KAISERSLAUTERN - 11/6 - 12/6

KAISERSLAUTERN -

Where´s Kaiserslautern? is the first question people ask. As for the answer...........
The greatest place on Earth! Well for Monday the 12th of June 2006, this is spot on. Typing this one is hard, as trying to put all the excitement and emotions into words just doesn´t do it any justice. It´s one of those you had to be there moments but something you want to tell the whole world about. So here goes.....

Words can´t describe the atmosphere that engulfed the little town of Kaiserslautern..The smallest of the host cities, K-town was absolutely drenched in the green and gold of Oz, where some 15000 aussies spent the night before the game in the town square, belting out `We come from a Land Downunder´, Waltzing Matilda and all the game day chants over and over again... The locals instantly fell in love with the touring aussie circus and this wasn´t even game day!!

We woke up to a perfect sunny day of around 28 degrees and headed back into town around 11 where there was even more aussies lining the streets and singing in unison... The adrenaline was running through the veins and the stock standard sausage and pint for brekky went down a treat. There was huge expectation from everyone that the aussies were a massive chance to knock off the Nippon and the half hour walk up to the stadium did nothing to quell those thoughts.

Troy, Grechy, Trace and I were nervous before the game. Sticks was sitting 4 rows in front of us and Pez was sitting with the Jordan government thanks to a scalper!!! It had been a long wait since 1993 where Troy and I had watched Aus v N.Z at Bob Jane Stadium with about 25 people in attendance. We exchanges nervous looks and tried to reassure ourselves that we had a good chance. We sat at the end where none of the goals were kicked...... but had the biggest Australian contingent - everyone had donned some sort of green and gold clothing, including the Hulk who only had a pair of speedos on with his passport in them and green skin...... classic!


Almost game time when they finally enter the arena and allow us to let out some emotion with some frenzied chanting. The voice is almost hoarse before kick-off! The 15,000 Auzzies in the stadium are going crazy........ then the national anthem kicks in and I feel damm proud to be an Auzzie and to be at a game with my mates! In unison the crowd belts out the anthem and goosebumps cover the body. Getting some texts - thanks all - and giving a few out but the body is just pumping for the start of this game!

The first half we dominated and were unlucky not to be 1-0 up but instead had to head into halftime down, after a pathetic ref´s decision allowed the Nippon there goal. Troy is going berserk at the ref, the crowd is quiet, things aren´t going to plan. I remember sitting in the seat absolutely gutted and looking at the time, 70 mins gone, thinking we´d be doing great to get an equaliser...BANG, Super Timmy Cahill scores his first and the stadium just erupts, tears are shed, glasses are lost as the whole Auzzie crowd try to group hug each other. The boys had done it, surely we can hang on for the draw now, a point would give us a massive shot of making it through to the second round...BANG, Super Timmy launches a huge shot from outside the box, 2-1, the crowd is in a frenzy...I´ve all of a sudden got 15,000 new best friends, high fives, hugs, kisses...hang on boys, theres only a couple of minutes to go...BANG, ALOISSSSSEEEEEE makes the defender look like Micky Gayfer and slots the third, the stands shake, the whistle gets blown and there is pandemonium in K-town!!!! 3-1, what a cracking game, we´re a massive shot of getting through to the second round now...!!! That night was one of the best I´ve had...Waltzing Matilda was on high rotation and it felt pretty bloody good to be an aussie but there are bigger fish to fry now...What better test than the best in the world...Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Carlos and we´re going to be there, 16th row, Munich stadium watching as the Aussies take a 3-0 lead and take us through to the world cup final.......

Well we are living the dream.......
Thanks to Sticks who helped me out a bit with the email and to Grechy who provided IT support!