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I'm an expat living and working in the Republic of Ireland for the last 9 years.

To be honest it's a bit flat here, with Ireland not having qualified the atmosphere is lacking a bit.

Last time out there where tricolours flying from cars and buildings, I flew a tricolour and Georges Cross from my house and car as my wife is Irish, this time I've got the Georges Cross on the inside of my house window and I've only flow it from the car on match days.

I have however draped a big flag over the partition on my desk at work, I've had a bit of ribbing over it but now that we are through to the quarters the conversations are a bit more serious.

I do find the media here are seriously biased against the English Team. Even before the Finals began there where articles along the lines of when and how badly England will be put out, of course as the team are not playing at their best this can be masked under the guise of critiscism of the performance, it does feel a bit vulture like.

I have now taken my cue from Sven and ask everyone to imagine what we could if we were playing at our best.

The Irish do like to criticise the English for remembering 1966 but then again the Irish never fail to point out their win over us in 1988.

@Eddie

Eddie,

who do you think the Irish media are supporting if you feel that would certainly not be England?

Being a football fan living here in Germany during the competition has been fantastic! I teach in a school here in Cologne and though being constantly asked "So, you are here for the WM?" is a little frustrating, the atmosphere has been electric! I say this in every sense of the word as any fan watching the England game at the fan fest in Heumarkt yesterday will agree. The sighting of huge thunder clouds sweeping towards us as Beckham stepped up. Thunder rolled across the square and, as he swung his foot, the screen went blank. It came back two seconds later to reveal the ball in the net. Everyone went crazy and I thought it had started to rain at the same time. However, this was the beer fountain created by the bouncing England fans behind us. Great stuff. We legged it into a nearby Thai establishment, where they were all supporting Ecuador, oops!
Later in the evening I went to see the second half of Holland-Portugal, where some great light-hearted, if not always politically correct banter was going on, orchestrated by the England fans who had all sided with Holland. No flare ups and no rampaging German police responded to the sound of "there were ten German bombers in the air".
However, the best and most unique experience was as I was walking down my road on the evening of the England Sweden game. From a flat above me I was haled by three bald headed men in blue and yellow shirts, or no shirts at all. "See you in the eighth final!" they yelled, presuming I was German (makes a change!)After we had established that I wasn't they invited me up for beers and a chat. They were just three dads away from wife and kids to watch the game. They haled all going coming by and we were soon joined by a well heeled, French/Polish businessman and a young, North African student who lived next door. It was great that football had brought all these people from varying backgrounds and walks of life together. I showed the Swedes to the stadium with an e-mail address, an invitation to Malmo, a slightly fuzzy head but also a great warmth in my heart!

Here in Washington, D.C., it's been crazy. Bars and pubs are packed to the brim to watch the matches ... although I haven't been to see what it's like since the USA were eliminated (I've watched at home or in my office). But this is a football-savvy town, so I expect that it will continue.

There's been much more attention paid to the tournament this time around than in years past. The media are covering it a lot more heavily.

I finally got a TV in my office so I can watch - unfortunatley, many of the initial round games are on ESPN, so on cable, and our office's cable setup only gets news and political channels ... sadly, no ESPN (it's like they want us to be productive or something). But I bought an old-fashioned antenna and now can get the Spanish language broadcast from over the airwaves. (Even though I don't speak Spanish, their announcers are better than ESPN's!)

most days I have a few colleagues who don't have offices or TVs crowded in with me.

Central Texas is all excited about the upcoming football action. The games can't start fast enough for these true-blue football fans and they're counting down the hours to the start of the matches ...in September. The soccer world-cup however doesn't quite make a stir. Some are aware of it but don't quite get what the all the fuss is about. 'It's a good game but not the best spectator sport' or 'Nothing happens! Ain't hardly any goals' they say to soccer fans like me.

Oh yeah, there's a few of us here. We surreptitiously check the scores online at work and muffle exclamations at 90th minute penalty kicks, schedule 'dentist appointments' during key games, and discuss the deluge of cards, yellow and red, in hushed voices. Ours is a sad lot, but we're working with missionary zeal to advance the cause of the world's favorite game here. Until it catches on, the face paint will have to wait. Viva soccer!

Central Texas is all excited about the upcoming football action. The games can't start fast enough for these true-blue football fans and they're counting down the hours to the start of the matches ...in September. The soccer world-cup however doesn't quite make a stir. Some are aware of it but don't quite get what the all the fuss is about. 'It's a great game but not the best spectator sport' or 'Nothing happens! Ain't hardly any goals' they say to soccer fans like me.

