SPORTS> Off the Pitch
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SPORTS> Off the Pitch
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Record crowd watch Germany
(news24.com)
Updated: 2006-06-01 15:20 Duesseldorf - A record crowd of 42 200 flag-waving fans watched a Germany training session open to the public on Wednesday.
"We didn't expect as much of a frenzy as this," coach Juergen Klinsmann told reporters as he continued preparing his team for the World Cup opener against Costa Rica in Munich on June 9. "It's fantastic the people are already in World Cup fever. It's a great thing to get support like this. We want to repay it." The 90-minute session was capped by players throwing and kicking a total of 500 balls into the Duesseldorf crowd. The roof over the arena was closed due to rain. German Football Association (DFB) officials said the crowd was twice as big as the previous record for a public session, 20 000 in Cologne in November 2005. "It's an incredible atmosphere and will give us an extra kick," said captain Michael Ballack. "This is truly a once in a lifetime moment." Germany's final World Cup warm-up match is against Colombia in nearby Moenchengladbach on Friday. All 32 World Cup teams have to hold at least one public training session ahead of the tournament. |
