Germany vs. Colombia

We finally reffereed our first match of the tournament and we are still pumped up from yesterday's match. The final result between Germany and Colombia was 3-1. It was an exciting match, full of decisions down to the final minutes of the match. 15,000 fans attended the match, and the atmosphere was loud and absolutely great.

Departure for Bochum was quite exciting. We met in the hotel lobby at 11:40 am for departure for the hotel in Bochum. Karolina (Poland) had already left with the first crew as she worked as the fourth official for the first and second matches. Right before we were about to leave our colleagues returned from their training and the timing was just perfect. All of the FIFA instructors as well as our colleagues gave us hugs, kisses, and high fives, all wishing us much success for the match. This farewell from our colleagues really made us feel like we are part of one big soccer family and it really set the tone for a successful day.



We arrived at the hotel in Bochum around 12:30 pm and were greeted by members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and referee liason. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and they'd even made lunch reservations for us prior to our arrival. We quickly exchanged best wishes with the crew for the first match who were just leaving for their game when we got there. After a leisurely lunch, we settled in for a nice rest at the hotel before heading to the game. Ahhh, the life of a referee!


(Marlene, LOC Member, Carol Anne, and Veronica)

The LOC and our driver to the stadium were concerned about possible traffic, so we arrived several hours before the game and were able to catch a bit of the action from the first match between France and Costa Rica. Unfortunately, we missed the goals which were scored just after we headed down to the locker room. Carol Anne really kept us on schedule and organized so we didn't ever feel rushed and had plenty of time to get our heads in the game. Marlene went to check the equipment from the teams because Karolina was still working with the other crew on paperwork. Colombia was no problem, but she had to jump to check the German team. They really are as tall as they look on TV.


(First match: France vs. Costa Rica)



(Marlene gets ready before the rest of the crew to check the team's equipment.)


Warm up went well and we got the chance to get a feel for the stadium and the field before the pressure began. The fans were already pretty pumped up during warm up chanting and blowing the vuvuzelas. Some of them even had their faces painted. We got a nice 20 minute warm up and a good chance to sweat in the sun and with the humidity (the breeze from up in the stands didn't really make it down to the field).


(Carol Anne holding up the communication system. The radio sits on a 5'' band that wraps around our waist, in a pocket in the back.)


(The Jabulani is the official match ball of the tournament. The only difference from the ball used in South Africa is the FIFA U20 WWC Germany logo printed on the ball.)


When we lined up to head out to the field, it was clear that Colombia was really fired up for the game. They were singing even before they were all out of the locker room. The Germans were much more reserved and stoic. Even though there was a shortcut to the field we used for warmups, the official entrance was quite a distance away. The Colombians never stopped singing the whole time. The echoes through the hallways were deafening! With the communication system turned on already, we got the singing in stereo. As we were standing waiting for the General Coordinator to signal us to begin the procession onto the field, we were overcome by the feeling that this is what we train for. This moment is what you devote countless hours for officiating matches, getting up early or staying up late to work out, watch matches, study the laws, and discuss game situations. We managed to make it up the steep stairs and down the second set of stairs without incident and out onto the field. The rest of the preliminary ceremony passed in a blur of the German announcer, national anthems, and wishes of good luck with the players.


(General Coordinator Vairani Davio)


After the nets were checked, Veronica headed to the sunny side of the stadium and Marlene headed to the shady side with the coaches. Once the whistle blew, the decisions never stopped. Although the pace wasn't as high as Carol Anne indicated her first match was, the technical aspects were quite demanding. It was really great working with Carol Anne as this was our first time working together. We had constant communication during the match and we really appreciated her calmness, leadership, and composure.





We look forward to whatever comes next, especially watching the USA play this afternoon and feel really lucky to have been involved in such an interesting game. Thanks to everyone back home for the support!


Marlene and Veronica