Oh yeah, there's a few of us here. We surreptitiously check the scores online at work and muffle exclamations at 90th minute penalty kicks, schedule 'dentist appointments' during key games, and discuss the deluge of cards, yellow and red, in hushed voices. Ours is a sad lot, but we're working with missionary zeal to advance the cause of the world's favorite game here. Until it catches on, the face paint will have to wait. Viva soccer!

In Malaysia, football fever is evident everywhere with restaurants throwing their doors open past closing hours, special world cup pizzas, University cafetaria's being open for longer to keep the students in at night for the later matches aired at three am in the morning. One of the main newpapers carried an article out in the paper exploring the possibility of the effects of decreased productivity on the economy, as most people here are up late at night, in order to catch their favorite teams play.

Mornings and afternoons, filled with speculations on the next match, and the higlights of the previous night's matches. Favorites here would definately be England, Brazil and Argentina. Asian pride, has also meant that Japan and South Korea were a favored two, their exit marking disapointment but no decrease in the amount of spectators thronging restaurants, bars and hawker stalls to watch the match.

Hi Andreas

Well they started off supporting Trinidad & Tobago, reason being that Avery John used to play in the Irish Domestic League, the only player in this years finals to have done so.

Right now I think they're behind Argentina.

I am German but live in Albuquerque, US right now. My working efficiency has been going down quite a bit as I read every bit I can find about the World Cup. There is some excitement at the University here mostly among the international students. Most of the matches are shown on a big screen in the university cinema (however, with the lower part cut off becase the TV fromat doesn't fit the screen).
I watched every German match and several others.
While there are a few people watching it the older generation of americans is practically not interested in the world cup at all.

Pois é, depois digam lá se não temos razão ....
Quase todos reconhecem que foi a Holanda que entrou com jogo violento a mais... aos 10 minutos já tinha 2 amarelos sobre o Cristiano Ronaldo, para logo a seguir o arrumarem. De qualquer forma julgo que era um jogo "marcado", isto é, qualquer das equipas que ganhasse, ficava toda "amarelada"....pois a seguir são os Ingleses que, tal como em 1966, são a pátria do futebol. Vejam o jogo de hoje entre a Itália e a Austrália (penalti aos 95 minutos contra a Austrália!). Ainda há alguma dúvida?

Therefore it is, later say there if we do not have reason.... Almost all recognize that it was Holland that entered with violent game more... to the 10 minutes already had 2 yellows on the Cristiano Ronaldo, soon to follow arranging. Of any form I judge that it was "a marked" game, that is, any of you equip them that it earned, was all "amarelada"....pois to follow are the English that, such as in 1966, are the native land of the soccer. They today see the game of between Italy and Australia (penalti to the 95 minutes against Australia). Still it has some doubt?

In Bangladesh, it is just flags of Argentina. Flags of Brazil is many too but the other countries are not so popular.

Central Virginia, USA, would be the ideal place for someone who hates football, is maddened by the World Cup, and would like to pretend the whole thing is not going on at all.

None of the bars locally are showing any games on TV (they're sticking resolutely to baseball); no-one is talking about results, or wearing team shirts (known here, hesitantly, as "soccer uniforms"); and the only flag I've seen around town is a St George cross attached to a pick-up truck advertising its owner as The Handy Man. If I only knew who the Handy Man was, I might suggest getting together for a bottle of watery Budweiser for the next match....

I live in a smallish city in southern Ontario. Of course, being Canada and just past Stanley Cup time, most local tvs were tuned to the CBC to watch the hockey (the last Canadian team lost in the final game). However, driving around town and at school, I see flags and jerseys from pretty much every nation in the world cup, plus some that didn't even qualify (ie Wales, Canada...), but most of them are English.
I just finished my last exam today (I'm in high school), so watching the games was tricky. I could get live updates from various teachers throughout the day, but sometimes had to sneak out to check the scores in the computer lab, or txt my aunt in england. The best, though, is when my dad wrote me notes saying i had a medical appointment or something so we could go to the only pub in town that shows the games.
Most of my friends support different teams, so we all rib each other about their performances. My Polish friends were absolutely gutted but had fun at the expense of the Dutch. But we all watch all the games and can talk about Owen's knee and Ronaldo's weight together. In a way, I guess it's good that the Canadian team never qualify, because we all learn more about everyone else's countries (and learn each other's chants!). Canada would be out so fast, it would just be embarrassing to watch, so it's good to watch our parent's countries, which can actually play soccer!

Well, World Cup in Brasil - I refuse to write it with a z - is pretty much a long and exiting holiday.

Public offices give the day off - only hospitals keep the regular hours, but for emergencies, primarily-; the shops close during the game - some do for the rest of the day, specially when it´s near to the usual closing time, as most of these games are. The Courts also stop, there are no classes in the schools. And you can sit down in the middle of the busiest street, because no one really passes by - a news team actually tried that, albeit not for long, since they wanted to watch the game also.

