FOOTBALL IS COMING HOME » Cape Town

Agudelo spoils the party: SA 0, USA 1

Peter Alegi — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:13:26 +0000

Agudelo scores the winner (Photo by Sophie Alegi)

Juan Agudelo — six days shy of his 18th birthday — scored the only goal of the game in the 84th minute and spoiled a massive party in Cape Town. 51,000 of us were on hand at Green Point stadium for this glossy friendly on a warm and breezy late spring evening.

As we walked towards the ground, pubs were full of Bafana fans wearing the yellow national team shirt.

World Cup atmosphere at Green Point (Photo by Peter Alegi)

A few Americans chanted their support for the stars-and-stripes and confidently predicted a victory. The World Cup atmosphere was back (minus the FIFA branding).

Who said soccer ain't American? (Photo by Peter Alegi)

Inside the arena a welcoming vibe enveloped us. The sweet smell of football. The energy of a racially mixed and patriotic crowd. President Zuma meets the teams on the pitch. All for a good cause: the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Fans belt out South Africa’s multilingual national anthem in unison: a rare, precious moment of communitas, football’s unique contribution to a fractured society searching for a shared national identity.

Unfortunately, the football on the night was crap. Let’s call a spade a spade. A strangely lethargic Bafana Bafana side knocked the ball sideways and backwards, while the second-string Americans kept their shape and every once in a while hoofed the ball forward hoping for a break. Still, the two best chances fell to the hosts who, characteristically, squandered them. 0-0 at the half. Perhaps the one silver lining for SA was Leeds striker Davide Somma’s positive debut.

Play resumed at the same monotone pace, passes going astray, nobody really able to turn defenders or take a decent shot at goal, and a series of edgy tackles that did little to improve the flow of the game. A steady stream of substitutions made matters worse. The Mexican wave takes off, a universal symbol of bored fans.

Photo by Peter Alegi

The concocted drama of penalties beckoned until the Colombian-born Agudelo, left wide open in the box, capitalized on an inviting assist by Mikkel Diskerud, a former Norwegian under-19 international whose mother is American. Bafana pressed for the equalizer, but it was too little too late.

As the home crowd filed out quietly, a group of vociferous American college students wrapped in red-white-and-blue began their celebrations. I couldn’t help but think back to the last time South Africa played in Cape Town: a 3-1 loss to Zambia in September 2007. Is the Mother City cursed?

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The Americans Are Coming!

Peter Alegi — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:48:10 +0000

The year of Africa’s first World Cup is coming to an end. Tomorrow I am headed to Cape Town with my family for the South Africa – United States match at Green Point stadium. It’s a friendly branded as the Nelson Mandela Challenge — all proceeds go to the Mandela Children’s Fund.

A couple of days ago Rodney Reiners of the Cape Argus contacted me and Anders Kelto, an American reporter and former Under-17 US national team captain, for some insights on American soccer to share with South African readers in the build-up to the match. Here’s the interview in full:

Rodney Reiners: What should South Africans know about the establishment and rise of the MLS?

PA: Major League Soccer is a legacy of the 1994 World Cup. It kicked off in 1996 and marked the resurrection of professional soccer in the USA after the demise of the North American Soccer League in 1985. (There were some other attempts at pro soccer in between the NASL and MLS but nothing terribly noteworthy.) I was at the first final at Foxboro Stadium in ‘96 with 30,000 mad people in a torrential rain of biblical proportions. It ended 3-2 on a golden goal for DC United: incredible stuff. This league, it seemed to me, was going places. The NASL’s collapse a decade earlier influenced the MLS’s decision to have centralized ownership of player contracts (that is, the league owns contracts not the clubs); to not over-expand the number of teams (we now have 16); make the league more “American” and not overly dependent on over-the-hill foreign stars.

AK: And to prevent the kind of imbalances that doomed the NASL. The New York Cosmos bought the world’s most famous players and drew huge crowds, but just about every other team struggled on the field, and financially.

PA: That’s a very good point Anders. I should add that the commitment of several large corporate sponsors and multi-year TV contracts helped keep MLS afloat in the difficult early years and also legitimized it. Today, MLS competes with ice hockey as the best professional league in the country after The Big Three (NFL, MLB, NBA). That’s a significant achievement and it’s sustainable in the long term.

RR: How do you rate the current standard of football in the MLS?

PA: I would rate the standard of MLS game at about the fourth tier of English football (League 2). With some exceptions, many of the clubs emphasize old school British styles of play, emphasizing direct play, high tempo, hard tackling at the expense of more tactically sophisticated, possession oriented game. Tactically, the American game leaves a lot to be desired.

AK: Peter is being harsh! Stylistically, the MLS leaves a lot to be desired. It’s not particularly appealing soccer to watch, and certainly when compared to the world’s top leagues. But American club teams have actually fared quite well in international competitions. I would say they are comparable in ability — not style — to the top South American leagues, and to the second-tier European leagues.

RR: What are your thoughts on US soccer in general?

