Before the match we visited the hotel Jagd Hof where korean soccer player stayed.
We had to wait with my children for 4 hours to meet some players.
Fortunately we could meet some players and made some fotos (here with Ji-Sung Park from Manchester United). It was 2 hours before the match. They were nervous before the match. But any players didn't reject to make fotos.

We visted also german training camp in Eppan. But we couldn't see any player because the stadium was full. I could see only the manager Oliver Bierhof.

The matchs were exciting for me. The korean team offered very exciting matchs. Unfortunately it lost the match against Uruguay. The germany team played very well.
I promised my colleagues to buy a german football shirt if the german team win the match against Argentina. Germany scored four goals. And I had to buy it on my pleasure. My the best player in germany team is Thomas Müller. Unfortunately he was blocked for the semi-final. I think it is reason that the german team lost this match.

I'm watching the final match at the moment. I thought Spain win easy this final match. I see now that the Netherlands plays better. Let us see who win the match. In any case we will have a new world cup champion, because both of teams never won the cup!

Football is not only the most important sport in our country. it is an important part of our identity, is a passion for a great part or uruguayan people.

However, our national team could not classify to various FIFA tournaments and the last Cup in which we had a good position was in Mexico 1970.

Now, in South Africa 2010 the dream of generations of uruguayan fans is becoming true. ¡We are one of the best teams in the World Cup!

It is amazing how this team has captivated people sympathy and admiration. Everybody is speaking about the same subject, World Cup, our team, Forlan, Lugano and the coach Tabarez.
Flag sellers say that they are selling more flags than ever. Many buildings, houses and cars show the uruguayan flag. I have one on my window.
The day of a game, Montevideo appears in a different mood. Everybody is in a hurry to work or do errands before the time of the game. Many public offices and private company modified the working hours to let workers see the game on TV. During the game you can´t find a taxi, people gather in bars, clubs, working places or houses to see the match. The streets remain almost empty.
But after we win a match, hundreds of people go out to the main streets to celebrate, singing, shouting, with flags.

Everybody is happy and there are no rivalries. The thing that I can see as more important is that. The same people that last year were in opposite sides because of their political options or for being supporters of different local football teams, now all celebrate together, no matter who is at you side in the street. They sing together until they have no more voice. Our team, "la celeste" as we name it (the blue sky), has the power to join people of very different points of view, or social levels.
Last Friday, Uruguay- Ghana was themost exciting game. Before the match both captains read a declaration against racism. For me the emotion in front of the TV began in that moment. Then hearing our national anthem brought tears to my eyes. Everybody was tense with the hard definition of this long match, that in the end, after a lot of suffering put us in the semifinals after 40 years.

Is it true? We are into the four best squads of the world?
Crowds invade the streets in every city and town of our country. And thousands of uruguayan that live abroad also celebrated all over the world.
I think that this victories are also important because our country is named in the newspapers and TV in many countries that perhaps did not know anything about Uruguay.

After two days, I see that people is more friendly to strangers in the streets and shops, There is a collective change of mood. And now, we expect for more.

¡Uruguay is a feast.!

Besides it, you can also go to the "Cha chann ten" (a type of restaurant very popular in Hong Kong, you can also call in tea restaurant), some of them provide match-watching services, usually the atmosphere there makes you enjoy the match more than at home.

Due to the monopolization, I think Hong Kong has developed its unique culture on watching football, hope all of you enjoy what I have shared!

In fact, the 'World' Cup term sounds unfair as we have almost only South American and European countries at the competition but it clearly has become more democratic, particularly this one with Asian and African remarkable participation.

I would definitely recommend him not to remember the unacceptable aggressiveness and violence in the field partly due to the constant mistakes made by the referees and also due to the loss of temper. FIFA should be aware of the number of the children watching this bad example of behaviour. No matter the result, we should keep the sense of balance and have a positive attitude towards the situation. In Brazilian case, I reckon Dunga's team has already reached a great achievement and Netherland deserved the victory for its emotional control.

One of the good things of living in a multicultural country is that there is always any country to cheer for. Of course, I was supporting Brazil in first place at this competition but it's disorienting when you have a match between Germany and Argentina for example . Argentina is in our neighbourhood and is a Latin country. On the other hand, we have some German descendants here. In my own state, people celebrate joyfully every time Germany wins.

As for me, I always tend to support novice teams, especially African countries for cultural and historical reasons because I know how important is a great performance for them. Let's see...I hope I don't bring that Micky Jagger kind of bad luck when cheering for any country :-)... Good luck for the remaining countries still at the competition. Go on!!!

Adriana from Brazil

Hello, I'm French and very disappointed by the Football french team behaviour! Their behavior is ridiculous and it's a shame for all French people!

It's not a team but only an addition of individualities and there is no manager!

The World Cup is not a national championship but the most important football tournament and each national team must show the best "image" of the country which he represents.

The players of our FRANCE Football Team must be selected only in the French Football League 1 and in the future I hope that all the players will sing proudly our National Anthem "La Marseillaise".

This afternoon I'll give all my support to the Bafana Bafana.

[André's blog was sent in before France's last game against South Africa on 22nd June]

Yes... I know we are very very football fans here and yes... we're feeling a sort of deep World Cup fever these days... but... it's sooo special...

The cities are empty when Argentina team is playing.. no one at the streets, no taxis, go to the supermarket if you wish...you'll be the only one there !! We stop all our activities for watching the match...

And so we Argenitinians are, people... yes... so we are...we were looking forward for this event,, we're living it with lot of passion.... we'll go crazy if we win and totally depressed if we... ( I don't want to write it ) lose...

We won our first match against Nigeria on Sat ... Argentina 1 - Nigeria 0 ... and we enjoyed a lot our players and our leader Lionel Messi... he is great,, isn't he ?

Vamos vamos Argentina
Vamos vamos a ganar !!

All the best for our team, my wish that this Cup will be a memorable tournament for all the Argentinians !

Cheers

Silvia