With an American passport tucked into my pocket and a press pass around my neck, I had the feeling I might have been the only neutral at Wembley Stadium for England against Germany.

I honestly didn’t care who won, hoping only for a decent match, anything but a draw, and a few memorable goals.

There was a real buzz both inside and outside the great newly renovated stadium for the “friendly”, a term that just doesn’t feel right for England v Germany — especially when 85,000 people wearing England jerseys are loudly booing the baritone as he tries to sing the German national anthem with the speaker system cranked up to full volume.

The jeers erupted once again when an image of German chancellor Angela Merkel taking her seat was flashed on the giant video screen before quickly being taken off again.

It turned out to be a more than decent match, described by Jan at the Bundesliga Offside as a “meaningful friendly”, with three goals and almost no diving or feigning injury (which really puts off Americans). But it was clearly the stadium itself that took centre stage.

Even as the clattering trains approached Wembley Park rail station, the passengers all hushed as they turned to look up at the stadium’s lit-up arch towering above.

Inside Wembley, which Franz Beckenbauer recently described as “the world’s most beautiful stadium”, the facilities were top notch for journalists as well as fans, with free wireless and miniature TV monitors on every desk.

But 21st century Great Britain quickly turned back into “Little England” a few minutes into the England press conference when it was abruptly truncated under an odd set of rules* to give all the access to a select group of Sunday newspaper writers. The rest of the reporters were coldly shunted out the door and told to leave immediately.

After the match one grinning German journalist turned to a glum-looking English counterpart and asked if he was disappointed. The Englishman replied: “No, it’s part of the grand strategy. It’ll give us the spark we need to win everything through to the Euro 2008 final.”

There’s optimism for you…

Erik Kirschbaum, London

*Note: For an insight into the byazantine rules of England press conferences, see this piece from our reporter Tim Collings at the 2006 World Cup.