Sunday July 11 2010

Dateline

JULY 11, 2010
Netherlands vs Spain
Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Place watched: KC Live, Power & Light District, Kansas City MO

“You’re on the front line
Everyone’s watching
You know it’s serious
We’re getting closer
This isn’t over
…
Waka waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa”
- Shakira (from the song ‘Waka Waka (this Time For Africa)’ written for the 2010 World Cup)

Today began as most days do in Kansas City: brilliant sunshine, followed by a torrential rain, immediately followed by sunshine again. Despite the warm temperatures and 110% humidity, I made my way back to Kansas City Live at the Power & Light District – as seen on ABC / ESPN promos – where a fairly good-sized gathering was ramping up to view the final.

Being an impartial observer to this match was a unique situation for this fanista. Traditionally, I always choose one side or another to vociferously cheer on to victory. My allegiance may be based on geography, familiarity with the contestants, rooting for a significant under-dog, or just the fact that I prefer the color black over the color red and will get a tattoo stating this before going to Vegas to shout at the side of a roulette wheel. Sometimes, my allegiance is swayed for completely arbitrary reasons. Perhaps one team has a better-looking crest than the other side, or is sponsored by adidas versus another sportswear company. It could be anything, really. On this day, however, I had no loyalty (real or contrived) to either nation or team.

To many people, crazy hairstyles and bad facial hair characterize the World Cup, but to me, it is also about soccer. Sure, I have a wacky hairstyle and I decided to grow a really bad mustache during the 31 days in 2010, but the most enduring legacy actually takes place on the field. I think a lot of folks around the world forget that. The World Cup symbolizes epic struggles between nations, the indomitable spirit of the people of Spain, and the resilience of the Dutch… against the evil empire of England where the officiating crew originated.

Once again it seemed like sub-par officiating helped decide the final. Cheap yellow cards and a yellow where a red should be cast a pall on the match. I suppose it all evened out when John Heitinga was sent off for a second yellow when his first was really harsh; because perhaps Mark Van Bommel and certainly Nigel de Jong should have drawn straight red cards for violent challenges.

In the end, the result was fair. Spain won in extra time on a tremendous strike by Andres Iniesta. Both sides had good scoring chances, but Spain were clearly the better side. ¡Viva España!

http://www.jimmyconrad.com/blog/4105

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Match 63

Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
Uruguay 2 – 3 Germany
Place watched: The Brick, Kansas City, MO

The 3rd place match is usually anticlimactic, but I am glad the decision was made to have a clear 3rd place finisher. My research, just now, shows that this practice was started just a bit ago—1934. For some reason, I thought this match was added during my lifetime. This thought was either incorrect, or I am quite a bit older than I think I am!

Today’s match featured wide-open, attacking football that culminated in a highly entertaining match. As time wound down, Uruguay won a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. Up stepped Diego Forlan to take the kick. The stage was set for a leveling strike. He had come through for his side repeatedly in this tournament. Time after time he had evened the score, or provided the go-ahead goal that sent his team through to the semi-final match against Holland.

His shot sailed over the crossbar.

Even with the loss in the Bronze match, it had been a wonderful run for Uruguay. Only the most loyal Uruguay supporter would have predicted such overwhelming success in 2010, but they proved their critics wrong.

Last of the Quarters

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Match 59
Green Point Stadium - Cape Town
Argentina 0 – 4 Germany  
Place watched:  Reza’s Pitch, Bismarck, ND

So it appears that Reza’s is the only establishment in Bismarck that opens early for the World Cup matches.  You know what?  That is just fine with me.  Even 4 years ago, there would not have been any, so this is a good development.

From the opening kickoff, it appeared that this match will live up to the hype.  Each side had an early chance before Miroslav Klose was fouled just outside the area.  Bastian Schweinsteiger’s in-swinger was ever-so-slightly touched (or not, depending on which replay angle you are watching) by Thomas Mueller, hit Argentine keeper Sergio Romero in the shin, and deflected into the goal.

The action continued to be even throughout the first half.  Argentina had several good chances during a stretch in the middle part of the half.  The best chance resulted in a goal that was judged to be offside.  Upon replay, it was obvious all four attacking players were offside when the pass was struck.  It was rightfully waived off.

Halftime came and went, and the teams settled back into their rhythm in the second half.  While the two most offensive-minded teams produced a lot of chances, the resulting shots did not find their targets… until the 65th minute.

As Mueller lay on the ground after being tackled, he somehow picked out Lukas Podolski overlapping to his left.   Podolski played a square ball to Klose who calmly finished.

Argentina made an offensive change, leaving just 3 defenders in the back, and committed more men into the attack.  Unfortunately for them, that left additional exposure, and the German counter-attack produced another goal.

Down 3 goals, Argentine coach Diego Maradona stripped off his suit revealing an Argentina kit underneath, and substituted himself into the match.

Ha!  I kid, but I am sure he wished he could…

Germany added one more just to make things interesting.  It was a very decisive win against a previously impressive opponent.


