South America 4, Europe 3
Wednesday 23 June 2010. Second day of the decisive third round of the preliminaries. Yesterday, France adopted a defeat against the hosts South Africa, trained by Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, the Brazilian title in 1994. Even more than the resignation of the vice world champion surprised the Brazilians, however, the fact that the French coach his Brazilian colleagues at the end of the game refused to shake hands. Bad manners, and as Repräsent of the country before the cameras - unthinkable for Brazilians.
While we debated in this country already has the game of the Seleção against the Portuguese team, it is for us first so that Germany survived the first round. A win against Ghana must be found.
What Grimm fairy tales have to do with summer? Both do not save with cruelty. So today. Fan suffers properly, until Özil makes clear that there will be a next game.
Friday 25 June 2010. Now it has also hit Italy. But at least they have given to posterity a dramatic and exciting final game and said goodbye with grace.
Jeztz is all the attention on the much-anticipated game against Portugal for Brazil. Kick-off time by 10 clock.
The school provides our children to operate at 9 A clock, so that students and teachers can in time come to the home TV. The otherwise mandatory school uniform may now be replaced with the exception of canary yellow jersey Seleção.
The game turns into a goalless bore in which no team ("team") will really hurt the other. The Brazilian fan ("torcedor") is of course disappointed, but focuses its analysis on the fact that the group winner and thus the target has been achieved up here.
Saturday 26 June 2010. It begins the knockout stage (fase eliminatória "). Uruguay is recommended as first team for the quarterfinals. All five South African men are still in the race, while only six of the thirteen European teams could take the first hurdle. Such a thing is south of the equator "registered carefully.
We are often asked these days, with which team we in the German-Brazilian family there for. We expected before then that we have together won eight times ("octacampeão"). The answer is convinced.
Sonntag, 27. Juni 2010. Heute also Deutschland gegen England. Der Klassiker. Und das bereits im Achtelfinale. Schuld daran sind natürlich die Engländer, die in ihrer Gruppe nicht gewinnen konnten.
Mein Tag beginnt um 6:20 Uhr. Sonntagmorgen, geschätzte 22 Grad, Sonne, strahlend blauer Himmel. Wir haben ein paar Freunde eingeladen, um mit ihnen auf unserer Veranda bei einem Churrasco das Spiel zu verfolgen. Dank unserer Freunde aus Heidelberg, welche uns Anfang Mai besuchten und uns im Nachgang eine Grundausstattung an Fan-Utensilien zuschickten, erstrahlt unsere Veranda in schwarz-rot-gold.
Anstoß Punkt 10 Uhr. Bis dahin muss alles gerichtet sein. Erst aber mal Kaffee machen, die Online-Presse im Vorfeld des Spiels überfliegen. Aha, die englischen Boulevardblätter sind dieses Mal zurückhaltender als bei früheren Ausgaben dieses Klassikers.
Unser Supermarkt öffnet auch sonntags um 7 Uhr seine Tore. Ich bin einer der ersten Kunden. Grillkohle (“carvão”), allerlei Grillgut, Getränke. An der Fleischtheke komme ich mit dem jungen Mann, der mich bedient, ins Gespräch. Ich offenbare meine Nationalität, er zeigt mir sein Namensschild: “Brettschneider”. Ich erkläre ihm die Bedeutung seines Namens, have brought to his ancestors from Germany. He is pleased and promised to support, now the German team.
still quick at the gas station to load a bag of ice in the trunk. Back at home, first things first: fill beverages in the Styrofoam container, sprinkle the shredded ice on lid. No later than the half-time the target temperature will be reached. Just the grill ("churrasqueira") to prepare, clean the grill utensils, various little things - done.
The preliminary report on TV begins with images of a German town in Blumenau, a world shaped by German immigrants in the city south of Brazil. Good cheer in costume, in front of half-timbered houses. Small De 
lish land out of a picture book.
The game begins. Shortly after Klose's energy output to 1:0 I am the fire. While the flames had spread langssam, Podolski can transform the presentation of Muller with relative ease. Now for the first time must make peace in heat, I can turn my full attention to the game where the first one and then drops another clean sheet and is not given. Imagine the consequences if it remained in the game.
In the mid-term break, I can prepare in peace and lay the first skewers. Before the main course of churrasco lovers will fact happy to miss a few bits of grilled sausage ("lingüiça") to himself. Just do not miss. The temperature on the field increases with the temperature in the grill ("churrasqueira"). Or vice versa. 3-1 I find it almost a skewer into the fire. After the 4-1 first reach me congratulations by telephone.
That afternoon Argentina decides the game for themselves surprised no one. The sympathies of the Brazilians are coming Saturday during a match of Germany against Argentina, the majority are on the side of the Germans, although some are in fact secretly but a Brazil-Argentina. It would be the first in the history of the World Cup.
Monday 28 June 2010. Holland reached the gentle cycle against Slovakia the last eight. The game in this country is closely following, but here is the next opponent of the Seleção determined. That could go wrong in today's game against Brazil, Chile, something that no one seriously expects. Nevertheless, we will not let the game missed.
the sample I'm the pudding. Half an hour before kick-off I go to the city center. I meet many shops already closed and some who are about to cease their operation. Where else there at this hour heavy traffic, now dominated by a gaping void. In bars and gas stations to gather around the television. With the kick-off public life comes to a halt.
The game itself is a clear matter. Chile is one of Brazil's favorite opponent. 47 wins and just 7 losses. The class difference is also now abundantly clear. Three beautiful goals. Now only three games to to win the title. Whether against Deutschlan or Argentina is of secondary importance.
Tuesday 29 June 2010. Paraguay reached the first time a quarter final. The local Paraguayan community hailed the result, has largely ignored over the horrible game. Spain prevails against Portugal. The regret over the resignation of the former colonial power has its limits.
This is the last known remaining eight. For the first time in history, four teams of South America are represented. Given three times Europe, even Africa.
The evening news reported dutifully by the games of the day, and then very quickly get to the issues that move the nation in these days, who now again sore ankle from midfielder Elano, who also battered ankle by Felipe Melo, as well as the injured knee by Júlio Baptista.
But the Dutch were warned: the Brazilian Seleção, despite all the wounds still a large number of well-functioning knees and ankles.
election day. Despite criticism of Germany's former Federal President Köhler's resignation fallen is - one has to really give him: he has chosen the date of his resignation so cleverly that can be done in accordance with the Basic Law, the election of his successor on a free day.
