Chilly Germany poised to open World Cup
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP NATIONAL WRITER
BERLIN -- The Ecuadoreans have colds. The Angolans are shivering. Trinidad and Tobago players stuffed their hands deep in their pockets as they took the field for an exhibition game.
In Hamburg, about 200 miles to the north, even the locals are bundling up in thick wool coats and scarves.
Cool temperatures are putting the b-r-r-r in Berlin and the rest of the Germany, with four days to go until the World Cup tournament starts.
"It's supposed to be hot here this time of year," Angolan defender Luis Delgado said. "Since we've been here, some days have been warm, but most have been cold. ... I don't like it."
Germany's average temperature in June ranges from the upper 60s in the north to the mid-70s in the south. Hardly tropical, but downright balmy compared with the cold, rain and gloom that's settled over the country the past two weeks. There was even some snow at the English and Dutch training camps, though it fell before the teams arrived.
On Monday, high temperatures throughout Germany hovered in the low 50s, while the low in Leipzig was 37. There was finally some intermittent sunshine, but not enough to warm the chill in the air.
"It is certainly cooler than normal," said Dorothea Paetzold, a meteorologist with the German Weather Service. "But it was expected because it was the same the week before."
That's little consolation for teams from warm-weather regions. Or those who mistakenly assumed the World Cup was a summer event.
"For some of the guys who play in Trinidad, it's tough for them because now it is summer. It should be summer in Europe," said Trinidad forward Stern John, who plays for Coventry in England's second division. "But that's how it is here."
Try being the four newcomers from Africa. Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo are all making their first World Cup appearance, a daunting enough prospect without having to train in weather that's the polar opposite of what they're used to.
Togo and the Ivorians have several players based in Europe, where the season just ended, and that makes their adjustment to the weather a little easier. Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, for example, plays for Chelsea, and everyone knows London isn't exactly the place for fine weather. Karim Guede of Togo plays in Germany at Hamburger SV, so this cold snap is nothing new to him.
But most of Angola and Ghana's players are based in domestic leagues. Both countries are in western Africa, near the equator. It was 90 degrees in Ghana on Monday, with the humidity making it feel more like 100. In Angola, it was 82 and humid.
"I'm used to playing in a tropical climate," Delgado said.
For some, though, the arctic air hasn't been a problem.
Portugal trained at home, where it's already nice and toasty in the upper 80s, and its World Cup base is in northwestern Germany. But trainer Darlan Schneider said the players have adjusted just fine. The Portuguese were more worried about humidity than cold, team doctor Henrique Jones said.
"It's much easier to adapt from hot to cold than vice versa," Schneider said.
Costa Rica got a little help from its embassy - and the air conditioner in its bus. Embassy staff warned that it was going to be colder than expected, so the team came prepared. When players travel in Germany, they turn the air conditioner to the coldest setting so it doesn't seem so bad when they get outside.
The Americans had their training camp in Cary, N.C., and have one of the northernmost bases in Hamburg. But half of the roster plays in Europe, including three players who are on German teams.
"It would be nice if it was a little warmer," said U.S. goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who plays professionally for Germany's Borussia Moenchengladbach. "But we can't do anything about that."
Besides, it could be worse. When the World Cup was in Argentina in 1978, it was played in July - the middle of the winter in the Southern Hemisphere. It was cold and rainy, and dark by about 6 p.m. It wasn't unusual to see spectators bundled up; even the four generals of the ruling military junta showed up for the final in heavy woolen coats.
There's some good news, too: Temperatures are expected to rise by the end of the week - perfect timing for the start of the tournament.
"We are expecting summer degrees," said Paetzold, the meteorologist. "I think it should be OK."
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AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum, Associated Press Writers Jairo Anchique, Marianela Martinez and Eduardo Gallardo, and freelance writer Zoe Eisenstein contributed to this report.
