HOSTING THE WORLD: Fans greet Mexicos soccer team before a pre-World Cup match in Goettingen, Germany. (Claudio Cruz / AP)
PROJECTING THE POSITIVE: Giant images of soccer balls in Frankfurt-am-Main during a test for a multimedia show. Germany hopes to improve its image despite recent and past problems. (Frank Rumpenhor / EPA)
World Cup fans are projected on high-rise buildings in Frankfurt, Germany. (Bernd Kammerer / AP)
COUNTDOWN: A soccer ball globe sculpture glows in the light of Berlins Brandenburg Gate. Germany has been preparing for six years to host the World Cup, which begins Friday. (Markus Schreiber / AP)
