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During the third place match, the German crowd booed and heckled Xtiano Ronaldo's every touch, obviously for his 'diving antics' throughout the tournament.

And who is the manager of Germany and national flavour of the month? - Jurgen Klinsman!!! Need I say more.

What a joyless and possibly begrudging entry in this otherwise excellent blog.

This World Cup was held on German soil and nobody expected us to do so well, so we have every reason to be cheerful.

I agree, the celebrations could be kind of mounting pressure on Klinsmann, but he is his own man and he's resisted any pressure on him from the German FA and Bayern Munich and so I think nothing can pressurise him into doing anything he doesn't want to do.

How would England react to their national team finishing third?
(Oh well, the media would probably slag them off for not getting to the final and 'doing England proud'.)

And Ronaldo certainly hasn't been jeered throughout the match. That simply isn't true.

"But you couldn't help but feel they were going a little over the top for a victory in an almost meaningless game."

See it like this:if people wouldn´t even had used the game for some good partying to say goodbye to their team(s) and especially to the world cup as a whole it would have even be more useless.
A game that gives a good time to hundreds of thousands of people (one million in Berlin´s fanmile alone) can´t be that useless in the end. It also helps the finalists, as all the fans whose teams came close (the semi-finalists) can lay aside their possible grudges and choose a side to cheer on in the final.
But I can´t really decide this time which blue side I´m going to stand for...;o)

There was simply a need to celebrate the finish of this tournament for the Germans. The Mannschaft made a far better appearance than anybody over here would have expected and these 3rd place celebrations were jus a way to say thank you. In Germany, this World Cup has become a big high summer party and every good party needs a positive climax, so we simply couldn't let celebrations of this tournament end with a defeat against Italy. Of course, the 3rd place match is nearly meaningless but it gave Germany the opportunity to have another party.

As for C. Ronaldo: I believe the criticism against him went way over the top, after all he is still a young player. For the sake of the Portuguese team it would still be good if he concentrated on his football skills and became a less egoistic player. Maybe it is a difference in football culture - but his show-off of tricks without any benefit for the team and his constant tries to be the centre of attention weren't much appreciated by the German spectators (not to speak of the English, of course).

Let's hope for a great final tonight. May Zidane get the farewell he deserves.

But you couldn't help but feel they were going a little over the top for a victory in an almost meaningless game.

Meaningless? It was great entertainment. It was good football and, most important, it was the closure of the tournament for a team and trainer staff who worked their way up from chaos to become the third best team in the world. A team which deserved to be called a team, and not just an expensive collection of divas.

At the moment the team is saying a big "thank you" to the fans on the "Fan Meile" in Berlin, "singing" songs with some pop groups. Compare that to the despressive way the English were greated when comming home. So much for not letting your team down when they don't win.

Dear Martin, thanks for your regular and felicitous comments and views. As a German reader I really enjoyed looking at "World Cup life" from a guest's perspective.

Yesterday's Berlin party though had a different taste to me, possibly one that required some 20 or 30 years of living in Germany to discover.

It was the first time that Germans celebrated themselves as a unified, peaceful and respected -if not loved- people. And the stunning thing is, as you observed very well: For hardly any cause. The cheering and dancing wasn't about victory or third place. That merely sparked it. All the laughter and singing was about laughing and singing, having learnt that Germans or their teams don't always need to be first to allow for genuine joy and self-confidence.

It's hard to predict how much of that will stay after today's final, when everyday life will reign again. But I will always remember that last night, when for the first time in my life "being German" gained a meaning. And one I was boundlessly happy with.

I have been following this blog over the weeks now, really enjoying to read about your experiences and musings, but I have never actually contributed anything.

However, after reading this article, I feel the need to set something straight. I believe what you don't really understand (well, how could you?) is, how it feels for a German at this time. Being German myself, I think that many of my countrymen for the first time really experience what it is like to love one's own country and to be accepted by others at the same time.

When I spoke to Germans in the years before whenever the subject came up, I mostly got the same reaction: If we show pride in our country we will always get comments from the others (other countries, that is). And paired with this there has always been a feeling of "they can do whatever they want and be proud of their country and we always have to be careful", witch often had a very defiant sound to it.

I have spent some time abroad, read a lot of foreign press and talk to many foreigners a lot and to me it mostly seems that Germans are suffering of paranoia when it comes to this. The impression I got was that most people from other countries would like for the Germans to show some more confidence in their country instead of the constant scepticism. When I told Germans of my experiences, they never really understood that.

Well, to get to the point: this year we have received so much praise as hosts, as a nation, that we feel this was a real team effort of us all. I am not a real football fan and I have not been to one of the big fan miles, but strangely, even I feel like I am part of this.

