BERLIN, 26 June — German cities echoed to chants of “Deutschland, Deutschland” yesterday as thousands celebrated their country’s return to the soccer elite with a 1-0 victory over South Korea to reach the World Cup final.
Revelers danced and piled into streets, setting off firecrackers, blowing whistles, draping themselves in German flags and honking car horns. “We played fantastically. One chance at goal and we scored,” said one ecstatic fan, Mario Tarun, as Berlin’s central Potsdamer Platz square was transformed into a sea of black, red and gold, Germany’s national colors.
The celebrations marked collective relief after early exits from the 1994 and 1998 World Cup tournaments and an ignominious struggle to qualify for this tournament shattered the country’s status as traditional heavyweight of the game. Now Germany’s soccer world is in order again.
“Let’s face it. Together with countries like England and Brazil, Germany is one of the original football nations,” said Christian, 18, who had a German flag draped across his shoulders in the city of Frankfurt.
“Although you can’t say we played great in this tournament, we made it to the final and that’s reason enough to be happy.”
Germany, who won the title in 1954, 1974 and 1990, were matched throughout a thrilling, end-to-end game by Asia’s first representatives in the last four, who were backed by a fervent crowd of 65,000.
They face the winners of today’s semifinal between Brazil and Turkey in Sunday’s final.
On Berlin’s Kurfuerstendamm shopping avenue, traffic came to a standstill as 1,000 people waving flags blocked the road. Chanting: “Germany returns!”
Fans said the team owed its success to the skill of goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. “At least 70 percent of Germany’s success is due to Kahn,” said Florian Kay, 23, a banker on his way back to work in the financial capital Frankfurt after the game.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, an ardent football fan who stands to benefit in a September general election from any “feel good” factor emanating from German soccer success, said he would fly to Japan for the final.
“We absolutely deserved to win,” Schroeder told reporters during a Group of Eight summit meeting in Canada. “We shouldn’t raise our expectations too high, but if anyone can manage it, it’s this team.”
Schroeder’s conservative election rival, Edmund Stoiber, quickly said he too would travel to Japan. “Germany’s fighting spirit got us to the final,” said Ben Schulz, celebrating on Kurfuerstendamm.
More S. Korean smiles
than tears after loss
South Koreans kept on singing and smiling even after their team’s remarkable World Cup adventure ended in a 1-0 defeat by Germany in yesterday’s semifinal.
After a pause of perhaps two minutes following the final whistle, sustained and spectacular fireworks erupted and fizzed over central Seoul, where more than one million people had congregated to watch the match on giant screens.
Fans, most in team-color red T-shirts, chanted “Dae Han Min Guk” (Republic of Korea) and danced to thumping music before singing the national anthem while highlights from the team’s games flashed on screens at the main Kwanghwamoon intersection.
Forty-five minutes after the match ended and people began drifting home or to cafes, the high-spirited fans who captivated the world with their infectious cheering were philosophical.
“Sometimes, it’s OK to lose. I’m really glad that we’ve come this far,” said Seoul housewife Ang Sung-sook, 51, one of some seven million people out on the streets across the country for one of the biggest parties Asia has seen.
“We did very well. We are still the best team in Asia,” said jewelry designer Kim Se-jin, summing up the predominant mixed mood of disappointment and pride on the streets.
