By Samantha Drumm
Hometown Weekly Staff
Before Germany’s showdown against Paraguay last week, local and international German FIFA fans gathered in Walpole and Foxborough to celebrate their team spirit.
At Boylston Schul-Verein, Walpole’s German Club, local fans gathered weekly to watch games, drink Hefeweizen, and celebrate the team's advancements in the World Cup.
Locals who visit the German club for their annual Oktoberfest celebration may have noticed that Sommerfest was not scheduled this season–club members instead committed themselves to cheering on their team.
At the Germany Ecuador Game, fans gathering at the BSV were perched on the edge of their seats with a beer in hand–member Jens Albrecht notes that this is a good crowd for a game that is completely meaningless.
On the day of Germany’s defeat, local fans met with fans who’d flown in from overseas to see their team play at the space dubbed Boston Stadium.
Roughly 400 Germans from overseas celebrated their team and camaraderie at the BSV before bussing over to the game with their local counterparts. After, regardless of the outcome, they planned to celebrate the visit with their friends from overseas with lots and lots of beer. The club was crucial, says Albrecht, for organizing the meeting of Germans from overseas with their friends from the Walpole area.
Despite the loss, the international meetup is a testament to celebrations happening all over the city and in sleepy small towns as the World Cup brings a slew of overseas visitors to Foxborough, Boston, and beyond.
