Pitch Invasion - A Blog Exploring Soccer Around The World » World Cup 2006

Photo Daily: The World Cup is Bollocks

Tom Dunmore — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:34:16 +0000

Flag held up by England fans for a few minutes at the England vs. Sweden game in the 2006 World Cup, before the authorities figured out the translation. June 20th, 2006.

Photo credit: Chalfont Don on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Foto Focus: Allianz Arena

Tom Dunmore — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:20:23 +0000

This week marks the fourth anniversary of the opening of the Allianz Arena (or Fußball Arena München for UEFA-organised matches), home to FC Bayern München and TSV 1860 München and made famous during the 2006 World Cup. A number of remarkable photos of the stadium’s unique aesthetic have appeared on Flickr over the years, so today we take a look at it from up close, afar and in all its colour-shifting glory.

The stadium, constructed of 2,874 ETFE-foil air panels, famously changes colour depending on whether the home team is Bayern (red), 1860 (blue) or the German national team (white). Allianz has a 30 year contract for naming rights, though the stadium was known as the FIFA World Cup Stadium Munich for the 2006 World Cup for sponsorship reasons.

The Arena. By Eldejo.

Up Close. By Pianoman75

From afar. By blubbla

Inside. By Brain farts.

Stairway. By manuela.martin.

Press area. By emphasis.

Seating. By Daveybot.

Stairwell. By mikmunich.

Parking. By Probek.

Clearing the snow. By hcm80.

Legoland. By POPOEVER.

ETFE-foil sample. By caprilemon.

In white. By Digitaler Lumpensammler.

In blue. By Digitaler Lumpensammler.

In red. By hipydeus.

In red & white. By Probek.

The Arena’s aesthetics are undeniably stunning. I’d be interested in hearing from those who have gone there how they felt about it in person, because aside from the exterior colour-glow, there’s an eerie feel of THX-1138 to it all.

And indeed, the stadium has been a subject of a stringent critique from many supporters unhappy with the restrictions and conditions inside the Arena. Does the experience match the adornment at Allianz Arena?

Photo credits: hipydeus, Pianoman75, blubbla, probek, Digitaler Lumpensammler, Brain farts, eldejo, emphasis, Daveybot, hcm80, mikmunich, POPOEVER, caprilemon and manuela.martin on Flickr.

Photo Daily | January 18 | Ghana Celebrates

Tom Dunmore — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 03:51:10 +0000

In our final photo this week on African football, it seems fitting to end with Ghana ahead of the opening African Nations Cup game there on Sunday. And sorry American fans, but these are Ghanaians celebrating their World Cup win over the U.S. in 2006 again.

Photo credit: StewieD on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | January 10 | Ghana’s Fans Celebrate

Tom Dunmore — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:35:40 +0000

In the fourth installment of fans’ celebrations this week, here are Ghana’s fans after their win over the U.S. in the 2006 World Cup.

Photo credit: Stig Nygaard on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | January 8 | German Fans in a Beetle

Tom Dunmore — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:59:34 +0000

Continuing this week’s oddball theme of fans’ celebrations in cars, we stay with World Cup 2006, as Germany celebrates their run to the semi-finals.

Photo credit: miss L on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | January 7 | Italy 2-0 Germany, World Cup 2006

Tom Dunmore — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:43:38 +0000

This week’s photos will cover a tragically unexplored topic in the world of football: fans’ celebrations in cars. It seems there’s some primeval urge, after your team wins, to go out driving. Today, we see Italian fans celebrating their 2006 World Cup semi-final win over Germany in a very small car.

Photo credit: reportergimmi™ on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | December 1 | Italian Fans Celebrate at the Circus Maximus

Tom Dunmore — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:10:31 +0000

A day late, we conclude this week’s series on the 2006 World Cup by looking at fans celebrating at the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo in Italian), Rome. Over 700,000 packed the site of the ancient Roman hippodrome the night Italy won the World Cup for the fourth time.

Photo credit: hidden_vice on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | November 29 | Argentinian Fans in NYC

Tom Dunmore — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 08:23:03 +0000

Argentinian fans in New York City, during last year’s World Cup.

Photo credit: seedingchaos on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | November 28 | 2006 World Cup: England Fan Arrested in Cologne

Tom Dunmore — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 18:58:26 +0000

In the latest in this week’s photo series on the 2006 World Cup, is this a scene from the old days of English hooliganism abroad, or an aberration? This fan was arrested before England’s match against Sweden in Cologne (remember Joe Cole’s screamer in the 2-2 draw?). 22 England fans were arrested that day, but most were released quickly and there seems to have been little more than inebriated spirits.

Photo credit: JamesCalder on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

Photo Daily | November 27 | World Cup 2006: Celebration in Paris

Tom Dunmore — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:31:29 +0000

Photo credit: Hugo* on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.

In the second of our photo series this week on the 2006 World Cup, here’s the unpleasant side of “celebration” from the night France beat Brazil 1-0 in the quarter finals.

The photographer explains:

Paris took to the streets to celebrate, invading the whole Champs-Elysées. Unfortunately, things turned nasty: clashes erupted between some “casseurs” (trouble-makers) and riot police near the Place de l’Etoile, with a car eventually burnt down rue de Presbourg (in front of the Drugstore).

Here, you see one of the “casseurs” in front of the burning car (seen from the Champs-Elysées side of the street).