It all sounds very pathetic, I know, but maybe you should look at it in this way: We are beginning to come to terms with ourselves, and the national football team is a perfect mirror to us:

- We did not expect much of them at first, just as we did not really like the way the World Cup preparations were proceeding. Sure, we wanted the world cup in Germany, but the thinigs that happenend in those last months really chilled us down a bit.

- Just as the German team has often being accused of playing affective, though not very beautiful football, we have had the impression that the world sees us as thorough, but not cordial.

I could go on with that list, but it all comes down to this: Many of these expactations on the team, the tournament and us as hosts have been proven wrong. We are in fact celebrating ourselves. The national team may be our figurehead but really we feel like we all did it. We feel like we have overcome our worries about this and rose up just like our national team. This is not just fan support for the team. It is a giant mutual backslapping.

Also we have discovered, as "Der Spiegel" wrote today in its daily online column about the feeling in Germany, that it is not always that important to win and it does not have to be a real victory as long as it feels like one. We are just content with ourself at the moment.

And considering all the terrible tax raises that our chancellor has imposed on us while the nation was in ecstasy we should enjoy it for as long as possible, before dull everyday life catches up with us again.

Didn't hear any booing.
Also, Ricco, the Germans would have celebrated anyway, no matter if they had won or not.

>>..couldn't help but feel they were going a little over the top for a victory in an almost meaningless game.

Common ..thats a joke ..have you ever
been in sports an won a price ? ..than
you know what 3rd place means ..it got
also it's own color and an extra place
on the podesk. you're simply a winner
out of the three best ....so long ..
chris/hamburg

There is another site (just click my name), which has collected almost 100.000 votes for Klinsmann within a few days.

Maybe 3rd place is not as "meaningless" as you consider it to be? I remember enough comments on the German team sounding like "you could write them off but since it is Germany, you never know".

So, is there really any surprise we are more then happy with the performance of our team?

To Ayala: Ronaldo deserved what he got. Nice dives yesterday again. If Ronaldo should ever achieve what Klinsmann did in his carreer, you might compare those too. Yet he is just another youngster, who lacks of almost anything what makes a great player. It is a long way to become Figo's successor.

I agree with my countrymates from Germany.
To me it also was more a celebration for our world cup (that changed so many things in Germany you just can't believe it...) and the new love to our country than just "the 3rd place".
I also hope that we, the german people, keep what we achieved in the past weeks.
There will be uncomfortable things to come like the taxes, and so on....
but patriotism for me is not the love to the government, but the love to our people, our country, for the good things between the alps and the sea.
The german flag is much more than a football-fan-item.
And I hope the people keep the good vibe throughout whatever may come!

Wir sind ein Team!

As a German living in London I was pleased to hear all the support from England fans for Germany against Portugal last night. And not only for the obvious reason, England's defeat last Saturday. England played well, and I was gutted then, though I had dreaded the prospect of them meeting Germany at any point. But early on I was convinced this wouldn't happen, as Germany would be out of the match quite early on. Now I am glad that Germany played such good games throughout the match and enjoyed the 'meaningless' playoff against Portugal last night, as did many English people I know. A couple of days I still gladly supported Italy for the finals last night, but after hearing Italian comments to their win over Germany on Tuesday, like'it is great to win against the host in the host-nation' and 'it was our destiny (to win)' , I suddenly find myself rooting for France. In the meantime I am glad that Germany have been such great losers and not let their meaningless third place dampen their spirit.

Martin, as you can already see from the other German's entries, you're quite wrong with your statement about getting over the top with celebrating a "meaningless" game. For the host country this wasn't meaningless, because it a) gave the tournament a nice end from our perspective and b) the team could say thank you to their fans by playing a great game. And in case you just watched the celebrations of the German team in Berlin, you'll realize how important this was.
To Ajala (#1): Well, you (or actually better he) might want to think about WHY they were booing him. And yes, Klinsmann was diving too during his career, but at one point he changed it (after fans in England booed him too). So let's hope C.R. learns for this experience. But you might also have noticed that when Figo was getting on the field the same German crowd gave him a warm welcome and cheered for him, because this was his last game. And I'm actually glad that he could show his class when he prepared the goal for Portugal.

I just want to underline what Lutz wrote. I couldn´t explain it better. In short I would say: Germans have finally found themselves during these four weeks and it felt good. This is the new thing about it. For the English and others this is normal, for us, it is almost a revolution.

Ricco, just an idea: maybe the English team would play better, if England fans could celebrate a 3rd place too?

Last night's celebrations were as meaningless as all that Union Jack waving is at the birthdays of your German born royal family, as meaningless as that poppy flower wearing of yours, etc. etc. After a fantastic tournament with fantastic atmosphere and fantastic performance of your team we wanted and needed to celebrate all of that. Then again, how are English people supposed to know how it feels ending 1st, 2nd or 3rd at a World Cup?... So just join the party, enjoy yourselves!