PA: Soccer is the most played sport in America at the youth level: more than baseball, basketball, and gridiron football. It is popular among boys and girls, men and women, and exists in two distinct forms: suburban and mostly white on the one hand; urban and immigrant Latin, African, and Middle Eastern on the other. The country will become a big-time contender in 15-20 years if the Americans devise a way to combine these two “traditions.”

AK: The U.S. has immense financial resources and a lot of capable people trying to figure out how to develop better players. A case in point is the new Academy system that U.S. Soccer launched a few years ago [formerly known as Project 40]. But the fundamental problem in the US is that there just isn’t enough money in the game, because there isn’t enough public interest. That said, this past World Cup set all sorts of soccer records for viewership, and supposedly ESPN invested more resources in the 2010 World Cup than in any other sporting event in history.

RR: What do you think of the US national team and its coach Bob Bradley?

PA: The US national team is now steadily in the world’s top 25. This success comes primarily from having participated in every World Cup tournament since 1990 and from the emergence of quality players who play professionally in the English Premier League and elsewhere in Europe, as well as in the MLS. But Bob Bradley should consider himself lucky to have had his contract recently renewed for four more years. The 2010 World Cup exposed his lack of tactical acumen and poor team selection.

AK: I disagree with Peter on this point. I think Bradley’s team selections were generally good, and that he recognized when he made mistakes and quickly corrected them (like starting Robbie Findlay in the first game [against England], and Ricardo Clark in the last game [against Ghana]). Could he have done better? Yes. But most of his selections and substitutions at the World Cup were good, and the team’s performance under his four years has been strong.

PA: Soccer is subjective so it’s good to have different perspectives on things. But after the US World Cup loss to Ghana in the round of 16 there were many Americans hoping that the United States Soccer Federation would sack Bradley and make Jurgen Klinsmann the coach of the national team. What a missed opportunity!

AK: In fact, the word on the street is that US Soccer took a very long time to renew Bradley’s contract (he was left in limbo for many weeks after the World Cup) because they were trying like crazy to woo Klinnsman.

RR: Who are the key US players?

PA: Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, and Tim Howard. Sadly, none of them will play against South Africa in Cape Town. “This game is a good opportunity to look at some different players and assess their place in the pool as we continue to build for the next cycle,” Bradley said.

AK: I agree those are the big three players. Jermaine Jones has apparently done quite well since “converting” to an American, too.

RR: Who will win the Nelson Mandela Challenge and why?

PA: South African pride and dynamism against American physicality and organization will produce a 1-1 draw. If they go to penalties, then it’s a lottery.

AK: In keeping with their World Cup tradition, the U.S. will give up an early goal and come back to win 2-1, through sheer energy, determination, and fitness. One thing about U.S. international games–they are almost always full of defensive mistakes (by both teams), and often make for exciting, if not elegant, contests.

Here are the squads:

South Africa

Goalkeepers: Itumeleng Khune (Kaizer Chiefs), Moeneeb Josephs (Orlando Pirates)
Defenders: Morgan Gould (SuperSport United), Siboniso Gaxa (Lierse), Tsepo Masilela (Maccabi Haifa), Siyabonga Sangweni (Golden Arrows), Anele Ngconca (Racing Genk), Bevan Fransman (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Siyanda Xulu (Mamelodi Sundowns), Keegan Ritchie (Moroka Swallows)
Midfielders: Teko Modise, Andile Jali (both Pirates), Siphiwe Tshabalala, Reneilwe Letsholonyane (both Chiefs), Steven Pienaar (Everton), Thanduyise Khuboni (Arrows), Daylon Claasen (Lierse), Matthew Pattison (Sundowns), Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham)
Strikers: Sthembiso Ngcobo (Chiefs), Kermit Erasmus (SuperSport United), Davide Somma (Leeds United), Bernard Parker (FC Twente)

USA

Goalkeepers: Dominic Cervi (Celtic), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)
Defenders: Gale Agbossoumonde (Estoril Praia), Nat Borchers (Real Salt Lake), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Clarence Goodson (Brondby), Eric Lichaj (Aston Villa), Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)
Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Mikkel Diskerud (Stabaek), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Logan Pause (Chicago Fire), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew)
Forwards: Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), Teal Bunbury (Kansas City Wizards), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

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The Morning After

David Patrick Lane — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:32:21 +0000

The Morning After in Cape Town. Bafana gave folks something to scream about. Here’s Fortune to tell us what he thinks.

Fortune is surviving as a Cape Town Car Guard. A thankless gig. If you are renting a car to follow your team, don’t forget to give a good tip to your Car Guard. I ran into Fortune many hours later in the dead of night. He was waiting for a couple of drivers. Fortune had much to say about how different folks treat him. One can also learn much from your Car Guard. Fortune is a representative figure, one who deserves to more fortune.

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Some Pre Match Cape Town Passion

David Patrick Lane — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 09:26:16 +0000

Here’s a little pre match Cape Town passion. Check out the Sister hedging her bets rocking it down the street in her España shirt. Share the love!

