Youth Day in South Africa

I worked all morning and watched good games on TV as I have to prioritize my game ticket money allocations. Today is Youth Day in South Africa, so kids were given tickets to see World Cup games. One of the great things about soccer is that things don’t always go according to expectations. On paper, a team may be better but once the players go on the pitch, anything can happen and a good example is Switzerland vs. Spain.

Spain dominated throughout the entire game and could not put the ball in the net even though they had a lot of good chances. The need to win and team skills provided one of the best games yet in terms of exciting and entertaining soccer. Things are looking tough for Spain with Chile having a good solid team, and Honduras able to defend themselves strongly for at least 70 minutes. Spain not moving to the next phase can be the biggest upset yet. And again in the Chile vs. Honduras game it was nice to see the underdog holding on and creating a few opportunities of its own.

Chile another favored team to move on had a tough time scoring. Chile was in control of the game with lots of ball possession and nice infiltrations into Honduras’ penalty area. They just could not find the net for 34 minutes and throughout the second half. At the end, Chile is happy to have its first victory in World Cup games since 1962! The theme for the World Cup so far is strong defensive lines and great attackers who have been off their mark a lot. Making offside decisions is the toughest task in officiating because of human eye viewing physical limitations. It takes a lot of concentration and at times, a little bit of luck. In the 62 minute, the assistant referee signaled for offside when the attacker was on but luckily it did not impact the outcome of the game as Chile won. After a nice “Philly” steak dinner, Adrian’s specialty, we’re ready for the Bafana Bafana to take on “La Garra Charrua” aka Uruguay.

Controversy first… in the 76 minute, the player that is fouled for the penalty kick was in an offside position when his teammate deflected the ball therefore it should have been just an assistant referee flag and an indirect free kick for South Africa instead of the goal and the goalkeeper send off. For the first 25 minutes, things were even with both teams having difficulty putting three consecutive passes together. Slowly Uruguay took control of the game creating good opportunities to score. In the end, Uruguay’s teamwork ability to maintain possession and set a slower rhythm took the Bafana Bafana’s best weapon away… their speed.

A big hug to my nephews Chris, Fabian and Michael who are watching all of the World Cup games… dreaming to one day be playing for our national team.

Long But Exciting Journey

Adrian dropped me off at the airport and I started the day with a quick veggie sandwich from Subway and a bottle of water. Dessert to go: pain du chocolate, apple pastry and chocolate donut… yummy yummy. I hope to find a ride to Polokwane for the Mexico vs. France game. Is a four plus hour drive so I’ll watch the other games later. 440 Rands for a round trip in a mini-bus with 18 small seats, not bad. Francisco, now named “Panchito,” is coordinating our shuttle ride to the mini-bus parking lot and I help by encouraging an earlier departure since we have enough passengers. Our driver Lefur gives us his cell number so we can call after the game if we get lost. We leave the city within 20 minutes and for the next 4 hours, nothing but open space with mountains on the West side and flat land as far as you can see to the East side. Hoping to see exotic animals I have my camera ready but all that we see is many vehicles pass us by with a lot of supporters for “El Tri,” blowing the vuvuzelas, waiving the flags and screaming “Viva Mexico.” It is going to be a good game. Our new German friend in the back requests a pit stop so Lefur pulls over and points towards the trees and bushes.

As the road signs keep showing less and less kilometers to Polokwane people start chanting in the mini-van, a little of Cielito Lindo, a German cheer, a cheer for the Bafana Bafana, and several cheers for Mexico… we have a party in the mini-van and Lefur is singing better than he drives. We get to Polokwane and the stadium looks impressive and very new. I called my friends as I have the ticket for their Dad and they said… “Sell it because my Dad got a ticket.” OK this is now twice the Dad has let me down and now I’m stuck with an extra ticket. There are many people selling tickets and nobody buying so I’m not about to get in trouble for scalping. I walk around the stadium to enjoy the atmosphere which has about 300 Mexicans per each French.

Tonight, Polokwane is the city with the second largest Mexican contingency next to Mexico City! The game starts and this time the result would be different than the “Pastry War” from 1838 where Mexico lost and had to pay reparations to the French nationals living in Mexico or the 5 times that France has defeated Mexico in the past World Cups. It was strange to see Thierry Henry on the bench where he could not help Les Bleus. Mexico kept pushing the ball forward creating good opportunities with close misses. With the Mexican substitutions came the goals and the final demise of the French team who had just one clear chance in the last 15 minutes. The referee had his hands full with Mexico wanting to chat with him throughout the game but he delivered consistent officiating.

After listening to Mexico celebrate big in a section of the Stadium, I went looking for Lefur’s mini-van which was nowhere to be found. The pick-up spot was full with the big, coach buses and mini-vans taking people to Polokwane. After 25 minutes or so I find Lefur, who already has five passengers in the van. Rodrigo and the two girls decided to stay in town and celebrate so we looked around and found the South African family and the young Frenchman so we started our return to Joburg. Lefur started playing local music very loud which at first it was cool but after 40 minutes or so… it was torturing as it is midnight and we’re tired and sleepy. For the rest of the trip, we listened to the same music which kept all of us awake as well as Lefur, which was good since he was driving.

