Monday, June 28, 2010
Match 53
Durban
Netherlands 2 – 1 Slovakia
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
I eagerly looked forward to watching this match after work today. The Netherlands had not impressed in this tournament, but have quietly gotten the job done. I fully expected them to turn on the jets and blow through Slovakia like they blew through their qualifying group. They were not in an easy qualifying group, yet had won all 8 of their matches.
Furthering this expectation was the return of Arjen Robben, their offensive juggernaut. He had entered their last group match late in the game, but was now poised to make his first start. Wesley Sneijder had played well in the first round, but needed his creative side-kick to maximize his effectiveness.
The Dutch maintained a decent amount of possession in this match, but, again, did not look overly impressive in their win. Robben scored the first goal on a nice bit of individual brilliance. Sneijder added another in the 84th minute, which was fortunate for Holland since Slovakia won a penalty in stoppage time.
Even with conceding the late goal, it appears that the Dutch are coasting into their next match where they play the winner of either Brazil or Chile… The coming match will test them to the fullest.
Match 54
Johannesburg
Brazil 3 – 0 Chile
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
So the lesson learned from this match is that it takes a South American team to beat a South American team. Up until this point, all 5 CONMEBOL teams advanced to the knock-out stage and all but one has gone through to the quarter-finals.
Brazil looked confident and lethal, as they always do. The 3 goals were all nice, and Chile rarely threatened on the other end. They will be tough to beat!
Wow, the quarter-final match ups are looking quite tasty. Either of the Germany / Argentina or Brazil / Holland games could be finals. Uruguay / Ghana is an intriguing match, with the winner playing either Brazil or Holland. The United States may be out, but there is plenty of good soccer yet to come!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, bloody Sunday... for referees
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Match 51
Mangaung/Bloemfontein
Germany 4 – 1 England
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
My Sunday kick-around interfered with me watching this match live, but I knew that almost every likely suspect who might ruin the result was there with me so I would be able to watch this match without knowing the result. ...Actually, please allow me to back up a bit…
The day after the US is eliminated from a World Cup is always very hard for me. I suppose it is for any fan, but it is a stern reminder of how far we have to go before we will be an elite team. It makes me wonder if we will win a World Cup in my lifetime. My immediate reaction is that we will not. We have too much ground to make up to reach the teams that are serious contenders. I think about all of the great sides that have not won: Hungary in the 50s, Czechoslovakia in the 60s, Holland in the 70s, France in the 80s, Spain… ever… and it pains me deeply. The United States does not even have a consistent style that we can claim as our own!
But enough about that, it is time to move on and check out 2 countries with rich traditions. Both England and Germany have styles that are true to their countries. England are a hard-working bunch. They have a big target man who can play with his back to goal, knocking down balls for his midfielders to strike with great pace. Germany are also workman-like, but play with precision like a well-oiled machine. Both have tasted success in the Cup, but both are also familiar with bitter failure.
They also have an interesting history of playing against one another. A memorable match played in 1966 pitted the home-town 3 Lions (England), against a powerful West German side in the World Cup final. [Stay with me if you are getting bored, I am going somewhere with this.] Regulation could not break the 2 – 2 deadlock. In the 12th minute of extra time, Geoff Hurst took a shot from just outside of the 6-yard goalie box. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar, ricocheted down onto the ground and was cleared by a German defender. The referee consulted with his linesman and awarded England the winning goal. Germany has been angry ever since!
Fast-forward to Sundays match. In the 38th minute, England midfielder Frank Lampard hit a shot from just outside of the 18-yard penalty box. Like the shot from yester-year, it hit the bottom of the crossbar, caromed straight down, and was safely disposed of by Germany. Unlike the previous controversial goal, however, referee Jorge Larrionda ruled the ball had not crossed the line. The ruling prevented England from evening the score and they went on to lose the match and exit the Cup.
Pundits on American TV talked about how Germany was the better team on this day and I cannot argue with that reasoning. I do know, however, that if the scored had been tied, England would not have committed as many men forward as they did on the plays that allowed Germany to score 2 second half counter attack goals.
Regardless, Germany has waited 44 years to enjoy this revenge. Eat up, lads, it won’t taste much sweeter!
Match 52
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg
Argentina 3 – 1 Mexico
Place watched: Basement, Olathe, KS
Mexico could only last one more day than the US in this tournament. It was sad to see the last CONCACAF team fall in a Cup that had a lot of early promise. With the United States finishing first in their group, and Mexico being the class of Group A, but coming up short against Uruguay, we had hoped for so much better. Unfortunately for Mexico, they ran into Argentina.
Controversy reared its ugly head, once again, on this day.
In the 26th minute, Carlos Tevez put Argentina up a goal. Replays showed he had been at least 2 yards offside when Lionel Messi’s struck the floated pass that found Tevez's head. Mexican protests were quelled and play continued. Mexico conceded another goal shortly before the 1st half ended due to an unfortunate defensive error.
Early in the second half, Tevez scored again on a brilliant strike from about 25 yards. There would be no disputing this gem as he hit the ball with so much pace, it looked like it was still rising as it hit the net.
A bit of delicious skill by young Mexican striker Javier Hernandez produced a last gasp goal, but Mexico would get no closer.
Match 51
Mangaung/Bloemfontein
Germany 4 – 1 England
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
My Sunday kick-around interfered with me watching this match live, but I knew that almost every likely suspect who might ruin the result was there with me so I would be able to watch this match without knowing the result. ...Actually, please allow me to back up a bit…
The day after the US is eliminated from a World Cup is always very hard for me. I suppose it is for any fan, but it is a stern reminder of how far we have to go before we will be an elite team. It makes me wonder if we will win a World Cup in my lifetime. My immediate reaction is that we will not. We have too much ground to make up to reach the teams that are serious contenders. I think about all of the great sides that have not won: Hungary in the 50s, Czechoslovakia in the 60s, Holland in the 70s, France in the 80s, Spain… ever… and it pains me deeply. The United States does not even have a consistent style that we can claim as our own!
But enough about that, it is time to move on and check out 2 countries with rich traditions. Both England and Germany have styles that are true to their countries. England are a hard-working bunch. They have a big target man who can play with his back to goal, knocking down balls for his midfielders to strike with great pace. Germany are also workman-like, but play with precision like a well-oiled machine. Both have tasted success in the Cup, but both are also familiar with bitter failure.
They also have an interesting history of playing against one another. A memorable match played in 1966 pitted the home-town 3 Lions (England), against a powerful West German side in the World Cup final. [Stay with me if you are getting bored, I am going somewhere with this.] Regulation could not break the 2 – 2 deadlock. In the 12th minute of extra time, Geoff Hurst took a shot from just outside of the 6-yard goalie box. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar, ricocheted down onto the ground and was cleared by a German defender. The referee consulted with his linesman and awarded England the winning goal. Germany has been angry ever since!
Fast-forward to Sundays match. In the 38th minute, England midfielder Frank Lampard hit a shot from just outside of the 18-yard penalty box. Like the shot from yester-year, it hit the bottom of the crossbar, caromed straight down, and was safely disposed of by Germany. Unlike the previous controversial goal, however, referee Jorge Larrionda ruled the ball had not crossed the line. The ruling prevented England from evening the score and they went on to lose the match and exit the Cup.
Pundits on American TV talked about how Germany was the better team on this day and I cannot argue with that reasoning. I do know, however, that if the scored had been tied, England would not have committed as many men forward as they did on the plays that allowed Germany to score 2 second half counter attack goals.
Regardless, Germany has waited 44 years to enjoy this revenge. Eat up, lads, it won’t taste much sweeter!
Match 52
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg
Argentina 3 – 1 Mexico
Place watched: Basement, Olathe, KS
Mexico could only last one more day than the US in this tournament. It was sad to see the last CONCACAF team fall in a Cup that had a lot of early promise. With the United States finishing first in their group, and Mexico being the class of Group A, but coming up short against Uruguay, we had hoped for so much better. Unfortunately for Mexico, they ran into Argentina.
Controversy reared its ugly head, once again, on this day.
In the 26th minute, Carlos Tevez put Argentina up a goal. Replays showed he had been at least 2 yards offside when Lionel Messi’s struck the floated pass that found Tevez's head. Mexican protests were quelled and play continued. Mexico conceded another goal shortly before the 1st half ended due to an unfortunate defensive error.
Early in the second half, Tevez scored again on a brilliant strike from about 25 yards. There would be no disputing this gem as he hit the ball with so much pace, it looked like it was still rising as it hit the net.
A bit of delicious skill by young Mexican striker Javier Hernandez produced a last gasp goal, but Mexico would get no closer.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Let the next round begin!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Match 49
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth Stadium
Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea
Place watched: The Brick, Kansas City, MO
With the United States playing at 1:30pm, Central Time, I wanted to get as close to the Power & Light District as possible. Early estimates were coming in that 6,000+ people would be making their way down to Kansas City’s entertainment district, and I wanted to get there early. The Brick is a great place to hang out, have a meal and a drink, and (today, anyway) watch a good soccer match.
This game had a lot of offensive action as neither side was content to sit back and wait for something good to happen. Korea pressed deep into the Uruguay end, but a counter attack gave Uruguay a 1 – 0 lead.
In the second half, Mother Nature decided to make things interesting. Torrential rains and high winds added an unpredictability aspect to the match. Increased pressure by the South Koreans paid off just after the hour mark, knotting the match at a goal apiece. But it would not stay that way for long.
With just 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Uruguay struck back. Luis Suarez scored his second goal of the match to send Uruguay to the Quarter-finals.
Now it was on to the Power & Light!
Match 50
Rustenburg - Royal Bafokeng Stadium
USA 1 – 2 Ghana
Place watched: KC Live in the Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
The United States had not advanced to the knock-out phase at a World Cup since 2002. In that Cup, they beat Mexico to advance to the Quarter-finals, where they lost to Germany. They had already achieved more than they had 4 years earlier, but wanted to go further than in 2002. Today was the next step.
In keeping with the rich tradition of this World Cup, the US gave up a goal in the 5th minute. Another complete disaster! The large crowd at KC Live fell silent, and Ghana closed down space and pressured the Yanks all over the field. Chances in the first half were few and far between.
The second half provided a spark of hope, however. The US had made 2 changes before the second half started with Maurice Edu replacing Ricardo Clark in the 31st minute and Benny Feilhaber replacing Robbie Findley at the half. Edu for Clark was more or less a straight swap with Edu providing more solidity, but Feilhaber’s addition moved Clint Dempsey up top.
The new dynamic produced results.
Two good early chances were saved by Ghana keeper Richard Kingson, then Clint Dempsey was fouled in the penalty box after a great move beat 2 defenders. Landon Donovan stepped to the spot and coolly put the ball in the net to even the score.
Donovan’s goal rejuvenated the US and they continued to assault the Ghanan defense. Additional chances were saved by Kingson, and the game moved to extra time. It was like starting a new game.
And, since it felt like a brand new game, the US conceded a goal almost immediately. It was the first time the opposition had scored after the 13th minute in this World Cup. Giving up that goal had a devastating effect on the team and on those of us gathered at KC Live. It took several minutes to shake off the effects of the goal.
By then, Ghana had settled in comfortably behind the ball. At all times, they kept 10 or even 11 men defending. It would be almost impossible to break down that style of defense, and the United States didn’t.
Walking out of there felt like I had been vomited on… again.
Match 49
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth Stadium
Uruguay 2 – 1 South Korea
Place watched: The Brick, Kansas City, MO
With the United States playing at 1:30pm, Central Time, I wanted to get as close to the Power & Light District as possible. Early estimates were coming in that 6,000+ people would be making their way down to Kansas City’s entertainment district, and I wanted to get there early. The Brick is a great place to hang out, have a meal and a drink, and (today, anyway) watch a good soccer match.
This game had a lot of offensive action as neither side was content to sit back and wait for something good to happen. Korea pressed deep into the Uruguay end, but a counter attack gave Uruguay a 1 – 0 lead.
In the second half, Mother Nature decided to make things interesting. Torrential rains and high winds added an unpredictability aspect to the match. Increased pressure by the South Koreans paid off just after the hour mark, knotting the match at a goal apiece. But it would not stay that way for long.
With just 10 minutes remaining in regulation, Uruguay struck back. Luis Suarez scored his second goal of the match to send Uruguay to the Quarter-finals.
Now it was on to the Power & Light!
Match 50
Rustenburg - Royal Bafokeng Stadium
USA 1 – 2 Ghana
Place watched: KC Live in the Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
The United States had not advanced to the knock-out phase at a World Cup since 2002. In that Cup, they beat Mexico to advance to the Quarter-finals, where they lost to Germany. They had already achieved more than they had 4 years earlier, but wanted to go further than in 2002. Today was the next step.
In keeping with the rich tradition of this World Cup, the US gave up a goal in the 5th minute. Another complete disaster! The large crowd at KC Live fell silent, and Ghana closed down space and pressured the Yanks all over the field. Chances in the first half were few and far between.
The second half provided a spark of hope, however. The US had made 2 changes before the second half started with Maurice Edu replacing Ricardo Clark in the 31st minute and Benny Feilhaber replacing Robbie Findley at the half. Edu for Clark was more or less a straight swap with Edu providing more solidity, but Feilhaber’s addition moved Clint Dempsey up top.
