World Cup Connections

With the 2014 World Cup beginning tomorrow, I am reminded of my own World Cup experience. Eight years ago I spent the better part of June in Germany for work, which coincided with the 2006 World Cup. All of Germany had World Cup fever. Just being in Germany at the same time as the World Cup was a great experience, but my experience did not end there.

It was nearly impossible not to be drawn into the excitement. Every restaurant, bar, beer hall and hotel lobby had a brand new HDTV tuned to the action. On the day the Brits were in Nuremberg to play Trinidad and Tobago, I happened to be in town. The British fans overran the city. By mid-morning, Nuremberg's historic Hauptmarkt was packed with Brits in pre-match, drunken revelry. It was later reported that there were more Brits outside Nuremberg’s Frankenstadion than there were in the stadium for the match. I was told that there was an official list of British hooligans whose passports were confiscated to keep them from showing up in Germany for the Cup and raising too much hell. Those Brits are serious about their football.

I actually got to attend the World Cup knockout stage match between Portugal and the Netherlands in Nuremburg. When we got inside the stadium and to our seats, I was overwhelmed by the dynamic, energized feel of the stadium fueled by screaming groups of orange clad Dutch and burgundy clad Portuguese fans scattered around Frankenstadion. As I surveyed the stadium, I also noticed heavy duty fences between the sections of the stadium. I asked one of my German colleagues about the fences. He explained to me that the fences keep the visitor and home team fans separated from one another to keep riots from breaking out during hotly contested matches. I scanned our section again, noting groups of orange and burgundy clad fans sitting side by side.

The match was intense and was later nicknamed The Battle of Nuremberg. Portugal won 1-0, but not before a record number of red and yellow cards were issued. Late in the match, Portugal pushed the ball out of bounds to allow an injured Dutch player to get off the pitch. When the Netherlands brought the ball back in bounds, they kept the ball instead of passing it back to Portugal as is expected in a case like this. This sent the tension level in the stadium through the roof and because it was the World Cup those fences were not separating the fans of the two teams. It got a bit scary and I took note of the shortest route to the exit. In the end, I suppose I can thank Budweiser for being the exclusive World Cup beer vendor which kept the drinking down and the fans' tempers just in check.

While going to a World Cup elimination match was an incredible experience, my favorite World Cup experience came when I spent a weekend in Southern Bavaria’s Füssen. After a day exploring Schloss Neuschwanstein and Schloss Hohenschwangua, I went to the hotel bar for a beer and to take in some World Cup action on the HDTV. It was a small place and I ended up at a table with a mixed group of locals and tourist. I managed to make conversation with the folks at the table using the little bit of German I knew and giving them a chance to practice their English. The US was playing Italy. And, as I recall, it seemed like everyone was cheering for the USA. It was really a fun night with the US playing the Italians to a 1-1 draw.

As I look back on that night, I realize that this is what the World Cup gives us. There we sat; a group of strangers, having a few beers, communicating as best we could through language barriers, collectively cheering for team USA. And, just for a couple hours, we connected with one another. So, now it begins again as it does once every four years. For a few weeks, people around the world will focus their attention on Brazil and the World Cup. The level of play will be superb, the competition will be fierce and the end result will be a true world champion. And, many times over in bars, coffee shops, and restaurants around the world, strangers will gather to watch and cheer. And, just maybe, they too will connect.