Rodney Hinds, Sport Editor - The Voice
A Trinidad and Tobago fan waits in the stands before their Group B World Cup match against Paraguay in Kaiserslautern on Tuesday.
EXACTLY THREE hours before Trinidad and Tobago kicked off in the biggest match in their history the bells of the local church began to ring out; it was if divine intervention was required to see the self-styled Soca Warriors reach the last 16 of the 2006 World Cup finals.
A peace-seeker's idyll, Trinidad & Tobago has been described as a quiet chunk of perfection where the sun caresses and green hills tumble to turquoise seas.
Sadly T&T's one point from three matches saw them leave after yet another unfortunate defeat, a 2-0 reversal at the hands of Paraguay.
The rain may have come on the day that T&T played the South American whipping boys of Group B in the tournament's 36th match, but absolutely nothing could stop the party that took place in the streets of Kaiserslautern just hours before the match and immediately after.
A local street, just moments from the Fritz Walter Stadion where T&T played their final round-robin match, was lit up by the type of sight and sounds normally reserved for the streets at T&T's famous carnival. It was quite simply a roadblock as traditional costume and steel pan came to fore, despite the inclement weather.
The locals, and the rest of the global football fraternity that had descended on Germany for football's very own football carnival, simply had no choice but to get caught up in the vibrant atmosphere.
THE MAIN DISH
But it was the football that was essentially the main dish for the thousands of West Indian football fans that had congregated in Kaiserslautern.
The town, the main area for wine producing in Germany, has a population of just 120,000 and the cosiness lent itself to the favourable way it was viewed by the T&T massive.
It is a relatively compact town, which can be easily covered on foot, though it lacks the sights and attractions of some of the other World Cup host cities. That said, Warriors' fans, bedecked in their red, black and white livery, could easily be spotted everywhere investigating what was on offer whether it be food, drink or memorabilia or seeking out a compatriot.
What was a genuine help for those that had come to support Dwight Yorke and his boys was the fact that English was widely used. Kaiserslautern plays host to over 30,000 American military personnel, so visitors could easily make a point without too much shouting and hand gesturing.
If those fans that were allowed into the stadium were anxious over their team's chances, they did not show it. Rather, they soaked up the vibe, as significantly for the Caribbean outfit, the sun began to shine. To add to the welcoming feel, the powers that be decreed that Bob Marley's 'Could You Be Loved' be played over the public address system. It went down a storm!
If Marley's classic was well received so too was the moment that T&T goalkeepers Shaka Hislop, Kelvin Jack and Clayton Ince ran on to the field to do their warm up 50 minutes before kick-off. The din would have registered on the Richter Scale, it was so vociferous!
The ear-muffs were required during and just after the playing of their National Anthem. Just prior to that, as the two teams came out of the tunnel, every camera flash bulb appeared to go off from those wanting to quite literally capture the moment.
Unlike at their other two venues, when they played Sweden and England respectively, Kaiserslautern and its football ground belonged to its Caribbean visitors for a few days. In football parlance it was a home fixture.
Trinidad & Tobago, which nestles close by the coast of South America and its fans, have during their gate-crashing of football's definitive party been loved during their German sojourn whether they have been in Dortmund, Nuremburg or Kaiserslautern.
LOVED THE MOST
But Kaiserslautern has been where the T&T fans have been openly loved the most. The size of the town and the central location of the stadium make it a good option for football supporters, no matter where they are from.
Add to the fact that there is a comprehensive public transport system and Kaiserslautern is a football fan's paradise.
But those fans that wanted to be different paid their Euros and arrived in style; courtesy of the hundreds of bikes that it is possible to hire.
Maybe not as appealing to those that had made the eight-plus hours journey across the Atlantic was the lack of food to satisfy the appetite.
The Germans love their Sauerkraut and bread which is a million miles from the roti and rice as favoured by West Indians in general, but Trinidadians in particular. In T&T, two very singular islands, the cuisines of the world are well represented.
Two Irish pubs, Thirsty Nelly's and The Harp, were never going to satiate the hunger of Kaiserslautern's Caribbean visitors. Nor was Chuck's American Diner which at least offered up something rather more appealing.
But on closer inspection of the bustling Eisenbahnstrasse, just a stone's throw from the ground, there was a McDonalds, Burger King and Indian and Chinese takeaways offer relief.
But football was truly all that mattered to those from Trinidad & Tobago. Its world famous carnival has already put Port-of-Spain, dubbed the Rhythm City, on the map and now, with a dignity that the entire Caribbean can take pride from, its footballers and fans have done exactly the same; no matter what happened on the field of play.
