After more than 50 years in the sport of soccer, I've had a lot of memories. So I decided to compile my top 10 and will share them with everyone, starting today with #10.
Memory # 10: Watching Hertha Berlin beat Bayern München, 2-1, in the Berlin Olympic Stadium on a frigid December night in 2001.
Kirsten and Scott both lived in Berlin during the 2001-2002 school year, Kirsten teaching on a Fulbright grant and Scott studying on his junior year abroad. Just a little more than two months after the 9/11 attacks, Louise and I flew to Berlin to spend nearly three weeks visiting. We wanted to see a Bundesliga game and what better game than Hertha against Bayern. The match was promoted as Currywurst gegen Weisswurst. Currywurst is a favorite in Berlin while the white sausage known as Weisswurst is a Bavarian specialty found in Munich (München).
Tickets to Bundesliga matches don't go on sale until much closer to the game date than is common in the United States. When the schedule is released at the start of the season the teams may know who they play each weekend, but the exact date and time of a match may not be finalized until later. Kirsten was able to score tickets for this Sunday night match at the historic Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The seats were in the end of the stadium but had a good view of the field. When we arrived some obnoxious fan was in one of our seats and said as a season ticket holder he could sit wherever he wanted. Kirsten was able to convince him to move.
Although Hertha had played in London the previous Thursday and Bayern in South America on Wednesday, the pace of the game was incredible. Petal to the metal for 90 minutes. Although not all the regular starters played, it was still and exciting, fast-paced match.
And you haven't lived until you've heard 50,000 Germans singing Nur Nach Hause, the Hertha theme song, as the Hertha fans did after the victory.
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