To me that was World Cup! It's over now and it was a great success for our guests and ourselves. I won't even watch tonite's formal final as I couldn't care less who wins. I will find out later tonite thru the media anyway...

I strongly disagree the third place game was meaningless.

It was the perfect way for the squad to say thank you to the fans for their endless support and, likewise, it was the perfect opportunity for the fans to thank the team for their inspiring performance that made this WC an event all of us will remember for a very long time.

The last four weeks was an amazing time where all of us were happy to welcome fans from all over the world to celebrate a great party. Yesterday's match was our emotional climax of a happening we're all very proud of.

It's only meaningless if you think it's meaningless. The match against Italy hurt the Germans. It was important to not let down after this. In 2004 our team was miserable, they'd given up before they went into the match against the Czech. Yesterday they won against Portugal, this was important.

I'm quite happy that there was another match, to get out this frustration after the semis. And hey 3 goals, a fantastic Basti Schweinsteiger and Oliver Kahn - what's nt to like?

Well, what do you mean with "meaningless game"? Of course it was not the final, but to be 3rd in the world, better than Argentina, Brasil, Netherlands, England, Spain and Portugal, well that from my point of view is worth a big party! I was out there and the celebration, the cheering was incredible and moreso the feeling that it is not a "no no" anymore to be proud of your colours, well that only germans can understand :-)
And if that false verdict of FIFA to bann Frings from one game which was started by an Italian TV Station wouldn have taken place, who knows what would have been possible ...
Needless to say that for the first time in my life a will be a supporter for France! Alez les bleus :-))

Oh just forgot... 7 matches, 6 wins and 3rd playe

I think it's an impressive record.

Without knowing the source I could have identified this blog entry as being from the UK....

This game was far from meaningless, just ask the trainers who will have to face the Germans during the EU Qualifications starting in a few months! The players could have showed much less enthusiasum in such an "almost meaningless game", but proved instead that they have developed into a real team that can hold it's collective head up and will be a force to reckon with in the coming years!

I just want to completely agree with the german fans here on this blog who have put martin firmly in his place."Meaningless" shows a lack of understanding as to what was actually happening, but i think you're forgiven , martin, because of the generally excellent nature of this blog! Redemption is what i think has happened to germany and germans,events in the past have been definately laid to rest and germany (and the rest of the world) can now move on. congratulations to all of you!

I feel sorry for the both of you that that long party will be over tonight. If I were in your place, I would feel it out of place to celebrate the end of something so fine as a paid four week holiday with invitations to a lot of celebrations.

But: cheer up, Ricco, it will sure be fine to come back to merry old england and thats the real reason for all those enthusiastic germans: Being glad that you two great fellows will have the joy of coming home soon!

Thanks for having been around, enjoying the time and telling it to other people, thanks, Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú for financing.

A very different thoght:
C. Ronaldo and W Rooney plus some others are very young guys carrying the hopes of millions of people.
This is something much older men (and women) have failed in doing.
So, don´t be to harsh in judging boys who might just have left school when they do not live up to the expectations some media have put on their sholders.

Maybe this is one thing Klinsmann was very successful in doing: Taking responsibility as a senior, giving the younger ones an oppotunity to show and find out what they´re able and giving the credits to the team as whole.

Lastly, to my english friends:
How does it feel if one player who was not very shining in the tournament so far knocked three goals back Ricardo from the field when four strikers hit only once from the point?

Referees fault againn?
Or some bad actor´s?

So thanks for having been here, come back and are welcome at friends! Some of then have their own kind of humor, but don´t forget, they´re germans, so, what would a decent person expect.

Michael

"it just left you wondering what would have happened if they had actually won."

Exactly the same, I´d say. I´ve never understood what a great game football is, but this team inspired me.
And if you root for your team, you stand by them in victory or defeat.
And there were so many things to celebrate. The great guests, the wonderful football, the passion, the spirit and the peacful nature. In short, the WC as a whole.
Topped with a decent third place, the icing of the cake, so to speak.

Fletch didn`t want germany to lift the cup so that we wouldn´t get additional bragging rights, we wanted to celebrate our Team.
So we both got what we wanted, didn´t we? Can´t think of a better reason to party, I´d say.

"Meaningless Game" ...Martin come one.
Some call Football in general a meaningless game and they are in the same way right and wrong like that small final game is meaningless.

It all depends who is looking on that and for all teams playing that small final it never was totally meaningless.

Yes playing for the third place is for certain not so gloryious like playing for the first place but ...we really learned these days that you don't have to end up every time first to be proud and happy about what you achieved.
Something Germany didn't understood for many years so don't start doing the same mistake.

