Germany versus Italy- the words that scare every German soccer fan.  It’s like a curse. Germany has the better players, a better coach and is supposed to be the better team. However, when these two countries face each other in a big competition like the European Championship or the World Cup, Italy always seems to be the winning team.

June 2, 2016 was the day of probably the most important game in the entire competition. It was just the quarter final of the European Championship, but it was more exciting than any final could’ve been. So what was I doing that day? I still remember it as if it was yesterday. I was having my farewell party because I would be leaving for the USA in August, so I was with all my friends and of course we had to watch this special game. Everybody around me was talking and laughing, but I had a big knot in my tummy and I was just too nervous to handle all of the stress.
         

The game started and the people around me settled down. We couldn’t stay seated for long though, because the tension was too much for us to just sit around. The German team was putting lots of pressure on the Italian one, but the Italian goalie Buffon blocked all of our shots.

It was halftime- This meant we had made it through 45 minutes filled of suspense and great shots. However not a single goal was scored. The knot in my tummy kept growing and growing. Most of my friends got up and talked, but I was too scared that I would miss just a single second of this nerve-racking game. My friends were making fun of me for being so scared, but I knew that they would be just as nervous as I was after a couple more minutes.
          

The second half started and it got more and more intense. It was hot in the living room. I could literally feel how nervous everybody around me was. The audience at the arena in Bordeaux was loud as the German team got closer and closer to scoring.

And then- 65th minute and there was the long expected goal! Suddenly, all the tension was gone. My friends and I were incredibly happy and we settled down to watch the rest of the game. We now expected this to be an easy win for Germany. But then 78th minute and our dreams seemed to be crushed right in front of our very eyes. I remember my one friend sobbing: “What is happening? We have to win! This is more than a game, this might be Germany’s chance to rewrite history”. One of the German players fouled an Italian player and Italy got to shoot a penalty kick- and they made it.

In that very moment all the tension was back, now more than ever. Everybody around me got really quiet because we were scared of how this would end. It had been 90 minutes and the score board still said: GER 1: 1 ITA.

This meant extra time. 30 more painful minutes of hoping that Germany would score. They had so many chances and so did Italy, however this game wasn’t just two strong teams facing each other. It was also the battle of probably the two best goalies active right then, so after the extra time the score board still showed the same score as after 90 minutes.

Now the teams and fans had to face the scariest thing that could possibly happen in a soccer game: a PENALTY SHOOTOUT. After a short intermission, during which my friends and I didn’t move because we were so scared, the teams started this final battle. The crowd was frightened and you could almost feel the players’ hearts beat all the way from France to my living room in Germany.

The first shooter was Insigne- He scored and I was devastated. Would we make our shot? We just couldn’t lose this game. Not again.

The first German player that we put all our hope in was Kroos, and he scored! All of us in my living room jumped around. Maybe there was still a chance!

Next came Italian player named Zaza: He scored and we got nervous again. I started sweating because of how scared I was during this game. What would happen next?

Mueller was our biggest scoring German player, but he had some issues during the competition, and he missed. My hands started shaking. This seemed to be bad luck.

But then the Italian player Barzagli missed! Would we still be able to catch up? I really hoped we would, because of the history behind this game.

Next up was the German Oezil- he scored Germany’s only goal during the game, and now he didn’t make his penalty! What was going on?! My friends and I were now sitting on the floor, holding hands. Would it help? Maybe.

Pelle was my least favorite Italian soccer player. And he missed his shot! My voice was already gone at this point because I was screaming so much.

After this almost everybody made their penalty shot. How was this going to end? I had tears in my eyes and now my entire body was shaking. That’s how nervous this game made me.

Now came Darmian- was he going to be the last Italian shooter? NO, HE MISSED!

And now up against the Italian goalie Buffon was German player Jonas Hector, who happens to be the only successful soccer player from my home town. All the responsibility was on his shoulders. He started running and kicked the ball. Time seemed to slow down. Would he make it?

Suddenly everybody around me was on their feet. HE MADE IT! We were screaming and singing. This final goal meant that we finally broke the curse that had been haunting us for such a long time. It was the best feeling ever. My friends and I turned our music on and we just ran through my backyard, still super excited about this win. Nobody expected this and still we made it!

It was only the quarter final, but it felt like we just conquered the world.