The World Cup Diary : Part III

I am back. May be because I was asked to return. (Its not everyday that I get a request !!)

Last Sunday I visited a place called Herzogenaurach (I can't pronounce it either). It is a small town (population ca. 23000) about 17 km from Nuernberg. Famous as the birthplace of Adidas and Puma, and also their current HQ, Herzogenaurach also boasts to be the birth place of Lothar Matthaus. And currently in the news as the World Cup base for Argentina. And that was the reason I was there.

The journey from Nuernberg to Herzogenaurach takes about 1 hour but since it was a Sunday, and the buses were about once every hour-and-half, I had to wait for one hour on either side of the journey. But who cares ? If you can get to see them practising. That was, at least, the idea.

But as fate would have it Pekerman was in a good mood and he gave the boys the day off !! So I stalked in front of their hotel (HerzogsPark) along with a score or less Argentines (it must be noted - I was the ONLY non-Argentine there, which went quite a way to draw surprising but at the same time appreciateive, if I may say so, glances).

So there I was standing with camera in hand - La Dolce Vita - ready to click if one of my heroes came out of the hotel. And I kept waiting. In the sun, sweating - surprising, but it was, unfortunately, one of the hottest days in Germany for quite some time. And then it happened.

Well nothing much. A few of them came out of the hotel and started walking towards the witing bus. They were going on a sight seeing trip. Ustari, Palacio, Rodriguez and the rest of the bench were there.

Something I think is always better than nothing ! But then came Cambiasso !! After the kids had left in the bus, Cambiasso drove out in a car along with his wife/girlfriend. But I did not have enough time to click him.

But then came the big fish !! The Master and Commander of the Argentine revival (I think I can call that so after the disappointment of Asia). Juan Roman Riquelme. And my camera was in action. (The camera isn't too good - not enough zoom actually and he was moving too fastand I was too far away, so I had to use digital zoom and...Ok, I am not a good photogapher! But still you can definitely make out that that is Riquelme..)

Not too bad an adventure, eh !