Match 60
Ellis Park Stadium – Johannesburg
Paraguay 0 – 1 Spain  
Place watched:  Blarney Stone Pub, Bismarck, ND

This is the only match in the quarterfinals that had a definite favourite and underdog.  While, perhaps, none of the first 3 were predictable (indeed, the lower-ranked side won in every case), none could be classified as huge upsets.  On the other hand, if Paraguay were to win this match, it would be a HUGE upset.

Spain started this match a bit shaky with Paraguay dictating play early.  Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque has taken some heat for the side selection he has used in this tournament.  Today there should be no such criticism.  He started every star other than Cesc Fàbregas.  We will see how they respond.

The game was much closer than any of the pundits would have guessed.  In the second half, Paraguay finally won their first corner.  During the ensuing free-kick, Gerard Pique for Spain was ruled to pull down Oscar Cardozo in the penalty box.  The fouled player broke the unwritten rule and stepped up to take his own penalty kick.  Iker Casillas, the Spanish keeper, saved the strike and smothered the rebound.

Less than 60 seconds later, Spain was awarded a penalty when Antolin Alcaraz bundled over David Villa.  Xabi Alonso easily put away the spot kick, but was ordered to take it again after one (or more) of his teammates encroached hoping for a rebound.  The retake was saved and we were still scoreless.

Finally, in the 83rd minute, Villa put Spain in front for real.  His strike finished the Paraguayans who had battled valiantly, but came up short in the end.

The semi-final matchups were set:  Uruguay will play the Netherlands on Tuesday, July 6th and Germany will face off against Spain the following day.  Is it too soon to ask for more days off?

Let the Quarters begin!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Match 57
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth   
Netherlands 2 – 1 Brazil
Place watched:  Reza’s Pitch, Bismarck, ND

This was the first of the highly-anticipated Quarter-final matches.  Two classy, entertaining teams with very different styles in a winner-takes-all match-up… this, along with crazy hairstyles and strange facial hair, is what the Cup is all about!

I was checking out a bar / grill that promised to be open at game time for every Cup match.  It is owned and operated by a guy who plays in a pick-up match I attend when I come back home to Mandan, ND.  It is a cool place and the people are very nice—I was handed a donut and cup of coffee when I walked in the door.

The match started with Brazil controlling the play and pace of the match from the opening whistle.  They were unlucky to not find the net in the first few minutes.  Brazil did strike in the 9th on a solid finish after an amazing through-ball put in Robinho.  Holland was lucky to get through the half only a goal down.

The second half started with more of the same.  A couple forays into Dutch territory produced good chances but no goals.  In the 53rd minute, against the run of play, The Netherlands scored.  After beating 2 defenders, Arjen Robben laid back a ball for Wesley Sneijder who played a cross through the 6-yard goalie box.  Brazil keeper Julio Cesar collided with his defender, Felipe Melo, and the ball ended up in the back of the net.

From there it was all Holland.

When Sneijder scored off of a well-taken corner kick to make it 2 – 1, Brazil’s frustration boiled over.  Felipe Melo fouled Robben and, as Robben lay on the ground, stomped on him.  The straight red card was well-deserved and Brazil never looked likely to score again.


Match 58
Soccer City Stadium - Johannesburg
Uruguay 1 – 1 Ghana  (Uruguay advance on penalty kicks)
Place watched:  Ground Round, Bismarck, ND

If it could be argued that the match this morning was the most anticipated match of the Quarter-finals, then this could be the one that caused the least amount of anticipation.  While neither of the teams were expected to get this far in the tournament, both had earned their spots.  I wrote a few days ago that Paraguay and South Korea both looked like they were playing not to lose, in this contest, both were playing like they had nothing to lose.

Just before the stroke of halftime, in the 47th minute, Ghana struck.  A powerful drive from 30+ yards by Muntari beat Uruguayan keeper Muslera.  Replays verified that the shot came out of nowhere.  It was a half-chance at best, but Ghana has made half-chance goals a living in this Cup.  Outstanding strike!


The second half began with Ghana in “prevent defense” mode, allowing Uruguay the bulk of possession.  Traditionally, the only thing this type of defense prevents is a win.

Sure enough, a foul well outside the area gave Uruguay a free-kick in the 54th minute.  Up stepped Diego Forlan, the Uruguayan striker with outstanding pedigree.  His well struck free-kick wrong footed Ghanan keeper Kingson for Uruguay’s equalizer.

Regulation ended with the scored tied at 1s.

In extra time, both teams continued to attack.  This was a very exciting match!  In the 2nd added minute of stoppage time, Uruguay cleared a shot off of the line with a hand.  A straight red card was issued to Suarez, and Ghana was awarded a penalty kick.

This hurts my soul to type given the stakes.  Gyan stepped to the spot and confidently smashed the ball off of the crossbar.  I was gutted.  To the dismay of the wait staff who had gathered around the one TV in the place turned to the Cup, I gathered my stuff, paid my tab, and walked out.  On the way back to my parents’ place, I received no fewer than 25 texts updating me with the result and I didn’t even want to look.  Gutting, simply gutting…

The last African team had been eliminated.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.