Football Fan...

I have been very lucky.  I have been able to see a couple of matches in the world cup.  And I am probably, one of a few, who has had the privilege of seeing both the 3rd and 4th play off and the final live.  What makes this so special is that a friend and I, drove down to PE on Friday night, and back again on Saturday night, after the match, to be in time for the final.

As it turned out, the 3rd and 4th play off, between Germany and Uruguay, was one of the best matches of the tournament.  Each side played their hearts out and scored a total of five goals between them.  And even when Germany scored a third goal in the 82 minute of the match, Uruguay relentlessly pursued to no avail.

Of all the stars to appear on the World Cup stage, it was Forlan of Uruguay, who made his mark.  He was pivotal in Uruguay's campaign, and under his captaincy managed to lead the team to the semi finals and then the 3rd and 4th place play off.  It was a privilege to see him score a magnificent goal and clinch the Golden Ball award for player of the tournament.

The closing ceremony at the final was incredible.  Seeing the performance live made me realise that we as a nation had managed to pull this off, in what FIFA has rated one of the best World Cups to date (9 out of 10), with the third highest attendance ever at a World Cup.  An incredible feat, for a country at the very Southern tip of Africa.  As I watched the ceremony unfold, tears came to my eyes and a complete sense of pride, at being a South African, filled my heart.  And when Madiba was brought onto the field, the nation cheered as we acknowledged the part he had played in making this event a reality.

The match, was hard and was characterised by a very physical game on the part of the Netherlands, a trademark of their campaign thus far.  It turned out to be their undoing as the Spanish team took full advantage of the situation, taking control of the game and scoring the only goal of the match in the 116 minute (24th minute of extra time), to take Spain to its first ever World Cup victory.  

It is with a sense of loss that we departed from the stadium.  A month of the most exciting football, meeting new people and experiencing the emotions, together with fans as their teams either won or lost, united us in football.  It was all done.  The teams would be leaving.  The fans would soon be gone.  And we, left with the memories, of a spectacular tournament.

Alas time to get a Springbok Jersey :-)  

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