The new dynamic produced results.
Two good early chances were saved by Ghana keeper Richard Kingson, then Clint Dempsey was fouled in the penalty box after a great move beat 2 defenders. Landon Donovan stepped to the spot and coolly put the ball in the net to even the score.
Donovan’s goal rejuvenated the US and they continued to assault the Ghanan defense. Additional chances were saved by Kingson, and the game moved to extra time. It was like starting a new game.
And, since it felt like a brand new game, the US conceded a goal almost immediately. It was the first time the opposition had scored after the 13th minute in this World Cup. Giving up that goal had a devastating effect on the team and on those of us gathered at KC Live. It took several minutes to shake off the effects of the goal.
By then, Ghana had settled in comfortably behind the ball. At all times, they kept 10 or even 11 men defending. It would be almost impossible to break down that style of defense, and the United States didn’t.
Walking out of there felt like I had been vomited on… again.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Final matches of the first round - Groups G & H
Friday, June 25, 2010
Match 45
Durban
Portugal 0 – 0 Brazil
Place watched: Basement, Olathe, KS
Who would have guessed that this match would be such a snoozer??? Neither team wanted to concede a goal, and played thusly. Only rarely were forays into enemy territory rewarded with a shot. Even rarer were those shots on target. I would have never predicted that two teams with this much fire-power would play a boring match.
Match 46
Nelspruit
Korea DPR 0 – 3 Côte d'Ivoire
Place watched: Basement computer, Olathe, KS
Midway through both matches I switched over to watch this match on TV and the other on my computer. Ivory Coast was putting on a clinic. North Korea was fortunate to not give up more than 3 goals as the Elephants imposed their offensive will.
Didier Drogba was unlucky to not have a hat-trick in this match. He hit the underside of the crossbar (which teammate Romaric smashed into the open net for the Elephant’s second goal), then had two headers saved late in the match.
As well as Côte d'Ivoire played, it was all for naught. The draw between Portugal and Brazil resulted in both teams moving on, leaving the Elephants on the outside looking in.
Match 47
Tshwane/Pretoria
Chile 1 – 2 Spain
Place watched: The Brick, Kansas City, MO
Spain started this match very slowly but quickly took measures to correct the issues. They scored in the 24th minute and followed it up with a second in the 37th minute. The play leveled out again and the teams were fairly even going into the halftime break.
Chile cut their deficit in half almost immediately after play resumed. Second half sub Rodrigo Millar scored in the 47th minute giving Chile new hope.
But that is where the hope for a result this match would end. Thankfully for Chile, they will still advance.
Match 48
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Switzerland 0 – 0 Honduras
Place watched: On line at the Brick
I was keeping an eye on this match strictly for documentation purposes, when it suddenly occurred to me that if the Swiss win and either Spain or Chile lose outright, the 2nd place team will be in doubt.
It turned out to be for naught. Neither team produced a goal, so the number crunchers were spared.
The match ups for the next round have been complete:
Uruguay plays South Korea with the winner taking on the winner of the USA and Ghana. Holland is matched with Slovakia and the winner will play the winner of Brazil and Chile. The other side of the bracket has arguably the most difficult quadrant with the winner of Argentina / Mexico playing the winner of Germany / England. In the lower half, Paraguay faces Japan with the winner squaring off against the winner of Spain and Portugal. It will surely be a very exciting round!
Match 45
Durban
Portugal 0 – 0 Brazil
Place watched: Basement, Olathe, KS
Who would have guessed that this match would be such a snoozer??? Neither team wanted to concede a goal, and played thusly. Only rarely were forays into enemy territory rewarded with a shot. Even rarer were those shots on target. I would have never predicted that two teams with this much fire-power would play a boring match.
Match 46
Nelspruit
Korea DPR 0 – 3 Côte d'Ivoire
Place watched: Basement computer, Olathe, KS
Midway through both matches I switched over to watch this match on TV and the other on my computer. Ivory Coast was putting on a clinic. North Korea was fortunate to not give up more than 3 goals as the Elephants imposed their offensive will.
Didier Drogba was unlucky to not have a hat-trick in this match. He hit the underside of the crossbar (which teammate Romaric smashed into the open net for the Elephant’s second goal), then had two headers saved late in the match.
As well as Côte d'Ivoire played, it was all for naught. The draw between Portugal and Brazil resulted in both teams moving on, leaving the Elephants on the outside looking in.
Match 47
Tshwane/Pretoria
Chile 1 – 2 Spain
Place watched: The Brick, Kansas City, MO
Spain started this match very slowly but quickly took measures to correct the issues. They scored in the 24th minute and followed it up with a second in the 37th minute. The play leveled out again and the teams were fairly even going into the halftime break.
Chile cut their deficit in half almost immediately after play resumed. Second half sub Rodrigo Millar scored in the 47th minute giving Chile new hope.
But that is where the hope for a result this match would end. Thankfully for Chile, they will still advance.
Match 48
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Switzerland 0 – 0 Honduras
Place watched: On line at the Brick
I was keeping an eye on this match strictly for documentation purposes, when it suddenly occurred to me that if the Swiss win and either Spain or Chile lose outright, the 2nd place team will be in doubt.
It turned out to be for naught. Neither team produced a goal, so the number crunchers were spared.
The match ups for the next round have been complete:
Uruguay plays South Korea with the winner taking on the winner of the USA and Ghana. Holland is matched with Slovakia and the winner will play the winner of Brazil and Chile. The other side of the bracket has arguably the most difficult quadrant with the winner of Argentina / Mexico playing the winner of Germany / England. In the lower half, Paraguay faces Japan with the winner squaring off against the winner of Spain and Portugal. It will surely be a very exciting round!
Last matches of the first round - Groups E & F
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Match 41
Johannesburg – JEP
Slovakia 3 – 2 Italy
Place watched: Johnnys Tavern, Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
As this match begins, Italy has a tenuous hold on the 2nd place position, and a berth in the second round. They would surely turn on the jets and do what had to be done.
The match began and Italy looks old and slow. Their sluggish play opens the door for Slovakia to score in the 25th minute. For sure the Azzurri will shake themselves out of their slump and exert their will on this match.
They didn’t.
The Slovakians expanded their lead to 2 – 0 in the 73rd minute. Only then did Italy play with a sense of urgency. They countered with a goal in the 81st minute, and continued to pressure the Slovakian goal. Against the run of play, the Slovaks score again. That would surely be the nail in the Italian coffin.
But Italy didn’t believe it was the end. An incredible goal scored by 2nd half sub Fabio Quagliarella gave them additional hope. Again and again they attacked the Slovakian goal. A near chance in the 95th minute was their last gasp. Slovakia was through and Italy was not…
Match 42
Polokwane
Paraguay 0 – 0 New Zealand
Place watched: Johnnys Tavern, Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
The other match in Group F featured the surprise leaders, Paraguay, versus the Oceania champion, New Zealand. Before the tournament began, no one gave the Kiwis any shot, but they entered this game with a real chance to advance. If Italy won, as expected, and New Zealand could eke out a draw with Paraguay, the Kiwis would advance over the Slovaks on goal differential.
When all was said and done, New Zealand did their part, but the Italians let them down. The draw was a fair result, and the Kiwis had played well in this tournament.
Match 43
Rustenburg
Denmark 1 – 3 Japan
Place watched: Basement TV after getting home from the airport
My family was flying back from a trip to Washington state so I was going to miss the first part of these matches. My other dilemma was which game to watch once I did get home. I solved that by recording the other match and watching this one.
This match had plenty of action. The second half was just beginning and Japan was up by two goals. Conventional wisdom would dictate the team with the lead to sit on the ball and make their opponents chase the play. Japanese wisdom dictated otherwise. They continued to attack the Danish goal and produced a 3rd goal that was beautiful. Their last goal came just minutes after the Danes had cut the lead in half. Japan was through at the expense of the Danes.
This has not been a kind Cup to European teams. I wonder if FIFA will take away a qualification spot like they have done to other conferences after poor showings…
Match 44
Cape Town
Cameroon 1 – 2 Netherlands
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
This match proved to be highly entertaining. Both teams were in a position that the result was not as important as previous games… for opposite reasons. Cameroon had been eliminated from the tournament, while Holland had already booked their ticket.
The Dutch team had not rested their stars, which was somewhat surprising, but also made a bit of sense. This team has not been impressive. They have taken care of business, of course, but they were not playing like the team everyone expected to see. Perhaps Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk hoped one more match with the starters would help get the team where it would need to be in the coming rounds.
It worked for the most part, as the game was wide open with action taking place all over the field. The other beneficial thing to van Marwijk was the inclusion of Arjen Robben, Holland's greatest offensive threat, in the 73rd minute. Robben was coming off an injury and really showed well. This can only be a good thing for the Dutch!
Match 41
Johannesburg – JEP
Slovakia 3 – 2 Italy
Place watched: Johnnys Tavern, Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
As this match begins, Italy has a tenuous hold on the 2nd place position, and a berth in the second round. They would surely turn on the jets and do what had to be done.
The match began and Italy looks old and slow. Their sluggish play opens the door for Slovakia to score in the 25th minute. For sure the Azzurri will shake themselves out of their slump and exert their will on this match.
They didn’t.
The Slovakians expanded their lead to 2 – 0 in the 73rd minute. Only then did Italy play with a sense of urgency. They countered with a goal in the 81st minute, and continued to pressure the Slovakian goal. Against the run of play, the Slovaks score again. That would surely be the nail in the Italian coffin.
But Italy didn’t believe it was the end. An incredible goal scored by 2nd half sub Fabio Quagliarella gave them additional hope. Again and again they attacked the Slovakian goal. A near chance in the 95th minute was their last gasp. Slovakia was through and Italy was not…
Match 42
Polokwane
Paraguay 0 – 0 New Zealand
Place watched: Johnnys Tavern, Power & Light District, Kansas City, MO
The other match in Group F featured the surprise leaders, Paraguay, versus the Oceania champion, New Zealand. Before the tournament began, no one gave the Kiwis any shot, but they entered this game with a real chance to advance. If Italy won, as expected, and New Zealand could eke out a draw with Paraguay, the Kiwis would advance over the Slovaks on goal differential.
When all was said and done, New Zealand did their part, but the Italians let them down. The draw was a fair result, and the Kiwis had played well in this tournament.
Match 43
Rustenburg
Denmark 1 – 3 Japan
Place watched: Basement TV after getting home from the airport
My family was flying back from a trip to Washington state so I was going to miss the first part of these matches. My other dilemma was which game to watch once I did get home. I solved that by recording the other match and watching this one.
This match had plenty of action. The second half was just beginning and Japan was up by two goals. Conventional wisdom would dictate the team with the lead to sit on the ball and make their opponents chase the play. Japanese wisdom dictated otherwise. They continued to attack the Danish goal and produced a 3rd goal that was beautiful. Their last goal came just minutes after the Danes had cut the lead in half. Japan was through at the expense of the Danes.
This has not been a kind Cup to European teams. I wonder if FIFA will take away a qualification spot like they have done to other conferences after poor showings…
Match 44
Cape Town
Cameroon 1 – 2 Netherlands
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
This match proved to be highly entertaining. Both teams were in a position that the result was not as important as previous games… for opposite reasons. Cameroon had been eliminated from the tournament, while Holland had already booked their ticket.
The Dutch team had not rested their stars, which was somewhat surprising, but also made a bit of sense. This team has not been impressive. They have taken care of business, of course, but they were not playing like the team everyone expected to see. Perhaps Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk hoped one more match with the starters would help get the team where it would need to be in the coming rounds.
It worked for the most part, as the game was wide open with action taking place all over the field. The other beneficial thing to van Marwijk was the inclusion of Arjen Robben, Holland's greatest offensive threat, in the 73rd minute. Robben was coming off an injury and really showed well. This can only be a good thing for the Dutch!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
It's go time, USA!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Match 37
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Slovenia 0 - 1 England
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
The decision to go back to the Power & Light to watch the US match, resulted in me not seeing this match live.
Match 38
Tshwane/Pretoria
USA 1 - 0 Algeria
Place watched: KC Live – Power & Light district, KC, MO
I arrived at KC Live about an hour early. I had left in time to park in my office lot and walk the 9 or so blocks to the P&L. The main area is about ¼ of its capacity, but I easily found a place to sit. As the match progresses, I anticipate not being able to sit, so I have already planned my standing location. There is a sense of hope and anticipation of good things to come, and I hope those here will not leave disappointed!
The lineups were just announced and there are changes in key positions for the US. I really hope the changes were not a knee-jerk reaction due to the pressure of the match! Herculez Gomez replaces the suspended Robbie Findley, but the benching of Oguchi Onyewu troubles me. He has struggled a bit with getting fit after his injury, but I am not sure that inclusion of Jonathan Bornstein will help our cause. We will soon find out…
The actions started with the US in typical defensive disarray mode. After giving up a couple good chances to Algeria, they settle in and start creating chances of their own. They were really unlucky to not be leading at the half.
