Patriotism is as synonymous with American culture as McDonalds and child obesity. For a variety of reasons — some better than others — we’re a proud country. Just count the number of American flags that appear on front porches and in store windows as July 4 approaches.

It’s a display of national pride with few comparisons in Germany. Nationalstolz, as it’s timidly called here, was once as taboo as the phrase, “Arbeit macht frei.” Every four years there exists an exception to Germany’s tentativeness toward all things patriotic: the World Cup.

It’s almost a cliché to say that when Germany played host to the tournament in 2006 a resurgence of national pride energized the country. Germans were once again proud to be Germans. Though it fell short of a perfect fairy tale ending à la the Brothers Grimm, a third place finish was nothing to be ashamed of.

I was lucky enough to be in Germany that summer as a member of my high school German class. Of the 11 days we spent traveling the country, the day Germany beat Poland remains my most memorable.

Even the small country town we were in erupted with excitement once the referee blew the final whistle. Car horns blared as drivers sped along the narrow streets. Spontaneous bursts of “Olé, Olé, Olé” echoed from the half-timbered houses. The local pub even offered free drinks.

If I hadn’t known any better, I might have thought Germany had just won the championship game. It was only the second match.

You can imagine the excitement I felt after realizing that I’d be back in Germany four years later for another World Cup. So what if the tournament is played 5,000 miles away in South Africa? Fussball fever runs much higher here than it ever will in the United States, especially during the World Cup.

The storyline was surprisingly familiar. Once again I’d be watching Germany’s second game after a convincing first-round victory. Serbia, like Poland, was an undermanned and overmatched opponent.

I watched the game with nine Germans, all but one of whom donned a German soccer jersey. Six German flags hung throughout the room, and two of the men wore them as capes. Four years later, Nationalstolz was once again at a fever pitch.

Encouraged by German analysts and their predictions of an easy German victory — not to mention the general fervor in the room — I could hardly wait for the post-game celebrations to begin.

They never came. Serbia upset Germany, 1-0. After a moment of grief, German pride is once again running high in anticipation of today’s must-win match against Ghana.

Americans need not understand injury time and offsides to relate to such exaggerated displays of patriotism. Yet despite their affinity for all things red, white and blue, many Americans fail to recognize the larger meaning of “futball.”

Luckily winning is also a part of American culture. I wonder how many United States victories it’ll take for Americans to finally catch on.