And for the booing and whistling of from Ronaldo there were quite a few England and Netherland Fans in the Stadium as well.

But I agree that this is whistling against a team or player the whole time is just stupid.

Warewell Figo and Kahn.

Greetings from Hamburg.

I must admit I haven't fully read the article as I usually get bored with its one way criticism.

However, I usually come here to read what other users have to say.

I think it is very understandable why Germany celebrates the third place, as I is more about the tournament and the pride of being german that I believe already existed in the last WC, but this time was probably the first time it was openly accepted by the rest of the world (too late anyway..).

Regarding the match I believe Portugal was attacking very well and was better until the first goal (or first two I should say). However you could see that the Portuguese defence was weak all game around. I think that happened because the subs are not as good as the 1st choices and because the midfield was not so supportive as in previous matches.

In addition, I can say I am happy to see that the Portuguese national team is also being received back at home with cheers and joys for the tournament.

Not all teams can say the same, even the ones 'that have been eliminated because of the lack of fair play of the opponents and not because of their lack of performance'..

I know many of you won't agree, but I am proud of our team (Portugal) despite some diving situations.

So, enjoy the final today, good luck for both teams. I think I will support Italy today, but just because I have more Italian friends than French..

Hope to see (some of) you in 2008!

"Ricco, just an idea: maybe the English team would play better, if England fans could celebrate a 3rd place too?"

I think you are on to something. When expectations and reality have a gap inbetween them, it's all or nothing. England wanted the title, all they got was nothing. Why should a 3rd Place than be worth something?

Congratulations to Portugal. Let's not forget, it was a big success for this little country, too. Even a 4th playe is something to like, you see?

From all the comments above I can tell now that last night's game was obviously not meaningless - not for the German fans anyway.

I understand the need for some release after witnessing the euphoric build-up to the semi-final which then ended in such disappointment - all that bottled up passion waiting to explode but it never came.

So last night was a replacement for that, and i certainly don't begrudge the Germans their celebrations - you have been fantastic hosts, you team has played the most adventurous football of the tournament and it's bonded the nation together.

As much as I must understand how this tournament has affected what it is to be German, you must understand what it is to be a bitter Englishman.

I sat there with my English colleagues and scoffed about celebrating third - as if we've had anything like that to celebrate recently.

In football terms this tournament could not have been any more different for Germany and England - we had real high hopes and never once looked like fulfilling them where as Germany thought they were just playing for pride and found themselves as real potential winners.

You deserve to be proud of yourselves and deserve your party - and it's not the third place that is the achievement, it's having Die Welt zu Gast bei Freunden in such a spectacularly succesful fashion.

This summer in Germany and with the German fans will remain in our hearts forever. It was out of this world. It was wunderbar!

Vor dem spiel ist nach dem spiel - the next match is never meaningless, IHMO, it's always the most important match in football, there's always something to be learnt, something to be gained, providing the team approaches it with a positive attitude, and both teams did that and benefited from it.

Congratulations to Deutchland, the world cup was fantastic, You have so much to be truely proud about with your country.

P.S. - I'm English, but I'm seriously thinking about supporting Germany from now on - afterall, I'm not just English, I'm European, and Germany have all the qualities that I respect and appreciate in a good European football team.

I can only wholeheartedly agree with the tenor of the comments. I can't really contribute anything new, I just want to get back to the supposed 'meaninglessness' of the match. In a way, I am nearly glad it came as it did because it is a nicer final accent to celebrate 3rd place than to crash out in the final again. Also, it was a fantastic opportunity for Kahn to shine for the last time, and it was also great to see all the other players on the pitch who had only been on the bench so far. One important fact that seems to have eluded most ist that Germany won this match WITHOUT Ballack. I am not disputing his pivotal role in the team at all but I still remember the preview of the World Cup in the Independent, assessing the German team as Michael Ballack plus 10 others.
The German team has also won something that might be classed as more important than a trophy, namely the hearts of their nation. I for one am looking forward to major competitions in the coming years to see how this team progresses.
And finally, I would like to say that I was very disappointed with the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú pundits' commentary at half-time. Again, they called it a meaningless game, "can't wait for it to be over so I can go and get some sleep", "such a relief when the referee blew the whistle", "the most non-sensical match in football history" - forgive me but this does offend me on several levels. First of all, I am German. Secondly, I used to take part in competitive sports, and I kept all my bronze medals just like the silvers and golds because they DO mean something. Thirdly, I don't pay the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú tv licence to have to listen to such unprofessional and disrespectful remarks. If they hated it so much, they should have stayed at their hotels, but without pay. It would have been more enjoyable for many viewers.

Martin

Nothing in life is meaningless. It depends what you make of it.
The game last night night showed from both sides that winning 3rd place meant something unlike in previous worldcups.

