Prosit! Germans enjoying their team's stellar play By ROB LONGLEY -- Toronto Sun Sun, June 25, 2006

MUNICH -- There is no longer a wall to dismantle, but that won't do much to mute the celebration.

There is no guarantee the party ultimately may end earlier than hoped for the host nation of this World Cup, either. But until it does, millions of Germans are enjoying every delicious drop.

It bubbled over on a steamy afternoon in the heart of Bavaria yesterday when Germany kicked off the Round of 16 with a dominating 2-0 shutout of Sweden.

Many among the sellout crowd of 66,000 at Allianz Arena stood for the entire 90 minutes.

And when it was over, they spilled en mass to the Marianplatz square downtown where the revelry carried on till the wee hours. At the famed Hofbrauhaus, they were literally dancing on the tables, frothy stein in hand.

Singing, dancing, dreaming.

In the north end of the country, where this team ultimately wants to find itself playing in the final in a fortnight from today, there is a similar frenzy.

An estimated one million fans gathered in the Fan Mile, which begins at the historic Brandenburg Gate where the wall separating East and West Germany once rose.

Germany is the first team to win four games and advance to a quarter-final showdown with Argentina on Friday. It's never good for the tone of the World Cup if the host nation makes an early exit and a spirited attack yesterday assured that wasn't about to happen.

As recently as two short months ago, it was a nation of skeptics, worrying less about claiming the championship and more about not embarrassing itself in front of the world.

Getting stronger by the game, there's no backtracking now, however. With three hit posts and countless unfinished chances yesterday, the final could have easily been triple what it was.

"Our expectations as a soccer nation and a World Cup host doesn't end with the second round or the quarter-finals," German coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. "We want to play three more."

Two years ago when Klinsmann talked so boldly, he was ridiculed. He spent most of his time living in America, after all, which was one strike against in the eyes of the natives. Second was the fact this is his first real coaching gig.

For a demanding soccer nation - and three-time World Cup champs, it seemed a little too much. But the former German star and member of the 1990 Cup champions has remained attached to his task.

"I have learned from every coach I ever had," Klinsmann said when his credentials were again questioned. "The best thing we have developed over the last couple of years is a philosophy of playing that suits German football.

"We have learned and now we can compete with the best. Now we are in the last eight of this World Cup and that makes us feel very proud."

If there is something that might hold back expectations to this point, it is that the Germans have yet to be tested.

In group play, the only game that was ever in doubt was a gruelling 1-0 win over bitter rival Poland.

Yesterday, the Swedes never were really in it, making the win as easy as they come. What is clear, however, is that two German players with star power are starting to impress.

For one, the big things predicted for 21-year-old Lukas Podolski may finally be on the way. By 12 minutes in yesterday, Podolski had scored twice and he may not have been the most impressive offensive player for Germany.

Captain Michael Ballack was dominant deep in Sweden territory all afternoon, hitting the post once and being robbed by keeper Andreas Isaksson twice.

So at the centre of this wonderful show of patriotic pride, the expectation continues to build. And at the Hobrauhaus, the steins have never flowed so freely.