FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup 2006 A Special CVN Report –from Germany

By Jason_RC

Part 2

Those who have been following the World Cup have been witnessing a fantastic event. Amazing international teams and players are pitting their skills against each other to determine who will lay claim to being the best international team in the world for the next four years. I was there in person to experience some of wonder of it. From the moment I reached the airport to head to Germany to the time I left the atmosphere was like nothing I have ever experienced. Football mania has swept the world and it is easy to get caught up in the atmosphere and tension as the hopes of 32 nations are placed on their sporting idols.

Let me put this all into context for those who do not know that much about me. I am originally from a small country in the Caribbean called Trinidad and Tobago and have lived in the UK for most of my life. So, of course, I am attending as a T&T fan.

Trinidad and Tobago is only 5, 128 square kilometers in size with a population of 1,065,842 (July 2006 estimate.) The country is one of the most prosperous in the Caribbean thanks largely to petroleum and natural gas production and processing. Tourism, mostly in Tobago, is targeted for expansion and is growing.

Trinidad and Tobago reached the finals this year for the first time in their history. This is the smallest country to have ever qualified for the World Cup. I travelled over to support them in the knowledge that they had no chance of winning it, but wanted to cheer them on and see them put in a good performance. I was not disappointed. This article will tell you the story of Trinidad & Tobago's first World Cup game.

My hotel for the first few days was in a small town just outside Dortmund called Osnabruck. Across the country national flags from all over the world are flying from cars and houses as people get behind their chosen teams. My first day in Osnabruck coincided with the opening day of the World Cup and the host country, Germany was playing Costa Rica. Germany won the game 4:2 and the celebrations took to the streets as people partied long into the night. We went out and partied with them as the Football mania atmosphere took over and I could clearly see and feel that this tournament was going to be an unforgettable experience.

The next day was the first game I was going to see live and in person. We hopped on a train from Osnabruck to Dortmund and from the station followed the signs to the Fan Camp. A red carpet is laid out all the way from the main station to the football stadium. This incredible touch helps people find their way there. It is a 30 minute slow stroll and one that takes you through Dortmund city centre. All on a red carpet.

Trinidad and Tobago vs. Sweden was a game the Swedish were expected to win comfortably against the World Cup minnows of T&T who were celebrating reaching their first ever finals tournament in the history of the event. This was their 11th appearance at the World Cup finals. The supporters from both teams were in fine form and the party actually started hours before the game with a huge stage set up in the centre of town and a sound system blaring out the soca music of T&T for their heroic “soca warriors”. You can hear the anthem of the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors by clicking on the following URL:

http://www.toronto-lime.com/music/2006/_fighter_remix.asf .

The anthem is performed by Maximus Dan, of whom you will hear a little more about later, as he was one of the people we partied with later that week in Nuremburg.

After dancing and jumping up and down with the T&T supporters for a while, we headed in the direction of the stadium and the Fan Camp. On the way there it was clear that there were many supporters from Sweden in Germany. We walked past a square with a bar outside which had around 4000 people in the Swedish yellow and blue singing and chanting for their team as the long awaited match approached.

Everyone in the square was in party spirits-everybody we saw in town- and as we reached the fan camp next to the stadium we were able to watch another game that was taking place in Frankfurt via large screen, where England was playing Paraguay. The Fan Camps are set up near all the stadiums where World Cup games are taking place. They enable those without a ticket to watch the match and also join and soak up the atmosphere. They are also used as a meeting point for people on their way to the games and cater to thousands of people.

The Fan Camps also show the other games that are taking place in other cities so that supporters can keep up to date with other matches. The camp in Dortmund is an indoor arena and there were close to 20,000 people inside singing and cheering as they watched the Frankfurt game on screen. It was quite a sight seeing thousands of people cheering in front of a big screen for a game taking place a few hundred miles away. England won that game 1:0 to put them top of their group. It should be noted that England and Paraguay were the other two teams in the group containing Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden.

As the game on screen finished, the party mood continued. People laughed and joked and took photos while making their way to the main stadium. There were a few of us- male and female- dressed in T&T colours and waving flags. We had hundreds of photo opportunities as Swedish fans approached us asking to have their photos taken with us. And they wished us good luck.

