Olympiastadion redux

Well ladies and gentlemen, I returned to Olympiastadion. For a Jehovah's Witnesses conference? No. Why, then, might you have been there, Will? To celebrate the beginning of the 2009/2010 Bundesliga season and watch Hertha Berlin play Hannover 96. Now, you might remember Hannover 96 from a couple of weeks ago, and you would be correct! I travelled to Hannover to see God's Team (Arsenal) play. A week and a half later, I got a chance to see if they improved from their particularly stingy performance v. the Gunners.

I had been looking forward to this match for many reasons. First and foremost, I got to go into Olympiastadion this time. Nothing was going to keep me out this time. Second, this match was officially "competitive," as they say in the biz. At the Hannover-Arsenal match, only pride was at stake. The two teams were playing to prepare for their respective domestic seasons. Run a team out, give them a good workout, test out some different tactics, bring them back in. A win is always wonderful, but it isn't really something to boast about (though of course I do). This time, 3 points were at stake. This was the first match of 36 that Hertha Berlin would play in order to determine the winner of the Bundesliga championship. Wonderful! These teams would be chomping at the bit to kick off the season and make a statement. No one wants to look slack or weak on the first day of the season. This one would be a flier!

Two of my classmates and I headed toward the stadium at around 1:30 and the match started at 3:30. If it were up to me, I'dve been there at 1:30, but looking back on things, I didn't miss out. We took the UBahn, and it was quite a trek. That was completely alright by me. I felt like I was getting the best experience I could have by taking the UBahn. With about three stops left to go, the entire train was veritably full with Hertha BSC fans. Berlin songs were sung; anti-Hannover songs were sung. It was certainly a sight to behold. Everyone was decked out with blue and white from head to toe. I wore my Hertha jersey that I purchased a few days before. I think a few of my colleagues thought it was a bit overboard, but after getting on the train, I believe they were both a bit jealous.

Upon arrival, we saw blue and white everywhere. Not only shirts, but scarves, scarves, scarves. Tied on wrists, tied around waists, hanging from belts, scarves everywhere. Face paint, the whole deal. The stadium itself was absolutely incredible. 74,000 seats. I can't say that it's the largest stadium I've visited (Bryant-Denny = 91,000 and growing), but it was certainly gigantic.

Our seats were great. I purchased our tickets, and in the back of my mind I was worried about how good they would actually be, but I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. The crowd was a bit slim (around 45,000), but it certainly wasn't quiet. The Hannover fans sang their hearts out; the Ost-Kurve (Hertha fan central) jumped up and down, sang, chanted, played drums. I can honestly say that I've not seen anything like it before. There is nothing that compares in American sports. Or even comes close. The fans at soccer matches are incredible. If only American sports fans would sing. I think that would change things.

Anyhow, the game itself wasn't top notch stuff. You could see that both teams were still trying to get into a sync and knock off a bit of rust, but luckily, the match ended 1-0 to the home team. That makes now 3 professional soccer matches and 3 1-0 scorelines. I'd say that it might not be a goalfest, but it's better than 0-0. And while the game might not have been a barn-burner (I've now realized that this might be the most cliche-ridden post that I've produced yet), the atmosphere really made it something special. You could tell the fans were really rearing to go and ready to get the season underway. They were ready to see their team out there and challenging for the title again. With every new season comes new hopes and dreams, and you could really sense that on Saturday. I'm really glad that I went.

As for sports go in Germany, my schedule is officially empty. BUT! Two more prospects are on the horizon. First, the Track and Field World Championships are coming to Berlin next week. Some classmates and I are going to try desperately to get a hold of some tickets. 300,000 have already been sold. I really want to make it back to Olympiastadion for something competitive, but I also want to say, "Hey Usain Bolt! Let's race!" You can expect a blog entry about how I gave the fastest man on the planet all he could handle until he edged me out in the last 10M. Second, Berlin has 1. FC Union, a professional soccer team in the Bundesliga 2. I think that might be a completely different yet equally interesting experience.

Until tomorrow, I will leave you with this. Also, new pictures up. Take care:

Wörter des Tages:

Hertha Oma - Hertha Grandmother

Einmal Herthaner Immer Herthaner - Once a Hertha fan, Always a Hertha fan.