It also proved that people can be very postive and satisfied with a minor trophy such as 3rd Place. It has given the supporters a chance to see their teams again after the heartbreak of conceding in the Semifinal.

Football is not only about Finals and who wins, more so it is a form of entertainment. I much rather rather watch an entertaining Small final then 120 minutes of boring football in a final match, as we seen so many times before.

Hence, Thank you Germany and thank you Portugal for giving it a try last night. Lets hope the Italians and French will be as positive.

I think it's unfair to say they went over the top, you know it wasn't so much the victory they were celebrating as it was the final game for Germany at what has been for them a great World Cup, one that has left the German people with a sense of pride and admiration in how well they have run it and how much we have all enjoyed it.

I can only wholeheartedly agree with the tenor of the comments. I can't really contribute anything new, I just want to get back to the supposed 'meaninglessness' of the match. In a way, I am nearly glad it came as it did because it is a nicer final accent to celebrate 3rd place than to crash out in the final again. Also, it was a fantastic opportunity for Kahn to shine for the last time, and it was also great to see all the other players on the pitch who had only been on the bench so far. One important fact that seems to have eluded most ist that Germany won this match WITHOUT Ballack. I am not disputing his pivotal role in the team at all but I still remember the preview of the World Cup in the Independent, assessing the German team as Michael Ballack plus 10 others.
The German team has also won something that might be classed as more important than a trophy, namely the hearts of their nation. I for one am looking forward to major competitions in the coming years to see how this team progresses.
And finally, I would like to say that I was very disappointed with the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú pundits' commentary at half-time. Again, they called it a meaningless game, "can't wait for it to be over so I can go and get some sleep", "such a relief when the referee blew the whistle", "the most non-sensical match in football history" - forgive me but this does offend me on several levels. First of all, I am German. Secondly, I used to take part in competitive sports, and I kept all my bronze medals just like the silvers and golds because they DO mean something. Thirdly, I don't pay the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú tv licence to have to listen to such unprofessional and disrespectful remarks. If they hated it so much, they should have stayed at their hotels, but without pay. It would have been more enjoyable for many viewers.

Hy Ricco, thanks for your comment!

I think England has now a great chance for a new beginning. Okay, "McClaren" doesn't sound like a "new beginning", but it has something to happen and I hope it will happen.

I hoped Germany and England would meet in the final. They didn't, but now they have 4 years to recollect. Klinsmann had only 2 years, starting from ground zero... England can do it, I'm sure!

Heads up English fans! :)

Martin,

yes, you are partly right. German journalists took it with a pinch of salt and gave this "meaningless" game funny names like "little final" and referred to the Germany team as "the world champions of the hearts". But there's also a popular German saying: "Man muss die Feste feiern wie sie fallen." (one must make hay when the sun shines) and this was - in combination with the giant "farewell party" this afternoon in Berlin - the right opportunity for a nice and placable end. So even if the Italians should win the cup tonight, there will be no negative oder aggressive mood, I assume.

Alez les Bleus, anyhow!

Again...meaningless?

I'm pretty sure that other teams (like England, Argentina, Brazil, Spain) would've loved to play to be among the three best teams of the world.

Ricco, I see from your comment that you got the idea. After all, it is not so uncommon to you English: I was once at a game of an English 3rd dvision team that had missed to be promoted the week before. They won their last game (3-0, if I recall it correctly) and had a great celebration. The reason they made up was the best post-season place in the last 20 years. I was bewildered that they were partying even though they just missed promotion - but now I think I understand it a bit better.

I can't believe that this World Cup is over tonight, it was so much fun to have this party here - together with all of you - in the last weeks. I really think - or at least I hope - that this World Cup has done a lot for cultural understanding. Just to give you an example: There was an interview with a German right-wing politician in "Spiegel". He complained that "everybody who could speak enough German to buy one could wave the German flag nowadays." It's always good to see fascists moaning...

Germany deserved their party last night - your country has a lot to be proud of with this WC! As an England fan, I never thought I would be happy to support the German team but (regardless of the fact you were playing Portugal), I think your team have been wonderful from the beginning and I would have loved to see Germany in the final tonight. Hope Klinsman stays!

Hi.
Does anyone know where I can see some footage of the celebrations? I didn't see it on TV last night, so I want to see "over the top" celebrations, although thanks for retracting the 'meaningless' statement. And thanks for good blog,... it was good to hear what others, specially other nations think/have to say on the WC (although from all i can tell, England overreacted to Ronaldo, but oh well).
Cheers

I felt very sorry for the English when they once again dropped out in the quarter final of a major tournament.

I have friends in England and was happy to experience English football passion when your sqad beat Argentina in a thrilling match four years ago. Since then I know how much footballs means to the English & have been keeping my fingers crossed for your sqad many times.