Everybody get together to watch the game with their friends, TVs sales go over the roof. Many streets close down, with music and celebration and even more are painted and decorated in green and yellow

The front news in most newspapers are about the national team, and pretty much anything else is less important, even though in October there are national elections, which happens every four years also. People complain about it, as it´s considered a lost year because of all the interruptions (Carnaval in February, Cup in June, the campaign in September and October); often it´s considered a lost year.

And there are analysis about people only caring about national symbols in this period, etc. This year, with all the hype about the team, it´s bigger than ever... I also think it is due to the fact that the younger crowd, around my age - 25 - got used to have good results.

Oh, and there are conspiracy theories everywhere, and almost everybody decides to select their players they think are the best. With the choices Parreira is making, you can guess that he gets no rest, not only from the press but also from the population in general. It is common place here to say that there are 180.000 coaches.

It´s, all in all, a great time to be in Rio. Even when the talent is wasted and we go crazy over the absence of Juninho Pernambucano or Robinho; or when the th free kick from Roberto Carlos go waaaaaaaaaay off yet again.

Gosh, I really got carried away. Sorry, and good luck for us all.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -
World cup fever has hit Dubai like never before ! Appreciation to the FIFA World Cup Sponsors to put up a FIFA World Cup Fan Park right here in Dubai, stadium sized seating with a capacity of 3000. IT is insane watching the matches at the "park" as people call it because there is an amazing array of fans for all the participating countries ! Beng an England fan, its amazing to see the St George's cross on peoples faces, flags etc !! It feels like we are live in Germany. I've watched all my games here. Else where in Dubai, every Hotel, restaurant, malls, pubs etc are telecasting the world cup.

It's simply unbelievable, football fever.

"It's time to make friends"

Cheers

I live in Brooklyn, New York. The other day I wanted to watch Argentina vs. Netherlands, and not having access to cable TVat home, I found and entered a corner bar which promised "We show all World Cup games".

Picture the scene: instead of rowdy, beer-swilling hordes of fans, I only saw a few guys hanging around the front of the bar - serenely watching baseball. And in the back, watching the WC game on a big screen, we were three:
a) a young woman from Holland,
b) an American soccer mom who left during the game to pick up her 8-year-old from his practice, and
c) myself, a middleaged German woman sipping tonic water with lime.

I don't know all that much about "soccer" myself, but have grown fonder of it over the years. Compared to baseball and American football - where the game is constantly put on hold as if they were all just practicing - soccer's fluid non-stop action is positively thrilling! (You knew that, didn't you?)

I love living in New York, but when a World Cup comes around I feel a bit forlorn. My American friends will listen politely when I start gushing about how wonderful the games seem to be going in Germany, but they usually haven't seen a single one of them.

Well, I now have discovered that the German Consulate as well as 4 or 5 German pubs show the games in style - and so, with the help of a Gaffel Koelsch and surrounded by tall young people with funny hats who occasionally burst into "Oh, wie ist das schoen!", some of the excitement that is sweeping the rest of the world right now can be felt even here!!!

After having seen the "battle' between Holland and Portugal, we had to witness to another scandal of refereeing in the Italy vs Australia match were an inexistant penalty was awarded in extra extra added time.
If football is to be degenerated into this sort of scenario then I say that the best man for these types of decisions was that Saudi Prince who called his team to stop playing after disagreeing with a blatant mistake made by the referee.
It is still a mystery why in this day and age authorities are still insisting not to use the visual aids which are available.
I hope that the best team will win the cup.

Totally agree with Anthony Calleja's
last point. The Holland - Portugal game was a clear argument for a video referee. There is no way a cricket or rugby match would have descended into the chaos that this match did - the reason being that both these sports governing bodies have been far-sighted enough to realise that the game is better managed with some video replay / support. Equally, the ref in the Australia - Italy match could have reviewed that 'foul'. FIFA - wake up!

well PORTUGAL doesn't sleep already with the world cup

but i must refer our last game against Neetherlands...

the game praticly starts with a violent mov against CRISTIANO RONALDO and the russian judge don't show the red card!

everyone saw that Neetherlands didn't have fair play
at the time they should pass the ball to portugal's squad, the dutch coath or the players told their team-mates to mov on with the ball!!!

but we must see that the judge was more nervous than neetherlands or anyone else...
it was the judge that starts the mess that the game ended

4 red cards
16 yellow cards
9 players to eatch side

we never saw such game in world cup history

the president of FIFA said that the judge should get a yellow card for his role during the game
i say that he should get red card imediatly!

than the neetherland's coach says that he came to play football... well i ask: why the hell did neetherland' squad make so many scens?=?

the inteir world should recognise the PORTUGAL's victory completly fair, i would say.

