Germany Fan by Ines Eiban

Just like four years ago, the biggest star of the World Cup has hung up his boots after it. Like Zinedine Zidane before him, Paul the psychic octopus has had enough and opted for retirement.

Both used their heads to great effect in their respective tournaments, but it was ‘Okrakel Paul’ who used his to great effect throughout, correctly predicting all eight matches he was asked to and making a mockery of his chief rival, Mani the psychic parakeet, who declared The Netherlands would win the final. Hmmm…

An uncomfortable moral dilemma looms for me today. Germany take on Spain and suddenly I’m faced with a choice. Two years ago, for the final of Euro 2008, it wasn’t even an issue and I celebrated with gusto when La Furia Roja finally brought a trophy back to España.

— What do you think? —

Germany’s Miroslav Klose celebrates his goal in the national team’s match against England in the second round of the 2010 World Cup. Germany went onto win 4:1. Photo: picture-alliance / M.i.S.-Sportpressefoto

Now that the French are out of the way with the unexpected bonus of more Schadenfreude than we could possibly have asked for, Irish World Cup ambitions revert to seeing the English knocked out as soon as possible. For me personally, this takes on added significance as the task falls to Germany, the country I now call home.

The Adidas 'Jabulani' football, the official ball of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, being tested in a wind tunnel. © dpa

Nobody’s happy. Not the coaches, not the players, not the officials in charge, and certainly not the players. Nobody is happy with the ball to be used at the World Cup, despite having had weeks to get used to kicking it in frustration.

The new Adidas ball is ironically called ‘Jabulani,’ meaning ‘to celebrate’ in the native South African isiZulu dialect, but nobody is celebrating its apparent unpredictability.

First Spain’s Captain and Goalkeeper Iker Casillas had a go at it, said it was too light, and described it as a “beach ball.”  Brazil shot-stopper Julio Cesar wasn’t complimentary either: “It’s the same as the balls you buy in the supermarket,” he said.

My bags were packed, boots polished, jerseys neatly folded. One by one the national team managers announced their squads for the World Cup last week. One by one they reeled off the names, the stars, the personalities; most of whom will be travelling to South Africa for the great party which kicks off in 22 days’ time.

I couldn’t wait to join them. Like an excited puppy on Puppies’ Day, I waited for my name to be called out. I’d been waiting four years for this moment. Since watching the great Zidane walk, head-bowed, past the trophy down the tunnel of Olympiastadion during that fateful final in Berlin, I couldn’t wait to appear on the same stage. “Oh Zizou! I wanna be like Zou too!”

With just 23 days left until the World Cup begins, we thought it was about time to fire up the Young Germany World Cup Blog.  We’ve got writers who will be reporting on World Cup happenings from Pakistan, Ghana, South Africa, Japan, and, of course, Germany.

Our first World Cup blogger is an Irish fellow who fell for Berlin and hasn’t looked back.  Check back tomorrow for his first post. 

Der Irische Berliner, the newest member of the Young Germany World Cup Blogging Team

Irish in Berlin

Ciarán Fahey came to Berlin on St. Patrick’s Day 2008, to live, love, and learn all there was to be lived, loved, and learned in this wonderful city. And for Kürbiskernbrot.