A Journey to Germany

This weekend was an adventure. I left the bustling streets of London for the countryside of Germany. Maybe I needed some home cooking or maybe I just needed to drive on the right side of the road again (that’s right as in not left, and not right as in the opposite of wrong, I wouldn’t want to upset anybody), but whatever the reason may have been, I made my 7:45 Friday morning flight and found myself cruising along winding country German roads an hour later.

Now this is where things get interesting.

I was expecting a quiet weekend in Germany full of Cable TV and sleep, but what I got was just a bit more than that.

Saturday was spent watching Bundesliga football in the morning, then watching as Manchester United sent Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup that night. It was at this point, relaxing on a large plush sofa, that I let out a sigh and though life probably wouldn’t get a whole lot better.

How wrong I was.

Sunday started off quiet, but took a turn for exhilarating at about 2 p.m. It was at this point that I boarded a train to Hannover for what was to be my first, and hopefully not my last, live Bundesliga experience. The opponent of Hannover remained a mystery to me, but I had a bit of an idea.

A little over an hour later I was sitting in the stands (about 12 rows up from the pitch if you must known) and watching as a one Oliver Kahn was warming up in goal.

Yes that’s right, I was watching the ever-scowling German turn shot after shot away (unfortunately this was the most action he saw), which could only mean that I was about to watch the most decorated and celebrated German team, Bayern Munich, take on Hannover 96.

I didn’t recognize many of the Hannover names, but there was this one name, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, Mr. Steve Cherundolo. It seems that no matter where I go, I am always able to find another top-flight American player perfecting his craft in one of the top leagues in the world.

Bayern Munich however was FULL of world class players. With names like Philipp Lahm, Mark Van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and one-man Italian strike force Luca Toni gracing the line-up sheet, Munich was sure to dominate.

The first half was a bit of a snoozer with a Toni header being the only real goal-scoring opportunity.

The second half was a different matter.

Bayern Munich illustrated their dominance as they systematically dismantled the generally lacklustre Hannover side and strolled to a smooth 3-0 victory thanks to a Toni hat trick.

Another weekend and another footballing adventure. Where will I find myself next? Italy? Spain?

Stay tuned.

Cheers!