大象传媒

World Cup 2006 Blog

From our reporters in Germany

French stunned by Zidane

sam_wilson.gif BERLIN - as they saw Zinedine Zidane dispatched from the World Cup final, knowing it may have cost them victory.

None could explain his "idiotic act", but at the same time, they insisted France would remember him as a legend, and would not turn against him.

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Would Italian victory be just?

sam_wilson.gifON THE WAY TO BERLIN - With , would it not be a travesty of justice for Italy to walk off with the World Cup trophy on Sunday?

It鈥檚 a question I鈥檝e been putting to in Germany all this week. Not surprisingly, they dismiss the question out of hand.

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Spaghetti-kicking out of step

sam_wilson.gifDORTMUND - Germany鈥檚 optimism has until now been tempered by caution. Not any more.

Ahead of the semi-final against Italy here tonight, Germans are wholly confident they can progress to the final. Every Italian I鈥檝e met says exactly the same thing about Italy.

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"Argentina shaking in front of hands of God"

sam_wilson.gifBERLIN - The German newspapers have invoked Jurgen Klinsmann's call for passion in today's quarter-final with Argentina.

promises "a German tango", saying stereotypes will be over-turned as the home team's "fire and intensity trumps the Latin Americans' controlled game".

"Close to Heaven," is the paper's headline and it's a feeling shared by many supporters.

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Lovin' an escalator

BERLIN - Unexpected interest in the German escalator phenomenon obliges me to explain. (Though Eva did a pretty good job in her response to my last post.)

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Basically the escalators don't move until someone approaches, when sensors pick up the movement. If you're at the bottom, it then carries you up. If you're at the top, it carries you down, unless there's already someone on the way up, in which case you have to wait till they get off.

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A brilliant beer beaker, eureka!

sam_wilson.gifBERLIN - You know when you go abroad and see an idea so simple you think "why don鈥檛 we do that at home?"

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Well some German boffin with a fondness for his ale has come up with these plastic glasses being used at some stadiums and Fan Fests.

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Patrik's second homecoming

sam_wilson.gif JUST ARRIVED IN MUNICH - It鈥檚 a strange return to Munich for Patrik Andersson, the Swedish giant who helped Bayern win the Champions League final in 2001.

On his first visit to the city since he left the club after that triumph, I asked him if he鈥檚 fondly remembered here. 鈥淚 hope so, because I decided the championship for Bayern,鈥 he said, in reference to his last minute equaliser in the final Bundesliga match in the same season.

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About Sam Wilson

sam_wilson.gifNormally confined to the newsroom in London, as a reporter for the 大象传媒 News website's world desk, I can't wait to join the party in Germany.

Unfortunately, I'm not flying in till the later stages, so have fingers crossed that England last that long.

I'm actually following some of the other teams in the tournament, so won't be on the trail of England or their fans (it has been suggested this might not be a bad thing..?)

Reckon Italy look good value at 15/2 for the tournament. (Do I sound like I know what I'm talking about..?)

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