Its hard to describe the atmosphere in a country that is resting all of its hopes on a small band of soccer players. It seems like these players are carrying the responsibility of renewing patriotism in a country where people were at an all-time pride low. Football fever is not just catchy: it’s almost impossible to not absorb the emotion and excitement present throughout the entire country during a game.

In my three years of living here, I have never seen a single flag in the yard of a citizen. Commercials have been on the tube in the past year encouraging people to be proud of being German (its a real problem that people have lost pride in their national identity). Now, its as if I’m back in America: people everywhere are wearing the colors of the flag, sporting those small flags that fit neatly in your cardoor windows and fly in the wind; people that have flagpoles suddenly fly the national flag instead of the local state or regional flag they usually have on display . Trucks and cars have flags draped across them, and after each football win the celebration and chants of victory can be heard everywhere for hours.

This is the first time I have ever seen anyone - much less most people I run into - have any outward expression of patriotism in Germany! And it somehow makes me happy to see it, in a land where being patriotic runs the risk of being labeled an extremist and - until now - was frowned upon by almost everyone.

Its no secret that football (soccer) isn’t a big sport in the USA. The USA is a kind of “anomaly” when it comes to football. I didn’t care so much about it either (as I don’t with most sports). Now, however, I have a hard time imagining not following it in the future - especially after experiencing the nation-wide 90-minute emotional rollercoaster that occurs during each game.

Here is to hoping that things will change for Germany for the better after the World Cup - and here is to hoping that Germany will beat Argentina later today! (I’ve never been so excited about a single sporting event, ever - honestly!)