Agony for Germany fans as fairy tale ends

It has become known as the "Sommermaerchen 2010" or the "summer fairy tale". Since the World Cup kicked off, balmy summer weather and red-hot performances have sent German football fans into raptures.

But for the roughly 350,000 vuvuzela-tooting fans who turned the "fan mile" near Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate into a seething mass of black, red and gold, the fairy tale was shattered by one bullet-like Carles Puyol header.

Writer Grit Huebener, 36, summed up the feeling. "I just cannot believe it. I am so disappointed. I saw loads of people crying."

Opinions appeared divided on the team's performance.

"We did not deserve that. We should at least have got to extra time," said Yuri Metitsin, 24, who sells office equipment.

"Throughout the whole World Cup, they played very well, but today there was too much fear, too much respect, maybe because Spain beat them in the final (in the European Championships in 2008)," he added.

Others were even less impressed. The team was a "disgrace," said 22-year-old businessman Steven Borchardt.

On some parts of the "fan mile" in central Berlin, Germans turned on Paul the octopus, the now world-famous "psychic" who has correctly predicted all of Germany's results, including yesterday night's defeat.
Anti-octopus songs were sung.

Meanwhile, in the trendy east Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg, the mood was sad and boozy as clusters of fans continued to wave German flags.

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