When we get to Joburg ,Lefur drives by the airport towards the parking lot where we departed but is now 3:00 a.m. and there is no shuttle to the airport. So the mom in the South African family yelled, “Take us to airport!” which is good because I was not about to tell Lefur what to do. Lefur ignored mom, but she kept insisting and 20 minutes later, Lefur drove to the airport and dropped us off… THANK YOU Mom!! I was not ready to walk the two miles to the airport at 3:30 a.m., so I would have just walk the few blocks to the Cesar Emporium casino. Next, I started negotiating a taxi ride to the hotel which is only five minutes away. The price started at 120 Rands so I walked back into the airport. After a short walk I went back to the negotiation table and eventually secure a 50 Rands taxi ride. As I approach the hotel, I’m thinking great game and good long day but the night security guard was not by the gate so I had to wake Adrian up and he opened the gate… thank you Adrian.

Footballers and Life

Good morning. Vivis emailed me an “I love you Papa” with a picture… I’m so fortunate.

They have the fame, the money, the extra benefits and many more things but World Cup players are humans and like the rest of us, they’re dealing with everyday life. They enjoy special moments like th

eir National anthem before the game in the same manner I enjoy ours every afternoon at 4:30 when it is played at the school next

to our office… I miss it.

Here are a few interesting facts, “411,” about WC players. Our own

Jonathan Bornstein comes to mind as I’m watching Honduras struggling against Chile. He scored a goal in the last seconds against Costa Rica in the last qualifying game, allowing Honduras to qualify directly to the World Cup. Honduras’ president invited Jonathan to visit their country as he is considered a national hero and thousands of fans wear a Honduras national shirt with Bornstein’s name on it. Bornstein finds this a special and difficult to understand way of

recognition but smiles and enjoys the adulation.

In a more critical way, Islamic players have to deal with decisions which sometimes

compromise their strong religious beliefs. It is very common for pro clubs to recruit sponsors, including alcohol and gambling related businesses, who provide significant amounts of money which pay for club operations such as player salaries. Part of the deal is to wear the sponsor’s name on the players’ shirts and this creates a challenge for Islamic players. Association with alcohol and gambling is strongly forbidden and at the same time, players have to be team members and wear the shirt. One way that players deal with this issue is by donating money earned by playing to good religious and social causes.

Lionel Messi from Argentina, who started playing when he was 5, was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency at the age of 11 when he was playing youth soccer for Rosario’s Newell’s Old Boys. River Plate was interested in Messi but could not pay for the medical treatment, $900 per month, so his father Jorge moved his family to Europe where Barcelona offered the treatment. Messi and his family will forever be grateful to Barcelona and he tries to show it by the way he plays for them every day. So you see, World Cup players deal with life just like we do. If only my friends and I could play just like they do… well in our minds we do.

Brazil is... Brazil

Only 10 minutes into the Ivory Coast vs. Portugal game and already we have received beautiful futbol! Ronaldo takes a long shot which hits the post! What a game, back and forth with great passing and good scoring opportunities. Minute 21, number #20 should have been cautioned for his foul on Ronaldo… instead both players get cautioned for exchanging poetic words. I have to get ready to go watch Brazil so I’ll miss the rest of this game which will continue to be very intense and probably end in a tie.

OK we’re on our way with Adrian & Annebe (A&A) driving us. I don’t have a ticket, but I feel lucky. We finally found the media parking area, and we had to get out of the car so Kris can park it using his media credential… is good to know people. While Kris hassles with parking I just negotiated a good deal… Class 1 ticket at face value or maybe less – Yes!! There are thousands of Brazilians, dancing Samba, singing, taking pictures with everyone, and hardly any North Koreans.

After a quick security checkpoint, we find ourselves by the tunnel entrance. The policeman tells me I cannot go in to talk to the referees even when I say that I can put in a word for the Bafana Bafana. We walk around the stadium, soaking in the noise, smiles, funny disguises, colorful characters – lots of them, and taking a few pictures. A&A will be sitting behind the goal slightly to the left where Brazil attacks first and I got lucky with a seat six rows back right above the tunnel where the FIFA/Fair Play flags and players come out. This is so cool that I don’t even notice the cold, zero degrees (centigrade).

Brazil starts the show, passing the ball around like it was the easiest thing in the world to do… well it is for them! Robinho controls and dribbles through half the North Koreans and gently gives the ball to Kaka who is caught off guard by a defender. The rest of the first half Robinho runs more than he ever did before, especially with Manchester, helping Brazil totally overwhelm North Korea. But Brazil cannot score as the North Koreans back line has good timing on when to step in and block the many shots or take the ball away. Dunga is getting impatient as well as the thousands of Brazilians around me who are now chanting every known Brazilian voodoo song against him and when he goes into the tunnel, two beer (luckily plastic) bottles go flying in his direction. The second half starts with Brazil opening the game more and making quicker passes down the middle, left, right, well in every direction. This pays off in the 56 or so minute when Maicon puts the ball in the back of the net from an impossible angle… wow!!

