Where were you in previous world cups

[grazorblade]

Some nostalgia

2006: Watched the game v Japan next to a japanese person in my dorm. Watched the italian game in cairns

2010: Watched the germany game in new york in a pub full of germans

2014: watched the Cahill worldie in my bed in Massachussetts celebrating with my wife

2018: watched in a basement apartment in Vancouver

2022: snuck out of my bedroom in Japan to watch in the middle of the night

 

[JS96]

2006:

At home during final year of high school. So pumped after the Japan won I watched Czech Republic vs USA.

The Brazil game was a weekend enjoyment. I missed the first Croatia goal by minutes as I was dead tired. Italy heartbreaking downstairs. My dad had fallen asleep then woke up post game and saw the penalty and was livid.

2010: Germany in flat alone and hearing the cheers on the street didn't help. Ghana I watched the first half at a bar across the road then the second half at home. Serbia was frantic crossed fingers once we led and then immense pride and disappointment.

2014: Despite our poor chances the sentiment of Germans and the internet towards our group had me so determined to see a good show. I remember the old forum after 1:0 and the 2:0 it was simply oblivion. When Cahill scored I punched the floorboards and then we went closer and closer.

Netherlands was an epic at home where I just caught the Cahill goal after looking away for a sec. Spain was a home and a frustrating closure.

2018: Some may remember that was the day our kitchen was gutted and the sofa to boot so I was sat on a kitchen chair in the living room. Jedinak's equaliser was met wjrg raptures and my heart sank when Pogba hit the underside of the bar.

Denmark I had half day and raced home. Things felt fire yet the equation was clear. The Peru game was frustrating as we had chances. I think it was a weekend as Friday had conversations about a potential win.

2022:

France at home and the Goodwin goal was unbelievable. Stupid errors for goals 1-2 and then we really fell away. Tunisia was an early laptop game and I don't think I've sweat that much or willed the clock on. Denmark was a work night evening at home but as full time was 7pm I had some hours up my sleeve to smash a few calming beers as that was the most exhilarating since 2006.

2026:

An English mate will come over at 4am. If I remember correctly we've never done well being the last game of the day. Reframing it as first game of the Sunday with the sun up.

The USA game is 9pm on a Friday. Do I front a beer garden in a kit for potential heartbreak? I've done it for English friends on many occasions.

Paraguay is a 4am pre work game then hopefully we advance.

I haven't watched a world cup game in public since Ghana. It's such a surreal time that I'm so entranced that I don't have much time for much else. My English friends don't actually know how hyped I am for these games. My German partner knows. She knew the night of the Peru Playoff that my tension was all towards that. I've been on the forum the past world cups but my stream delay will mean I'll be away a bit as to not spoil anything.

 

[JS96]

I was teaching during our 2022 qualifying opener against Kuwait and was feeling nervous that Arnold would slip up. That Leckie goal on 3min calmed me down.

Nothing was worse than taking the risk of teaching during Thailand away and seeing they took the lead. I froze and could barely think and gave some tasks and pretended to monitor while trying to work out what was going on. The forum reading post match felt like a horror novel. It was then that I promised to never miss a final round qualifier again. Friendlies on delay and preliminary rounds ok but not the final round.

 

[HonestSpursFan]

I watched all of them of course!

1. 2006, 2010, 2014: was growing up but I definitely have a lot of memories.
2. 2018: finishing up uni in Auckland before moving to Nouméa and getting an actual job.
3. 2022: back home in Sydney in an apartment.
4. 2026: back home in Sydney now with a house and partner.
5. 2030: hopefully married with kids by then.

I’ve only actually ever been to games at one World Cup which was the 2023 Women’s World Cup since it was here in Australia. Would love to go to one overseas one day though.

 

[Keeper66]

Italy 1990
Went to 4 second round games - Cameroon v Colombia, West Germany v Netherlands, England v Belgium, Ireland v Romania
Went to 2 quarter finals
England v Cameroon
Italy v Ireland
Went to the West Germany v England semi final
Went to the West Germany v Argentina final

 

[Mr Cleansheets]

Never missed an Oz World Cup match.

1974 - was woken by my mother in the wee hours to sit shivering under a duvet to watch our various disappointments on a small B&W telly.

2006 - my wife and I went to Germany for the best World Cup ever. With the possible exceptions of England and Australia, I doubt whether anyone could do the WC better than the Germans. We were then in Italy for the Rd of 16 and were front and centre under the big telly in a bar surrounded by 200 Italians. Mrs C dragged me to my feet for the national anthem and I muttered: "Are you fucking mad?" but we got a standing ovation from the locals - only because they expected to beat us easily. I was so pissed and pissed off by the end of that match. ("Are you fucking mad?" is a question many people have asked Mrs C over the years.)

2018 - went to Kazan for the Oz v France match. What a shithole. Kazan is basically concrete cancer, broken glass and fag butts - oh, and a super-modern 21st century football stadium rising in the middle like a pile of diamonds in a slag heap. The Russians are still serfs.

2026 - intended to go to the US until the mango maniac was elected. Will be watching the first match with about 30 of my mates at a bbq at my house.

