Berlin, July 1 :

Germany fell silent when Argentina scored the first goal in Friday night’s World Cup quarter-finals, then roared when Miroslav Klose headed in an equaliser. But the din was nothing like the explosion of joy across the capital when Germany finally emerged 4-2 victors from a penalty shootout.

More than 700,000 people packed into Berlin’s downtown Fan Mile erupted with cheers, whoops and hollers while streets reverberated with car horns in a release of nervous energy and elation. People hugged each other in the streets, jumping up and down in delight — and relief.

“I was completely nervous — it was so gripping and I thought for a while that we would lose,” said 31-year-old Nadine Stecklina, one of about 300 people who watched the game in the street outside a popular sports bar that was crammed to capacity. “My body’s still shaking.” Crowds filled the streets yelling “victory” and singing the German soccer song “Oh, How Nice It Is,”

wearing the German black, red and gold colors in every different form and waving the flag wildly.

“The Germans were playing too defensively and the Argentineans were playing a better game, but when Argentina got the goal, everything turned around and the Germans started fighting again,” said Sven Burback, who started singing the German for final — “finale, finale” — after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann saved the final shot to win the game. “It was so intense, I was constantly nervous,” he added.