Random Rants: World Cup Blog

Hope is restored among Mainz residents after 2002 disappointment.

In Mainz, a trio of local young women turn out to support Germany. -- Photos by Chris Courtney --

By Chris Courtney
SoccerTimes

MAINZ, Germany (Friday, June 9, 2006) -- I thought we would start this World Cup blog where we left off in the World Cup in 2002 -- in Mainz, Germany. The last time I was here to watch a World Cup match, it was to join with tens of thousands of Mainzers who gathered to watch Germany try for a fourth title in the final game. It was a special setting with the match shown on huge screens outside the gorgeous red sandstone buildings of the downtown. That day, their hearts were broken when their team fell 2-0 to Brazil. I still remember how crestfallen the Mainzers as they walked home.

Fast forward to 2006 and, with Germany as the host nation, hope springs eternal. Sure, there were bigger fan fests happening in Germany tonight, with crowds as large as 60,000-100,000 gathering in places such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. But Mainz, other than being my former home, is a friendly place which loves its soccer. The Mainz 05 team has claimed Americans Conor Casey and Grover Gibson on its roster, while former United States international Jeff Agoos played a stint in the mid 1990s with nearby SV Wehen.

Mainz is a hardy, working class town with a fine cultural history - the residents also know how to have a good time. To put it in American terms, Mainz is a cross between Pittsburgh and New Orleans. On the drive in from Brussels, it was hard not to notice the groups of England fans, flying England's Cross of Saint George, no doubt on their way to their nation's Saturday opener against Paraguay. After reporting recently on anticipated problems with the exchange of World Cup tickets, I thought I'd make a detour to the Frankfurt stadium to see for myself. Deep down, I hoped my projections were wrong and that fans would be able to exchange tickets and see the games with few problems.

Frustrated England and Paraguay fans had to wait for up to five hours for their turn to plead their case to exchange tickets, a full 24 hours before the kickoff of their game.

A full 24 hours before the kickoff of the England-Paraguay match, I found a line of over 200 people waiting to change their tickets. At first glance, it did not seem so bad until a group from London stated that it had been waiting for hours already and that the point where they were now standing was a full five hours from the desk where one may "plead their case." A few frustrated Brazil fans who walked out of the tent (looking like they had just run a marathon) described a process which sounded almost like a small claims court.

To the credit of the organizers, no one walking away reported that their transfer case had been denied and it was obvious the staff was polite and helpful. That having been said, I can only imagine how frustrated the much larger crowds probably would be in the hours leading up to the game's kickoff.

Next, it was off to Mainz to catch the opening game featuring Germany and Costa Rica. I missed the kickoff due to traffic and the need to park far from Mainz' Gutenbergplatz, but the walk in was an experience. Even though there were thousands of women watching the game on the TV in every store I passed by, I was one of the few men walking through the streets. I had to laugh when one woman on a corner asked her friend where all the men were: "Wo sind die Maenner?"

German fans filled several town squares in Mainz to watch their team's opener against Costa Rica on giant TV screens.

Within a minute, her question was answered when Germany's Phillipb Lahm scored the opening goal in the sixth minute, causing the crowd to erupt and rattling the windows of downtown Mainz. At that moment, anyone not already on or near the square launched into a sprint to catch the replay; older couples, mothers with children, and of course yours truly.

Just to get onto the main square, all visitors had to undergo a bag check and quick body search to ensure no bottles, knives or other dangerous objects were among the crowd. Even to enter some of the nearby pubs, a similar search was done.

To be honest, a town square is not the ideal place to watch a game and break down the finer points of how both teams performed. Nonetheless, the atmosphere is second only to being in the stadium oneself. The teams traded goals for a 2-1 halftime score before Germany took control and took all three points in a 4-2 win. German striker Miroslav Klose celebrated his 28th birthday with two goals to give him nine career tallies in World Cup play. This night, the Mainzers forgot completely about their disappointment of July 2002 and dared to dream once again, if only for now.

As Poland and Ecuador began their match at 9 p.m., caravans of German fans hung from their cars, waving their national flag and honking horns, something they'll do into the night. It is nights like this one wishes could be shared with those who don't understand how this game inspires such passion.

This sign greeted England and Paraguay fans trying to exchange tickets today in Frankfurt. Some of the items listed were a big surprise to fans waiting in line, adding to their ticket exchange nightmare.

As the night wears on, the sight of a crest bearing three lions appears around every corner as groups of England fans appear on the streets of the city, waiting to see if tomorrow night will be their turn to sing. And finally, watching Ecuador surprise Poland with a 2-0 victory in their yellow jerseys, it got me thinking about how many overlooked teams are wearing yellow.

Of course, we aren't talking about Brazil, but Sweden, Ukraine, and Australia, none considered top contenders, but certainly capable of asserting themselves in this tournament. Lest we forget, these teams feature their share of talent including Sweden's Henrik Larsson and Freddie Ljungberg, Ukraine's Andrey Schevchenko, and Australia's Mark Viduka, to name a few. While we are all busy waiting for Argentina, Italy, Brazil, England, and Germany to make all the noise, don't be surprised to see the yellow jersey teams strut their stuff.

Tomorrow we'll take you to the England-Paraguay match in Frankfurt.

Chris Courtney is SoccerTimes European correspondent and lives in Brussels. He is in Germany covering the World Cup.