After going through security and walking into the stadium the atmosphere was electric. We had seats in the 3rd row just behind one of the goals. The seating in Dortmund is right next to the pitch as it is one of the stadiums in Germany that does not have am athletics track circling around the outside of the field. The close proximity to the pitch made for a fantastic view and atmosphere.

Looking round the stadium I could see the T&T fans were going to be massively outnumbered. There were over 40,000 Swedish fans waving flags and cheering for their team at the game. Around 8,000 T&T fans and the 15,000 or so neutral fans, who became T&T fans for the day, helped boost support for T&T. At the world Cup the underdog usually gets the support of those citizens from neutral countries.

The atmosphere intensified even more as the players came out onto the pitch. Singing and chanting rang out across the stadium. Once the game began, the T&T supporters cheered every time their team got the ball. When they won the ball or even made a corner kick the stands would erupt in a sea of flags as they cheered their team on.

The match entered the second half with no goals scored. One of the T&T players was sent off for a foul on one of the Swedish players. With the team reduced to 10 men the pressure mounted. Then, there was a moment of amazement as an audacious T&T team countered on the break and charged towards goal. The shot hit the crossbar just in front of where I was seated. So near, yet not quite there.

Later, as the final whistle approached, the tension reached fever pitch. Could these minnows from Trinidad and Tobago do the impossible by holding on to a draw? Could they actually win their first ever World Cup point?

As the final whistle blew, that question was answered. A party in the stands erupted. The T&T fans went wild and 40,000 Swedish supporters fell silent and looked shocked. The celebratory atmosphere generated by the T&T supporters and their sheer joy at seeing their team earn a draw became contagious and soon the gracious Swedish fans were taking photos of the partying Trinidadians and joining in the party.

It took us about an hour just to get out the stadium as the supporters carried on singing along while drums and cowbells provided percussion. It was a long walk back into Dortmund city centre and the stage was in full swing as 5000 people partied the night away until the early hours of the morning.

Not bad for my very first World Cup game experience and there is lots more to come. Stay tuned to CVN for further stories from the World Cup finals 2006.

A series of photos from various games and events all over Germany will also be included in the next edition.

Here is Part 1 of this Series:

FIFA World Cup 2006 A Special CVN Report –from Germany

By Jason_RC

The Football World Cup (Soccer for those in North America who are used to their own brand of football) is now well underway. The opening game took place on 9th June and the championship match takes place on the 9th July. The World Cup takes place every 4 years and the location roams from continent to continent pitting the world's best international teams against each other. The goal is to determine what country's team will be crowned the World Champion. This time round Europe is the host nation and Germany serves as the host country.

Qualifying for the World Cup Finals this year began in 2003 with 205 countries from around the globe taking part. Teams progressed through qualifying rounds until the top 32 teams have been selected. The process will begin again in 2007. During one month of international competition in 2006, from June 9th through July 9th, this football feast will involve 736 players from 32 teams participating in 64 games at 12 stadiums around Germany. Eventually one winner will be crowned. In excess of 30 billion visits via TV, websites, and in person are expected. People from all around the globe will tune in to watch the biggest sporting event on the planet. There will be approximately five visits for every person living on the planet.

I was lucky enough to travel across to Germany to sample even some of this incredible month long event in person and will be putting together articles on my experiences for the CVN Weekly. I will also have the pleasure of flying back to experience the World Cup Final itself on the 9th of July. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am looking forward to it immensely.

Further information on the World Cup can be found on FIFA’s official website >>> http://www.fifaworldcup.com There are 8 groups of four teams at the beginning of play. The groups are designated by Letters. Group B is made up of England, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago and Paraguay. You can see the participants and standings of each group with the top two teams moving on to the round of 16. The tournament begins with games within each group to determine who moves on. If you want a feel for all of the competitors look at the preliminaries at the FIFA site. Click on http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/group/index.html for the official tournament groups to play in Germany.

Editor's note: Jason_RC is an unpaid, volunteer veteran roving reporter for Cybertown Virtual News who contributes often to our publications. We thank Jason_RC for sharing his experiences with us.