Brazil continues to dominate with beautiful game and gets the second goal around the 70 minute. North Korea with great courage and skill from #9 Jong Tae Se get a goal in the last minutes… well worked and deserved. Brazil has nothing to worry about in making it to the next round but Portugal and Cote d’Ivoire do as North Korea is no easy win. We quickly got on our way and with Adrian’s good sense of direction we left all of the traffic behind us. We had a cup of tea to make the final game comments, settle down and get ready for bed. Good night from Joburg where Brazilians are celebrating all night long.

Shopping in a South Africa mall

This morning, I was about to do some work when Adrian and Annebe invited me to the mall. I quickly jumped on it as I believe in contributing to the local economy so we headed for my first shopping experience. We visited a place which has a giant supermarket, all the typical department stores and several small one-table businesses that sell everything from souvenirs to jewelry and other trinkets. I bought two vuvuzelas, one for Jambita and one for Margie’s silent auction, from a lady who told me that she had the best prices in the mall. After some fierce bargaining (mostly by her), I paid 10 Rand more than what a guy was asking for just a few steps away. You are expected to bargain… I love it.

We picked up veggies, juice and other items and got back to the hotel where I am workingand watching New Zealand vs. Slovakia. In the first half, Slovakia’s attackers sensed that it was easy to infiltrate the New Zealand’s defense so all of them wanted to score the winning goal. Finally, at the start of the second half, by passing the ball around, Slovakia scores via a beautiful header. With 20 minutes to go, New Zealand is working hard and not letting Slovakia get their second goal. In the 70 minute, #7 (Slovakia) who first pushes the opponent, tries to fool the referee into giving the opponent a caution. The referee working with the fourth official determines that the only action needed is a verbal warning for #7… good referee teamwork, well done. New Zealand generates few opportunities but with 30 seconds to go, it ties the score with another great header… the game is never over until the last whistle blows!!

Last word for now… check this link to see a video by the Lego toy company.

Holland is back!

After breakfast with our Dutch friends, Kristof and I departed to the stadium. The GPS provided correct directions which Kristof ignored because it was a woman’s voice. After a couple of turn-arounds we made it to the stadium with plenty of time after five security check points which only foreigners respect.

It is an amazing feeling to see the stadium empty, overwhelming you with its personality yet majestically ready for the big game! Over the next two hours people kept filling the seats with orange and red shirts (see pictures). The referees warmed up to a synchronized routine helping the ground crew get the final markings right… it’s FIFA but it has the same details as our AYSO games. While waiting for the game to start I checked with every

shop for the USA-England scarf for Margie Close’s AYSO silent auction but no luck. I have to get one. The game starts, and Holland provides several minutes of controlled, precise passing game. The referee applies two consecutive advantages which the players accepted (it’s going to be a good game). My seat is at the very top with just four rows behind me and the pigeons nest over my head… great view! I could get all offside decisions correct from here. There is a Mexican couple a few seats down who missed most of the game because they were just hugging and kissing. World Cups always prompt a lot of love.

Thirty five minutes into the game and Holland still controls the action with Denmark missing a couple of counter attack opportunities. The Mexican couple is buying beer for everyone except me… I had water and they tell me they are in their honeymoon. Wow, soccer does generate passion. It’s the second half and Holland scores via an own goal by Denmark’s Agger and remains in control of the game. Number 17, Elia, from Holland comes in for the last 23-25 minutes and provides superb game creativity and control for Holland and a beautiful show for all of us… should have been the player of the match. Holland wins 2-0. I have to wait for Kris so I walk

around and end up talking to my friend from CONCACAF in the FIFA lounge, watching the photographers wait for players in the underground tunnel and, watching the second half of the Japan-Cameroon game in the Media center. We get back to the hotel quickly as Kris follows the directions from the GPS’s “Hinga” and have dinner with our Dutch friends to celebrate their victory.

A Quiet Sunday

It’s Sunday, and I got up late as I needed the rest! I watched half of the Algeria/Slovenia game from my bed, half-asleep and the rest of today’s games in the pool room. The fitness of the Algerian team is amazing… they ran the entire game and they have the heart of a lion… we’ll have a tough challenge. Like most games so far, the battle was primarily in the midfield with Algeria’s Nadir providing the sparks of attacking futbol. Batres delivered good officiating, setting a good tone from the first foul (within 40 seconds). He gave two cautions in the last minute of the game which maintained game control to the very last second.

On what may be the first fan arrest… an Algerian fan climbed up one of the poles to wave his flag. Immediately, several policemen surrounded the area and waited for him to get down and be escorted into the “ice room” (the place where you end up if you misbehave). This has been a great World Cup as there have been little or no negative incidents… great for South Africa and futbol! If Australia would have put the ball in the net in the first opportunity… maybe Germany would have taken longer to take control of the game. Good officiating by Marco (Mexico). I’m still waiting to play my first “cascarita” (see attached picture). OK time to go rest and get ready for tomorrow’s game… Holland vs. Denmark. Oh wait, Adrian just got me a ticket and I’m catching a ride with my friend the journalist from Belgium who is getting married when he gets back. Adrian… please knock on my door at 8:00 a.m.