Life After Gelsenkirchen

Was a very long day after the U.S. match's very long night before. Tuesday, and the first six hours of Wednesday, were spent on ICE (InterCityExpress) trains to, and back from, Berlin for the Brazil-Croatia match. So this post will be either brief, and\or, disjointed.

The Berlin venue is Olympiastadion, site of the 1936 Olympic Games. Was a humbling feeling walking to my position on the very stretch of track where Jesse Owens humbled Hitler. The arena has, of course, been renovated since but very much resembles the old film footage of those Games, where Georgia Bulldog Spec Towns was also a Gold Medalist, in the 110 High Hurdles.

Hung out in the Media Center with comedian Drew Carey, who is here as an accredited photographer and shooting shows for the Travel Channel on the World Cup. Pretty much a regular guy with the same private sense of humor he uses professionally. He very much enjoys just being 'one of the guys', in the trenches with the photo corps.

The match was the usual Brazil build-up; whistles, drums, samba lines and all manner of unique yellow-clad 'Copa' paraphanalia. The game was, for the most part, in Croatia's end the first half but it wasn't until the 44th minute, just before half, when midfielder Kaka came up the left side and let a rocket shot go from just outside the penalty area, which stood for the result.

Providence shined on me after the disppointing result from the day before. The position I chose from what was left on the chart when my priority group was ticketed could not have been chosen any better with foreknowledge of impending events. Ronaldinho, who I desperately wanted photos of as he is the two-time reigning FIFA Player of the Year, and truly magic on the ball, possessed and posed for several great sequences. And the goal, well, let the photo say it.


Off this evening to Dortmund for the highly-heated match between the host German team and a Polish side, desperate for a result after losing their first match.

For now, however, breakfast and bed...

As with all the content of this blog, written and photographic, Copyrighted 2006, All Rights Reserved, Perry McIntyre, Atlanta, GA - USA.