Match 37
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Slovenia 0 - 1 England
Place watched: Tape delay – Living room, Olathe, KS
The decision to go back to the Power & Light to watch the US match, resulted in me not seeing this match live.
Match 38
Tshwane/Pretoria
USA 1 - 0 Algeria
Place watched: KC Live – Power & Light district, KC, MO
I arrived at KC Live about an hour early. I had left in time to park in my office lot and walk the 9 or so blocks to the P&L. The main area is about ¼ of its capacity, but I easily found a place to sit. As the match progresses, I anticipate not being able to sit, so I have already planned my standing location. There is a sense of hope and anticipation of good things to come, and I hope those here will not leave disappointed!
The lineups were just announced and there are changes in key positions for the US. I really hope the changes were not a knee-jerk reaction due to the pressure of the match! Herculez Gomez replaces the suspended Robbie Findley, but the benching of Oguchi Onyewu troubles me. He has struggled a bit with getting fit after his injury, but I am not sure that inclusion of Jonathan Bornstein will help our cause. We will soon find out…
The actions started with the US in typical defensive disarray mode. After giving up a couple good chances to Algeria, they settle in and start creating chances of their own. They were really unlucky to not be leading at the half.
Well, it has finally happened. The US are through!!! They waited until the 3rd minute of stoppage time, but they finally scored. A powerful drive by Clint Dempsey was parried away by the Algerian keeper, but it fell into Landon Donovan's path and he coolly deposited the ball into the side netting.
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!!!
Match 39
Johannesburg – JSC
Ghana 0 – 1 Germany
Place watched: Willies, Kansas City, MO
This match is somewhat anticlimactic, but not entirely because our opponent will be determined by the matches this afternoon. The USA now hopes that Germany finishes at the top of their group, so the Yanks will play a weaker 2nd place team. While I firmly believe that the US team that beat Algeria today would have an outstanding chance against Germany, there would still be a much better likelihood of advancing past Serbia or Ghana. Now that I think about it, if Germany loses, they will be on the outside looking in if Serbia also wins, which they should easily do.
All these scenarios put me in a position to want to watch both matches at the same time. I decided to trek to Willies—just across the street from the Power & Light District where I saw this morning’s match and 2 doors down from Kansas City’s best restaurant, Thai Paradise.
I was not disappointed.
Germany won the match but Ghana gave them a run for their money. When Ghana meets the US on Saturday, they will not be a push-over in the least!
Match 40
Nelspruit
Australia 2 – 1 Serbia
Place watched: Willies, KC, MO
Australia was facing a tough road. Not only did they need a win, one of their stars, Harry Kewell, was suspended due to a red card in the last match. Ghana was leading the group, but by only one point over both Serbia and Germany. Australia had to make up a 4-goal deficit even if they did win.
The Socceroos played with a ferocity we had not previously seen from them in this Cup. They beat a really good Serbian team but failed to advance due to an inferior goal differential. It was a highly entertaining match, however.
Match 39
Johannesburg – JSC
Ghana 0 – 1 Germany
Place watched: Willies, Kansas City, MO
This match is somewhat anticlimactic, but not entirely because our opponent will be determined by the matches this afternoon. The USA now hopes that Germany finishes at the top of their group, so the Yanks will play a weaker 2nd place team. While I firmly believe that the US team that beat Algeria today would have an outstanding chance against Germany, there would still be a much better likelihood of advancing past Serbia or Ghana. Now that I think about it, if Germany loses, they will be on the outside looking in if Serbia also wins, which they should easily do.
All these scenarios put me in a position to want to watch both matches at the same time. I decided to trek to Willies—just across the street from the Power & Light District where I saw this morning’s match and 2 doors down from Kansas City’s best restaurant, Thai Paradise.
I was not disappointed.
Germany won the match but Ghana gave them a run for their money. When Ghana meets the US on Saturday, they will not be a push-over in the least!
Match 40
Nelspruit
Australia 2 – 1 Serbia
Place watched: Willies, KC, MO
Australia was facing a tough road. Not only did they need a win, one of their stars, Harry Kewell, was suspended due to a red card in the last match. Ghana was leading the group, but by only one point over both Serbia and Germany. Australia had to make up a 4-goal deficit even if they did win.
The Socceroos played with a ferocity we had not previously seen from them in this Cup. They beat a really good Serbian team but failed to advance due to an inferior goal differential. It was a highly entertaining match, however.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Last matches of the first round - Groups A & B
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Match 33
Rustenburg
Mexico 0 – 1 Uruguay
Place watched: KC Live – Power & Light District in Kansas City, MO
There weren’t as many people watching this match down in the P&L as I thought there would be. Then again, the owners of the Power & Light aren’t exactly known for their racial diversity. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have gone down Southwest Boulevard and found a better atmosphere, but I was also doing some scouting for the ultimate location during tomorrows US / Algeria match.
The Uruguayans scored late in the first half gutting the pro-Mexican crowd. There was still hope that their team would prevail, however.
Unfortunately for those gathered, that didn’t happen. Mexico will still go through but they didn’t do themselves any favours. Instead of playing the 2nd place team in Group B, they will almost certainly play Argentina. That will test the Mexican resolve to the fullest!
Match 34
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
France 1 – 2 South Africa
Place watched: Tape delay, living room, Olathe, KS
Bafana Bafana won! Bafana Bafana won!!! On the other hand, France scored their first goal of the Cup. I doubt it is any consolation, but they finished a little bit ahead of where they finished their disastrous 2002 World Cup.
It would have been so great if the South Africans had won their second match against Uruguay, but they saved their best match for last. If you had asked the standard South African a month ago if they would accept a 3rd place finish but beat France, I think that would have been acceptable, then. It is sad that they are the first host country to not advance, but they played well and made their country proud!
I am watching this match after the fact (alarmingly, the P&L only has one TV—this will be a disaster tomorrow when we have to pay as much attention to the England / Slavenia match as we do to the US / Algeria game) and it looks like Bafana Bafana are much more relaxed this match. With the weight of the country no longer on their shoulders, they really look better than they have earlier in the tournament.
Match 35
Durban
Nigeria 2 – 2 Korea Republic
Place watched: Charlie Hoopers, Kansas City, MO
So my 2nd favourite soccer bar & grill was not packed like I half-way expected it would be. I did not get there in time to see if the Mexico match drew more people, but there were only a handful of tables interested in the matches on the TVs spread throughout the establishment. When I am at work later in the tournament and recording the matches for later viewing, this lack of interest we have in the US will be helpful. At this moment, however, I am really kind of embarrassed.
[This is a side-bar, but hearing the ignorance of the talking heads on American sports television is also embarrassing. The same guys complaining about the soccer players rolling around on the ground after getting kicked, sympathize with baseball players who are hit by a pitch. I have had both happen to me (yes, I realize I was not in the major leagues, but I also was not in a World Cup) and I can tell you that a boot to the shin hurts far more than a baseball to the upper arm. The “magic spray” that they claim is fake is a topical pain killer. It deadens the nerves in the area affected. Like I said… embarrassing…]
With a 2 – 2 draw, South Korea advances to the next round, knocking out Nigeria. The anguish on the Nigerian faces says it all.
Match 36
Polokwane
Greece 0 – 2 Argentina
Place watched: Charlie Hoopers, Kansas City, MO
Unlike the P&L, Hoopers does have multiple TVs so I can keep an eye on both matches. In fact, this was the one I was more interested in of the two. Lionel Messi has impressed and I really thought Argentina’s coach, Diego Maradona would keep Messi out of the line-up to protect his star.
I was wrong.
Maradona did, however, give long-time midfielder Juan Veron a start, and brought in ancient striker Martin Palermo before the match was completely in hand. His loyalty to his two aging stars paid off with Veron playing 90 solid minutes and Palermo scoring late.
Match 33
Rustenburg
Mexico 0 – 1 Uruguay
Place watched: KC Live – Power & Light District in Kansas City, MO
There weren’t as many people watching this match down in the P&L as I thought there would be. Then again, the owners of the Power & Light aren’t exactly known for their racial diversity. If I had been thinking clearly, I would have gone down Southwest Boulevard and found a better atmosphere, but I was also doing some scouting for the ultimate location during tomorrows US / Algeria match.
The Uruguayans scored late in the first half gutting the pro-Mexican crowd. There was still hope that their team would prevail, however.
Unfortunately for those gathered, that didn’t happen. Mexico will still go through but they didn’t do themselves any favours. Instead of playing the 2nd place team in Group B, they will almost certainly play Argentina. That will test the Mexican resolve to the fullest!
Match 34
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
France 1 – 2 South Africa
Place watched: Tape delay, living room, Olathe, KS
Bafana Bafana won! Bafana Bafana won!!! On the other hand, France scored their first goal of the Cup. I doubt it is any consolation, but they finished a little bit ahead of where they finished their disastrous 2002 World Cup.
It would have been so great if the South Africans had won their second match against Uruguay, but they saved their best match for last. If you had asked the standard South African a month ago if they would accept a 3rd place finish but beat France, I think that would have been acceptable, then. It is sad that they are the first host country to not advance, but they played well and made their country proud!
I am watching this match after the fact (alarmingly, the P&L only has one TV—this will be a disaster tomorrow when we have to pay as much attention to the England / Slavenia match as we do to the US / Algeria game) and it looks like Bafana Bafana are much more relaxed this match. With the weight of the country no longer on their shoulders, they really look better than they have earlier in the tournament.
Match 35
Durban
Nigeria 2 – 2 Korea Republic
Place watched: Charlie Hoopers, Kansas City, MO
So my 2nd favourite soccer bar & grill was not packed like I half-way expected it would be. I did not get there in time to see if the Mexico match drew more people, but there were only a handful of tables interested in the matches on the TVs spread throughout the establishment. When I am at work later in the tournament and recording the matches for later viewing, this lack of interest we have in the US will be helpful. At this moment, however, I am really kind of embarrassed.
[This is a side-bar, but hearing the ignorance of the talking heads on American sports television is also embarrassing. The same guys complaining about the soccer players rolling around on the ground after getting kicked, sympathize with baseball players who are hit by a pitch. I have had both happen to me (yes, I realize I was not in the major leagues, but I also was not in a World Cup) and I can tell you that a boot to the shin hurts far more than a baseball to the upper arm. The “magic spray” that they claim is fake is a topical pain killer. It deadens the nerves in the area affected. Like I said… embarrassing…]
With a 2 – 2 draw, South Korea advances to the next round, knocking out Nigeria. The anguish on the Nigerian faces says it all.
Match 36
Polokwane
Greece 0 – 2 Argentina
Place watched: Charlie Hoopers, Kansas City, MO
Unlike the P&L, Hoopers does have multiple TVs so I can keep an eye on both matches. In fact, this was the one I was more interested in of the two. Lionel Messi has impressed and I really thought Argentina’s coach, Diego Maradona would keep Messi out of the line-up to protect his star.
I was wrong.
Maradona did, however, give long-time midfielder Juan Veron a start, and brought in ancient striker Martin Palermo before the match was completely in hand. His loyalty to his two aging stars paid off with Veron playing 90 solid minutes and Palermo scoring late.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Back in KC
Monday, June 21, 2010
Match 30
Cape Town
Portugal 7 – 0 Korea DPR
Place watched: Comfort of my living room, Olathe, KS, USA
It felt so good to wake up in my own bed, even if the time spent there was short. My father had picked me up in Minneapolis and we had a lovely drive back to Kansas on Father’s Day. We arrived home at 2:30am and I was up for the early game.
And what a game it was!
Portugal finally looked like the powerful team they were touted to be entering this tournament. The North Koreans were completely over-matched and, while a result was still in reach at the half (Portugal was up by a single goal), Portugal scored at will during the second stanza.
Match 31
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Chile 1 – 0 Switzerland
Place watched: tape delay – living room, Olathe, KS
My father had to get back to the Twin Cities by tonight (it’s my mother’s birthday—Happy Birthday, Mom!), so we had an early lunch with my brother and his family. Therefore, we left my house at half-time with the match scoreless but Switzerland going down a man in the 31st minute.
Brunch went well and my dad hit the road with plenty of time to get him to Minneapolis for this evening’s festivities.
I returned home to watch the conclusion of the match, which turned out to be a good one. The 10 - man Swiss side held on remarkably until the 75th minute. Their 3 points against Spain last week still gives them hope of advancing to the knock-out round, but their hopes took a blow with the suspension of Valon Behrami. He was the first Swiss player ever to be sent off in a World Cup match.
Match 32
Johannesburg – JEP
Spain 2 – 0 Honduras
Place watched: Ugly Joes, KC, MO
My usual soccer-viewing place is apparently closed for renovations. It seems a bit odd that an establishment that prides itself for being a Kansas City soccer haven is closed during the Cup. I guess it is entirely possible that the owner and his family are currently in South Africa watching matches live… I just thought of that now…
Regardless of the reason, I found a little place not too far away that will do nicely. There are several big-screen TVs and a nice atmosphere for a good match.
This match had a special significance due to a Kansas City Wizards player starting for Honduras. Roger Espinoza is at right back for this match against arguably the best offensive team in the Cup. While he seemed to hold his own, he was subbed out for a striker at the half. Honduras was down a goal and hoped to generate additional offense.
