Part of the pageantry that is the World Cup is the fans and even fashion that goes along with the following your team all the way. It’s outside the matches and stadiums and in the streets of Germany where fandom was at its ultimate. All you need to start your own impromptu parade in the streets is a drum, a few friends, a flag, and a chant to get things going. It doesn’t hurt to have a car to drive around the city. Of course, you’ll need to hang out of the car window, mount a big-ass flag on the roof and honk the horn like mad. (This can go on ‘til 2 or 3 am after your team has won).

The best part of fan madness is that even the weakest of teams on the field can have the best fans in the streets and in the stands. (See pictures of Ghana fans parading after their win against the US and doing their team proud. Another Ghana fan cheered so fervently that he busted his drum during the post-game celebration).

At this World Cup, Germany wins in the fan area- supporting their team but also cheering on other teams when Germany was not playing. Case in point, during the Serbia vs. Ivory Coast match in Munich, the locals adopted the Ivory Coast as their team- waving flags and donning bright orange on behalf of Cote d'Ivoire. (see pictures of me at the Serbia-Ivory Coast match-following Germany’s lead and supporting the Ivory Coast).

But, Germany was in true fan form when they erupted in one of their many impromptu parades after one of their hometown wins. Below are pictures of the streets of Berlin after Germany’s triumphant win over Sweden. Over 250,000 fans from the Tiergarten Fan Fest (Berlin’s own Central Park), headed to area around the Zoo Train Station- blocking-off streets and parading with flags in hand. The parade was so big and moved so slow that fans stopped driving and started pushing their cars forward while friends road on the roof. (See picture of Andrew as well as the retro VW van o' fans).

While Germany, as a whole, may have taken the prize for fandom, the prize for fashion goes to these folks who went the extra mile for football. The woman below made her own designer "Pitch" dress while these Americans did the US proud in Nuremberg- posing as the greatest American super heroes. Unfortunately, their super human strength and guns of steal couldn’t save an American team from a loss to Ghana. Good try though.