It's time to identify the best World Cup song of 2006. As far as we're concerned, one tune leads the pack: "Wij houden van Oranje 2006" by Ali B ft. André Hazes.
A good World Cup song needs the following: [1] a reduction of patriotism to something effortless and participatory; [2] simple lyrics that assure a maudlin celebratory response; [3] a performer who appeals to a wide demographic; and [4] a simple melody, ideally somewhat folky, that invites a karaoke impulse.
"Wij houden van Oranje" contains all of these ingredients. The title translates as "We love Orange." It refers to the color associated with the Dutch royal family and, by proxy, the nation. The original version of the song was a hit for André Hazes, a Dutch singer (now deceased) in 1988. You want maudlin? The melody of "Wij houden van Oranje" is taken from "Auld Lang Syne." Close your eyes and feel the drunken tears welling up.
Ali B, a Dutch artist of Moroccan extraction, rhymes a spirited, namechecking rap of nationalist ferocity (replete with a shouted "motherf*cker" toward the song's end) over Hazes' sentimental tune.
The mood is particularly strange in Germany this morning. Giant screens in public viewing areas are being dismantled, flags are strewn on the side of the road instead of on cars, and nobody knows what to talk about.
On Saturday, the more dedicated half of German fans flocked to Stuttgart to support the Nationalmannschaft in their who-really-cares play-off for third place against Portugal. Feverish French and Italian supporters mixed up in this crowd experienced things very differently: all of a sudden, the Germans love the French, and throw insults at pizza deliverers.
After Sunday's long grand final and a win to Italy in the penalty shoot-out, pizzerias and gelati cafés celebrated long into the night, while the locals, still with a bitter taste after a semi-final loss to Italy, tried to ignore the honking and began to catch up after four weeks with little sleep. Germans are renowned for their inability to make small talk, but they actually had something to talk about this past month, and now it's all over. No matter how the radio and TV presenters put it, the 698 days until the European Championship is still a long time.
Is a pop song forecasting a World Cup win for Germany in 2006 still a viable marketing idea after the team loses? Sure, if you're flexible enough to adapt the song quickly. Munich band Sportfreunde Stiller have been getting plenty of airtime since they released their song '54, '74, '90, 2006 back in May, celebrating Germany's three previous World Cup victories and adding on another from the current tournament.
But--oops--Germany didn't get past Italy in the semi-final on Tuesday, making this song instantly out-of-date. No problem. A new single was ready: '54, '74, '90, 2010, with the lyrics adjusted to include Germany being a guest at South Africa's 2010 World Cup and trying for the title again on the Cape of Good Hope. It hit the radio within hours of the loss, and has been on high rotation ever since. There's nothing like finding success in failure.
It's about that time, kids; the World Cup Breakfast Beer Express is pulling into the station. The third place game, between Germany and Portugal, is tomorrow, and the Final this Sunday between France and Italy. Really, we love both cuisines equally, making it impossible to pick a favorite.
Nonetheless, for that very reason--culinary popularity--you've got plenty of viewing options in the city, though you might want to think twice about hitting up the Olive Garden--it won't have very many fans there, and you'll fill up on the unlimited salad and breadsticks. Also, at all of these locations, reservations and calling ahead is highly recommended. To wit:
Italy
La Casalinga: A tiny restaurant on 1st Avenue and 7th, it's filled with spectators during recent games. The TV is right in the dining area and angled directly to face the all seats in the restaurant, making La Casalinga the closest approximation of watching the game in someone's kitchen.
Le Streghe: This swank West Broadway restaurant is where we watched Italy in the first round, and it was full at 10am on a weekday, so expect utter insanity this time around. They have a special menu during the game, and most of the tables are oriented to see the game on the projection screen in the back of the restaurant.
L'Angolo: This café is where NYT columnist George Vescey is purported to watch matches. It would be more exciting if he didn't write about the misbegotten American team so much, but with light sandwiches and salads, it may be more suited for an afternoon game, anyway Plus, if Italy loses, you won't be saddled with too big a bill.