Somehow it seems English football has been sentenced to endless pain by a higher power since the last victory in 1966. Like a recurring Greek tragedy, England fails to deliver and gets disappointed every two years.

Then again, I think England's too expectant every time. Anything but lifting the trophy is deemed failure although there're many strong teams one has to beat first. Winning the WC or the Euro is nothing you can actually plan because there're too many different factors involved. Yet it seems England's only option...

Maybe England's sqad will progress further than QF stage when the country realises reaching the QF is already a great success many other nations dream about in vain?

As a confirmed, proud Englishman I would like to say a BIG Thank You to the German people for providing the spectacle they have in the World Cup. I was overjoyed when the German team took 3rd place. If it had been England, I would have been ecstatic.

My dream international match is always England v Germany, because it usually provides some of the best international football action you can get, regardless of who wins. ('though preferably England, obviously!)

I am very happy that the German people put on such a good show for the rest of the world, and that they feel They have aslo been given a deserved opportunity to celebrate their new identity as a country. Well done, my friends. (Hopefully, England will meet you again face-to-face in a competitive match soon and together show the rest of the world what football is about!)

WOW!!!

What a World Cup!

A full four weeks long party has now come to an end with a spectacular party at the Brandenburg Gate today (sorry France/Italy - your party will start later on)!

I really cannot remember that a 3rd placed team had received a better celebration than today!

This championship was so full of emotions, passion and excitement - even better than during those reunification days!

I'm sure all our guests will now travel home with unforgettable memories of the greatest party on Earth!

Though coming out on 3rd place, we still feel like the "sensed" World Champions Of Hearts! Unbelievable! And it's not only for this 3rd place, which really isn't that important. It's much more about what can be achieved if you are committed and stand together!

So, now i will sit down, relax and watch the final tonight - and hopefully I won't forget these four weeks of joy for all my life! Life can be fun ;-)

'54, '74, '90 - 2010 !!!

Good luck and see you in 2008 in Austria & Switzerland and 2010 in South Africa!

Auf Wiedersehen, world -
danke, Jungs!

I also don't see the game for third place as meaningless. If you look at it like that then the only meaningful game is the final as that is the only game to produce the eventual winner.

Last night provided the focus for the offical climax of four weeks of celebration in Germany. There was a great atmosphere and millions celebrated. Nothing wrong with that.

Not being a German I've been lucky enough to have been living here for the last four weeks and being able to savour the incredible atmosphere. Lets hope it finishes tonight with a match to remember.

I have to disagree with the blog's observation that the Germans "were going a little over the top for a victory in an almost meaningless game". First of all, I've seen British fans celebrate exhuberantly on much smaller occasions. More importantly, this World Cup already has a clear winner before the final is even played: The Germans have shown the world that they not only brew good beer, inhabit a beautiful country and cultivate good soccer, but that they can also be wonderful hosts, stage a terrific party --- and enjoy themselves at the same time. The images of this new Germany will leave a lasting impression that is much more important than the identity of the eventual winner. And I'm grateful to and happy for them,
Pete

Totally agree with Pete. Germany have been brilliant hosts, they deserve 3rd place and I wish them all the best for the future. Their fans made me feel welcome in this beautiful country. They have the right to celebrate, the Germans deserve it.
Well done!

Portuguese team recieved a huge welcoming party at their arrival today.

Glad the Germans are happy, and we are too. Theres nothing anyone can say to put down everyones feelings here. It too bad some people attempt do give the opposite idea. I guess those are the ones to be miserably sad untill next Tournament.

And Scolari will be here untill then.

Cheers!

@#41: Hi Leen!
Found only one short on the internet and only in German, if that helps.
Cheers!
Georg

Dear Martin,

Thanks for setting up your blog. Has always been an excellent read, funny, controversial and moving. Has hopefully opened up up peoples' minds from wherever they are. And I am f**** jealous that I had to watch the whole thing on tele and could not join it in the party at home... Good that you enjoyed it.
Greetings from Derby

Dear Martin,

Thanks for setting up your blog. Has always been an excellent read, funny, controversial and moving. Has hopefully opened up up peoples' minds from wherever they are. And I am bloody jealous that I had to watch the whole thing on tele and could not join it in the party at home... Good that you enjoyed it.
Greetings from Derby

"Meaningless"? Very far from it, but I think only germans can understand what happend with our country in the last four weeks. I just can strongly underline what Tobias wrote, it´s a revolution, probably the most peaceful the world have ever seen.

Thanks Franz, thanks Jürgen, thanks to our team, thanks to that blog, thanks to all for given us back our national identity we missed such a long time.

Hopefully we are able to prove that we deserve that invaluable gift.

Greetings from Hamburg that beams with pride in black, red and gold.

