The End of a Era

I guess it's really the end now. 4 years of waiting, hoping that everything will end on a high seems to fade away. I was sad after the 2002 final but not that sad cos i was really convinced that they will win this year but now guess it has all disappeared. Its also the end of what i will describe as youthful exuberance in watching Germany play from now on. I do not know whether in the future, under the many life stresses that i will be facing, will i still be able to support them so whole-hearted and unreserved. Will i derived as much joy as i do now when i see them win or be so sad when they lose or will i instead be so numbed by the many life stresses that i m facing that it will just be seen as another game. So many defeats that i had witnessed and all the memories still remained etched inside me. Denmark's 2 goals in 92, Balakov's header in 94, Worn's foolish red card in 98, Kahn's mistake and Neuville's shot in 02 So what if i will be able to go Austria and South Africa to watch them play next time but will it be as nice and wonderful as now when i m an adult and not as a young child anymore.

Its sad that it had to end this way, admist all the expectations and respect for this newfound German team yet the unparallel skeptiscm and sacrasm at how disbelief one can get in seeing a German team who did not follow their traditional roots. It was definitely their best chance in many years but sadly, i doubt such a progress is reproducible in the next 6 to 8 years. Anyway, the curse of Pele's mouth is as strong as it can get, an unrivalled force of darkness in the world of international football

Sadness....