Has German Soccer Conquered Europe? Not Quite

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May 23 (Bloomberg) -- The Champions League final, thebiggest soccer match of the year -- and, for that matter, themost watched sporting event on the planet -- will be played thisweekend at Wembley Stadium in London. In a sense, though, thewinner has already been declared: Germany.

The Champions League, for Americans unfamiliar with it, isa round-robin tournament featuring 32 of Europe’s top clubs.Think of it as the very rough equivalent of the NCAA’s MarchMadness basketball tournament, only it unfolds over the courseof 10 excruciating months. (This is soccer, after all.) Matchesare wedged between the various teams’ league games until thereare just two clubs left. This year’s finalists are Bayern Munichand Borussia Dortmund.