They didn’t.
The final score was a pretty fair result. Spain assaulted the Honduran goal and the Hondurans were lucky to leave the match with only a 2-goal deficit. Besides the 22 – 9 shot disparity (8 – 0 on goal for Spain) David Villa missed a penalty that would have earned the striker a hat-trick. A thorough kicking sent the first CONCACAF participant packing. While not ideal for the region, it will be nice to get Roger back early and substantially more experienced!
Match 30
Cape Town
Portugal 7 – 0 Korea DPR
Place watched: Comfort of my living room, Olathe, KS, USA
It felt so good to wake up in my own bed, even if the time spent there was short. My father had picked me up in Minneapolis and we had a lovely drive back to Kansas on Father’s Day. We arrived home at 2:30am and I was up for the early game.
And what a game it was!
Portugal finally looked like the powerful team they were touted to be entering this tournament. The North Koreans were completely over-matched and, while a result was still in reach at the half (Portugal was up by a single goal), Portugal scored at will during the second stanza.
Match 31
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Chile 1 – 0 Switzerland
Place watched: tape delay – living room, Olathe, KS
My father had to get back to the Twin Cities by tonight (it’s my mother’s birthday—Happy Birthday, Mom!), so we had an early lunch with my brother and his family. Therefore, we left my house at half-time with the match scoreless but Switzerland going down a man in the 31st minute.
Brunch went well and my dad hit the road with plenty of time to get him to Minneapolis for this evening’s festivities.
I returned home to watch the conclusion of the match, which turned out to be a good one. The 10 - man Swiss side held on remarkably until the 75th minute. Their 3 points against Spain last week still gives them hope of advancing to the knock-out round, but their hopes took a blow with the suspension of Valon Behrami. He was the first Swiss player ever to be sent off in a World Cup match.
Match 32
Johannesburg – JEP
Spain 2 – 0 Honduras
Place watched: Ugly Joes, KC, MO
My usual soccer-viewing place is apparently closed for renovations. It seems a bit odd that an establishment that prides itself for being a Kansas City soccer haven is closed during the Cup. I guess it is entirely possible that the owner and his family are currently in South Africa watching matches live… I just thought of that now…
Regardless of the reason, I found a little place not too far away that will do nicely. There are several big-screen TVs and a nice atmosphere for a good match.
This match had a special significance due to a Kansas City Wizards player starting for Honduras. Roger Espinoza is at right back for this match against arguably the best offensive team in the Cup. While he seemed to hold his own, he was subbed out for a striker at the half. Honduras was down a goal and hoped to generate additional offense.
They didn’t.
The final score was a pretty fair result. Spain assaulted the Honduran goal and the Hondurans were lucky to leave the match with only a 2-goal deficit. Besides the 22 – 9 shot disparity (8 – 0 on goal for Spain) David Villa missed a penalty that would have earned the striker a hat-trick. A thorough kicking sent the first CONCACAF participant packing. While not ideal for the region, it will be nice to get Roger back early and substantially more experienced!
Home (Semi) Sweet Home
Sunday, June 20
Match 27
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Slovakia 0 - 2 Paraguay
Place watched: Did not watch
The longest flight of the 4 return legs went fairly well. Time passed quickly even though neither of us really slept much. We had room despite not being in an exit row. We arrived in Madrid and easily made it through Customs.
We encountered some issues with finding our departure gate. There was a sign that those of us without a Spanish visa should proceed down a certain hallway that seemed to disappear into an office area. No one else was going that way, so we stopped to ask. We found out that even though our flight was leaving from a gate 28 minutes by foot away, we should proceed to a gate which was less than a 5 minute walk.
When we arrived there, not only were there no passengers there, no staff was present, either. Further inquiries found that we would be shuttled to our gate at a certain time. It was a highly unusual method, to say the least.
After that, we had no troubles. The 2-hour flight to London was uneventful and I even got in a little sleep.
Match 28
Nelspruit
Italy 1 - 1 New Zealand
Place watched: Did not watch
London was a different story.
We arrived 3 hours before our next departure, so we felt we had plenty of time. It turned out we needed just about all of it! The queue for Customs seemed to stretch on for miles. After making it through, we had to pick up our checked bags. The process was fairly simple, but it took time. Then we had the matter of checking into our next flight. We had not pre-checked in due to timing with internet availability and being more than 24 hours out the last time we had been online.
The desk at Iceland Airlines was not inundated with customers, but each seemed to take a very long time. We eventually made it through with boarding passes in hand. Since we had not checked in prior to then, our seats were less than fantastic. The flight from London to Keflavik (as Reykjavik is called locally) is just over 2 hours, so that was not a complete disaster.
After checking in, we made our way to the outgoing gates. This involved another trip through security and the fun involved in that process. I had read that in Europe they don’t make you remove your shoes. For the second time in two stops, I had to remove mine.
Arriving on the right side of security, we made our way to the main concourse to read the gate board. They had not yet posted our gate when we picked up our boarding passes and the woman at the desk told us not to waste too much time since some of the gates are a good distance from the airline booths. Of course ours was just about as far away as possible, so they were just about to start the boarding process when we made it to the gate.
Match 29
Johannesburg – JSC
Brazil 3 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire
Place watched: Did not watch
Landing in Reykjavik went smoothly. We finally had a little time to breathe. My friend and I each ate a sandwich and something called Pringles. They are little fried potato pieces in a curved oval shape. Outrageous! Those crazy Europeans and their funny food…
We boarded our last leg smoothly and had the best two seats in the house! It was an exit row with just 2 seats and no seats across the aisle from us. There was plenty of leg room and loads of space for our carry-on luggage.
As I write this, we are less than an hour from Minneapolis. My battery is about to die and I won’t be able to post this until Monday morning. My plan when I return to Kansas City is to post something about the trip each day until the later round of matches start. I also plan to place pictures into previous posts, and label them as picture posts so you can easily find them if you so desire.
This has been a wild ride; I am completely exhausted and ready to sleep in my own bed!
Match 27
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Slovakia 0 - 2 Paraguay
Place watched: Did not watch
The longest flight of the 4 return legs went fairly well. Time passed quickly even though neither of us really slept much. We had room despite not being in an exit row. We arrived in Madrid and easily made it through Customs.
We encountered some issues with finding our departure gate. There was a sign that those of us without a Spanish visa should proceed down a certain hallway that seemed to disappear into an office area. No one else was going that way, so we stopped to ask. We found out that even though our flight was leaving from a gate 28 minutes by foot away, we should proceed to a gate which was less than a 5 minute walk.
When we arrived there, not only were there no passengers there, no staff was present, either. Further inquiries found that we would be shuttled to our gate at a certain time. It was a highly unusual method, to say the least.
After that, we had no troubles. The 2-hour flight to London was uneventful and I even got in a little sleep.
Match 28
Nelspruit
Italy 1 - 1 New Zealand
Place watched: Did not watch
London was a different story.
We arrived 3 hours before our next departure, so we felt we had plenty of time. It turned out we needed just about all of it! The queue for Customs seemed to stretch on for miles. After making it through, we had to pick up our checked bags. The process was fairly simple, but it took time. Then we had the matter of checking into our next flight. We had not pre-checked in due to timing with internet availability and being more than 24 hours out the last time we had been online.
The desk at Iceland Airlines was not inundated with customers, but each seemed to take a very long time. We eventually made it through with boarding passes in hand. Since we had not checked in prior to then, our seats were less than fantastic. The flight from London to Keflavik (as Reykjavik is called locally) is just over 2 hours, so that was not a complete disaster.
After checking in, we made our way to the outgoing gates. This involved another trip through security and the fun involved in that process. I had read that in Europe they don’t make you remove your shoes. For the second time in two stops, I had to remove mine.
Arriving on the right side of security, we made our way to the main concourse to read the gate board. They had not yet posted our gate when we picked up our boarding passes and the woman at the desk told us not to waste too much time since some of the gates are a good distance from the airline booths. Of course ours was just about as far away as possible, so they were just about to start the boarding process when we made it to the gate.
Match 29
Johannesburg – JSC
Brazil 3 - 1 Côte d'Ivoire
Place watched: Did not watch
Landing in Reykjavik went smoothly. We finally had a little time to breathe. My friend and I each ate a sandwich and something called Pringles. They are little fried potato pieces in a curved oval shape. Outrageous! Those crazy Europeans and their funny food…
We boarded our last leg smoothly and had the best two seats in the house! It was an exit row with just 2 seats and no seats across the aisle from us. There was plenty of leg room and loads of space for our carry-on luggage.
As I write this, we are less than an hour from Minneapolis. My battery is about to die and I won’t be able to post this until Monday morning. My plan when I return to Kansas City is to post something about the trip each day until the later round of matches start. I also plan to place pictures into previous posts, and label them as picture posts so you can easily find them if you so desire.
This has been a wild ride; I am completely exhausted and ready to sleep in my own bed!
Leaving the Cup, but the Cup's not leaving me...
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Match 24
Durban
Netherlands 1 – 0 Japan
Place watched: OR Tambo International Airport bar
We checked out of the Morulana Guesthouse at 11. Colin, the owner’s daughter’s boyfriend transported us to the airport. Along the way, Colin talked about the Springboks—South Africa’s rugby team immortalized in the movie Invicticus. They are SA’s pride and joy. The Bafana Bafana captured the imagination of the public for approximately 5 days—from the draw with Mexico on June 11, until the loss to Uruguay on the 16th. Now most of South Africa was more interested in the Springbok’s friendly match against Italy today, than the World Cup.
Upon arriving at the airport, we searched for the Iberia Airlines desk, but found out they did not open until 4pm. We had hoped that we could check our bags and then take the Gautrain to Sandton, where we had transferred to a shuttle bus a few days earlier. It had looked like an interesting place and the train was very speedy, so we thought we would return to check it out during the 9+ hours we had until our flight left Johannesburg.
Forced with the reality that we would have to keep our bags with us, the idea of schlepping them to Sandton and back was less appealing. We found a bar that was showing the match, so we settled in to watch.
Once again, the Netherlands won in a less-than convincing manner. They have not yet conceded a goal, but have also not yet put in a dominating victory. Perhaps they are building up to that…
Match 25
Rustenburg
Ghana 1 – 1 Australia
Place watched: Intercontinental Hotel conference room
After the match, we were able to check our bags and get our boarding passes. We then made our way to a hotel we could see through the large windows close to the Departures entrance to the airport. At the main restaurant, we asked where we could watch the match, and were led upstairs to a conference room. There were about 25 chairs set up and roughly 12 guys watching a large TV. Eventually everyone filtered out except for 7 of us… all Americans. We were all thinking the same thing: we didn’t travel halfway around the world to NOT watch this match!
Soon after my friend and I sat down the Australians scored. As poorly as they had played against Germany, they were outplaying Ghana in this game. Unfortunately, their efforts were about to come undone. Harry Kewell, their creative striker, was called for a hand ball in the box and sent off. The resulting penalty kick was converted and the teams were level at a goal each, but Australia would have to seek a win with 10 men.
A lot of times when a team goes down a man, they bunker in and try to counter-attack. Not the Socceroos! They continued to attack with numbers, making for a highly entertaining match. Ghana could not score against the strong Australian resolve. Unfortunately for the Socceroos, they were also unable to find the net. The match ended in a flurry knotted at 1 goal.
Match 26
Tshwane/Pretoria
Cameroon 1 - 2 Denmark
Place watched: Did not watch
When the final whistle sounded, we made our way back to the airport and went through security. Neither of us had anything to declare, so the process was quick and easy. Approaching our gate, we looked enviously at a gate where the departure flight was to New York City. How great it must be to fly only 15 hours to NYC… until we got closer and realized that every passenger was being thoroughly searched. Actually, the space violation would have been a small price to pay for such a shorter commute—unlike the actual price of that flight, which was surely not a small price.
The boarding was quick and easy, but the flight did not take off from Jo’burg until after 9pm. Hopefully we can make up the time in the air because we have a short hour and half layover in Madrid. Then we make our way to London where we will have 3 hours to kill. Hopefully the time will go quickly; I am ready to be home!
Match 24
Durban
Netherlands 1 – 0 Japan
Place watched: OR Tambo International Airport bar
We checked out of the Morulana Guesthouse at 11. Colin, the owner’s daughter’s boyfriend transported us to the airport. Along the way, Colin talked about the Springboks—South Africa’s rugby team immortalized in the movie Invicticus. They are SA’s pride and joy. The Bafana Bafana captured the imagination of the public for approximately 5 days—from the draw with Mexico on June 11, until the loss to Uruguay on the 16th. Now most of South Africa was more interested in the Springbok’s friendly match against Italy today, than the World Cup.
Upon arriving at the airport, we searched for the Iberia Airlines desk, but found out they did not open until 4pm. We had hoped that we could check our bags and then take the Gautrain to Sandton, where we had transferred to a shuttle bus a few days earlier. It had looked like an interesting place and the train was very speedy, so we thought we would return to check it out during the 9+ hours we had until our flight left Johannesburg.
Forced with the reality that we would have to keep our bags with us, the idea of schlepping them to Sandton and back was less appealing. We found a bar that was showing the match, so we settled in to watch.
