Many Gothenburgers started to gather at Stora Teatern on Avenyn as the evening approached and the clocks were about strike eight o’ clock in the evening for the crucial match: Sweden playing against Germany in the Group F of – 2018 FIFA World Cup. The football world cup is hosted by Russia (14 June – 15 July 2018) both in European Russia and Asian Russia and it is billed as the most expensive world cup.
Avenyn had seen the largest gathering of people coming from different parts of the city to watch the match collectively as it was showed on a giant screen in the open place beside Stora Teatern. Rows of people sat opposite to Stora Teatern and in front of Trädgårdsföreningen to watch the match. Those had planned earlier to be with their friends or families at their homes had stayed in but those who came out outdoors wore a patriotic look: some had their faces had painted with Swedish flags, many wore the yellow T-shirts, and many more sported a yellow hat or a cap.
The pubs and restaurants that showed the football match were in demand. Sandra the manager of John Scotts at Linneagatan told www.gothenburg-400.com that the pub-cum-restaurant was fully booked and for those who dropped in had to try to their luck. The Irish Embassy on Avenyn had installed television screens both inside and outside its premises. Robert the manager told that the pub was prepared to cater to all the customers as it was one of the busiest day.
As the bells tolled dot at 8 PM at the German church in the city (Tyska kyrkan), the match began. Germany is a stronger team than Sweden but Swedish team gave the first pleasant surprise of the evening with a goal, and there was hope that Sweden can win the match. The Germans started to come back: they possessed the ball for 70% of the time in the first half, and had secured more corners than Sweden. But the Germans scored a goal and drew the match, and there was a hope that the match will be a draw … and the hope for a draw stayed alive among the Swedish supporters but at the last minute of the match, at 95th minute Toni Kroos scored a goal!
Gothenburgers started to recede from the city centres to their homes with the satisfaction of watching a good game, and Sweden has moved on without Zlatan.
