With the final stage of the World Cup approaching, now is a good opportunity for a mid-tournament appraisal. This year’s Cup, unlike the previous one in Japan and South Korea in 2002, didn’t witness any real upsets in the first round. Switzerland and Australia surprisingly reached the elimination round, and the Asian and African teams disappointed somewhat, with only Ghana advancing. There have been just two ugly matches so far, full of fouls, nasty attacks, and unnecessary aggression, as well as numerous yellow and red cards: Italy vs. the US, and Portugal vs. the Netherlands. Otherwise, we’re experiencing a wonderful Cup in Germany, in terms of both sportsmanship and the overall atmosphere.

As for Germany and the Germans, one hardly recognizes one’s own country and people. Even Mother Nature has played along. After a long winter and a non-existent spring, summer started promptly with the first kick-off – and virtually overnight, Germany has flaunted its sunniest and most delightful side. The weather is Mediterranean, and all of a sudden, so are the people.

The Cup’s organization has been exceptional (as was to be expected), with excellent police work giving hooligans hardly a chance. The whole of Germany has been celebrating a never-ending party with guests from all over the world (which was not expected). And the German team has put on a wonderful display of heart warming and modern offensive soccer (which nobody could have expected!).

More importantly, not only in the German team, but also in the country as a whole, a young, cool, laid-back, and carefree Germany is raising its head – a Germany that is cosmopolitan, friendly, and good-humored. Years of bad news appear to have passed the Germans by without a trace. Doctors are on strike, taxes are on the rise, the parties in government are mauling each other, and Chancellor Angela Merkel herself proclaimed in a prominent speech that the country is in disastrous shape. But the Germans, undaunted by it all, simply keep celebrating one great soccer party with their newfound friends from all over the world.

The black, red, and gold German tricolor adorns the entire country as never before, but almost nowhere are there nationalist undertones. In fact, the flags of many nations fly alongside German. In Berlin, as in other large German cities, taxis sport the flags of their drivers’ home countries – from Angola to Saudi Arabia. Fans don not just their nations’ flags, but also fantastic costumes evocative of their home countries’ colors. Flags are flown in hope of victory, but also serve to dry the tears of defeat.

In short, Germany during the World Cup is reminiscent of a Shakespearean midsummer night’s dream, with a touch of Woodstock to boot. Outside the stadiums, public screenings of the games have become joyous mass “happenings.”

And how is the soccer? This World Cup demonstrates three main developments that the sport has undergone. First, Europe and South America are more dominant than four years ago and remain the unchallenged great powers of international soccer. So we must hope that the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 will finally bring greater global parity.

Second, international soccer is witnessing the advent of a new generation. Spain, Argentina, and Germany, to name but a few countries, have put forward very young teams that have played an impressive game. On the French, English, and Portuguese teams, too, it is the young players that have shone – despite the continuing presence of Zidane, Beckham, and Figo. Even the Brazilian squad is looking more aggressive and likely to score with young players like Robinho and Juninho than with their aging champions from 2002.

This generational change is accelerated by a third development. At the top international level, soccer has become faster and more athletic, and the top teams can shrink space on the field more effectively. A team that is unable to keep going at full speed for the full 90 (or more) minutes, switch from defense to offense quickly with the whole team, and maintain control of the ball to restrict their opponents' movements won’t stand much of a chance.

Here, soccer parallels today’s globalized markets, which make similar restructuring of national economies necessary. Unlike economic globalization, however, it remains to be seen whether this new, fast-paced style of soccer will prevail (after all, the young blood of Spain lost to the Old Boys of France). The sport and its fans will certainly profit if it does.

For now, we have a World Cup filled with soccer that is being shaped by a new, young generation both on and off the playing field – light-hearted, enthralling, and beautiful to watch. Let’s hope that when the last whistle blows at the final in Berlin on July 9, we Germans retain as much of this positive spirit as possible. Germany urgently needs this kind of optimism, because, unfortunately, two universal principles will continue to apply in the future: first, the winter will return, and, second, the ball is round and the next game is always the most difficult.