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  • My 2006 World Cup Diary
    Discover what it was like to be in southern Italy as the national soccer team vied for the world's most prestigious sporting title
    Part 5 of 6: The Semifinals
    Our Paesani

    by Francesca Di Meglio

    Tension builds as your team moves from one round to the next in the World Cup. The closer you get to the final, the faster your heart beats, the sweatier your palms, the more butterflies floating around your stomach. This is the reality for any fan whose team is participating in the world's greatest sports tournament. But it was even more true for the people of Ischia because their nation was facing Germany, home of most of the tourists who frequent the island.

    If you ever visit Ischia, which relies heavily on tourism, you'll see that most of the signs and directions are written in Italian and German. A German opened one of Ischia's most popular thermal parks, Poseidon. And many, if not most, of the Ischitani speak German fluently. I'm noticing that the natives get restless - not to mention resentful - anyplace where tourism thrives.

    You could understand why. The tourists come stay a few days and only see the beauty of the place - and the natives have to serve them and keep up the appearance that all is perfect, even when they're tired, it's hot, their kid has chicken pox and they're wondering if enough tourists will come this summer so they can pay the rent for July and August. That can get to a person.

    That's exactly why the Ischitani took it personally when the German newspapers started to talk trash in the days leading up to the match. That's exactly why the Ischitani felt as though the match between Germany and Italy was as important - if not more so - than the World Cup final. This was war - and Italy had no choice but to win. And it did just that, scoring two miraculous goals, in the very last moments of the match.

    Without drinking anything but water, I woke up with a hangover the day after this game. The Ischitani came out in droves. The Italians were heading to Berlin, and they had just beaten Ischia's arch rival. Che fantastico!

    Part 6: The Final


    Part 1: A Dream Come True
    Part 2: The First Round
    Part 3: The Second Round
    Part 4: The Quarterfinals
    Part 5: The Semifinals
    Part 6: The Final

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