By Tony Malone (28/7/06)
Fortunately, there were several good things to come out of this year�s World Cup, and (even more fortunately for all of us Down Under) Australia�s performance was one of them. The Socceroos did the country proud in their first appearance at the finals since they were last held in Germany in 1974, qualifying for the second round and only losing right at the death to an Italian side which obviously had fate on their side. While it may be stretching the point to claim that Australia would have won the whole competition were it not for Fabio Grosso�s tumble over Lucas Neill�s body, there is no doubt that Australia were far from out of place at this level. It is not only the reaching of the knockout stages which reflects well on the team, however; the way they performed also played a great role in winning over the potentially-sceptical Australian public. The team showed great skill in each of their encounters and, more importantly (in Australian eyes at least), they showed incredible spirit and a willingness to fight to the end. A lesser team would have given up against Japan long before Tim Cahill scored his first goal, and few would have pushed forward to risk the point they had for the three they eventually needed. In a way, it is not surprising that they succumbed to a last-second goal as it was probably the only way to overcome their fighting spirit!
Another pleasing, and possibly surprising, aspect of the tournament was the way in which the German people got behind not only their side, but also the competition as a whole. In the past, Germans have often been very cynical regarding their national team, despite its illustrious past. The German style of play has, for decades, been built upon strength, fitness and discipline, which does not lend itself to inducing fanatical support. In addition, due mainly to the country�s unfortunate past, overt patriotism was not really encouraged, meaning that displays such as flag waving and face painting were reserved for followers of far-right extremist groups. However, with a team playing attractive, attacking football, four weeks of glorious summer weather and being surrounded by fans from the other competing nations, the German people, consciously or unconsciously, began to get involved in the month�s events and were proud to display their national colours. Reports abound of the incredibly warm welcome that the Australian team (and supporters) received in their base in Oehringen, and this was the case for all of the competing countries� adopted homes. Of course, this new-found spirit of national pride was best seen on the �Fan Mile�, the area set aside for public viewing of matches in front of Berlin�s iconic Brandenburg Gate. Here, thousands of Germans were able to wave their flags and mingle with supporters from all over the world; this, surely, was what the World Cup is all about.