The miracle of Qatar didn't happen but the Socceroos acquitted themselves honourably with a very impressive 1 : 2 against Argentina. Even though I was barracking for a different team then, it took me back to 1954 when the German team, captained by Fritz Walter and coached by Sepp Herberger, won the World Cup in a remarkable final against the legendary Hungarian Mighty Magyars, undefeated for four years.
Watching "Das Wunder von Bern" (The Miracle of Bern) brought back the time when I stood outside the window of a radio and television shop, watching the game on a tiny black-and-white screen and without sound.
The match was played in heavy rain, conditions that the German side had christened "Fritz Walter weather", as Walter was known for playing his best football in the wet. In addition, the German team was equipped with boots supplied by Adidas that featured hitherto unknown, exchangeable, screw-in studs. The boots could be adapted to any weather, enabling the German players to wear their regular footwear despite the adverse conditions.
The 3 : 2 win over Hungary gave West Germany a new sense of national pride, and the game became known as "das Wunder von Bern".
