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Soccer City a white elephant? 90,000 say otherwise
Since July’s World Cup final, which attracted an official attendance of 84 490, the crowds at Johannesburg’s Soccer City have been getting bigger and bigger.
On Saturday the attendance record was beaten again when South Africa hosted its League Cup final at the venue.
Conveniently the match was between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, the two best supported teams in the country whose intense rivalry has been enhanced by several additional, and unexpected, cup meetings in the recent months.
Over 90,000 braved traffic problems to turn up and see the Chiefs triumph 3-0, trumping the 88,791 that watched the August rugby test when New Zealand’s All Blacks beat the Springbok in a Tri-Nations match at the gigantic stadium.
The fact rugby previously held the attendance record at Soccer City has motivated football officials to try to ensure they reclaim it as their own given the venue was extensively renovated for the World Cup and is long acknowledged as the cathedral of football in the country.
Tickets on Saturday cost R60 and R40, a snip in comparison to what was paid for the same seats at the World Cup in mid-year. (R10 = approx 1 Euro)
But South African fans have been moaning since the World Cup when the domestic league hiked up admission prices 100 percent from R20 to R40 per Premier League match.
Bit late for De Jong rebuke, Mr Marwijk
If Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk had slapped down Nigel de Jong after the World Cup final, Hatem Ben Arfa might now not be facing six months out with a broken leg.
Instead, only after a second “robust” challenge has De Jong been punished by being dropped for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers with Moldova and Sweden.
His kick to the chest of Spain’s Xabi Alonso in the World Cup final was bad enough but the Manchester City midfielder’s fierce tackle on Newcastle United’s Frenchman on Sunday caused real damage. Ben Arfa had to have oxygen on the field.
What happened to the beautiful game? Moreover, what’s happened to Van Marwijk to suddenly make this decision? Sunday’s challenge was not as bad as the World Cup final kick.
“I saw no other possibility,” the coach said in a statement. “In the near future I will discuss this matter with Nigel.”
Why didn’t he discuss De Jong’s recklessness with the midfielder back in July? He did not seem so bothered by his player’s karate kick on Alonso at Soccer City.
“Both sides committed fouls and it may be regrettable for a final and it is not our style but you do play a match to win,” he said in South Africa. “I would have loved to win the match even with not so beautiful football.”
there could well have been others before valentinv. Football needs ballwinners but with rules
World Cup final live — Spain 1 Dutch 0 – how it happened
We’ve followed every World Cup match live here and it’s now time for the final — the Netherlands v Spain. Join us here for commentary, discussion of the game and the best photos in the world.
English Premier League starts this weekend.All the Games will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 08:16
England were dreadful but don’t be surprised
People can and will talk about Frank Lampard’s wrongly-disallowed goal all day long but to concentrate on that would miss the much bigger problems that contributed to one of England’s worst-ever World Cup performances.
Claims that their players play too many games, suffer from not having a winter break and that the national team is hurt by the number of foreign players in key positions at the Premier League’s major clubs are all valid.
But the underlying issue is that England’s players, for all their superstar status at home, have rarely been good enough to challenge for a semi-final slot, let alone actually think about winning the World Cup. In this tournament they were undone by their inability to reproduce their club form as individuals or see the big picture as a team.
Coach Fabio Capello deserves his share of the blame, having promised to pick players on form but then going back on his word with spectacularly appalling results.
When Rio Ferdinand was ruled out with injury Capello called up Michael Dawson, the form centre half of the season. Yet after Ledley King, as everyone knew he would, went down injured, Capello opted for Matthew Upson at centre back.
Upson, who had a largely wretched season at West Ham United, delivered a leaden-footed display.
All the World Cup 2010 Games in South Africa will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 22:07
If England’s footballers were matchplay golfers
It’s a strokeplay knockout golf tournament — let’s call it the World Cup of golf — and an English player is on the tee box of the 18th hole needing a birdie four to advance.
After struggling earlier in his round he has fought back to be level with his opponent but the best finisher will play Paul Lawrie and then Tony Jacklin in the next two rounds while the loser will take on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
(Stick with it, he gets back to soccer in the end – ed.)
Both players hit good drives but the opponent then creams his second 250 yards, carrying a pond, on to the green, an unheard of shot on such a hole. The English golfer takes a five iron and lays-up short of the water. He duly chips on close to the hole and sinks his putt for a birdie four.
He is delirious, he runs round the green high-fiving the cheering fans. An English TV journalist, bubbling over with excitement, interviews his Italian caddy. “You must be delighted, you’re through.
“Yes, yes, very good, I got my old golfer back,” he beams. “He swung with real freedom in that pitching wedge approach.”
Eventually the crowd settles down and the opponent, against all odds, sinks his 60 foot putt for an extraordinary eagle.
Agree. Mind you the much requested Joe Cole came on and did nothing apart from kick a couple of people up in the air and fanny around the corner flag. The only cross Milner managed to get past the defender was the one that led to the goal. I still reckon we’ll do the Germans.
World Cup podcast – day 3
Welcome to our Reuters podcast on day three of the World Cup. Today’s brief encounter contains expert comment from Brian Homewood, Paul Radford, Theo Ruizenaar and Mark Gleeson plus a bit of fun at the expense of FIFA at the end.
All the World Cup 2010 Games in South Africa will be streamed live at http://www.WorldCupTV.org 21:50
Joburg goes crazy for Bafana Bafana
What started as a hunt for Mexican fans became a front row seat to one of the greatest street parties ever seen in South Africa as World Cup fever cranked up several notches on a sun-kissed afternoon in Johannesburg yesterday.
As I strolled the street looking for sombreros all I could find was a sea of green and gold as tens of thousands proud South Africans roared on their team, passing by in an open top bus.
“Good luck Bafana Bafana!”, “You can do it”, “Impossible is nothing”, read the signs as the blast of the vuvuzelas gave my ears a bashing.
I couldn’t hear much as at no point did the din subside, but I did witness some impromptu soccer skills from a local kid.
“Who needs Lionel Messi when you can have me?” the jubilant youngster cried after an audacious back flick paid off and left his friends open-jawed.
Just a few metres on another local was dancing atop a parked truck in a robotic style, much like England forward Peter Crouch’s goal celebration, while several hundred others below him swayed in rhythm — a bit like a line dance to the “tune” of the vuvuzela.
Spotting anyone not in green and gold was difficult, though there were fans from all over the world milling around me.