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Storms and that “Carbunkle” in the Room

David Patrick Lane — Fri, 28 May 2010 15:41:30 +0000

There was a storm in Cape Town last night. I now know why they call the local Rugby team, the Stormers. The lashing rain and wind forced me to have a quiet night in with the telly. I had not switched on that “carbunkle” in the room since arriving in Cape Town, but I enjoyed its companionship last night. (*As Cape Town’s Greenpoint stadium arose, residents opposed to the project commonly referred to it as that “Carbunkle”.)

Bafana Bafana versus Colombia were top of the bill, but I also managed to consume a lot of commercials (more on those later), catch up with the highlights of the previous night’s friendlies, and also got a taste of network television from the former front line states of Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. I woke up this morning to Zimbabwe ‘showing the Willow’ to India. Two Indians were ran out in quick succession. FIFA could learn a lot from the Zimbabwean technology. The run-outs were quickly adjudicated by the help of a camera. The final decision of the umpire relayed to the crowd through a cable connected to an old set of traffic lights. Cheers of delight went up with every red light.

It’s another beautfiul morning in Cape Town, but last night was a portend of what the rainy season can bring to the game. I got a feeling Cape Town is going to host a classic or two in the knock out stages. There has been a lot of talk of teams preparing for altitude. But progress through Cape Town may require a team that can cope with a storm. (Only three teams have chosen to be based at sea level on the Western Cape: Denmark, France and Japan.)

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Mature Students of the Game

David Patrick Lane — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:55:34 +0000

I spent the morning with some serious senior folk in Cape Town. Baxter Auditorium at the University of Cape Town was packed to the rafters for a lecture on FIFA and the legacy of the World Cup, delivered by Lauren Platzky. I had ventured on campus expecting to find a small woolly collective of football connoisseurs. What I found instead were hundreds upon hundreds of Cape Town’s seniors getting their football ON!!!

Lauren Platzky was eloquent and most informative. Platzky, an Urban Planner by training, holds a quasi official role in the coordination of the tournament between FIFA and the various branches of government in Cape Town and on the Western Cape.

I grabbed a moment with Lauren Platzky after the lecture. I could have “interviewed” her. She covered a lot of material. and there would have been much to discuss. This World Cup and its legacy remain a work in progress, but there’s a time and place for everything. This was the time to be real and offer respect for the efforts of people like Platzky who have worked to make this tournament a reality. I preferred to say “Thank You.” Eikosi, Lauren!

Then I found the local seniors were interested in the fact that I was interested in them. There followed some engaging and lively discussion with folks in the foyer. Watch out for Rosemarie, and Avril and Morris coming to a YouTube near you soon!

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Organising Committee Comes Correct

David Patrick Lane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:13:52 +0000

Move over, Heidi. Johnny Clegg coming.

The FIFA Organising Committee came correct today. The decision to base the procedure for the Final Draw of the 2010 World Cup on the October 2009 World Ranking is a good one. The ranking system was raw at first, but now it is more refined and provides a rather useful way to measure the relative successes and failures of the world’s footballing nations.

South Africa will be joined by Brazil, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Argentina and England as the seeded teams in Pot 1.

The other 24 teams will be divided into the 3 pots, each with 8 teams.

Pot 2 will consist of teams from Asia (Australia, Japan, Korea DPR, Korea Republic), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Honduras, Mexico, USA) and Oceania (New Zealand)

Pot 3 will include teams from Africa (Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria) and South America (Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay)

Pot 4 will contain the remaining European teams (Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland)

South Africa will be automatically positioned in Group A; the other seeded teams will be drawn into the other groups B-H.

Geographical criteria will also accounted for, ensuring no two teams from the same confederation will be drawn in the same group (except European teams, where a maximum of two will be in a group).

Bring it on. We’ll be exploring all the possible permutations in our next post.

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Who will benefit from 2010?

Sean Jacobs — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:17:27 +0000

Just as the football at the 2010 World Cup will be great, someone will make lots of money. It is not going to be local businesses for sure. This excellent 13 minute short documentary (“Trademark 2010″) for Dutch TV channel, VPRO, covers the fantasy that local people–small businesspeople, informal traders–will make money or get jobs during the tournament.

Mainly filmed in Cape Town, the tightly structured short film consists of interviews with, among others, a young informal tour operator (who wants to corner the visiting Spanish-speaking market), a construction worker at the stadium (who contemplates the fact that he won’t have work after the stadium is completed), a former sports administrator (who laments FIFA’s greed), the leader of informal traders in downtown Cape Town (who will be prevented from trading during the World Cup), sociologist Ari Sitas and Eddie Cottle of the group Campaign for Decent Work 2010. And there’s the city official who sells jargon.

Only question: Why does the film end by legitimizing former councilor, Arthur Weinburg, who represents the Cape Town Environmental Protection Association–a front for rich whites in the neighborhood where the stadium is located and have no other reasons to oppose it other than it is being built in their neighborhood and not somewhere else?

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