Cape of Storm Settles As Spanish Armada Sails On

CAPE TOWN. As we arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday morning, to heavy rains and gale winds, we began to wonder what effect the extreme conditions may have on the evening’s clash of the Iberian giants. For me, it’s always special to be back home, returning to Greenpoint stadium area where I lived for almost 2 years. The weather has always loomed in the background as a potential factor given this is the first winter World Cup since Argentina 1978. 

However, as the day progressed, particularly after some fine wine-tasting in Constantia, and the day darkened, the conditions actually cleared up and provided the perfect backdrop for this mammoth encounter. Parking just above the Cape Town CBD, in the Bo-Kaap, we joined the fan walk on Somerset Road in Greenpoint for a 1.5 kilometre walk into the stadium.

Good Cape Town

Well done Cape Town! Cape Town has always done things its own way, slightly out of step with the rest of the country, and the fan walk that greets tens of thousands of fans into the new stadium is something we had yet to experience at the other 8 venues visited over the past 3 weeks. With what appeared to be makeshift indigenous kiosks selling foods and gear along the fan walk, the experience of walking with the 1000s in the approach to the stadium marked Cape Town as one of the friendliest and fan-centric venues in the country. Of course, despite the organic and local feeling of these stalls or kiosks they are no doubt FIFA sanctioned and permitted given their proximity to the stadium. As we got closer to the stadium however, we were greeted by almost 20 minute queues personned by the South African Police Service that inefficiently delayed our access into the stadium frustrating the euphoria we were feeling during the fan walk. Sleepy Cape Town. So much promise but sometimes a bit too relaxed in the end to provide a full service.

Not so good Cape Town
The vibe inside the Greenpoint stadium was completely different from that felt at the other venues. There was almost a detached and impersonal feeling to watching this encounters with 60,000 plus which contrasted starkly to our experience at some of the older stadia like Ellis Park, Loftus and the Free State Stadium.

Capetonians fancy themselves as cultured soccer fans and at times, despite a few vuvuzela brigades, it felt as if we were all watching the match in our living rooms as the fans failed to assert themselves as an distinct force or entity independent from the events unfolding on the pitch. Perhaps the match itself, played in a very familiar European, almost formulaic Champions League fashion, with the Spanish dominating possession and the Portuguese content enough to try their luck on the counter attack, played into this type of detached atmosphere. In the end, like Portugal v Brazil before, the match failed to live up to its billing and the Portuguese were disappointing on the night – failing to even go down ugly - kicking, fouling and diving as we have known Portuguese team to do in the past. It was if they were content on being second best on the night, the Portuguese goalkeeper being the only one to distinguish himself.

Premiership jades players
Ronaldo in particular, denied service, like Rooney before him, failed to assert his qualities on the match. While Ronaldo has moved on to Real Madrid from United, it is interesting to note how disappointing the English Premiership greats have performed thus far in the tournament, notably Rooney and Torres. One wonders if the demands of the Premiership are just too much on these young players leaving them jaded, worn out and carrying injuries by the time the World Cup comes along. Carlos Tevez alone stands out as one of the few English based players who have really shown his qualities thus far in this tournament. Eat the badge Carlos, you turn coat!

Brazil omnipotent
On the previous night, Monday at Ellis Park, we witnessed a completely different spectacle as we enjoyed the imperious Brazilians dismantle Chile with a samba beat providing a backing soundtrack throughout the evening. The Brazilians were awesome despite failing to ever go through the gears. Despite calls for a new or different World Cup, where the favourites fall before semis and final, I always find it difficult to root against the Brazilians because they are so adaptable and majestic in their approach.

The Selecao appear to not play for the first 10 to 15 minutes of the match. This is a misreading of the situation. They are actually being patient and like a prize fighter they feel out their opponents, the opposition’s intent on the evening and adapt their game plan accordingly. Unlike the Germans, Dutch or even the Spanish who would appear to be more uni-dimensional – either playing possession football or counter-attacking, I would contend that the Brazilians can play virtually any style of play on the night – as the dictates of the conditions and opposition’s tactics demand.

Intergalactica Ghana
So tomorrow we return to Gauteng for the other two quarter finals closer to home, Ghana v Uruguay tomorrow night at Soccer City and Spain v Paraguay at Ellis Park on Saturday. While my heart remains with Ghana and I hope for a Paraguayan upset, form would tell us that Uruguay and Spain should proceed into the semis. For certain, South Africans remain somewhat bitter about the manner in which Uruguay dispatched Bafana Bafana on June 16th and will hope that the Black Stars can continue their intergalactic run into the semi-finals. No African team has ever progressed into the semi-finals with Roger Milla’s Cameroon defeated by the Gazza inspired England in 1990 and Turkey defeating Senegal in 2002 in Osaka. The Black Stars can make history tomorrow night and give content to the claim that this is a different African World Cup. This remains likely my last real emotional investment in the tournament and hope that the will of the Continent ensures Ghana prevails.

Argentina 3, Germany 2 Young? 
As for Germany v Argentina, time prevents me from recalling at length this real footballing rivalry (as opposed to England v Germany). The 1986 and 1990 finals live long in the memory the first going to the Maradona inspired Argies and 1990 on an Andreas Bremmer penalty in Rome. Of course, Germany also knocked the Argies out on penalities in the last World Cup with Argentina going down very ugly on the night. You can be sure that no one will roll over this evening and it will be a battle royal in Port Elizabeth. The true test of the qualities of this young German side will be revealed. My sense is that the attacking options provided by Maradona's three-pronged forwards will be too much for the admirable Germans whose youngsters have gelled to such an extent that one wonders whether it is not ageing egos which have impeded others sides before them, like England.