girl tho lol
Good times