My time here at the World Cup is coming to an end, but before I head home, I wanted to tell you about the last live game I attended.
After the US-Ghana game, we headed (dejectedly, to be totally honest) back to Pretoria, the judicial capitol of South Africa, where we stayed with friends. The next morning, still feeling bummed about the game but starting to rebound, we drove to Bloemfontein to see the Germany-England second round game. It’s totally crazy that this match-up was happening in the Round of 16…in the past, these teams would have met in a semifinal or championship game! They both have such amazing soccer cultures, and their supporters ranked as some of the most experienced, passionate, and talented (at least vocally) that I met throughout the tournament. The English fans draped the tiers of the stadium in flags and sang nearly nonstop throughout the whole game, and the Germans cheered and blew vuvuzelas for 90 minutes…no joke.
Fans at the Germany-England game
Both teams looked good, but the Germans ended up running away with things. I’m not here to question reffing decisions, though I do think it would have been a different game if England’s 2nd goal in the first half had been counted (I was sitting behind the goal on that side, and it certainly looked like it crossed the line to me!). The Germans were SO excited and I think will be very competitive in their quarterfinal game. The English went home very disappointed, and I know that the media back in England are having a field day analyzing team’s results.
Watching these two teams of professionals play, through the highs and lows of scoring, questionable ref decisions, and an uneven final result, reminded me of the time I spend with our SCORES kids here in the States, albeit at a completely different level. All players have to deal with games that don’t go their way, with officials who see things differently, and with final scores that may be difficult to stomach. We spend a lot of time helping our young people identify ways to use soccer as a outlet, and to turn all of the different parts of the game into learning experiences. Learning how to lose with grace, though hard, is essential to success in life, and it was gratifying to see how a group of elite athletes could do this in an incredibly disappointing situation.
Now that all of the Round of 16 games are over, I think that the quarterfinals are going to be absolutely amazing. The teams left in the tournament are brilliant, to say the least.
Pregame festivities at the England-Germany game
I hope you’ll be able to join your local SCORES sites for the last two weeks of the tournament!
Best,
Caitlin
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