Germany had every reason to celebrate last night. I am sure a lot of us English enjoyed it as well because of the parties involved and the final result. Germany felt they had an ordinary team which wouldnt go far and this game was a celebration of their 'over' achievement. I hope McClaren can instill the same spirit, dropping those players who were there for commercial interests only.

@ zetuga, Pilotasso
It´s great to hear, that you give your team a cheerful welcome. They have done great.
I agree with you zetuga, the game was much more on an even level than the outcome suggests. Oliver Khan was in great shape and saved our neck more than once.
And both teams were playing with zeal. It`s great to see that both teams didn´t let the halvefinal losses go to theire nerves but showed great spirit.
But what I loved most were the portugal fans, still cheering their team after the end of the game. That´s a picture I will remember as true sportsmanship.
As for the bantering you got for Ronaldos diving: Hope he stops it. It´s easier to feel joy with you over your accomplishments, if there are no controversial issues tarnishing the picture.
Well done, good luck for 2008 and beyond.

Bloggers #6 & #7: Excellent analysis. Thank you for providing an explanation for this ‘phenomenon.’ You hit the nail right on the head. A number of other entries were also well written.

I can’t help but think that Ricco’s ‘over the top’ statement is an intentional provocation to create dialogue. With one brief sentence he has created a rhetorical firestorm...

Given the context, this game was far from meaningless. As others have said it represented a signing off from the German team following a fine and unexpected performance.

The entire tournament has engineered a sea change in Germany - it is now up to people to keep this spirit flowing once the tournament ends. It is great to be able to wave a flag again without fear of recrimination. Following on a point Markus in a previous post said, it is indeed very nice to see these DVU and NPD muppets squirm - they talk about German guilt suppressing our ability to wave the flag and show pride in the country, but when this does finally happen we get some sour comment laced with the same old anti-foreigner sentiment. It shows how hollow their political agenda really is.

We have a great country, a great football team, and great and welcoming people. And a great chancellor in Angie Merkel! Could you have seen that pompous clown Schroeder celebrating like that?

'54, '74, '90, 2010!!!

I agree with all of you who said it wasn't a meaningless game, for either team. Of course I would be happier if Portugal had won, but well, we had fun! And I finally got to see Nuno Gomes play and score!!!

I really enjoyed watching our reception of the Portuguese team this morning (yep, wasn't there, but I'm not from Lisbon so I had to welcome them back from my living room, LOL!). And boy, did they have fun!

I think we were perfectly happy with the 4th place because we hadn't reach this far in a WC since the Magricos/Eusebio team in 1966 and also because we wanted to give Figo the best farewell party we could ;)

I'm also really happy that the Germans were finally able to be proud of their country without feeling guilty and of course to celebrate a well-deserved 3rd place ;) And Angela Merkel's enthusiasm was really contagious, she looked like she was having so much fun (throught the whole tournament, not just yesterday)!

Danke Deutschland (this is as far my German goes, I'm afraid) for a great WC and see you guys in 2008 for the EC ;)

@#41: Hi Leen!

Here a from the ZDF studio directly after the 3rd place match.

And a longer one from the goodbye party for the German team at noon at the Berlin Fan Mile.

I very much enjoyed reading your blog here (and the rest of the Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú site), not only because its fun, but also because I thought:
If the english say the german team played well, then it really must have been good :-).
I am glad you enjoyed your stay here. If you ever come to Germany again and would like to visit the romantic Rhine valley (starting in my home town Bonn), send me an email.
I would be delighted to guide you through this historic and beautiful city.

I just came across a picture from you showing a railway station display the result of the game Germany-Argentina.
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/19923492@N00/178718434/in/pool-fletchandricco/)
I wanted to tell you it is usual here to show the results of ALL the worldcup games to keep the passengers informed, so, no, no showing off ;-).

Come home safely and greet england from me. I would have loved to see them continue in the tournament, but bad luck again. (There will be a day when a penalty shoot-out is WON by england, someday.;-)

Absolutely NOT meaningless - firstly comparing it to the actual final it was a better game, if not the best game of the tournament!

And the Germans deserved a last hurrah after this incredible month where they have exceeded all expectations!

If it were up to me, I'd go back to Germany again in 4 years' time...

...if reports from South Africa are true, we just might.

Hi guys,

I read your blog over the last weeks again and again and have to say, well done.

Your little grudging in this entry here is forgiven ;)

I really hope England can get its team together until 2008. You have the players, now get a real coach :)

Greetings from Germany!

Marco

Reports that predict the quality and success of a World Cup four years away can’t have much substance.

I think that the South Africans have a lot of work ahead of them but I am positive that they will host an excellent World Cup in 2010. Financial resources seem not to be an issue, their determination is going to be inspiring, and I believe hosting the world will contribute to unifying that country even more.

