This was exciting

Close your eyes

I usually do not watch soccer. For me it is not exciting enough. As an Ice-Hockey fan I am used to a speedy game, a few more goals and different rules.

And Listen

Sometimes I listen to audio commentary from the radio. It is much more exciting, they talk a lot more and faster. The moderators engage more to convey what is happening because they know the audience can not see it.

That is what I did during a few evening games while doing other stuff.

Things got exciting

Tonight I started to listen with the beginning of the second half of GER-CRC and it seemed to be the usual deal. After a few minutes I was up to date about what Germany needs to accomplish and what was happening in the parallel game ESP-JPN.

And then JPN scored the 2-1 goal against ESP and GER was only tied with CRC. After the moderators explained the meaning of this even I understood that something incredible was about to happen if these scores stand.

They made me do it

The commentary got more and more exciting. They were two and talking for maybe a minute each in turn to give the other time for pause. With a conference switch to the other game every now and then where Spain was trying to even the score.

From the commentary it was obvious this was not a normal game anymore.

So I finally turned on the TV stream.

This is a different game

What I saw next was beyond my imagination. The plays went back and forth, it was steadily fast and full of fluent combinations.

What I expected

In my mind I had the stereotypical soccer game of most times stationary players passing along for minutes until (if at all) there would be an opening and then the game would speed up for a minute or less, until the ball is shot way past the goal and we enter the repetition of this cycle.

What I got

Germany finally started fighting. They pressed, they ran and they risked. It was the kind of game I always wanted to see. Combined with the radio commentary this was the most exciting soccer I ever saw in my life.

At some point it was more like a hockey game than soccer.

Time to say goodbye

The game ended GER 4-2 CRC and despite this victory Germany has to say goodbye. Japan won 2-1 against Spain. As I understand it that is a little miracle by itself and allows Japan to enter the next round.

Goodbye Germany. Congratulations Japan.

Thank you

Thank you Team Germany for delivering such a wonderful performance with this last game. Sadly these 30 minutes can not make up for the mistakes that were made the 240 minutes before that.

Nevertheless you managed to show me what soccer can be and made me question my stereotypical view on it.

Please keep on playing with such a commitment you showed in the end and maybe you will gain a new follower in the next tournament.

Now look at this

It would not have taken me long to notice but the radio commentary was not tired of pointing it out before I switched on the TV stream.

This was the first game in the history of Men's World Cup with a woman as main referee.

If I saw correctly the lines were refereed by women as well.

To quote the commentary

In a land with a "difficult" standing on women's rights 22 men just danced to the whistle of one woman for 90 plus minutes. What a historic event.

Yes, that is what we need from this.

Hey FIFA, wake up and allow the One-Love captain's armband as well!

_{Header picture taken by me.
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