Americans and Germans celebrate World Cup 'family affair'
- 10 years ago
The USA-Germany World Cup match is being talked of as a watershed moment for football’s popularity in the States.
Among the millions who watched the game at home, in bars or in public parks, supporters of both countries came together in Washington’s Dupont Circle.
The media dubbed it a “family affair”: Americans are coached by German world champion Jürgen Klinsmann and are stacked with German-born players and staff.
“I believe that we will win!” chanted one group of American fans as they jumped up and down in anticipation.
The US lost 1-0, but both nations still qualified for the knockout stage – the Americans taking second place in Group G, edging ahead of Portugal on goal difference.
The outcome left fans ecstatic, with comments such as these:
“Great time! We advance to the next round, we are good to go!”
“It’s great that we made it through, I’m very happy. Also happy that Germany made it through, I’m also a Germany fan, but USA first.”
“Before the game, we were fighting and were, like, really upset. And now we’re friends.”
“We got like 30 of us, a good group of friends, most of us are Americans, but we have got a few German fans. We had a great time, America advances, so we couldn’t ask for anymore.”
No other country has sent more fans to Brazil for the tournament than the US: an estimated 100,000 are said to have made the trip.
Twenty years after the US hosted the World Cup, soccer as it is called there is finally said to have come of age – gaining ground on the traditional sports of American football, baseball and basketball.
Americans are now relishing the last-16 – and a clash with Belgium.
Reporting from Dupont Circle in Washington, euronews correspondent Stefan Grobe said:
“Americans have survived another nail-biting thriller and football fever will live on – at least until Tuesday.”
Among the millions who watched the game at home, in bars or in public parks, supporters of both countries came together in Washington’s Dupont Circle.
The media dubbed it a “family affair”: Americans are coached by German world champion Jürgen Klinsmann and are stacked with German-born players and staff.
“I believe that we will win!” chanted one group of American fans as they jumped up and down in anticipation.
The US lost 1-0, but both nations still qualified for the knockout stage – the Americans taking second place in Group G, edging ahead of Portugal on goal difference.
The outcome left fans ecstatic, with comments such as these:
“Great time! We advance to the next round, we are good to go!”
“It’s great that we made it through, I’m very happy. Also happy that Germany made it through, I’m also a Germany fan, but USA first.”
“Before the game, we were fighting and were, like, really upset. And now we’re friends.”
“We got like 30 of us, a good group of friends, most of us are Americans, but we have got a few German fans. We had a great time, America advances, so we couldn’t ask for anymore.”
No other country has sent more fans to Brazil for the tournament than the US: an estimated 100,000 are said to have made the trip.
Twenty years after the US hosted the World Cup, soccer as it is called there is finally said to have come of age – gaining ground on the traditional sports of American football, baseball and basketball.
Americans are now relishing the last-16 – and a clash with Belgium.
Reporting from Dupont Circle in Washington, euronews correspondent Stefan Grobe said:
“Americans have survived another nail-biting thriller and football fever will live on – at least until Tuesday.”