 

[JS96]

Yesterday was 20 years since the 2006 opening match. I did a pizza delivery shift and it was fine until midnight as the game was a bit after. I was buggered and missed the Ecuador upset against Poland.

Times were so different then. Recording devices were even scarce. Our brains were different where we had to be patient get a glimpse of footage.

I was going to visit Germany for the first time 6 months later and the 2 second glimpse of a street in Hannover felt like a great reward. How times have changed.

Day 2 was the scorching Frankfurt weather and England beating Paraguay. German TV had a row of post WC documentaries and the one on the policing during England's Frankfurt time and Poland in Dortmund highlighted some drama. It was interesting it was aired 6 months later as some kind of societal clarification of everything that went on behind the scenes.

Our Japan game was the Sunday into Monday, no scratch that! It was the Monday but June 12 was the Queen's birthday. The game with Mexico Iran was enjoyable. Trinidad and Tobago vs Sweden was one of the best goalless draws I've seen. Toon tired I slept through Argentina Ivory Coast. Ahh memories.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Yesterday was 20 years since the 2006 opening match. I did a pizza delivery shift and it was fine until midnight as the game was a bit after. I was buggered and missed the Ecuador upset against Poland.

Times were so different then. Recording devices were even scarce. Our brains were different where we had to be patient get a glimpse of footage.

I was going to visit Germany for the first time 6 months later and the 2 second glimpse of a street in Hannover felt like a great reward. How times have changed.

Day 2 was the scorching Frankfurt weather and England beating Paraguay. German TV had a row of post WC documentaries and the one on the policing during England's Frankfurt time and Poland in Dortmund highlighted some drama. It was interesting it was aired 6 months later as some kind of societal clarification of everything that went on behind the scenes.

Our Japan game was the Sunday into Monday, no scratch that! It was the Monday but June 12 was the Queen's birthday. The game with Mexico Iran was enjoyable. Trinidad and Tobago vs Sweden was one of the best goalless draws I've seen. Toon tired I slept through Argentina Ivory Coast. Ahh memories.

I was in the air on the way to Europe for the Japan match in 06 -- landed in Changi for stopover and got to the bar with hundreds of other Aussies 4-5 deep with about 20 mins left in the match and 1-0 down.... The next 3 goals were met with great liquid enthusiasm, strangers were shouting each other, it was wild... needless to say the Mrs wasnt too impressed with me being a little "wonky" on our honeymoon flight......

Sadly Ive never been to a WC, always something gets int he way of travel that eyar.... We were thinking to go this year but US really doesnt appeal... maybe 2030 Spain/Portugal....

Earliest one I remember is Spain 82... and that, just barely remember... Mexico 86 we were living in Greece at the time and the WHOLE country was football obsessed.

 

[Monoethnic Social Club]

Italy 1990
Went to 4 second round games - Cameroon v Colombia, West Germany v Netherlands, England v Belgium, Ireland v Romania
Went to 2 quarter finals
England v Cameroon
Italy v Ireland
Went to the West Germany v England semi final
Went to the West Germany v Argentina final

That would have been AMAZING.... especially the final despite being a boring arse match...

 

[Hillbilly55]

Wife and I went to Russia with the Green and Goal Army and watched our games.

Most fun experience, was in a Canberra motel for the 97 playoff game against Iran picking up son from Uni. Absolute pandemonium after the second goal and daughter was afraid we'd be kicked out of the motel. Very muted end of game of course .

 

[LFC]

Just for memories sake of our 1st WC ! No "live" telecasting - satellite transmission was still in its early years, Australians relied on radio updates, newspaper roundups, and delayed highlight packages that typically aired at varying times across the ABC.
Note the Australie haha - sound familiar who were facing first up purely of the pronunciation ending.
Lets GO 2026 ROOS !

 

[Guy Incognito]

Won't wax lyrical about the other World Cups but attended the 2014 one in Brazil with my Dad. One of the best experiences ever. Cuiaba was a shithole, you'd never visit on your own accord. Loved Porto Alegre, saw France vs Honduras there as well as the Netherlands game with "that" Cahill goal - should have won that one. Curitiba was OK, different more modern vibe to the rest of Brazil. Stadium was very boxy, almost Lego like. Good times watching Brazil beat Cameroon in a bar there before our game vs Spain.

We hung around in Rio and the surrounds for a bit after the group stages before moving on to explore more of South America, I watched the famous 7-1 game in Buenos Aires - I've never seen so many happy Argentinians

 

[jas88]

Love this thread.

2005 - I was out in darling harbour at wallaby bar and had just finished high school we were watching the game on my mates phone while playing the pokies when we won the shoot out we were out on the streets celebrating with everyone it was the craziest night of my life.

2006 - I had just started dating a girl who lived in Glenbrook was up late at night watching the game in her families living room by myself trying to not wake them when aloisi scored against Japan.(this was when I discovered the 442 forum)

2010 - I won a tipping comp at work during this world cup not much else I can remember.

2014 - woke up my apartments neighbour when cahill scored that worldie lol

The others not quite as memorable for me but I'm back up in the blue mountains 20 years later for the 2026 world cup.

I think Spain Portugal Morocco might be the one I finally go to.