The Trials and Tribulations of Being a Fan

For anyone that has followed the German National football team in recent years, you know that it has been a wondrously glorious and terribly frustrating time.  Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup and won third place.  They finished in second place at EURO 2008 but since have failed to add more trophies to the cabinet.

There's a lot of potential but not a lot of solid results.  Today, the team allowed sloppy late goal in their World Cup qualifier against Sweden, resulting in a draw that should have been a win for Germany.  Perhaps part of it is complacency, perhaps part is that the team doesn't know how to seal the deal.  The current coach Joachim Low has stacked the ranks of the national team with young blood from around Germany, many players with immigrant backgrounds are changing the face of the team and the style as well.  With so much youth, perhaps it could be argued that the team doesn't know what it feels like to win a national championship.  But many have scored at the club and youth national team levels so why should they stutter now.

I wish I knew the answer to this question.  I'd appreciate knowing why this team, whom I love so emphatically, always seems to choke when it really really REALLY counts.  I've got the jerseys, I know the players, but I still can't brag that my team is reigning European (or World) Champion.

I was in Munich during the Champions League Final, where Bayern Munich lost to Chelsea in penalty kicks, and there was no doubt in my mind that for many Germans football is a critical element of daily life.  I'm curious to see how the enthusiasm and support of these fans is affected if Germany continues to come up empty on the world stage.

My entries on Tuesdays will focus on German sports (perhaps with a heavy emphasis on football but I promise to try and diversify).  For those of you who know nothing of this realm, I hope that I can share my passion with you and for those of you who know a little something about the Bundesliga, I hope to bring a smile to your face.

Bis bald,

Sarah