Hi, I am a German student at a boarding school in Germany.
Here at school it is very difficult to follow every match of the Worldcup. But we try hard. We make presentations and have a lot of fun together.
At my school we are 280 students and we play our school world cup too. In every team there are 6 players. Its a lot of fun.
I am not such a big football fan only if Germany is playing ;-) .I think Germany will win the Worldcup because they have always been good at tournaments. They keep getting better and better with each game they played in the cup.

Anyway are playing fantastic football its fun to watch!

Nice greetings from Germany the Winning-Country :-)

Hi everybody,
the World Cup fever has reached Germany. Since 9th June Germany is in the state of emergency. Already weeks before, there was only one topic for discussion. All the people were only talking about football and the results of the Germnan national team.
I hope the other national teams and fans from other countries feel good in Germany and have an amazing time.

!!!We'll win the World Cup!!!
Germany2006

Gianni

WC in Germany has caused a lot of newly gained patriotism. This is quite bizarre as I find, since German people usually are so scared of having, for example, the German flag hanging out of their windows. Concerning patriotism, Germany has always differed a lot from other nations. Since World War II,German people are lot more reluctant of how to behave in public, since they have always been senstitively watched by the rest of the world. I hope this newly gained patriotism isn't just a temporarily phenomenon, since the Germans have already been suffering enough under their history. I also hope that tolerance and friendship between all those diferent cultures, which are participating at the Fifa WC will continue after this great event.

Servus guys from the island.
I want to write something about the new patriotism in Germany.
It is amazing to see, how the people are proud of their country.
In the whole of Germany you can see the white, red, golden flag, which you couldn't see in those numbers before.
Germans sing the national anthem and we party a lot.
You can see a big change in Germany right at the moment
The atmosphere is amazing and nobody is ashamed of their country.
I'm very proud of Germany, the people and the national team, but I'm not a nazi.
Hopefully Germany will win the World Cup 2006.
What do you think??
Prost=cheers

hi guys,
I'm from Germany and I want to say we love you all and hope you'll have a good time in Germany during the world cup. At the moment the atmosphare in my country is amazing. Everyone is happy and everywhere is party,party, party... You have to taste our beer!
I think Germany will win the World Cup because we have got the best Team and our fans are very good.
cheers from a friend to friends!

WC in Germany has caused a lot of newly gained patriotism. This is quite bizarre as I find, since German people usually are so scared of having, for example, the German flag hanging out of their windows. Concerning patriotism, Germany has always differed a lot from other nations. Since WWII German people are lot more reluctant of how to behave in public, since they have always been senstitively watched by the rest of the world. I hope this newly gained patriotism isn't just a temporarily phenomenon, since the Germans have already been suffering enough under their history. I also hope that tolerance and friendship between all those diferent cultures, which are participating at the Fifa WC will continue after this great event.

hi,
I am korean but I have been living for 5 years in germany.
In germay, most people have a dream
to win the worldcup and have the nice
feeling from 1954 again.
I personally think that the probability from Brazil is bigger than germany.
But I have to say that Germany has improved since last Worldcup 2002.
So I think that England hasn´t chance to be worldchampion.

WC in Germany has caused a lot of newly gained patriotism. This is quite bizarre as I find, since German people usually are so scared of having, for example, the German flag hanging out of their windows. Concerning patriotism, Germany has always differed a lot from other nations. Since 1945,German people are lot more reluctant of how to behave in public, since they have always been senstitively watched by the rest of the world. I hope this newly gained patriotism isn't just a temporarily phenomenon, since the Germans have already been suffering enough under their history. I also hope that tolerance and friendship between all those diferent cultures, which are participating at the Fifa WC will continue after this great event.

well i hope the english wii get it right this time around many of zimbabweans are supporters o f the english team .Like all over the world the wolrd ccup fever has gripped my town.

well i hope the english wii get it right this time around many of zimbabweans are supporters o f the english team .Like all over the world the wolrd ccup fever has gripped my town.

2 july 2006
Hello every body,
I am French, of course I feel glad, happy, particulaly since the last 2 matchs.. But the more IMPORTANT from my eyes is, the victory of a team how has been considerat by the media : the team the more oldest of all the team of the world cup : so, no chance.

So for me it is more then a victory of the French team :
IT IS ALSO THE VICTORY OF THE PERSONS WHO ARE CONSIDERAT AS OVER BY THEYR AGE

For the story : I leave at the moment in APT 12 000 persons, the years dinner of the town was yesterday ! Imagin !! a great big television has been instaled in the garden, when the French win, we was 200 at screeing and the prist rung whith 6 or 7 boys to ring the belts of his cathedral and I thing all the Luberon (the area) heard the belts.

And of cours also the classic 6 persons on the roof of they cars..klaxons etc..