Once again, the Netherlands won in a less-than convincing manner. They have not yet conceded a goal, but have also not yet put in a dominating victory. Perhaps they are building up to that…
Match 25
Rustenburg
Ghana 1 – 1 Australia
Place watched: Intercontinental Hotel conference room
After the match, we were able to check our bags and get our boarding passes. We then made our way to a hotel we could see through the large windows close to the Departures entrance to the airport. At the main restaurant, we asked where we could watch the match, and were led upstairs to a conference room. There were about 25 chairs set up and roughly 12 guys watching a large TV. Eventually everyone filtered out except for 7 of us… all Americans. We were all thinking the same thing: we didn’t travel halfway around the world to NOT watch this match!
Soon after my friend and I sat down the Australians scored. As poorly as they had played against Germany, they were outplaying Ghana in this game. Unfortunately, their efforts were about to come undone. Harry Kewell, their creative striker, was called for a hand ball in the box and sent off. The resulting penalty kick was converted and the teams were level at a goal each, but Australia would have to seek a win with 10 men.
A lot of times when a team goes down a man, they bunker in and try to counter-attack. Not the Socceroos! They continued to attack with numbers, making for a highly entertaining match. Ghana could not score against the strong Australian resolve. Unfortunately for the Socceroos, they were also unable to find the net. The match ended in a flurry knotted at 1 goal.
Match 26
Tshwane/Pretoria
Cameroon 1 - 2 Denmark
Place watched: Did not watch
When the final whistle sounded, we made our way back to the airport and went through security. Neither of us had anything to declare, so the process was quick and easy. Approaching our gate, we looked enviously at a gate where the departure flight was to New York City. How great it must be to fly only 15 hours to NYC… until we got closer and realized that every passenger was being thoroughly searched. Actually, the space violation would have been a small price to pay for such a shorter commute—unlike the actual price of that flight, which was surely not a small price.
The boarding was quick and easy, but the flight did not take off from Jo’burg until after 9pm. Hopefully we can make up the time in the air because we have a short hour and half layover in Madrid. Then we make our way to London where we will have 3 hours to kill. Hopefully the time will go quickly; I am ready to be home!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
It’s Ayoba time!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Match 21
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Germany 0 – 1 Serbia
Place watched: At the MTN booth at Ellis Park [their slogan is in the heading above]
Another stroke of good fortune occurred this morning. We had finished breakfast and had moved over to the couches in the common area to fire up our laptops to find the best way to Ellis Park. An older couple came in to wait for their room to be cleaned after checking in. We chatted a bit and discovered that they were going to the same match that we were plotting our course to see. Since they had rented a car, they offered to take us as far as the Park & Ride at Ellis Park. This is purely speculation, of course, but it seemed like they wanted to have us in the vehicle for protection. Or because they thought we were slow… Whether it is wild animals, or thieves, you don’t have to be fast in a bad situation, you only have to be faster than someone else in your group.
Meanwhile—and this is the part you have all been waiting breathlessly for, I am sure—my friend fired up the bunny suit. I will post pictures here, but you probably already saw him on TV. With this get-up, it will be impossible to keep us off the airwaves!!!
Match 22
Johannesburg – JEP
Slovenia 2 – 2 USA
Place watched: Ellis Park- Johannesburg, South Africa
Dude.
We all did a fair amount of shouting during this match, but could no better than a draw. When the US hit the net for the 3rd time, our section was dancing and singing and shouting, it took at least 45 seconds to figure out the goal had been disallowed. We still don’t know what happened. Some say there was a foul, others say offside was the call. Either way, the goal didn’t stand and here we are. We will have to beat Algeria on Wednesday to go through. This seems so discouraging familiar…
Match 23
Cape Town
England 0 – 0 Algeria
Place watched: Cappellos / Morulani Guest House common area
The last match of the night was sure to be a blow-out. England would certainly lay a beat-down on lowly Algeria. The pundits would likely need an electrified adding machine to tally all the goals England would score.
…Or it would end in a nil – nil draw with England looking awful.
I am not sure how, but the second thing happened. Star striker Wayne Rooney looked average, at best; and their whole attack lacked purpose. Thankfully for the Brits, their defense held or they would have been on the outside looking in as we reach the final match in the group stage.
Whatever the cause, this result benefited the Unites States. We need to win on Wednesday, but we now hold the tie-breaker over England because our draw was at two, and theirs was at zero. Hope still reigns in the States!
Match 21
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Germany 0 – 1 Serbia
Place watched: At the MTN booth at Ellis Park [their slogan is in the heading above]
Another stroke of good fortune occurred this morning. We had finished breakfast and had moved over to the couches in the common area to fire up our laptops to find the best way to Ellis Park. An older couple came in to wait for their room to be cleaned after checking in. We chatted a bit and discovered that they were going to the same match that we were plotting our course to see. Since they had rented a car, they offered to take us as far as the Park & Ride at Ellis Park. This is purely speculation, of course, but it seemed like they wanted to have us in the vehicle for protection. Or because they thought we were slow… Whether it is wild animals, or thieves, you don’t have to be fast in a bad situation, you only have to be faster than someone else in your group.
Meanwhile—and this is the part you have all been waiting breathlessly for, I am sure—my friend fired up the bunny suit. I will post pictures here, but you probably already saw him on TV. With this get-up, it will be impossible to keep us off the airwaves!!!
Match 22
Johannesburg – JEP
Slovenia 2 – 2 USA
Place watched: Ellis Park- Johannesburg, South Africa
Dude.
We all did a fair amount of shouting during this match, but could no better than a draw. When the US hit the net for the 3rd time, our section was dancing and singing and shouting, it took at least 45 seconds to figure out the goal had been disallowed. We still don’t know what happened. Some say there was a foul, others say offside was the call. Either way, the goal didn’t stand and here we are. We will have to beat Algeria on Wednesday to go through. This seems so discouraging familiar…
Match 23
Cape Town
England 0 – 0 Algeria
Place watched: Cappellos / Morulani Guest House common area
The last match of the night was sure to be a blow-out. England would certainly lay a beat-down on lowly Algeria. The pundits would likely need an electrified adding machine to tally all the goals England would score.
…Or it would end in a nil – nil draw with England looking awful.
I am not sure how, but the second thing happened. Star striker Wayne Rooney looked average, at best; and their whole attack lacked purpose. Thankfully for the Brits, their defense held or they would have been on the outside looking in as we reach the final match in the group stage.
Whatever the cause, this result benefited the Unites States. We need to win on Wednesday, but we now hold the tie-breaker over England because our draw was at two, and theirs was at zero. Hope still reigns in the States!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Back in Jo'burg
June 17, 2010
Match 18
Argentina 4 – 1 Korea Republic
Johannesburg - JSC
Location watched: Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
We woke up this morning at 4:35 so we would have plenty of time to get ready to leave Cape Town. Our driver was set to arrive at the guest house at 5:15, so we didn’t want to leave him out there in the cold, dark night.
Everything went well in our departure procedure, wrapping up our first stress-free excursion ever! To make matters even sweeter, the driver who picked us up from the guest house was the same driver who had dropped us off 2 days earlier. Daniel (not Dennis, as someone in our group repeatedly called him) was a good chap who had made a special trip to the airport to retrieve a certain jacket and specific hat with a particular sporting event commemorated. He had put up with all sorts of abuse from the British Airways Lost and Found representative. She was only during her job, but his story was pretty awful…
After landing in Jo’burg, we took a taxi back to the guest house where we had prematurely stayed a few nights earlier. Pleasantries were exchanged, and we were soon on our way to the train station. I had read nothing but horror stories about the train system in Johannesburg, but this particular line was part of the infrastructure upgrades completed for the Cup. We had intended to take it to Soccer City on the 14th, but it was not running on that day, for whatever reason. Today, however, it was.
From the destination train stop, we took a shuttle to a bus line. The bus took us directly into Soccer City. It was fairly efficient; however, it took us over 3 hours from door to door.
The match was fantastic. Despite the final score, South Korea looked dangerous in spots and could have equalized at 2 – 2 early in the second half, but the final strike hit the wrong side of the net. Every time Korea started to make some headway, the match got a little Messi…
We have been fortunate in the last 2 Cups we attended to see the match that produced the most goals. This will surely be the case with this game. What a performance by Argentina!
Match 19
Greece 2 – 1 Nigeria
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Location watched: Spotty updates on the way back from Soccer City
The trip back from Soccer City was quite an adventure! It actually took an hour less than the trek out, but contained all of the elements of an international thriller. I won’t bore you with the details as a Stephen King might. You all can thank me later.
Match 20
France 0 – 2 Mexico
Polokwane
Location watched: Cappellos – Johannesburg, South Africa
My friend and I got back to the guest house just in time for dinner at 6pm. We had spaghetti and a nice salad and both went back up to our room to get our laptops. Morulana Guesthouse, the last of our places to stay, has free internet, but it only works in the common area next to the dinner room.
As we worked, the power suddenly went out. Ilana, the guest house’s manager, lit some candles and offered to take anyone who wanted to see the match out of the compound to a restaurant. We ended up at a place called Cappellos—an Italian restaurant with multiple big-screen T.V.s. Even though we had just eaten, we didn’t want to take a table without ordering anything, so we decided to compare the calamari here with that we had just tasted on the Cape. Um… it was ok…
The power came on just before half time, so Ilana’s husband Colin returned to pick us up to take us back to the guest house.
As I write this, my buddy is crashed out on the sofa in front of the television in the common area. All of the other guests returned to their rooms (including the 2 Mexican guys), so I am watching the match in solace. It is definitely relaxing.
Match 18
Argentina 4 – 1 Korea Republic
Johannesburg - JSC
Location watched: Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
We woke up this morning at 4:35 so we would have plenty of time to get ready to leave Cape Town. Our driver was set to arrive at the guest house at 5:15, so we didn’t want to leave him out there in the cold, dark night.
Everything went well in our departure procedure, wrapping up our first stress-free excursion ever! To make matters even sweeter, the driver who picked us up from the guest house was the same driver who had dropped us off 2 days earlier. Daniel (not Dennis, as someone in our group repeatedly called him) was a good chap who had made a special trip to the airport to retrieve a certain jacket and specific hat with a particular sporting event commemorated. He had put up with all sorts of abuse from the British Airways Lost and Found representative. She was only during her job, but his story was pretty awful…
After landing in Jo’burg, we took a taxi back to the guest house where we had prematurely stayed a few nights earlier. Pleasantries were exchanged, and we were soon on our way to the train station. I had read nothing but horror stories about the train system in Johannesburg, but this particular line was part of the infrastructure upgrades completed for the Cup. We had intended to take it to Soccer City on the 14th, but it was not running on that day, for whatever reason. Today, however, it was.
From the destination train stop, we took a shuttle to a bus line. The bus took us directly into Soccer City. It was fairly efficient; however, it took us over 3 hours from door to door.
The match was fantastic. Despite the final score, South Korea looked dangerous in spots and could have equalized at 2 – 2 early in the second half, but the final strike hit the wrong side of the net. Every time Korea started to make some headway, the match got a little Messi…
We have been fortunate in the last 2 Cups we attended to see the match that produced the most goals. This will surely be the case with this game. What a performance by Argentina!
Match 19
Greece 2 – 1 Nigeria
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Location watched: Spotty updates on the way back from Soccer City
The trip back from Soccer City was quite an adventure! It actually took an hour less than the trek out, but contained all of the elements of an international thriller. I won’t bore you with the details as a Stephen King might. You all can thank me later.
Match 20
France 0 – 2 Mexico
Polokwane
Location watched: Cappellos – Johannesburg, South Africa
My friend and I got back to the guest house just in time for dinner at 6pm. We had spaghetti and a nice salad and both went back up to our room to get our laptops. Morulana Guesthouse, the last of our places to stay, has free internet, but it only works in the common area next to the dinner room.
As we worked, the power suddenly went out. Ilana, the guest house’s manager, lit some candles and offered to take anyone who wanted to see the match out of the compound to a restaurant. We ended up at a place called Cappellos—an Italian restaurant with multiple big-screen T.V.s. Even though we had just eaten, we didn’t want to take a table without ordering anything, so we decided to compare the calamari here with that we had just tasted on the Cape. Um… it was ok…
The power came on just before half time, so Ilana’s husband Colin returned to pick us up to take us back to the guest house.
As I write this, my buddy is crashed out on the sofa in front of the television in the common area. All of the other guests returned to their rooms (including the 2 Mexican guys), so I am watching the match in solace. It is definitely relaxing.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Cape Town - Day 2
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Match 15
Honduras 0 – 1 Chile
Nelspruit
Location watched: Lapeng – Cape Town, South Africa
We ended up waking up earlier than expected on our day off. After a lovely breakfast, we took my friend’s newly purchased Puma ball down to the park by the sea. We knocked it around a bit, then went back up to get ready for the day.
On this morning we had a little more familiarity with the route we were hoping to take. We walked down the steep hill and made our way to the Fan Zone. Along the way, we enjoyed the sites and sounds of Cape Town. Realizing we weren’t going to make it to the Fan Zone in time for the match, we stopped into the first eating establishment we came across that had a T.V. visible from the street.
