I knew I was not going to attend my average sporting event Friday night when I ordered cheesecake that afternoon behind a yuppie wearing lederhosen and a black, red and yellow Dr. Seuss hat. It was the World Cup opener. Germany vs. Costa Rica. In Munich. It was a long-awaited affair that blew away everyone’s expectations, including mine. First, Munich’s year-old World Cup Stadium, at 340 million euro (about $440 million), is the most expensive car tire on earth. Walking toward it from the subway stop with the German throng, I swore its gleaming, white exterior panels made it appear to be a new radial on its side. It was gorgeous in its uniqueness. Second, anyone who thinks soccer is boring never has been to a team’s World Cup opener in its home country. I’ve covered Olympics, World Series, Final Fours and SEC football games, and I don’t recall many noises matching a World Cup Stadium when Germany and Costa Rica took to the field. More than 55,000 fans screaming “DEUTSCH-LAND! DEUTSCH-LAND!” with one section of 10,000 red-clad Costa Ricans screaming “OLE, OLE OLE OLE OLE! TEE-COS! TEE-COS!” Costa Rica’s long, loping Paulo Wanchope exposed Germany’s cattle-slow defense with two goals, but Costa Rica’s defense was worse and its goaltender is about my age. Germany won 4-2. But the Group A game was secondary. And when it comes to local color in the World Cup, so is the SEC.
Schonen tag, John Henderson
