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From our reporters in Germany

paul_armstrong_55x55.gifBERLIN: All’s fair in love and ratings

Peter Crouch’s late goal yesterday was greeted with joy unconfined here in our Berlin studios. Even amongst the non-English contingent. We now know for certain that we will be covering at least one more England match live, and that our very own selection gamble has paid off.

The Â鶹Éç and ITV bought the UK rights jointly, and divided up the live coverage in a meeting after the draw. We had only one group game – the opener v Paraguay – in return for first choice of 2nd round and quarter-final matches. An England semi would be transmitted by both channels, as will the final.

MartinA SAUSAGE SHOP, STUTTGART HAUPTBAHNHOF - Not that I expect the remotest bit of sympathy from you dear blog reader, but it can be very frustrating being outside a stadium when a World Cup match is on with no prospect of getting in.

For the second time in a week Fletch is happily settled in his press seat, while I have to glumly drag myself away from the ground and towards an establishment with a TV.

celina_hinchcliffe2.gif AUFSCHALKE STADIUM, GELSENKIRCHEN - I've just watched the most beautiful football of my life at the AufSchalke stadium. against Serbia and Montenegro.
The stands were full of banners proclaiming Messi as the new Maradona - both their pictures side by side.

LONDON - Here's the latest entry from our guest blogger, Ross Kinnaird, the sports photographer whose on the merits, or otherwise, of digitially manipulating images.

His latest snap shows Sven-Goran Eriksson briefing Wayne Rooney as he prepares to make his first appearance versus Trinidad & Tobago.

paul_atherton.gifIBC, MUNICH – It’s not just the likes of me who can’t believe their luck at working on the World Cup – even the presenters keep pinching themselves! Here are Adrian Chiles’ thoughts on working on Match of the Day in Berlin:

If there's one thing worse than anyone being smug, it's a television presenter being smug. But sorry folks, here goes: I am in paradise. Paradise.

nigel_adderley.gifHAMBURG - Salute magnificent Ecuador! Their fans who drank the buffet car dry by mid-morning on the train up from Berlin were determined to enjoy the World Cup experience and were adamant their players were about to make history. I only hope the bloke who had to be rolled along the platform by his mates once we got to Hamburg had sobered up by kick-off for what most in yellow said was the greatest day of their lives.

james_bridgeman.gif NUREMBERG - I've experienced something I never thought I'd ever see.

paul_fletcher.gif STUTTGART - The Chris Moyles Radio One breakfast show is being broadcast from here in Germany so we went to visit them this morning to see how it is all going.

Perched high in the hills, Svan took his time tackling some of the gradients - especially as a few wrong turns were involved - but we made it eventually.

phil_mcnulty.gifBADEN-BADEN - A journey down the autobahn in the early hours from Nuremberg to Baden-Baden was the perfect opportunity to ponder the near-debacle we witnessed in the Frankenstadion.

And to weigh up the Wayne Rooney effect on England - both good and bad.

Rooney's very presence on the touchline was a blessing and curse for England and their players during the game against Trinidad and Tobago.

tom_geoghegan.gifraven_203.jpg
NUREMBERG - Among the estimated 50,000 England fans who were in the city today for the match was Mark Raven, 37, from Sussex (right).

Mark lost the sight in one eye in 1993 after being hit by a rock thrown by Turkey fans in Izmir. Such a loss would have understandably deterred some people from following England again but instead it hardened his resolve to "not let them win".

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