wattWere you there that night when the European Cup round of 16 match was suspended for 23 minutes due to thunderstorms? Let me put it another way: where were you when Germany strutted their way into the quarter-finals in front of jubilant home fans? The business-like dispatch of the Danish team – albeit aided by a motion-sensing microchip inside the match ball – partly made from sugar cane – brought huge public joy, while a ruthless performance also provided a thrilling performance. Convincing arguments as to why the hosts will struggle to stop here. The tour of Germany has already taken place in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and now Dortmund and will continue apace, returning to Stuttgart on Friday.
It was a strange and unforgettable night when referee Michael Oliver threw the ball to the majestic feet of Toni Kroos when play was restarted after a weather delay and suddenly, in the 35th minute It started again. It’s a strange occasion where people sitting in cheap seats feel smug but people sitting in row A don’t. As conditions worsened under doomed black skies, some German supporters, numbering 25,000 in the iconic Süd Tribune, sought safety in the hall.
Others stayed, some taking shelter under the saturated flags that issued a dramatic warning before kick-off Confederate flagshouted in unison: “oh how beautiful” (How beautiful). A few Danish fans braved it all, singing as the rain poured from the corner of the roof at the other end. Some flight attendants, wearing emergency polyethylene raincoats, had no choice.
Echoing a strange night, one of the evening’s moments came just after midnight local time, when Kasper Hjulmand waved his smartphone at the start of a press conference to highlight Thomas Delaney (Thomas Delaney) had his toenail offsides during Joachim Andersen’s strikeout. “One centimeter,” said the Danish coach. “In my opinion, that’s not how football should be.” Three minutes later, Anderson realized it was better to laugh than cry when he was penalized for soft handball following a VAR review.
A street near the German team hotel was briefly renamed Nicolas Feilkruger Boulevard before the sign was removed, amid strong calls from supporters for Niklas Feilkruger to start instead of Kai Havertz. It was a very satisfying night for Julian Nagelsmann. The Germany boss was unfazed by the outside noise and Havertz’s sweet left-footed volley from Antonio Rudiger’s diagonal pass would have been had it not been for Kasper Schmeichel’s big foot. , he could have rewritten the score to 3-0 in stoppage time. Havertz appeared in tears as he was mobbed by his teammates and inadvertently became an obvious target for Danish fans, who hurled a slew of plastic beer glasses in his direction. Of course, Phil Krueger made his seventh consecutive appearance as a substitute, making his customary 30-minute cameo.
Denmark found themselves in half-time trouble within the first quarter of an hour. “It’s purely about survival,” Humand said. But while it looks like Germany will blow them away, it’s not that simple. Nico Schlotterbeck, who also plays for the club as Füllkrug, will need to show his versatility at the heart of the defence, after being promoted to the starting lineup. His clean, sweeping challenge cleared the ball from Andreas Skov Olsen shortly after the hour, earning rousing applause and generating national recognition; His goal was also disallowed. In the first half, Schlotterbeck thrilled the home fans with a strike from Thomas Delaney. Rudiger was equally effective in putting out fires, creating huge obstacles for the busy Rasmus Hoylund and Christian Eriksen.
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The scene at the final whistle was probably what Germany had imagined, with supporters chanting Manuel Neuer’s name and shouting out loud to Nagelsmann and his players as they accepted the pressure from their hosts. They express love. Nagelsmann couldn’t help but smile when the German national anthem ended before kick-off, a moment that had been brewing all day. Forget Füllkrug, the biggest news is the appearance of Andre Schnura, the saxophonist who has become a popular figure and is immortalized in the Euro 2024 fan zone built at Hamburg’s Miniatur Welt, which is The world’s largest model railway, complete with bunting and UEFA branding. Hundreds of supporters gathered at Reynolds Church and danced to the sounds of brass.
A banner with an image of Lothar Matthäus embracing the 1990 World Cup, displayed at the Deutsche Fussball Museum down the road, reads “La Vida Loddar.” Maybe Germany captain Ilkay Gundogan will be celebrating in two weeks. For now, though, it looks like the night in Germany won’t be over without Jamal Musiala taking center stage. Schloterbeck received a pass from Neuer and passed the ball to the left. Musiala pushed the ball in front of him and then shot with his right foot past Schmeichel and into the far corner for Nag Shiseman jumped out of the sideline. The German program, back on track, continues to run for a while.
