Berlin on fire
Afp, Berlin
Hundreds of thousands of people were gathering here and millions across the country were preparing to watch the host nation take on Argentina in the most eagerly awaited match of the World Cup so far.With only 72,000 lucky spectators able to be in Berlin's Olympic Stadium for the quarterfinal, the next best option for most fans was to go to one of the fan areas to watch the match on a big screen. More than 11 million people have gone to the zones across Germany so far in this World Cup, and millions more will follow in the buildup to the final on July 9. The biggest hit of all has been the so-called Fan Mile which leads up to Berlin's best-known monument, the Brandenburg Gate. Fans were advised to be in place in the capital five hours before the match to be sure of getting a place before the security cordon is closed. Police said they were expecting around one million people to fill the streets of Berlin. Street vendors were doing a roaring trade in German flags, reinforcing the fact that Germany has finally seemed at ease with itself at this World Cup after decades when overt displays of patriotism were frowned on because of the horrors committed by the Nazis. The weather in Berlin was cooler than in previous days, with cloudy skies keeping the temperature down to 22 degrees Celsius. German TV stations meanwhile were getting in the mood by playing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina". "3-1 to Germany" seemed to be the most widely held prediction of German supporters at the Fan Mile early on Friday. Sebastian Boecker, of the German Red Cross, told N24 television that he was expecting the atmosphere on the Fan Mile to remain calm regardless of the result. "It has been very peaceful so far. And we hope it will stay that way," he said. Despite Germany's promising start to the World Cup, with four wins out of four, they have not beaten a top-level footballing nation since 2000. Argentina, with two World Cups to their name, are among the strongest countries, but Germany have the undoubted advantage of home support. In the search for the luck which could tip the match in Germany's favour, Bild newspaper revealed it had buried an old 'pfennig' coin under the turf of the Olympic Stadium before the host nation's 3-0 win over Ecuador in their final first-round match on June 20.
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