Bundesliga: Colourful Cologne party after 2-1 win

COLOGNE: The long drive from Frankfurt airport to Dusseldorf was uneventful, boring even in its predictable precision. What struck one during the nearly four-hour journey was the lack of people on the roads. The city streets had cars zooming past with only a sprinkling of elderly bikers breaking the monotony. Even the pretty Rheine meandered past the deserted promenade.
And then almost as if out of nowhere, suddenly the empty roads became bustling, rambunctuos. As FC Cologne players got ready for the kickoff of their Bundesliga match against the visiting Hamburg SV, the city burst into life. The avenues throbbed with a mass of red as fans on foot and bikes headed towards the RheinEnergieStadion. The noise reached a crescendo as one neared the stadium. Little kids struggled to keep pace with their parents across the meadow.
The Bundesliga is the most well-attended football league in the world in terms of attendance with an average of 45,134 fans per game, the second-highest of any sports league in the world, and it showed.
The Deutsche Football League GmbH, the company which manages the operational side of the Bundesliga, has brought an enviable amount of professionalism to the league which was founded in 1963.
A VIP pass in tow, one was ushered into the stadium and onwards to the first tier where fans were having a ball. Beer flowed freely and along with it, 'Currywurst' (chopped pork sausage in spicy red gravy topped with curry powder), Germany's favourite snack. The country has even dedicated a museum for it! The front row just behind the dugout thrust one into the middle of action. A stadium of 50,000 was packed to the brim and fans were having a royal party . Music and songs from FC Cologne fans made one wonder whether it was a football match or a gig by a rock star.
FC Cologne, nicknamed, The Billy Goats after the club's mascot, went into Saturday's match unbeaten in their last 12 home ties. It was not hard to fathom the reason as they overturned a one-goal deficit win it 2-1.
After a barren first half, Hamburg shot into the lead in the 47th minute through Lewis Holtby . Philipp Hosiner restored parity for Cologne in the 76th minute before clinching the issue, courtesy a controversial penalty . Anthony Modeste was brought down by Hamburg defender Emir Spahic, who was sent off, but television replays suggested that the Cologne player may stumbled over the ball rather than fouled by his opponent. Modeste kept his cool and converted the spot-kick in the 81st minute to lift the hosts to seven points from three games, leaving Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia fuming on the sidelines.
The crowd, though, lapped it up. They propped up the hosts when they were down and made it a raucous, even intimidating for the Hamburg players when they were ahead.
It was exhilarating to watch the crowd connect with the players. The game ended with riotous celebrations but it never went out of hand. There was a method in the madness. Results: On Sunday: Borussia Dortmund: 3 (Hummels 27, Aubameya 51, Ramos 90) bt Hertha BSC: 1 (Kalou 78); On Saturday: Bayern Munich: 3 (Mueller 26, 60pen, Robben 71-pen) bt Bayer Leverkusen: 0; FC Cologne: 2 (Hosiner 76, Modeste 81 pen) bt Hamburger SV: 1 ( Holtby 47).
(THE WRITER IS IN GERMANY ON INVITATION OF STAR INDIA)