World Cup celebration begins with Vuvuzela Day
Cape Town, South Africa — I’ve been in South Africa for almost two weeks now and, despite all the people at street corners hawking flags and the elaborate, World Cup-themed store windows, something has been missing. While the cold, calculated commerce of the event has been in plentiful display, the nation’s passion for the game has only been shown sporadically.... Read More
Donovan, Dempsey, and Beasley
It’s a quiet Sunday morning in Lesotho, a nation that is a geographical oddity in that it is completely surrounded by South Africa. The map doesn’t make much sense unless it shows elevations, and then it all becomes clear: the entire country is at an elevation of over 4,500 feet, the only nation on Earth that can make that claim. I’m at the Malealea Lodge, a travelers’... Read More
South Africa 2010 travelers’ update
Do soccer fans prefer beer to sex?
Headed to South Africa next year for the World Cup? Here’s the latest news on the country’s preparations for hosting the tournament. First, though, there’s something we’d like to tell you about. Center Line Soccer will be officially launching a new message board for South Africa 2010 travelers in the coming weeks. The idea is to provide a forum for supporters... Read More
Center Line Soccer South Africa 2010 news wrap
England is in — deploy the WAGs!
Now that England has joined the hosts and eight other nations in qualifying for next year’s World Cup finals, there’s a flurry of stories about the anticipated British invasion of South Africa. Not by hooligans or other ne’er do wells, though — by the WAGs! (That’s how the UK press refers to the Wives And Girlfriends of the England team.) The Witness addresses... Read More
Center Line Soccer South Africa 2010 news wrap:
What South Africa wants from hosting
Next year’s tournament will not be the first world cup to be held in South Africa. One of the more important events in the young country’s history — and not just in terms of sports — was the Rugby World Cup of 1995. That tournament began just over a year after Nelson Mandela’s inauguration as president, and the bonds that held the fledgling democracy together... Read More