zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . Robben! zzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . . Sneijder! zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .
That’s my match report from Durban’s Mabhida Stadium where the Dutch easily dispatched the Slovaks 2-1. The best of the rest of our experience is captured in the short video above.
Category: Video
It’s taken three painful days to write something, anything resembling rational thought about Gli Azzurri. Last year I blogged about Italy’s impending demise under Lippi 2.0 — and eventually (inevitably?) Slovakia delivered the fatal blow at Ellis Park. Too many old, unmotivated players mixed with inexperienced, deer-in-the-headlights youngsters who folded at the first sign of pressure.
Since Thursday, my rage and disgust at Italy’s worst World Cup team of all time have subsided. The one sweet memory extracted from the Ellis Park debacle is captured in this video with Gigi Buffon graciously signing autographs for our kids before the Slovakia game. Grazie Gigi!
Categories
Que Golazo
The second round of the World Cup starts today, so it is a good time to relive the best moments. Here’s the five best goals for me (in no particular order:
1. First up is the strike by Simphiwe Tshabalala in South Africa’s opening match against Mexico, a game South Africa should have won. Given the state of African teams in the competition–only Ghana made it into the second round–its a good thing the tournament’s first goal was scored by a continental player.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA0IzdTADdI&w=500&h=307
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.
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!
Cape Town Spurs from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
From L to R: Stan Mini, Hassien Ryclief, Arthur Botha, Yusuf Davids and Frank Adams
I was privileged to be in the company of some of the greats of Cape Town football last Saturday night. The five footballers (pictured above) were guests at the Opening Night of “Soccer Cinema” in Cape Town. “Maradona” by Emir Kusturica topped the bill.
A Serbian Jazz Quartet made intimate interviews almost impossible, though I did get Stan Mini to share the moment Apartheid ended football for him (see below). I won’t be upoading the interview I conducted with the legendary Arthur Botha. You can’t hear the man. I had asked Arthur if had ever played with anyone as flamboyant and masterful as Maradona. Arthur shook his head. “No, no. No one like that in our day”, he said. Then one of the other players interjected, asking Arthur about Basil D’Oliveira. The crimes and passions of football from back in the day suddenly splashed all over Arthur’s face. “Ah, yes, Dolly“, said Arthur. Dolly was Diego material, though he choose to take Cricket to that higher level, and did so in the teeth of apartheid and against apologists of the time. “I played with him, you know, and against him, too”, said Arthur. He went on, “Dolly and I grew up together. We’re great friends.”
Hassien Ryclief shared with me his chopping methods for dealing with Albert Johansson. Yusuf Davids said he “proud” of today’s Bafana Bafana, but will miss Benni McCarthy. Stan Mini agreed, but the twinkle in his eye suggested he was looking forward to seeing younger players get their chance. The stalwart of the Cape Town Spurs back line, Frank Adams, believes Alberto Parreira has Bafana Bafana primed and ready.
Later I watched the men watch the younger generation dance to more of that Serbian Jazz. It was the wee small hours, deep into injury time of Cape Town’s Indian Summer. No substitutes were needed.
It’s a scene every schoolboy remembers. A game of football is about to begin. Who plays against who? Who picks the sides? We all wanted to be on the side as our mates. We waved to impress the nominated Captains, though we were never quite sure how they became Captains. And why did some fool suggest the teams be divided by shirt colour on the very day you choose to wear a black shirt and the Maradona of your neighbourhood is decked out in white!
Stan Mini, a former Cape Town Spurs player, shares the moment when Apartheid and the social engineering of team selection forced him to walk away from the game. (We also hear how his team mate, the legendary Frank Adams, a defender by trade, was placed into an attacking role when the Cape Town Spurs took the bus to away games. Frank was a white man and always sure to get good service.)