Logan and I are half way through our World Cup dream-trip. So far we've seen four games. Blogging has been difficult here... the World Cup coverage is 24/7, so Logan and I are taking full advantage. Here's a quick recap of our action here so far.
Sunday June 13 - Ghana v Serbia.
Our first live World Cup game, we ordered tickets to this match because of my support of the "Black Stars" after my time spent in Ghana last summer. The Ghanaian crowd was incredible. Ghana flags flew proudly throughout the stadium, drums played alongside the vuvuzelas, and the match provided some tremendous action. In the final minutes Ghana broke the deadlock by scoring a penalty kick. They went onto win, making them the first African team to win a game in the first World Cup on African soil. Appropriate post-game celebrations followed, as fans from Ghana and South Africa stayed long after the final whistle to celebrate and cheer on the players, who acted as if they had just won the World Cup. We enjoyed the game at the Luftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, a phenomenal venue. It was a great World Cup debut.
Our first live World Cup game, we ordered tickets to this match because of my support of the "Black Stars" after my time spent in Ghana last summer. The Ghanaian crowd was incredible. Ghana flags flew proudly throughout the stadium, drums played alongside the vuvuzelas, and the match provided some tremendous action. In the final minutes Ghana broke the deadlock by scoring a penalty kick. They went onto win, making them the first African team to win a game in the first World Cup on African soil. Appropriate post-game celebrations followed, as fans from Ghana and South Africa stayed long after the final whistle to celebrate and cheer on the players, who acted as if they had just won the World Cup. We enjoyed the game at the Luftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, a phenomenal venue. It was a great World Cup debut.
Monday June 14 - Netherlands v Denmark.
Our second game was Holland v Denmark on Monday. This was a hugely anticipated game in the group-stage, which made it exciting to watch. The highlight for us may have been just taking in the sights, sounds, and sheer size of 'Soccer City' in Johannesburg. 83,000 fans were present for the match, mostly South Africans and Dutch supporters. We cheered on the Dutch in our orange as well. Holland had the clear advantage going in - in support, in skill, and even in the chairs in Soccer City (which are painted orange). They went on to win the game 2-0, and Logan and I enjoyed it from great seats in the lower-level. This was the first of four games we have at Soccer City while here.
Our second game was Holland v Denmark on Monday. This was a hugely anticipated game in the group-stage, which made it exciting to watch. The highlight for us may have been just taking in the sights, sounds, and sheer size of 'Soccer City' in Johannesburg. 83,000 fans were present for the match, mostly South Africans and Dutch supporters. We cheered on the Dutch in our orange as well. Holland had the clear advantage going in - in support, in skill, and even in the chairs in Soccer City (which are painted orange). They went on to win the game 2-0, and Logan and I enjoyed it from great seats in the lower-level. This was the first of four games we have at Soccer City while here.
Thursday June 17 - Argentina v South Korea.
Lionel Messi is one of the most entertaining players in the world to watch, which is why Logan and I ordered tickets to the Argentina v Korea fixture Thursday. Our seats were in the highest section, which gave us more of a tactical perspective on the match than the more typical up-close-and-personal action shots you get when you watch a game live. The game was of huge importance to both teams, as they entered tied at the top of the table in Group B. Messi was spectacular, and was involved in each of Argentina's four goals. The Argentine's won 4-1 in a match that was hugely entertaining to watch. 82,000 fans were on hand, with most supporting Messi's Argentina.
Lionel Messi is one of the most entertaining players in the world to watch, which is why Logan and I ordered tickets to the Argentina v Korea fixture Thursday. Our seats were in the highest section, which gave us more of a tactical perspective on the match than the more typical up-close-and-personal action shots you get when you watch a game live. The game was of huge importance to both teams, as they entered tied at the top of the table in Group B. Messi was spectacular, and was involved in each of Argentina's four goals. The Argentine's won 4-1 in a match that was hugely entertaining to watch. 82,000 fans were on hand, with most supporting Messi's Argentina.
Friday June 18 - USA v Slovenia.
USA-Slovenia was our most anticipated match coming into the tournament, as we were psyched to get the chance to cheer on the Yanks in person. We woke up nervous Friday morning, both knowing that the US could not afford to lose to Slovenia, or their tournament would effectively be over. Our South African hosts came with us to the match as well, which made it that much more exciting for all of us. We had incredible seats - eight rows up from the action. The only down side was the way the first half unfolded. Slovenia scored twice. All of a sudden, our high hopes for the US side seemed pretty bleak. But my favorite US player, Landon Donovan, provided the spark three minutes after halftime with a great goal to turn things around. All of a sudden the crowd was alive and optimistic, though still on edge. Michael Bradley's late goal brought euphoria to the mostly pro-American crowd, and Maurice Edu's late goal would likely have caused celebratory riots had it not been called back. Still, a 2-2 draw was satisfying. The US lives to play another day (Wednesday, vs Algeria). The good news? Logan and I bought tickets to the Algeria game in Pretoria. We can't wait.
And that's how it stands after our first four matches. We used our better judgment and decided to purchase extra tickets to US-Algeria and Spain-Honduras this week, meaning we're just half way through our games. Lots more pictures, stories, and memories to come.
USA-Slovenia was our most anticipated match coming into the tournament, as we were psyched to get the chance to cheer on the Yanks in person. We woke up nervous Friday morning, both knowing that the US could not afford to lose to Slovenia, or their tournament would effectively be over. Our South African hosts came with us to the match as well, which made it that much more exciting for all of us. We had incredible seats - eight rows up from the action. The only down side was the way the first half unfolded. Slovenia scored twice. All of a sudden, our high hopes for the US side seemed pretty bleak. But my favorite US player, Landon Donovan, provided the spark three minutes after halftime with a great goal to turn things around. All of a sudden the crowd was alive and optimistic, though still on edge. Michael Bradley's late goal brought euphoria to the mostly pro-American crowd, and Maurice Edu's late goal would likely have caused celebratory riots had it not been called back. Still, a 2-2 draw was satisfying. The US lives to play another day (Wednesday, vs Algeria). The good news? Logan and I bought tickets to the Algeria game in Pretoria. We can't wait.
And that's how it stands after our first four matches. We used our better judgment and decided to purchase extra tickets to US-Algeria and Spain-Honduras this week, meaning we're just half way through our games. Lots more pictures, stories, and memories to come.