France:
Opia: One of GQ's top ten soccer bars in the U.S. (a rather dubious distinction, like "least deformed"), this tony midtown eatery has a big screen set-up for watching the game. There's also a cozy den area, but given how hot it was at other World Cup watching venues, you may want to bring a sweat towel if that's where you're headed. Opia is owned by retired French soccer star Youri Djorkaeff, although we hear he's in Germany at present. Bonus: It's possible to reserve online.
Bar Tabac: A French staple on Smith Street in Brooklyn, you can bet on this brasserie being packed with true bleu fans. The all-French wine list and French bar snacks will help ease the tension during the match, and they'll be open at 10am on Sunday, so you can ensure you'll be "ready" for the start of the match.
As for English fans, you'll find them anywhere alcoholic beverages are sold.
While we've often compared Detroit to Berlin (circa 1945), the two are comparable in other ways this year. Both hosted/are hosting finals of their respective nation's most popular sports (the World Cup Final and the Super Bowl). Comparing the two, the question remains: How much will it set you back to see the World Cup Final, and will there be cheerleaders and/or Kid Rock in attendance?
According to the Wall Street Journal, a choice ticket to the final will cost you over $7,000 at least, as the cheaper, $3,000 tickets are long gone. That doesn't include airfare (if you're not in Berlin already) and hotel, both of which are so exorbitant as to be nosebleed-inducing this late in the game. In short, you're looking at $10,000 for the experience. To avoid scalping issues, many brokers are selling the tickets as part of "hospitality packages", so, maybe if you're lucky, Kid Rock will show up. But cheerleaders are less likely. Sorry.
For your ten grand, at least you can be guaranteed that after 120 minutes, any scoreless draws will be settled by penalty kicks. That'll make the whole thing seem worthwhile, right?
While the Germans are probably boycotting pizza and spaghetti--and the Portuguese might be buying fewer baguettes, too--the World Cup in general is a time for newer and stranger foods. Visitors to stalls in "Fanfest" villages across Germany have been tasting everything, including fufu from Ghana and genuine Brazilian caipirinhas, amongst the millions of Bratwurst and bottles of German brew, of course.
Almost overshadowed by World Cup fever, a few food specialists around the world have been developing even more surprises for our taste buds. In North Carolina, Cold Sweat ice cream is the new taste sensation, an ice cream so hot and spicy that customers are asked to sign a waiver before getting their (small) scoop.
Tthe big news in cuisine this week comes from Marks and Spencer's stores in England, who have just launched their king-size blackberries. Double the normal size and sweeter to boot, the English might not be able to play football this time round but at least they have something tasty to munch on.
Patriotism's been on the rise in Germany the last couple of weeks, but orderliness still remains paramount. With the Nationalmannschaft getting all the way to the semifinals, flag manufacturers and suppliers reported unprecedented sales and many hours of overtime. Radio bulletins, meanwhile, have been running all week about the need to be extra careful securing flags to car windows. Everyone now knows the drill: If a car flag escapes and lands on the windscreen of a car behind, causing an accident, the flag owner is liable.
Fortunately, that hasn't stopped some police cars from flying the black, red and gold; perhaps the frequency of flags flying off cars helped contribute to the huge demand. Moreover, even before the disastrous (for the home-team and flag-makers) Germany-Italy semi-final, it's been more and more common to find bedraggled German flags lying by the roadside. After the German's 2-0 loss result last night, we guess the shops will be selling the remaining car flags at 50% off.
China--it's not just a rising superpower, but a rising soccer-power. The country is rocketing up the world rankings, and it stands to reason that amongst those 1.2 billion people there a few pairs of fancy feet. There are also plenty of people looking to make a quick buck, just like at all the other soccer-crazed nations worldwide.
One Chinese "entrepreneur" in particular is trying to sell World Cup Air. For 50 yuan ($6) you can become the proud owner of a plastic bag full of air "packed at the World Cup venues while the workers were cutting the grass before matches", according to the proud vendor, Li Jie.
With the 2007 Women's World Cup due to take place in China, soccer fever seems to be affecting everyone's brains there. Unfortunately, Li Jie might have to wait until then to really start to get rich, because he's already run into some mid-air hiccups; of the 25 bags of air imported to China from Germany, he admitted that the magic air leaked out of four of them in transit. At least he's an honest crooked capitalist.
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by artextor
