Monday, June 26, 2006:

A mix of emotions and feelings has filled the last 48 hours or so, or from the last update on Friday afternoon. For instance, last night I slept in air conditioning. This morning I showered with a bar of soap that was bigger than a cookie. Even though I went to my bag, I realized I could look for clean clothes in my closet. I have clean underwear on (kind of). I got in a car, grabbed a coffee and went to watch the Italy versus Australia game - not at Fanfest, but at Pizza Hut Park.

We finished off Friday night in Nuremberg, having beers with friends at the city center biergarten that we more or less had taken over the previous night. The next morning, the three of us were on a training traveling back to Leipzig for the Argentina vs Mexico game - noting that on Sunday morning we needed to be in Frankfurt for our return flight.

Before we left I called Delta to see if I could push back my flight till Monday since we had tickets for the Holland v Portugal game...no chance as all flights were full - likely thanks to the USA’s elimination and that some Mexico fans also planned on leaving that day. So we sold those tickets to three Portuguese/American fans who had been to all the USA and Portugal games. The town was about to be taken over by what they said were 40-50,000 Dutch fans.

We checked out of our last hotel and took the 4+ hour train and arrived in Leipzig at 3:45 pm. Since we were leaving after the game, we dropped our bags at the train station. The Argentina game was at 9pm so we had time to get back.

Mexican fans were everywhere, clearly outnumbering the Argentina supporters. We caught bits and pieces of the Germany game on TVs as we walked around town - it was on everywhere. After a day in Nuremberg where it seemed like the World Cup had ended, we were psyched to see the buzz was alive and as strong.

I stopped in a store and bought the blue Argentina jersey. Then we walked to the stadium, stopping to get a beer on the way - it's legal and apparently encouraged to drink beer on the way to the stadium, or on the streets, or pretty much anywhere. When else could we again say we passed by cops on the streets drinking beers? The concept makes sense. The German mentality is - what's wrong with drinking a beer walking on the street.

Quilmes, an Argentine beer, had a setup in a small area en route to the stadium, making itself the unofficial location for the Argentina fans to gather - fans jumping, flags waiving, cheers - what a site to see.

Dani and I had been to a few Argentina games back in 1994, but this was different. Soccer was ‘bigger,’ we were overseas, and now older and without our parents…and perhaps we were also more distanced from our roots. This was a like a new spark.

We walk into the stadium and realize we had pretty damn good seats: go to midfield, walk to the right about 15 yards, and sit in our seats - four rows from the field. Are you kidding me, how they hell did we get so lucky? It was not hard to spot Leo Messi and his long hair during warmups, and we hoped we’d see this phenom enter at some point since he wasn’t starting.

One of the owners of FC Dallas has seats right in front of us (Dan Hunt). The stadium was 70-30 in favor of Mexico…and Mexico played really well. Not that Argentina played bad - so for me it was the best game of the tournament.

Mexico’s Rafa Marquez scores early, but Argentina ties the game minutes later when Hernan Crespo puts away a Juan Riquelme corner kick. But the nervous tension continued to rise.

We'd made Buckeye fans out of a number of our buddies throughout the trip when the Columbus guys were in town, and now me and Dani had Clint on our side, doing a great job with the Argentina chants and songs. Though the seats were great, they were far from large group of Argentinian fans on the opposite corner.. At times the three of us were the only ones for 20-30 rows standing and trying to join the Argentina fans that started every cheer. While Mexico was loud, I can't compare any their chants to those of Argentina - which were sung with a passion and cadence that for me was unmatched, even in smaller numbers.

The game deadlocked, Messi comes off the bench with five minutes to go.

The clock hits 90, so Clint and I make a mad rush to the bathroom. The concourse has become a track meet as guys are running from all angles. We make it back right before extra time starts, biting what’s left of our nails.

And then, we can't believe our luck continues as we witness the goal of the World Cup from Maxi Rodriguez. We look at each other: ‘did we really just see that?” Messi to Juan Pablo Sorin, who whips it across to the top of the box on the far side. Rodriguez chest traps it, and hits an amazing volley to win a World Cup game, in OT, for Argentina, and against Mexico (WATCH BELOW).

The game ends and we stay to take in the experience. Our hands are on our heads briefly before we join the pandemonium. The Argentina players run to the supporters in the corner...they take their shirts off, swinging them above their heads, jumping in synch with the fans, singing for Argentina and the colors. What a way to finish our two-week run at the World Cup.

=================================

We head to the train station, get our stuff around 12:45 am, and wait for the train that will take us to Frankfurt (at 1:50 am)...us and about 4-5,000 other fans. We force our way into the train, crushed by the sheer number of fans. This was gonna be a fun train ride, standing in between cars. Dani finally decides there's no chance in hell he's doing this, so we find a way to get out of the train, walk way down the platform, and find a somewhat less crowded car. Still, we're in between cars, next to the bathroom - us and 15 others. It was not comfortable but more manageable.

We suck it up, and after a few stops we find some space on the floor to sit. I fit behind the last row of seat, a spot on the floor under / behind the seat which allows me to lay down, legs across the aisle. Dani and Clint find a similar spot, next to the train door but with the chance of laying down, albeit all distorted. We used to think the floor was disgusting, at this point, it felt like a mattress and we didn't care how dirty it was.

We arrive in Frankfurt at about 5:45 am and take another train to the airport, and then try our hardest to clean up. I feel for the people about to sit next to me on this flight. We now learn that Dani is missing his credit cards, so we quickly get online and call to cancel them. Our flights leave at 10:40 and 11:20 - they head to Detroit and I’m off to Atlanta.

My flight lasted 9:30, and I couldn't stand my own smell by the time we landed. I waited another 4 hours before my flight to Dallas, where I landed at 9:30 pm. The girl next to me runs out of the plane, I sit and laugh.

So the Europe part of the World Cup experience has ended - in some ways. I sat here in the office watching Italy pull this game off (for anyone complaining, it was a clear PK, though an unfortunate way to be eliminated for the Aussies). It's noon here in Dallas, and I've not yet checked work email. Though the trip is over, it'll be hard to work knowing the games are on. I gotta look at this as a continuation of the trip.

I consider myself extremely lucky - to have been able to go over there, soak in the atmosphere, go to the games, the Fan Fests; see all the people from around the world, traveling to support their colors; struggling with the language, figuring out the trains, searching for hotels, sleeping on floors, eating kebabs, carrying our bags - all part of what makes the experience what it is.

I am also very lucky to have spent the Cup with friends. I've traveled to many places and met many people, but this was different. I traveled with my older bro Dani and a great friend in Clint - we got along great, no issues what so ever. We met up with more friends with Brett and Curtis, and Matt, Shane, Matt, John and Bobby...with Luke and Hood, and Edgel, and the entire Farley family. Man, so many more familiar faces made this trip what it was - awesome.

I know things will be different moving forward, and in the past it's been quite some time before I got back into things. But fortunately the World Cup continues and I'm luck to work with others that are into it, which should make the adjustment to the regular world easier.

Hope you enjoyed our updates, till the next Cup, or next adventure...