It has been 7 days since the world cup got underway here. The biggest issues so far have been the adidas soccer ball called Jabulani and the monotone trumpet horn called the vuvuzela. We have seen several low key first round matches, with one or two highlights, Germany thrashing Australia 4-0 stands out for me. Some people are blaming the new ball, but Germany have shown it is possible to score goals. Poor aussies! Someone please tell them this is not Germany and the year is not 2006.
I have been going to the Champs Sports Bar on Main Road, Rondebosch to watch the games. It turns out that I like big screens. Also I am inclined to watch the games on DSTV for better quality over SABC. The bar is a favourite among the UCT students and a number of Africans from the north. On any match day it is full to the brim, even rugby matches get impressive crowds. I think that has a lot to do with Cape Town being a generally rugby-mad city. But over the last 7 days soccer has invaded and blocked out anything non-world cup related.
Personally, I have enjoyed seeing so many South African flags being flown. And now that they have finished all the construction and upgrades, all the roads are great! The world cup stadiums are superb and of course the mood everywhere you go is electric!
I have been impressed when watching the US, England teams, Argentina has been awesome, so has Netherlands and Germany. Brazil has not impressed me yet. As I write this, South Africa is on the brink of elimination after starting with a 1-1 draw against Mexico and losing 3-0 to Uruguay. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from the SA team hence I’m not disappointed. On the contrary, I bet against them so I’m 100 bucks up! I'm going to hold back on mentioning any other African team, because they have a tendency of being unpredictable if not disappointing.
On a more critical note, there are some annoying things about the world cup. For one, seeing so many people doing the same thing (in the name of pride for country) is the ultimate evidence of how conformity can go mad (and politicians love this). Second, the vuvuzelas are a unique unique symbol of South African soccer, but truthfully they are annoying. Lastly, spending money on extra world cup activities is also annoying. Oh, and another thing I'm pee'd off about seeing so many empty seats.
But you know, at least we've done something for the children.
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