so much so that it's already been worth the long flight over. The best part about this is that we have several more days still ahead of us.
An hour after arriving in Frankfurt, Cat and I were checked in, showered, and decked out in our England gear. We had intentionally scheduled our arrival for a few hours before kick-off of the England-Paraguay match in Frankfurt on the outside chance that we'd get tickets for the game. Although we hadn't gotten those tickets and therefore wouldn't witness it in person, we still planned to mark our arrival in Germany by watching Cat's beloved English team square off against Paraguay.
A mere five-minute walk from our hotel was a full street festival teeming with activity and Englishmen. Food, beer, and confidence ran freely amongst the England supporters, who strode the streets around the main train station in red and white swarms. Every few minutes, some enterprising individual started up a song and was quickly joined by scores of other Englishmen around. Cat and I took in the scene for a while but determined that we'd have a much more enjoyable viewing experience at Frankfurt's Fan Fest near the Main River than jammed into a sidewalk pub. We had read that the World Cup organizers had installed a giant TV screen over the Main River from which spectators on both banks could view matches, so this was our destination. Because the viewing areas for the screen on the river were full by the time we arrived an hour before kick-off, we found places near a second large screen on the bank of the Main.
Fan Fest was indeed a fantastic scene, full of spirited English supporters (still singing) and a smattering of brave Paraguay fans. As the sound system pumped out the singing of the fans in the stadium, the crowd at the Main, miles away from the ground, picked up the songs as well. When England tallied early in the game off of David Beckham's free kick, the crowd exploded with excitement. Despite the uninspiring play during the remainder of the match, the English fans were, if anything, even more jubilant after the game than they had been before it.
We returned to our hotel in time to catch the second half of Trinidad & Tobago vs. Sweden on TV. When Cornell Glen entered the game, the German commentator stated that he played for the Los Angeles Galaxy. I could not venture any guesses as to what else he may have said, but shortly after that, Cornell's shot rattled the crossbar and gave the Swedes a scare.
Cat's cousin and some of his friends had attended the England-Paraguay match, so after T&T vs. Sweden ended in a scoreless draw, Cat and I headed back out to the river to meet up with them. As at Fan Fest earlier in the day, the river was a scene of great celebration and camaraderie. We sat on benches and chatted about soccer. This is another great joy of being here: everyone I have met knows about soccer and is happy to discuss any team, player, stadium, rule, or other aspect of the sport, even if he or she doesn't speak the same language.
This trip has already created some incredible memories for me: a frenzied crowd of England supporters dancing and singing in the spray from a fire hose...the chatty "Samba Scouser," a Liverpool kit-wearing Brazilian guy who professed his love for the Reds to anyone who would listen... crowds of people strolling the river promenade in clusters of their national colors...the cheerful proprietors of a Korean grocery standing in front of their stores offering passers-by samples of snacks and waving small Korean flags.
All this already, and we haven't yet set foot in a stadium. I can only imagine the atmosphere we'll find when we attend our first match on June 12 (USA-CZE), so stay tuned for another message from Germany after I return (triumphantly, I hope) from Gelsenkirchen.
Lisa Rollins is Manager of Customer Service for the Los Angeles Galaxy. She is a lifelong soccer fan and has worked for the Galaxy since September 2004, but Germany 2006 is her first World Cup as a both a spectator and as a reporter. Rollins is contributing journals of her World Cup experience from a fan's perspective. Questions and comments to the RollieReport are always encouraged. Contact Lisa at: therolliereport@yahoo.com.
Rollins brought no fewer than six jerseys and five soccer scarves for her trip to the World Cup. This does not seem like nearly enough.
