RIYADH, 6 July 2006 — Scores of German nationals left the German Embassy here early yesterday morning disappointed and saddened at their national team’s defeat by Italy.
The cheering crowds who had filled the specified hall designated by the German Embassy for the special football match were hopeful that they would reach the final match this year.
The hall was already packed with viewers before the match began as the embassy extended its invitation to several Arab dignitaries and members of the media.
Both national teams had something in common. They are both three time champions seeking their fourth victory in the World Cup. Watching the German national team play in the German Embassy with so many German fans was as close as it got to the real thing in the stadium.
The local fans shouted whenever the referee did not whistle a foul whenever a German team player fell down, held their heads in amazement whenever a good pass was not taken advantage of before the opponent’s goal, and even complained that the Italians were play-acting whenever they fell down in the pitch. “They were faking their injuries.
I do not see how a fallen player can get up and run normally just as soon as the referee signals there was no foul,” said one German national watching the match.
However, as all eyes were glued to the large picture projected on the wall, there was much tension and anticipation in the air.
Germans who know their football history well realized that this was not going to be an easy match, particularly against Italy, a team which they had still not beaten in the World Cup. It was as if the Germans were looking for the magical wand to unbreak a long curse set on their team by the Italians.
“We had never beaten Italy for as long as I can remember,” said Thorsten Lau, a German engineer working in Riyadh. “But we are hopeful,” he added, watching his national team play in the embassy. The fans “oohed” when they saw striker Miroslav Klose stretching the legs of an Italian player who fell down on the pitch. But many of the local German fans were not clapping for him or for Michael Ballack and the other big names in the team.
They were cheering the man who saved them from Argentina in the quarter finals in the penalty shooutout, German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
“He is the true star of the team,” said one of the cheering local fans before the end of the game. Germany’s goalkeeper protected his goal from several Italian shots, leaping and jumping beyond his reach sometimes.
However, with less than two minutes remaining in the second half of additional time, a left foot drive by Fabio Grosso stunned the Germans. The nail in the coffin came one minute later by Alessandro Del Piero at the final minute. It was all over for Germany.
Italy kept their record clean against Germany in the World Cup for the fifth time.
And the Italian curse goes on until they meet again. “I am too upset to talk right now. I need to sleep on it till tomorrow,” said a German national in the capital after seeing the match in the embassy.
