Every time I hear ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ – that almost all legendary of all soccer anthems – I’m instantly reminded of Italy’s epic win over Germany on the 2006 World Cup.
I really feel very fortunate to have been at that Biblical encounter on the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund. It’s the best footballing expertise of my life – and I doubt it’s going to ever be surpassed.
I travelled to Germany with my good friend Giuseppe to comply with Italy’s journey. We had already been at all the Azzurri’s earlier 5 video games on path to the semi-final.
We had seen Daniele De Rossi rearrange Brian McBride’s face. We had been attacked by offended Aussies on the street after Fabio Grosso’s ‘dive’ within the final 16. And we had by chance booked a resort bang in the course of Hamburg’s red-light district earlier than the quarter-final win over Ukraine. Big mistake!
Harry Symeou hosts Jack Gallagher & Toby Cudworth to look again on Germany ’06 as a part of the ‘Our World Cups’ collection. We make a journey down reminiscence lane – be a part of us!
But watching Italy beat Germany from Dortmund’s famed south terrace, ‘The Yellow Wall’, was naturally probably the most memorable encounter of all.
It was a gripping contest that ebbed and flowed for 120 mesmerising minutes. It was end-to-end stuff for a lot of the sport – assaults in opposition to defence with gaping holes within the centre of midfield.
Italy completed the sport with 4 attackers, had 11 photographs on purpose and hit the woodwork twice. Germany, in the meantime, had large probabilities of their very own – with Gianluigi Buffon making tremendous saves from Bernd Schneider and Lukas Podolski, who additionally headed an incredible alternative broad too.
Somehow, heading into the ultimate minute of additional time, the rating was nonetheless goalless.
Italy earned a nook on the purpose we have been behind. I turned to Giuseppe and advised him to not watch. It had develop into a operating joke in the course of the event that it was good luck when he closed his eyes. Marco Materazzi had nodded dwelling Italy’s opener versus Czech Republic from a nook Giuseppe put his head down for. I additionally stopped him from watching Francesco Totti’s penalty winner versus Australia.
“For a few seconds, I felt like I was in an altered state of consciousness. We were surrounded by Germany fans and a stunned silence filled almost the entire stadium.”
Could this trick work a 3rd time?
The nook discovered its strategy to Andrea Pirlo on the sting of the world. The Milan playmaker delivered a luxurious no-look cross to Grosso contained in the field on the proper.
Grosso, the shock breakout star of the event, whipped in a curling shot first time. As quickly as he struck the ball, I instantly jumped as much as have fun. We have been sat proper in line, diagonally, from Grosso. It was immediately clear from the road of the shot that it was destined for the nook of the web.
For just a few seconds, I felt like I used to be in an altered state of consciousness. We have been surrounded by Germany followers and a shocked silence stuffed nearly your complete stadium.
On the pitch, Italy gamers and workers celebrated as if they’d simply received the World Cup. Grosso raced off and mimicked his personal model of ‘Tardelli’s Scream’ – the well-known celebration of Marco Tardelli upon scoring Italy’s second purpose within the 1982 World Cup remaining win over West Germany.
Italy had simply seconds to hold on now. Germany poured ahead searching for an equaliser. But Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro, who had placed on a defensive clinic on this sport with interception and block after interception and block, thwarted one final German assault.Â
‘The Berlin Wall’, as he grew to become recognized, allowed Totti after which Alberto Gilardino to arrange Alessandro Del Piero to curve dwelling a second with the ultimate kick of the sport.
Game over.
Italy 2, Germany 0.
The referee blew for full time and instantly ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was performed across the stadium.
A really poignant track at one of the best of instances, that was the second it actually hit dwelling to all of the Germany followers round us that their World Cup dream was over. Not simply kids and ladies however quite a few grown males broke down in tears.
So did many Italians around the globe, I’m positive. It had been such an emotional rollercoaster with such a dramatic ending.
Italy have been now within the World Cup remaining. We didn’t go to Berlin as we had solely purchased tickets as much as and together with the semis. But even watching the Azzurri carry the cup couldn’t have crushed this mystical expertise in Dortmund.