Hosts send best guests home

Exactly two weeks after he scored the best goal of the tournament, Esteban Cambiasso was given the task of scoring one far more important.

Exactly two weeks after he scored the best goal of the tournament, Esteban Cambiasso was given the task of scoring one far more important. He was up against Jens Lehmann, not the world8217;s most elegant goalkeeper but someone who has the winning habit in penalty shootouts.

Thirty seconds later, as Lehmann guessed correctly and dived to his right, Argentina were out of the World Cup and Germany were through to the semi-finals, 4-2 on penalties.

The party that has been bubbling for some time now burst open and continues as this is written, an hour after that Lehmann save. The supporters8212;with red, yellow and black everywhere, on wigs, earrings, faces, a Red Indian hairdo8212;are still singing in the historic Olympic Stadium, unwilling to leave, perhaps feeling that if they leave their seats they will wake up from this dream.

Down on the pitch, the players celebrated in most un-German fashion. There was No 10 and No 20, the old and the new, Oliver Neuville and Lukas Podolski, each of whom had played his part in the shootout.

Behind them, the midfield maestros, Michael Ballack8212;the man of the match8212;and Torsten Frings. And Oliver Kahn hugging Lehmann. Actually, I made that last one up but it may yet happen in this unseasonal time of general goodwill.

It8217;s a party everyone wanted to join. In the 8220;mixed zone8221;, deep in the bowels of the stadium where the FIFA reporter interviews a designated player from each team, who else walked in but Angela Merkel, a broad grin on her face as though she8217;d just convinced the US to leave Iraq.

Out on the concourse where, 70 years ago, Hitler marched in to open the Olympics, a brass band was already in place celebrating the success of a team with two players of Polish origin and two Blacks.

Story continues below this ad

Germany sail on to Dortmund, the country8217;s most football-mad city. Argentina fly home, ruing another early exit after giving a teasing glimpse of what may have been. And once again letting down their legion of passionate fans.

Just before the penalty kicks began, an elderly Argentinian man in the disabled section pushed a button to raise his wheelchair. In front of him, his son, a massive hulk who could have played in central defence, offered up a prayer. Two dots of blue in a sea of red, yellow and black, perhaps they sensed what was to come: Germany had, before today, converted 13 of 14 shootout penalties.

As Cambiasso fell to the ground in despair, the giant fan in the stands dissolved in tears, putting his head on his father8217;s lap. The elder man said nothing; he waited till the tears subsided, then quietly lowered his wheelchair.

He knows that the cycle of football goes on; the talents of Messi, Tevez, Maxi, Mascherano will surely delight us again. And Germany? You sense that on this form, with a kind of force majeure controlling things, they can go all the way. That8217;s another nine days of partying.