Goodbye USA!

After a morning train to Dusseldorf, we headed to Gelsenkirchen for our first taste of the World Cup against the Czechs. The train from Dusseldorf to Gelsenkirchen was packed with Yanks and offered the promising hope that we would be well represented. Those hopes were somewhat deflated when Hans and I went to the stadium early to transfer his ticket. We were greeted by Czech after Czech after Czech, one of whom told me that I "am good, but George Bush is a real wanker"´ - I was like, duh!

After dealing with Fifa bureacracy, we returned to downtown Gelsenkirchen (a shopping mall) to find nearly 1000 Yanks drinking and singing for the Stars and Stripes. Several familiar faces from Korea - Doug and Tanya, Mike Hood, ESC, NJ Brigade, Midnight Riders, Andy G. - It was amazing. We left for the game en masse and took over a train/sauna on the way there and Brent led us in song - Die Deutschefrau - is Wunderbar (or whatever the german word for wonderful is).

All i will say about the match is how deflating it was - we looked crap and even worse, our manager looked like he had no idea what he was doing! Beasley at right back!?!?

After, all I wanted to do was pass out somewhere. We dragged ourselves to a bar to watch the Italy - Ghana match where I promptly succeeded in passing out. I haven't felt like that in 4 years.