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Can Germany Survive Its World Cup Defeat?

What a week! The group stage is over and knockout round begins today. For some of us, it has been a traumatic few days.

First, my beloved Unicorns — the amateur club I play on here in Berlin — lost our league championship by one point. A grave disappointment for me but, I realize, not necessarily for the entire country.

Then on Wednesday came something even more harrowing: Germany, the reigning world champion, was defeated by South Korea 2-0 and lost its chance at winning the World Cup. In the first round. The team finished at bottom of their group.

The sympathy flowed in from my friends abroad.…  Seguir leyendo »

Likely to Hoist World Cup

Whenever the World Cup approaches, my thoughts run back to 1954, the year when Germany, a country still in postwar ruins, won the title against all the odds. The surprise was even greater as the German team had lost its first encounter, against Hungary, in the qualification rounds. Hungary had been unbeaten for years, and the "Magical Magyars" had even bested England at its own holy ground of Wembley, making them one of the clearest favorites ever in the history of football.

My hero was Fritz Walter, the captain of the German national team. I will never forget the day of the 1954 final in Bern.…  Seguir leyendo »