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CNN Sunday Morning

Brazilian, German Fans Watch World Cup Final

Aired June 30, 2002 - 07:19   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Right now millions of soccer fans are glued to their sets as Germany and Brazil battle it out for the World Cup title. The stakes are high in both nations where soccer is not just a sport, it's part of the national identity. Our Alessio Vinci is in Berlin, and Harris Whitbeck, he's in Rio de Janeiro, both of them can emphasize with that spirit. They've got it in their blood. We begin with you, Harris.

HARRIS WHITBECK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey Kyra, good morning. A lot of happy people here, a lot of nervous fans have been here on Copa Cabana Beach. Many of them camping out on this beach since last night, hoping to get a good position in front of this wide screen TV to watch this very, very important soccer game.

Brazil is the only team to qualify for all seven team (ph) World Cup finals. Today Brazil and its fans hope that the team will become a five-time world champion.

Now to help them along, we have the fans along Copa Cabana Beach. It seems like the entire country is glued to either a television set or listening to a radio. They've also resorted to some traditional Brazilian witchcraft. We spoke to one traditional witch doctor yesterday who had put together the entire German team, little cloth dolls that he had tied the feet of the German -- the dolls that represent the German players, and also tied the hands of the goalie.

So everybody obviously resorted to all sorts of measures to ensure that Brazil becomes a five-time World Cup champion. I'm sure that the ambiance in Germany is quite the same. CNN's Alessio Vinci joins us from Berlin.

ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Harris and Kyra. We're here in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) in the parts of New Berlin. We're thousands of miles away from Yokohama in Japan, but it is like being there. Three thousand or so supporters here, mainly German, but we do see some brave Brazilian supporters who ventured inside this crowd behind me with the Brazilians' flag to support their team.

I'm going to get -- going to get out of the way here to give you a little bit of a glimpse about this crowd who is quite calm now, but every time Germany is attacking or coming close to the Brazilian goal, then they are actually roaring. I can tell you it's really -- the Germans here know that they are not the favorites of this game, but they do know that they have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and they do know that they are defending themselves against the best attackers, the three R's -- Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho -- that are trying to score and put the goal behind the back of the German goalkeeper. Germans here know that whether or not they were the favorites, they are here to win this game.

They are here because they believe that it is actually a possibility to win a record fourth title and equalize Brazil, who is the other only team in the entire world who has won four times the World Cup.

Now here in Germany, this football game has also had a little bit of a political side of it. If you want, there is an election coming out in about 90 days and both politicians who are running for this election, the German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his opponent, Edmund Stoiber, are both making political statements, are tied politically to the football game.

Both men traveled to Japan to witness this game. Back to you both.

PHILLIPS: All right, Alessio, I have to ask you. Harris Whitbeck was talking about the witchcraft going on in Rio de Janeiro. What are the Germans doing to try to bring about a little bit of luck here?

VINCI: Well, you know, the German supporters are known for not really having any kind of a special chanting, but they do chant behind me all day long yesterday and this morning while we spent -- we passed time with them here -- zeek (ph), zeek (ph) and Deutschland; Zeek (ph) meaning "victory," Deutschland meaning "Germany" in the German language.

So they're certainly ready for what will be a long night of partying should Germany win. But again, the Germans here, most of the supporters here they do know that because they're not the favorites, they are playing the game without being too nervous about losing this game or not. Back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes, and you can feel the excitement behind you. Alessio Vinci and Harris Whitbeck, thanks, guys.

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