Big Question: When was your First Time?

Nice question! I just wrote a post answering it, but I’ll research some links to publish it later. I’m a little drunk and completely sleepy. (don’t print that, he he he)

As soon as I wake up I’ll read it again to see if it makes any sense, but I think people will like it.

Cheers!

I’d say I can remember 1986 World Cup. I remembr Pique and that my father laughed his ass off about some incident, supposedly the “Hand of God”. I was 5 then.

When we were champs in ‘90, on the road to reunification, I starred at our old SABA (wooden furnishing)crying, watching a then-younger Beckenbauer strolling over the lawn of the Stadio Olimpico di Roma. I sure as hell would remember the moments before, Roger Milla, Schillaci and Gazza. But this would be the moment I still have in my memories vitally.

My first Worldcup was 1982 in Spain. My first the EC 1980. After 1980 I was fully thrilled with soccer, although it was afterwards regarded as a week tournament.

But 1982 was pure extasy for me, I have been 9 years and I was going to school in Munich, but I lived about 45 min away from the center, where i did go to school.

I remember coming home around 5 p.m. and heading for the TV to watch the afternoon games. I was not allowed to watch every evening match and maybe that makes me passionate for world cup matches, that are staged during daylight, more than during floodlight.

I also remember collecting Panini stickers.

I do remember I was passionate for Germany, especially Schumacher and then came the great thriller of sevilla. I do not remember Schuey knocking out Battiston, but I thought, that it was all over, after Stielike missed his penalty.

The final was really to cry. I was sooo sure, germany would win it, but italy simply ruled them out.

This was my first world cup and in advance of every upcoming tournament, the excitement grew and grew and still grows today.

For me, 1966. I was 11 years old and had just become hooked on the game at summer camp. The Final was on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, if I remember right. I rooted for England against West Germany because someone told me that the English had invented soccer. I remember the match going into extra time, and the controversy over Geoff Hurst’s goal, although to be honest not much else. But it was the beginning of an obsession–since then I’ve read everything I could find about the World Cup, and watched every game I could find too, whether on home TV, closed-circuit TV (in the days before cable), or via old tapes. Someday I’ll get a hold of the full set of tapes from 1966, and go back to the source.

Count me in as of the ‘86ers. After every Argentina match, our youth team would convene and try to replicate whatever insane moves Diego had shown the day before. The moves were executed with, uh, varying degrees of success. Maradona could drive anyone to a love affair with football.

Well my first memory was actually 1966 when NBC here in the US aired the Final between ENG v GER on a tape-delayed basis.

Then about a year later the movie “1966 Goal” was released and I really caught WC Fever!

1970 Mexico, 1974 Germany and 1978 Argentina were all shown on closed circuit here in the states and I watched the finals in a public auditorium.

1982 Espana is my favorite memory as I actually saw 7 matches in Barcelona, including the classis between Italy and Brasil!! This was classic BRA in that all they needed to do was tie and they’d advance but their attacking instincts took over and it cost them dearly. Instead of playing for a draw when it was 2-2 they kept going for the winner and forgot about defense. Paulo Rossi for ITA scored a hat-trick that day and ITA eventually went on to win it all. I remember almost fainting from the heat that day. In the old Estadio Sarria it was well into the 90’s(F) and there was no shade as we stood for 2 hours, packed in like sardines behind the goal that Dno Zoff was in during the second half.

Saw the third place and final in Mexico 1986.

Missed traveling to Italy ‘90 but of course saw 4 matches in USA ‘94, including the GER v. BEL second round match in a cold and rainy Soldier Field.

Missed travelling to France ‘98 and KOR/JPN ‘02 but of course watches almost every match on the telly.

Very much looking forward to travelling to Germany this June with my family and even though it is still 2 months away yet – I can feel my temperature rising already….

Must be another cas of WORLD CUP FEVER!

My first full experience was in 98′; I would say 94′, but I was only 8 then, so my recollection of it is quite vague. It was a really exciting World Cup, with a lot of hype surrounding it. Then of course it had of the most exhilarating Finals matches I’ve personally witnessed. It also introduced Michael Owen to the World- who can forget his classic goal against Argentina? That is my first and naturally my favorite World Cup experience.

whao@some of these years- 82!! lol, I was still a twinkle in my father’s eye then.

had written a bit about it in the “five favorite moments” thread, thus just a quick recap here:

first wc to watch: 1982

most thrilling | outrageous moments:
yugoslavia versus spain (the referee let the spaniards shoot the penalty three times, until they finally scored … talk about in-your-face-manipulation).

france versus germany (since that match, german footballers have become “the nemesis” of every fan that loves attractive & fair play).

first wc to attend in person: 1998
most thrilling | outrageous moments:
nigeria versus spain (o-ko-cha!)

croatia versus france (the stade de france has become one of my favorite stadiums on that occasion–beautiful experience despite the loss to france).

oh yeah … i was nine years old in 1982.

Great question….

My first world cup experience was off a Beta tape.

We were gearing up for the world cup 90, and my dad hands me a beta tape titled ARGENTINA vs W. GERMANY ‘86.

What a great game.
Argentina took a 2 goal lead, and seemed to have the game wrapped up.

Germany storms back and ties the game 2-2.

Then, in the waiting moments, Burruchaga scores the winner to give the title to Argentina.

From that moment on… I was hooked.

My first moment is written on my top 5 unforgettable moment as the #1.

“One of the oldest memories of my life is the match between Brazil and France at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. I was only five years old and there was 48 people standing in my living room, three of them sitting on my coffee table. Every time Brazil scored, the people close to the TV would stand up and celebrate, blocking the view of the people behind. We had to leave my bedroom TV on, so the poor folks who got a back seat could run up there to catch the replay. That day I realized how important a World Cup is for us Brazilians. No other game seemed so grand to me. Maybe because I ain’t 5 anymore.”

I remember bits of world cup 1990, but 1994 was my favourite.

West Germany 1974. How did Johan Cruyff and Holland lose? How could Brazil go from being 10/10 in 1970 to 5/10, still with Jairzinho, Rivelino, Paulo Cesar, and turn into a dirty team.
Jurgen Sparwasser and East Germany beating West Germany in Hamburg, incredible.
Holland 2-0 Brazil. Brazil surrendering their birthright.

World Cup Final-West Germany 2-1 Holland. The Germans doing what they do.

I remember the buzz about the English in 1966. Yes, soccer then was equated with the English. I was nine thinking there’s a “world” championship in this game? how great was that. (my soccer world revolved around my uncle playing for a local Croatia team in Canada). My first cup final memory was the “the all Brazil show” with you know who in Mexico in 1970. We were then living in the U.S. and it was close to home. I remember the beautiful flow and ball control of the game by Brazil. Second would be the Netherlands vs Germany in 1974. Franz Beckenbauer and the often underheralded Johan Cruyff. A tough battle of European soccer that could have gone either way. The memory of the German fans erupting when Germany took the lead. I still hear those German fans yelling and singing at the end of the game. You could feel a real interest in soccer start to take off after that Cup in the United States.

My first time…

Dicovering Led Zeppelin…

Dazzled by female presence…

Watching great football…

Loosing…

http://brazil.worldcupblog.org/group-f/my-first-time-spain-1982-world-cup.html

Since I was 4 years old in the Mexico 86 WC, I only have pictures of me and my family celebrating back at home. Mexico didn’t play in Italy 90, so my first World Cup, was

USA 94, I was 12 at the time, loved Jorge Campos, thought Mexico was going to be world champions and had the complete Upper Deck card collection of the players.