After the match and a bite to eat, we headed back out into the street to find the Fan Zone.
Match 16
Spain 0 – 1 Switzerland
Durban
Location watched: Fan Zone, downtown Cape Town
The Fan Zone was a lot more crowded than the one we visited in Pretoria. Most of the reason for this was that the Bafana Bafana would be playing that evening and the spectators wanted to get there early for a good spot.
The result of this match was the biggest shocker of the first round. Switzerland deserved the victory despite the beautiful football played by the Spaniards. The crowd reacted with joy whether the play benefited Spain or Switzerland, so it was a most festive atmosphere.
When the match ended, we set off on foot for the Waterfront.
Match 17
South Africa 0 – 3 Uruguay
Tshwane/Pretoria
Location watched: Karibu on the Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
The last match of the evening contained the host country’s best chance to earn maximum points. I hadn’t seen Uruguay’s match against France, but the locals seemed to think that a win was imminent.
We had not eaten since breakfast, so we found a great little place that was serving South African cuisine. The best way to sum up the food is a mix between a hearty stew and smoked-style barbecue. It has a lot of flavours and contains meats such as Kudu, Ostrich, and, as expected, Karibu.
Meanwhile the match had started and both sides were cautiously attacking while paying attention to the back line. Suddenly, Uruguay’s star striker, Diego Forlan, ripped a shot from well outside the 18-yard penalty box. The dipping strike found net and, for the first time since I have been in South Africa, the vuvuzelas fell silent. My friend and I both had started to yell as the shot went in, but had to cover our mouths and change our expressions from amazement to being aghast at the incredible goal.
At the half break, we ventured back into the common area to watch the rest of the match with the crowd. When South Africa’s keeper was red carded and the ensuing penalty found net, however, we headed back to the guest house.
Things I learned while in Cape Town: a two-litre bottle of Coke goes a long way; employees at the adidas store don’t like it when you sign shirts that are still on the rack; the Bat Signal should not have a square mustache; the phrase “stage fright” has a universal meaning; and if an elderly man stops you in a park, don’t agree to his representation.
Match 15
Honduras 0 – 1 Chile
Nelspruit
Location watched: Lapeng – Cape Town, South Africa
We ended up waking up earlier than expected on our day off. After a lovely breakfast, we took my friend’s newly purchased Puma ball down to the park by the sea. We knocked it around a bit, then went back up to get ready for the day.
On this morning we had a little more familiarity with the route we were hoping to take. We walked down the steep hill and made our way to the Fan Zone. Along the way, we enjoyed the sites and sounds of Cape Town. Realizing we weren’t going to make it to the Fan Zone in time for the match, we stopped into the first eating establishment we came across that had a T.V. visible from the street.
After the match and a bite to eat, we headed back out into the street to find the Fan Zone.
Match 16
Spain 0 – 1 Switzerland
Durban
Location watched: Fan Zone, downtown Cape Town
The Fan Zone was a lot more crowded than the one we visited in Pretoria. Most of the reason for this was that the Bafana Bafana would be playing that evening and the spectators wanted to get there early for a good spot.
The result of this match was the biggest shocker of the first round. Switzerland deserved the victory despite the beautiful football played by the Spaniards. The crowd reacted with joy whether the play benefited Spain or Switzerland, so it was a most festive atmosphere.
When the match ended, we set off on foot for the Waterfront.
Match 17
South Africa 0 – 3 Uruguay
Tshwane/Pretoria
Location watched: Karibu on the Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
The last match of the evening contained the host country’s best chance to earn maximum points. I hadn’t seen Uruguay’s match against France, but the locals seemed to think that a win was imminent.
We had not eaten since breakfast, so we found a great little place that was serving South African cuisine. The best way to sum up the food is a mix between a hearty stew and smoked-style barbecue. It has a lot of flavours and contains meats such as Kudu, Ostrich, and, as expected, Karibu.
Meanwhile the match had started and both sides were cautiously attacking while paying attention to the back line. Suddenly, Uruguay’s star striker, Diego Forlan, ripped a shot from well outside the 18-yard penalty box. The dipping strike found net and, for the first time since I have been in South Africa, the vuvuzelas fell silent. My friend and I both had started to yell as the shot went in, but had to cover our mouths and change our expressions from amazement to being aghast at the incredible goal.
At the half break, we ventured back into the common area to watch the rest of the match with the crowd. When South Africa’s keeper was red carded and the ensuing penalty found net, however, we headed back to the guest house.
Things I learned while in Cape Town: a two-litre bottle of Coke goes a long way; employees at the adidas store don’t like it when you sign shirts that are still on the rack; the Bat Signal should not have a square mustache; the phrase “stage fright” has a universal meaning; and if an elderly man stops you in a park, don’t agree to his representation.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Cape Town
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Match 12
New Zealand 1 – 1 Slovakia
Rustenburg
Location watched: Café Splendida – Cape Town, South Africa
Somehow, through Divine fortune or just dumb luck, we had a flawless departure from Sunrock Guesthouse. We woke up on time, left on time after a fabulous breakfast, arrived at the airport on time, and boarded the aircraft on time. We arrived in Cape Town on time, had a driver meet us on time, and arrived at the Huijs Haerlem Guesthouse on time. Wait! I am forgetting one minor detail that will guarantee to the reader that the two travelers in question are, indeed, the travelers they have been reading about from the beginning. One of us forgot his jacket and new World Cup hat on the plane in an overhead bin. It really was a small setback that will be resolved when our driver returns to the airport tomorrow on other business and picks up the hat and jacket from the Lost and Found area.
Upon checking into our room, we found that we had access to free wifi. I checked a few emails but have not yet made it out to Facebook, so please remain patient if you sent me a message there. Our room is beautiful and the view outside our window is breathtaking. I will make sure to add some photos of the place we are staying to the slide show under the Photos tab. Check out the slide show if you haven’t lately seen it lately. I was able to add pictures of the US / England match and our African safari earlier today, and hope to have others added by the time I post this.
Soon after checking in, we set out walking. We walked down a steep hill towards the ocean. Once there, we found a park leading to a beach. Two youngsters were knocking a soccer ball around so I joined in as my buddy finally found pigeons to capture on film. If you know him, you know how delighted this made him. If you know me, you know how utterly delighted this made me! He joined in the kick-around after 180 pigeon pictures and 15 or so minutes.
We continued down the beach snapping photos as we went. I cannot stress enough how beautiful Cape Town is. Check out the pictures and judge for yourself.
Eventually we found a place right on the ocean to watch the match. It would be hard to find a better place to watch a World Cup match!
Match 13
Côte d'Ivoire 0 – 0 Portugal
Nelson Mandela Bay / Port Elizabeth
Location watched: V&A Waterfront Plaza – Cape Town, South Africa
Our beach sojourn ended at a place called the Waterfront. It is a trendy district with malls and restaurants. In the middle of everything is an inlet with boats of every type you can imagine. “Surely not pirate ships,” you may wonder aloud to no one in particular. If you did, indeed, wonder that, you would be wrong.
We watched the match on a huge screen in the middle of the square. There were many people there. Some wore Portuguese shirts, some wore the orange shirts of Ivory Coast, and others were wearing small seagull costumes and relentlessly dive-bombed the rest of the spectators.
At half time, my friend and I ventured closer to the wharf to a place called Quay 4. It came recommended by the owner of Huijs Haerlem, Johann. We had a delightful meal for a relatively low price. The atmosphere was great, and it was warm under the tent for the one of us who no longer had a jacket. We had calamari for the second time this day (the first was during the first match at Café Splendida). Calamari on the Cape Town wharf is unlike any I have ever had. It was like little calamari fillets rather than the stringy, rubbery squid I am used to.
We finished eating as the match ended, and started out heading back to the guest house. I would guess it was 5 – 8 kilometers back to the house and we made it in plenty of time to make the next match. We contemplated and argued about whether to venture back out to watch the last match of the evening, as Johann suggested a place about 3 kilometers away. I was done for today. I told my friend to go out without me if he wanted to, but begrudgingly he also chose to stay in to watch the game. He is now fast asleep while the last match is at half time. Oh, forgive me, I forgot this:
Match 14
Brazil 2 – 1 Korea DPR
Johannesburg – Ellis Park
Location watched: Huijs Haerlem – Cape Town, South Africa
As I finish this up, I am also falling asleep. Johann told us when we had returned from walking UP the huge hill, that we would sleep well. He was not mistaken. We are not setting an alarm and have no plans for tomorrow except for sleeping in late and finding somewhere to watch the matches. We would like to go to the Fan Zone close to Cape Town stadium. Other options include taking a bus tour through and around the city centre, and / or knocking a ball around the park we had seen today. This will be the only day of the trip where everything has already been taken care of and we have no expectations from anyone or ourselves. I don’t know about my friend, but I am really looking forward to it!
Match 12
New Zealand 1 – 1 Slovakia
Rustenburg
Location watched: Café Splendida – Cape Town, South Africa
Somehow, through Divine fortune or just dumb luck, we had a flawless departure from Sunrock Guesthouse. We woke up on time, left on time after a fabulous breakfast, arrived at the airport on time, and boarded the aircraft on time. We arrived in Cape Town on time, had a driver meet us on time, and arrived at the Huijs Haerlem Guesthouse on time. Wait! I am forgetting one minor detail that will guarantee to the reader that the two travelers in question are, indeed, the travelers they have been reading about from the beginning. One of us forgot his jacket and new World Cup hat on the plane in an overhead bin. It really was a small setback that will be resolved when our driver returns to the airport tomorrow on other business and picks up the hat and jacket from the Lost and Found area.
Upon checking into our room, we found that we had access to free wifi. I checked a few emails but have not yet made it out to Facebook, so please remain patient if you sent me a message there. Our room is beautiful and the view outside our window is breathtaking. I will make sure to add some photos of the place we are staying to the slide show under the Photos tab. Check out the slide show if you haven’t lately seen it lately. I was able to add pictures of the US / England match and our African safari earlier today, and hope to have others added by the time I post this.
Soon after checking in, we set out walking. We walked down a steep hill towards the ocean. Once there, we found a park leading to a beach. Two youngsters were knocking a soccer ball around so I joined in as my buddy finally found pigeons to capture on film. If you know him, you know how delighted this made him. If you know me, you know how utterly delighted this made me! He joined in the kick-around after 180 pigeon pictures and 15 or so minutes.
We continued down the beach snapping photos as we went. I cannot stress enough how beautiful Cape Town is. Check out the pictures and judge for yourself.
Eventually we found a place right on the ocean to watch the match. It would be hard to find a better place to watch a World Cup match!
Match 13
Côte d'Ivoire 0 – 0 Portugal
Nelson Mandela Bay / Port Elizabeth
Location watched: V&A Waterfront Plaza – Cape Town, South Africa
Our beach sojourn ended at a place called the Waterfront. It is a trendy district with malls and restaurants. In the middle of everything is an inlet with boats of every type you can imagine. “Surely not pirate ships,” you may wonder aloud to no one in particular. If you did, indeed, wonder that, you would be wrong.
We watched the match on a huge screen in the middle of the square. There were many people there. Some wore Portuguese shirts, some wore the orange shirts of Ivory Coast, and others were wearing small seagull costumes and relentlessly dive-bombed the rest of the spectators.
At half time, my friend and I ventured closer to the wharf to a place called Quay 4. It came recommended by the owner of Huijs Haerlem, Johann. We had a delightful meal for a relatively low price. The atmosphere was great, and it was warm under the tent for the one of us who no longer had a jacket. We had calamari for the second time this day (the first was during the first match at Café Splendida). Calamari on the Cape Town wharf is unlike any I have ever had. It was like little calamari fillets rather than the stringy, rubbery squid I am used to.
We finished eating as the match ended, and started out heading back to the guest house. I would guess it was 5 – 8 kilometers back to the house and we made it in plenty of time to make the next match. We contemplated and argued about whether to venture back out to watch the last match of the evening, as Johann suggested a place about 3 kilometers away. I was done for today. I told my friend to go out without me if he wanted to, but begrudgingly he also chose to stay in to watch the game. He is now fast asleep while the last match is at half time. Oh, forgive me, I forgot this:
Match 14
Brazil 2 – 1 Korea DPR
Johannesburg – Ellis Park
Location watched: Huijs Haerlem – Cape Town, South Africa
As I finish this up, I am also falling asleep. Johann told us when we had returned from walking UP the huge hill, that we would sleep well. He was not mistaken. We are not setting an alarm and have no plans for tomorrow except for sleeping in late and finding somewhere to watch the matches. We would like to go to the Fan Zone close to Cape Town stadium. Other options include taking a bus tour through and around the city centre, and / or knocking a ball around the park we had seen today. This will be the only day of the trip where everything has already been taken care of and we have no expectations from anyone or ourselves. I don’t know about my friend, but I am really looking forward to it!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Here we go again
Monday, June 14, 2010
Match 9
Netherlands 2 – 0 Denmark
Soccer City Stadium – Johannesburg
Location watched: Soccer City Stadium – Johannesburg, South Africa
Monday dawned crisp and cool. I woke up earlier than expected and took my laptop down to the common area of the guest house. While setting up, I met Latitia, the owner of the guest house. I introduced myself and she asked how we would be covering the rest of the money owed for our stay. I said my friend had paid half as a down payment and I would cover the rest. She took me to the back and printed out a receipt. It was many times what I expected to pay. This is where things started to go pear-shaped…
We discovered that our itinerary had been out of order and we had stayed at the wrong guest house. Latitia called the place we were supposed to have stayed and said that Ina from Sunrock would be over shortly to pick us up. We scrambled back to our room to hastily reassemble our baggage and get ready to leave. Ina was there quickly and we rushed out to her waiting vehicle. We explained our confusion and thought all was well when we had been checked into the flat at Morulana. She said that she had dropped some Dutch fans off at the airport to get their match tickets at the FIFA kiosks. We told her we had to do the same thing, so when she picked them up, we leaped out of her van and hurried to get our tickets. She returned to pick us up and we rushed back to the guest house where there was transport waiting to take us to the match.
