Germany and the World Cup

The day Germany played Belgium in the World Cup Quarter Finals was the sixtieth anniversary of their first World Cup triumph. They played Hungary in the finals in Berne in 1954. Earlier in the tournament  the Hungarians beat them 8-3. In the finals the Hungarians lead 2-0 when the Germans came back and scored three goals to beat the Hungarians in this most critical game. It was a critical game not only because it was the World Cop Final, but because it was a contest between East and West, Capitalism and Communism. It was possibly the most brutal encounter in the history of the World Cup. It was more about politics at the height of the Cold War than about football. We have come a long way in these sixty years. The current games in Brazil are just a huge carnival. In the end it doesn't matter to the world at large who wins and who loses, it is about people having a good time. Not all people of course. The stands are full of beautiful pink women and men. Black women and men, beautiful or otherwise are conspicuously absent. Brazil is a predominately  Afro-South American country, but few Afro-South American Brazilians can afford the price of these matches. But perhaps in the end they will all benefit from the investment, from the money the tourists spend, and should the Brazilians win the tournament, from the collective honour and glory. It might also provide some poor Brazilian lads with exceptionally ball skills the opportunity to pick up a lucrative contract with some European club and earn really big bucks.