"One Game Changes Everything." So goes the ESPN ad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off this Thursday, June 11, in South Africa.
If the saying is true, then my younger brother Logan and I are in for a lot of change over the course of the next two weeks. As I write, sitting in the Delta Terminal in Detroit, we hold in our possession boarding passes to Amsterdam and Johannesburg, and tickets to six of the World Cup matches to be held in South Africa this month.
The decision to cough up the the coin to make the trip came a few short hours after the World Cup Final Draw last December. Watching the ESPN coverage from South Africa, where David Beckham, Charlize Theron, and others gathered to randomly select which teams will play one another in the Group Stage of the competition this summer, Logan and I decided that the chance to experience the Cup in person would be a once in a life-time opportunity for the two of us. My interest in the people, politics, and culture of Sub-Saharan Africa - sparked by my trip to Ghana last summer - provided all the more reason to make this dream-trip a reality.
We applied for tickets and were successful in our bid for six different games. Shortly after we had plane tickets in hand. Now, six months later, we're sitting in Detroit reviewing World Cup Previews produced by USA Today, ESPN, Sports Illustrated and EuroSport. It is by far the most studying I've done since exams at West Point ended almost a month ago.
The Weeks Ahead
Logan and I plan to jam-pack our two weeks in Johannesburg by taking in the great soccer matches, learning about the history and the culture of the area, and hopefully going on a safari or two. This is the first World Cup to be held on the African continent, which is sure to add to the richness of the experience.
The Cup kicks off this Thursday, when the hosts South Africa take on Mexico. For those at home -- don't miss the US-England match this Saturday on ABC; Logan and I will be taking in that game with the locals. The first game that we'll attend is next Sunday, when we'll see Ghana take on Serbia in Pretoria. Throughout the experience we'll share notes and pictures through this site... thanks for reading.