All the rushing around paid off. We easily made it to the match and had time to soak up the atmosphere before the match began.
Match 10
Japan 1 – 0 Cameroon
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Location watched: Periodic Blackberry updates on our way from the match to the guest house
When Ina’s husband Arthur had dropped us off at the match, he told us to meet him at a Shell gas station about 3 miles from the stadium 2 hours after the match ended. We trekked up the hill and waited for him in the fading daylight. Sometimes it is easy to forget that Africa is rapidly approaching winter. This was not one of those times. Sitting on a rock on top of a hill as the wind picked up and the sun was going down proved to be quite chilly. Feeling somewhat apprehensive about finding our meeting place, my friend and I had not wasted anytime leaving the match, so we had about an hour to wait for the ride back to the guest house.
Arthur eventually showed up and our group piled into the transport van for the return journey. Three of our companions on this part of the adventure were from Japan. They took turns dialing into the match report to follow their home country. When it was announced that the match was final, they whooped it up the rest of the way to the guest house, chanting and celebrating.
Match 11
Italy 1 – 1 Paraguay
Capetown
Location watched: Common area in the Sunrock Guesthouse
After arriving back at the guest house, my friend and I had about an hour to kill before dinner would be served. We fired up our laptops looking for internet service. Here, like almost everywhere on our trip, the service was not free. It was also not cheap. He paid for another block of time to finish some work-related duties, while I remained offline to chronicle the trip so far. Then I saved a text document to a flash drive and uploaded it from his machine. In other words, if you have sent me a message, I have not been able to access my email or Facebook since leaving Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon. I am so sorry for not getting back to you.
We soon ventured back out into the cold to make our way to the common area of the guest house. It was beautiful! There were flags of the 32 World Cup countries lining the walls and ceilings. The game trophies on the wall were of animals not common in North America. There was a full bar and food service area along one wall and a huge projection television on the other. There were plenty of seats and I would estimate room for around 50 people in this building.
The food they had prepared for us was delicious, and we finished dinner in time to see the last match of the day on the big T.V. When Paraguay scored first, the room erupted. Apparently there is quite a bit of resentment towards Italy around the world. The Dutch fans were high-fiving the Chilean contingent. The group from Japan hugged the guys from El Salvador. It was massively joyous in the room.
Italy equalized midway through the second half, but it did not dampen the mood, but there was definitely no celebrating as with the first goal. When the match ended in a draw, everyone seemed quite happy with the result.
We were leaving for Capetown early the next morning so we secured our ride to the airport and made our way back to our room. As we did so, we discussed the heavy rains we had witnessed during the match which took place in Capetown. If the bad weather continued, It would be the first inclement conditions we would experience while in South Africa.
Stay tuned to this channel to see how it turns out!
Match 9
Netherlands 2 – 0 Denmark
Soccer City Stadium – Johannesburg
Location watched: Soccer City Stadium – Johannesburg, South Africa
Monday dawned crisp and cool. I woke up earlier than expected and took my laptop down to the common area of the guest house. While setting up, I met Latitia, the owner of the guest house. I introduced myself and she asked how we would be covering the rest of the money owed for our stay. I said my friend had paid half as a down payment and I would cover the rest. She took me to the back and printed out a receipt. It was many times what I expected to pay. This is where things started to go pear-shaped…
We discovered that our itinerary had been out of order and we had stayed at the wrong guest house. Latitia called the place we were supposed to have stayed and said that Ina from Sunrock would be over shortly to pick us up. We scrambled back to our room to hastily reassemble our baggage and get ready to leave. Ina was there quickly and we rushed out to her waiting vehicle. We explained our confusion and thought all was well when we had been checked into the flat at Morulana. She said that she had dropped some Dutch fans off at the airport to get their match tickets at the FIFA kiosks. We told her we had to do the same thing, so when she picked them up, we leaped out of her van and hurried to get our tickets. She returned to pick us up and we rushed back to the guest house where there was transport waiting to take us to the match.
All the rushing around paid off. We easily made it to the match and had time to soak up the atmosphere before the match began.
Match 10
Japan 1 – 0 Cameroon
Mangaung / Bloemfontein
Location watched: Periodic Blackberry updates on our way from the match to the guest house
When Ina’s husband Arthur had dropped us off at the match, he told us to meet him at a Shell gas station about 3 miles from the stadium 2 hours after the match ended. We trekked up the hill and waited for him in the fading daylight. Sometimes it is easy to forget that Africa is rapidly approaching winter. This was not one of those times. Sitting on a rock on top of a hill as the wind picked up and the sun was going down proved to be quite chilly. Feeling somewhat apprehensive about finding our meeting place, my friend and I had not wasted anytime leaving the match, so we had about an hour to wait for the ride back to the guest house.
Arthur eventually showed up and our group piled into the transport van for the return journey. Three of our companions on this part of the adventure were from Japan. They took turns dialing into the match report to follow their home country. When it was announced that the match was final, they whooped it up the rest of the way to the guest house, chanting and celebrating.
Match 11
Italy 1 – 1 Paraguay
Capetown
Location watched: Common area in the Sunrock Guesthouse
After arriving back at the guest house, my friend and I had about an hour to kill before dinner would be served. We fired up our laptops looking for internet service. Here, like almost everywhere on our trip, the service was not free. It was also not cheap. He paid for another block of time to finish some work-related duties, while I remained offline to chronicle the trip so far. Then I saved a text document to a flash drive and uploaded it from his machine. In other words, if you have sent me a message, I have not been able to access my email or Facebook since leaving Minneapolis on Thursday afternoon. I am so sorry for not getting back to you.
We soon ventured back out into the cold to make our way to the common area of the guest house. It was beautiful! There were flags of the 32 World Cup countries lining the walls and ceilings. The game trophies on the wall were of animals not common in North America. There was a full bar and food service area along one wall and a huge projection television on the other. There were plenty of seats and I would estimate room for around 50 people in this building.
The food they had prepared for us was delicious, and we finished dinner in time to see the last match of the day on the big T.V. When Paraguay scored first, the room erupted. Apparently there is quite a bit of resentment towards Italy around the world. The Dutch fans were high-fiving the Chilean contingent. The group from Japan hugged the guys from El Salvador. It was massively joyous in the room.
Italy equalized midway through the second half, but it did not dampen the mood, but there was definitely no celebrating as with the first goal. When the match ended in a draw, everyone seemed quite happy with the result.
We were leaving for Capetown early the next morning so we secured our ride to the airport and made our way back to our room. As we did so, we discussed the heavy rains we had witnessed during the match which took place in Capetown. If the bad weather continued, It would be the first inclement conditions we would experience while in South Africa.
Stay tuned to this channel to see how it turns out!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Johannesburg, here we come
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Match 6
Algeria 0 - 1 Slovenia
Polokwane Stadium
Location watched: Listened on radio after leaving the guest house in Rustenburg
After the match, we struck out in search of a taxi. After searching in vain, we approached a police officer to ask where the taxis queued post-match. We were told that they stopped running at 9pm—30 minutes after the match kicked off. We asked how people were getting back to Rustenburg’s city center and were told that they would take the buses that dropped them off at the match. That didn’t sound good for those of us that had ridden a bus from Jo’burg, but were staying in Rustenburg. Again, I will save time here by jumping to the part where the traffic police officer, after dealing with hundreds of irate fans heaping abuse on her for the buses being full, offered to take us to our guest house.
When we pulled up in front of the guest house, lights flashing so she could get around the massive traffic jam, the wife of the guest house owner rushed out yelling “what did you do?” I am sure she was thinking she would have to bail out the drunk, violent Yanks she had agreed to let stay with her. Even after the officer left and we explained what had happened, she and her husband were still incredulous at what had happened. It was quite amazing…
Meanwhile, at the guest house, they had overbooked the rooms. They politely explained that my friend and I would be joining 2 English fans at a place they called "the farm." We smiled and nodded while thinking that they were shipping us off to heaven knows where, leaving the other guests in the spacious guest house. We could not have been more wrong. The farm was beautiful! Tommy and his wife Nicolene were very hospitable and had dinner waiting when my friend, Nick, Johnny, and I arrived about 1:30am. Not taking no for an answer, they fed us, made sure we had plenty to drink, then sent us each off to his individual room. The farm ended up being the better option of the two.
In the morning, Tommy took the four of us out onto his land which is home to many different types of deer, zebras, and an odd leopard. We did not see any predators, but took many pictures of other wildlife. At one point, the 4-wheeler suddenly accelerated throwing us into a rock wall and tree. It turned out that Nick, who was sitting in the middle of the front seat, had his foot slip off of its perch and onto the accelerator. It was frightening, yet hilarious.
When we returned, Nicolene had an incredible breakfast waiting for us. We left well-fed. We gladly accepted and started off for Jo’burg.
Match 7
Serbia 0 - 1Ghana
Tshwane/Pretoria
Location watched: FIFA Fan Park – Pretoria
As we headed back to Jo’burg, we realized that we would not make it back in time for the mid-afternoon match. Approaching Pretoria, we decided to stop in to check out their fan park.
Inside was a festive atmosphere as we had come to expect during this trip. There were many Ghanan fans inside the park and when they scored to take the lead, dancing broke out all around us. One could not help but get caught up in the revelry.
After the match, Nick and Johnny dropped us off in Johannesburg at our guest house. We checked in and rushed upstairs in time for the evening match.
Match 8
Germany 3 – 0 Australia
Durban
Location watched: Morulana Guest House, Johannesburg, South Africa
Settled into our room, we watched the match and quickly went to sleep afterward. It had been a hectic schedule to this point and it was nice to just relax. We would be here for two nights, so we spread out the contents of our bags and made ourselves at home.
Match 6
Algeria 0 - 1 Slovenia
Polokwane Stadium
Location watched: Listened on radio after leaving the guest house in Rustenburg
After the match, we struck out in search of a taxi. After searching in vain, we approached a police officer to ask where the taxis queued post-match. We were told that they stopped running at 9pm—30 minutes after the match kicked off. We asked how people were getting back to Rustenburg’s city center and were told that they would take the buses that dropped them off at the match. That didn’t sound good for those of us that had ridden a bus from Jo’burg, but were staying in Rustenburg. Again, I will save time here by jumping to the part where the traffic police officer, after dealing with hundreds of irate fans heaping abuse on her for the buses being full, offered to take us to our guest house.
When we pulled up in front of the guest house, lights flashing so she could get around the massive traffic jam, the wife of the guest house owner rushed out yelling “what did you do?” I am sure she was thinking she would have to bail out the drunk, violent Yanks she had agreed to let stay with her. Even after the officer left and we explained what had happened, she and her husband were still incredulous at what had happened. It was quite amazing…
Meanwhile, at the guest house, they had overbooked the rooms. They politely explained that my friend and I would be joining 2 English fans at a place they called "the farm." We smiled and nodded while thinking that they were shipping us off to heaven knows where, leaving the other guests in the spacious guest house. We could not have been more wrong. The farm was beautiful! Tommy and his wife Nicolene were very hospitable and had dinner waiting when my friend, Nick, Johnny, and I arrived about 1:30am. Not taking no for an answer, they fed us, made sure we had plenty to drink, then sent us each off to his individual room. The farm ended up being the better option of the two.
In the morning, Tommy took the four of us out onto his land which is home to many different types of deer, zebras, and an odd leopard. We did not see any predators, but took many pictures of other wildlife. At one point, the 4-wheeler suddenly accelerated throwing us into a rock wall and tree. It turned out that Nick, who was sitting in the middle of the front seat, had his foot slip off of its perch and onto the accelerator. It was frightening, yet hilarious.
When we returned, Nicolene had an incredible breakfast waiting for us. We left well-fed. We gladly accepted and started off for Jo’burg.
Match 7
Serbia 0 - 1Ghana
Tshwane/Pretoria
Location watched: FIFA Fan Park – Pretoria
As we headed back to Jo’burg, we realized that we would not make it back in time for the mid-afternoon match. Approaching Pretoria, we decided to stop in to check out their fan park.
Inside was a festive atmosphere as we had come to expect during this trip. There were many Ghanan fans inside the park and when they scored to take the lead, dancing broke out all around us. One could not help but get caught up in the revelry.