Should South Africa ask, I’m sure Germany, Japan/Korea, France, The United States, and others will be happy to share their experiences.

Awarding ‘2010’ to South Africa was a fantastic decision by FIFA.

C. Ronaldo and Podolski

Since so many people have commented and criticized C. Ronaldo and all that he (and from this blog it seems that only he) has done, been guilty of doing and so on and so forth, I am wondering where is the questioning or criticizing of Podolski in the 3rd/4th place match? Or is it common practice to shake the referee's hand halfway through the 1st half precisely when a yellow card and a free kick is being granted to his team? Maybe it's just fantastic manners?!

Perhaps the media in Europe is only concerned with villainizing C. Ronaldo. And what does Fifa think? lets see...

"Ronaldo was favourite for the prize but his antics in the quarter-final against England cost him the chance to win.

Holger Osieck, head of the Fifa technical study group that picked the winner, said: "We want to have decent behaviour and I admit we were critical of this."

Interesting, they are critical of decent behavior? Perhaps they and the European media didn't think much of a player shaking the refs hand during a match...let alone during a call. As a European living in New York who has followed European football my whole life, maybe it's something that happens a lot more than I am used to seeing and that's why it was just dismissed? Or maybe it didn't matter any longer since the decision had been made and "decent behaviour" was no longer being looked for? I mean C. Ronaldo is such a terrible villain for defending what had happened to his teammate when a bull came charging and stepped on his cojones. And please don't start with the, but Rooney is his teammate and his actions were that of treason because NO, during the World Cup, Rooney is NOT his teammate! Unless he's playing for Portugal and I didn't know it? Had the tables been turned, Rooney would have done the same thing, you know it, I know it and everybody who watched knows it. Imagine what would have happened if C. Ronaldo had shaken the refs hand after the Rooney call?

As for me, this World Cup turned out great as Italy were the victorious one. Viva Italia! Amore dal Livorno!

Dear Livorno,
Ronaldo vs Podolski?
How about: Thanks for a great Worldcup and a good time, congratulations to all of you!...instead of :As for me, this World Cup turned out great as Italy were the victorious one. Viva Italia!

Thats the difference.
Cheers

Hi.
Thanks #49 georgm and #58 Martin Stock. 'Twas good to see, and truly, the fans were amazing (although last night, the Italians weren't bad either... luckily I was supporting the right team this time).
Thanks, and no matter what others say, what a great World Cup, and what a way to end it all!
Cheers

Dear Thomas,

I think that had whomever you were rooting for won you too would be ecstatic. Especially if your country was surrounded by the scandal that Italy has been surrounded by.

As for my pointing out what occurred in the game, which did occur and was not even considered questionable to anyone because the Brits aren't crying about it, I believe that that's why this blog exists...no?

And as for my feelings about the World Cup turning out great especially since Italy won, well my friend it is exactly how I feel. You see that's the great thing about freedon of speach, it exists even though some may not like what is said because of it.

Cheers

Last night my Irish husband and I drove home from a party at the fan fest in Gelsenkirchen. We had a girl from Switzerland, a lovely dancer from Brasil and our good friend Carsten in the car with us. I thought: "That´s what it´s all about. A time to make friends." We partied with the crew till 3 o´clock and none of the nationalities were even involved in the final....

Danke Deutschland for the amazing time, you sure deserved the party. Maybe we can play again in the EC 2008, thanks.

Viva Portugal
Viva o futebol

Mr. Richardson hardly would have dismissed the match as "meaningless" if it had been the German team who lost it. In case of a German defeat, pundits at home and abroad finally would have been provided the opportunity they ardently desired in their effort to belittle the German World Cup performance, and they would have snatched at it with evil abandon.

Mr. Richardson simply didn`t like to see the Portuguese being defeated by the Germans after the star-studded English team hadn`t got it done a week before. This is quite understandable, and instead of feigning spurious objections to Germany`s "third place celebrations"
Mr. Richardson should have admitted to it.

Far from being "meaningless", the match was taken seriously by both teams down to the very last minute. Beating such an excellent team as Portugal is no trivial achievement, and the German team have every reason to be proud of it.

Ending up third was the best thing that could possibly happen to German football. Four years ago, the national team finished vice-champions quite undeservedly and, accordingly, never lived up to their title during the following years.
Corrupt FA-officials such as the fat Calmund and the always drunken Mayer-Vorfelder congratulated themselves on finally having caught up with England, Italy and Spain (Bayern Munich had won the Champions` League one year before, after all), and so Voeller and the Bundesliga managers kept on heading in the wrong direction.

After 15 years of (first latent, then manifest) decline, the rebuilding of German football has only begun, and the good account the national team have given of themselves in the World Cup is hardly more than a single, albeit great step on a long and cumbersome way the longer part of of which still lies before us.