After the match, Nick and Johnny dropped us off in Johannesburg at our guest house. We checked in and rushed upstairs in time for the evening match.
Match 8
Germany 3 – 0 Australia
Durban
Location watched: Morulana Guest House, Johannesburg, South Africa
Settled into our room, we watched the match and quickly went to sleep afterward. It had been a hectic schedule to this point and it was nice to just relax. We would be here for two nights, so we spread out the contents of our bags and made ourselves at home.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
We made it!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Match 3
Korea Republic 2 - 0 Greece
Johannesburg - JEP
Location watched: Periodic updates via iPhone en route to Rustenburg
Our odyssey continued after we arrived in Johannesburg. Surprisingly, the 10 hour flight from Madrid was pleasant. Neither of us expected to be fed on the flight, but Iberia Airlines provided both a dinner (served at 3:30am local time, of course) and a breakfast (about 6 hours later). We were seated in an exit aisle, so we had plenty of leg room. Additionally, we were in a section of the row that only had 2 seats—my buddy was against the window, and I had an aisle seat—so we were quite comfortable.
The flight had a very festive atmosphere. We saw national team shirts from Group C opponents Algeria, Slovenia, and England. Other shirts on board included Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Spain, and Chile. I am sure there were others, but those are what come instantly to mind. We were all in high spirits and looking forward to good times in South Africa.
Landing in Jo’burg was a lot like landing anywhere, really. We made it through Customs very quickly, which was both nice because we were pressed for time, yet terrifying because we breezed right through security. The process was very orderly and easy to follow.
The airport was awash in color and sound. We were greeted by a man wearing a “Porter” shirt and whisked to the upper level to get our match tickets. While I was in line at the ticket kiosk with all of our luggage, my friend went in search of an ATM to get our first Rand—the South African currency.
Now it was onto Rustenburg!
Match 4
Argentina 1 - 0 Nigeria
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Location watched: Periodic updates via iPhone en route to Rustenburg
We set off in search of transport to our match in Rustenburg. The match started at 8:30pm, and it was now roughly 1pm. We had to find our guest house to leave our bags, so there was an additional level of complexity. We secured passage via a bus that would travel from the airport in Johannesburg to the stadium in Rustenburg. My friend was certain that the guest house was fairly close to the stadium, so we felt we had plenty of time.
Then the trek started to come off the rails. Firstly, we waited in the transport area for an uncomfortably long time. When the bus started out towards Rustenburg, our driver became disoriented and took the wrong exit causing alarm throughout the cabin. There were both US and England supporters on board and the various epithets emanating from the aisles of the bus painted a rich tapestry of obscenity never before witnessed by this author!
He figured out the proper route and we were soon back on track. This proved to be short-lived, however. Arriving in Rustenburg, we pulled into a mall parking lot to wait for the other buses from this transport company to arrive so we could continue to the stadium. We waited. And we waited. Then we waited some more. We were quickly running out of time.
Eventually, the other buses arrived, and we set off for the stadium, disembarking a mere 2 hours before kickoff. My friend and I found a policeman and asked how to get to the address on our itinerary. He told us it was back in the main part of the city, about 10 kilometers away. We tracked down a cab, and told him we needed to take our bags to the guest house, then return to the match. For the sake of time, let me just say we arrived back at the stadium with 15 minutes to spare.
… Whew…
Match 5
USA 1 – 1 England
Rustenburg Stadium
Location watched: Rustenburg Stadium
After our harrowing journey, we were content to just find our seats immediately rather than soak up the atmosphere as we usually do. The seats were on the far side of the stadium, behind what turned out to be the goal the US defended in the first half. Within 5 minutes of finding our seats, the teams took the field for the anthems and kickoff.
The US started the match very shakily. It appeared they were suffering from nerves. They did not settle in until after England had scored in the 8th minute. While not controlling the match, the US did enjoy some periods of possession and had a couple scoring chances in the middle part of the first half.
We finally caught a break. A classic Clint Dempsey move freed him to shoot from about 22 yards. His shot was struck at Robert Green, the England keeper, but hit the slick turf in front of him. Green mis-handled the ball, then flailed at it as it squirted past him into the goal. We had equalized!
England were stunned, but not as much as their supporters around us. There was a stony silence followed by heaps of abuse. These did not let up until the whistle sounded, ending the half.
The second half produced more chances by both sides but no goals. For the US, it was a fantastic result.
Now it was back to the Guest House for a good nights sleep—our first in almost 3 days.
Match 3
Korea Republic 2 - 0 Greece
Johannesburg - JEP
Location watched: Periodic updates via iPhone en route to Rustenburg
Our odyssey continued after we arrived in Johannesburg. Surprisingly, the 10 hour flight from Madrid was pleasant. Neither of us expected to be fed on the flight, but Iberia Airlines provided both a dinner (served at 3:30am local time, of course) and a breakfast (about 6 hours later). We were seated in an exit aisle, so we had plenty of leg room. Additionally, we were in a section of the row that only had 2 seats—my buddy was against the window, and I had an aisle seat—so we were quite comfortable.
The flight had a very festive atmosphere. We saw national team shirts from Group C opponents Algeria, Slovenia, and England. Other shirts on board included Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Spain, and Chile. I am sure there were others, but those are what come instantly to mind. We were all in high spirits and looking forward to good times in South Africa.
Landing in Jo’burg was a lot like landing anywhere, really. We made it through Customs very quickly, which was both nice because we were pressed for time, yet terrifying because we breezed right through security. The process was very orderly and easy to follow.
The airport was awash in color and sound. We were greeted by a man wearing a “Porter” shirt and whisked to the upper level to get our match tickets. While I was in line at the ticket kiosk with all of our luggage, my friend went in search of an ATM to get our first Rand—the South African currency.
Now it was onto Rustenburg!
Match 4
Argentina 1 - 0 Nigeria
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Location watched: Periodic updates via iPhone en route to Rustenburg
We set off in search of transport to our match in Rustenburg. The match started at 8:30pm, and it was now roughly 1pm. We had to find our guest house to leave our bags, so there was an additional level of complexity. We secured passage via a bus that would travel from the airport in Johannesburg to the stadium in Rustenburg. My friend was certain that the guest house was fairly close to the stadium, so we felt we had plenty of time.
Then the trek started to come off the rails. Firstly, we waited in the transport area for an uncomfortably long time. When the bus started out towards Rustenburg, our driver became disoriented and took the wrong exit causing alarm throughout the cabin. There were both US and England supporters on board and the various epithets emanating from the aisles of the bus painted a rich tapestry of obscenity never before witnessed by this author!
He figured out the proper route and we were soon back on track. This proved to be short-lived, however. Arriving in Rustenburg, we pulled into a mall parking lot to wait for the other buses from this transport company to arrive so we could continue to the stadium. We waited. And we waited. Then we waited some more. We were quickly running out of time.
Eventually, the other buses arrived, and we set off for the stadium, disembarking a mere 2 hours before kickoff. My friend and I found a policeman and asked how to get to the address on our itinerary. He told us it was back in the main part of the city, about 10 kilometers away. We tracked down a cab, and told him we needed to take our bags to the guest house, then return to the match. For the sake of time, let me just say we arrived back at the stadium with 15 minutes to spare.
… Whew…
Match 5
USA 1 – 1 England
Rustenburg Stadium
Location watched: Rustenburg Stadium
After our harrowing journey, we were content to just find our seats immediately rather than soak up the atmosphere as we usually do. The seats were on the far side of the stadium, behind what turned out to be the goal the US defended in the first half. Within 5 minutes of finding our seats, the teams took the field for the anthems and kickoff.
The US started the match very shakily. It appeared they were suffering from nerves. They did not settle in until after England had scored in the 8th minute. While not controlling the match, the US did enjoy some periods of possession and had a couple scoring chances in the middle part of the first half.
We finally caught a break. A classic Clint Dempsey move freed him to shoot from about 22 yards. His shot was struck at Robert Green, the England keeper, but hit the slick turf in front of him. Green mis-handled the ball, then flailed at it as it squirted past him into the goal. We had equalized!
England were stunned, but not as much as their supporters around us. There was a stony silence followed by heaps of abuse. These did not let up until the whistle sounded, ending the half.
The second half produced more chances by both sides but no goals. For the US, it was a fantastic result.
Now it was back to the Guest House for a good nights sleep—our first in almost 3 days.
Friday, June 11, 2010
On our way
Friday, June 11, 2010
Match 1
South Africa 1 - 1 Mexico
Johannesburg - JSC
Location watched: Heathrow International
A television situated in the middle of a concourse in Heathrow was where we settled to watch the first half of the first match of the 2010 World Cup. After arriving in London, we had taken time to eat lunch, figure out where our departure gate was located, and then found this small sanctuary where football fans from all over the world gathered under similar travelling circumstances. There were many other places we would have preferred to watch the match, but this was going to do just fine!
Mexico immediately took the play directly to the host’s end. Chance after chance left the visitors wanting, however. Towards the end of the half, the Bafana Bafana settled in and produced a few chances of their own. The half-time whistle found the opponents knotted at nil.
There was no time to bask in the glow of the Cup’s first half-time, however. We had already pushed our luck by staying to watch the entire half. Our plane was departing from a gate approximately 10 minutes away, and they had already started boarding. Despite, or perhaps because of, the large number of people waiting to board, we easily took our seats before take-off.
This flight, at roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes would be our shortest leg of the trip. It would get us to Madrid in plenty of time to see the 2nd match of the Cup.
Match 2
Uruguay 0 - 0 France
Cape Town
Location watched: Periodic internet updates at Madrid International Airport
For some reason, the World Cup just isn’t important to Spanish travelers. We searched the area of our arrival, and every subsequent concourse on the way to our terminal, which was the final concourse in the entire airport looking for a TV that was showing the match. We saw a total of 2 TVs: one at a McDonalds, showing McDonalds commercials on a loop; and the other in a waiting area that alternated between news that took place yesterday, and LG commercials. There was a lot of excitement as the South African people celebrated the day prior to the start of the tournament, but no actual Cup action. It would take an internet hook-up at 17.5 Euros before we would verify the score of the earlier game and track the ending to this one.
This next portion of the trip will be very taxing. We have a 10 hour flight, followed by a mad scramble to get to the first match we will be attending. This particular flight leaves at 1:30am from Madrid. We are already running on fumes after leaving the Twin Cities at 7:40pm last night. Hopefully we can get a bit of rest on this next leg.
Match 1
South Africa 1 - 1 Mexico
Johannesburg - JSC
Location watched: Heathrow International
A television situated in the middle of a concourse in Heathrow was where we settled to watch the first half of the first match of the 2010 World Cup. After arriving in London, we had taken time to eat lunch, figure out where our departure gate was located, and then found this small sanctuary where football fans from all over the world gathered under similar travelling circumstances. There were many other places we would have preferred to watch the match, but this was going to do just fine!
Mexico immediately took the play directly to the host’s end. Chance after chance left the visitors wanting, however. Towards the end of the half, the Bafana Bafana settled in and produced a few chances of their own. The half-time whistle found the opponents knotted at nil.
There was no time to bask in the glow of the Cup’s first half-time, however. We had already pushed our luck by staying to watch the entire half. Our plane was departing from a gate approximately 10 minutes away, and they had already started boarding. Despite, or perhaps because of, the large number of people waiting to board, we easily took our seats before take-off.
This flight, at roughly 1 hour and 45 minutes would be our shortest leg of the trip. It would get us to Madrid in plenty of time to see the 2nd match of the Cup.
Match 2
Uruguay 0 - 0 France
Cape Town
Location watched: Periodic internet updates at Madrid International Airport
For some reason, the World Cup just isn’t important to Spanish travelers. We searched the area of our arrival, and every subsequent concourse on the way to our terminal, which was the final concourse in the entire airport looking for a TV that was showing the match. We saw a total of 2 TVs: one at a McDonalds, showing McDonalds commercials on a loop; and the other in a waiting area that alternated between news that took place yesterday, and LG commercials. There was a lot of excitement as the South African people celebrated the day prior to the start of the tournament, but no actual Cup action. It would take an internet hook-up at 17.5 Euros before we would verify the score of the earlier game and track the ending to this one.
This next portion of the trip will be very taxing. We have a 10 hour flight, followed by a mad scramble to get to the first match we will be attending. This particular flight leaves at 1:30am from Madrid. We are already running on fumes after leaving the Twin Cities at 7:40pm last night. Hopefully we can get a bit of rest on this next leg.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Almost off...
With the Cup kicking off tomorrow, we are still outside of the 31 day window, but I thought a quick update is in order:
While certainly a whirlwind trip, we have a little more time built in than when I first looked at it. Good thing I am fully rested today-- I have a feeling I am going to need both of those hours of sleep I got last night!
My buddy and I leave Minneapolis tonight at 7:20, flying into Reykjavic at 6:20am, local time. We then have an hour and 20 minutes to catch a connection to London. From Heathrow, we depart at 4:25pm for Madrid, arriving at 7:45pm, local time. That gives us 5 hours and 45 minutes to catch our connection to Johannesburg. Finally, we arrive in Jo'burg at 11:25am, leaving us 9 hours and 5 minutes to get to our seats for kick-off in Rustenburg.
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