Images of Cape Town's World Cup Vibe

My cousin sent me the following photographs taken in Cape Town, South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He says, "The spirit is electric here. You can just feel it all around!" Everyone blows their vuvuzelas and shows their support for their team, Bafana Bafana (though they have been eliminated now). "Football Fridays" were taking place during the weeks preceding the World Cup, when everyone wore their football shirts.

My family (mother's side) went to the first game at the Greenpoint Stadium, France vs. Uruguay as well as Italy vs. Paraguay. They will also be attending the semifinal at the Cape Town stadium. Don't we all wish we were there right now?

These pictures bring out the vibe and action of this big event taking place halfway around the world. Enjoy!

On the way to the V&A Waterfront's entrance / Big Hyundai vuvuzela

Fans at the V&A Waterfront / Primi Piatti during opening game / Outside stadium

Opening CPT game (FRA vs. URG) / Opening ceremony (ITA vs. PAR)

Before Cape Town Stadium's first game / Outside and seated in the stadium

Credit: Justin Marsh

Fans delighted with Tapas and Spain's win

Spain had fans cheering for them in Orange County today. Lizarran Tapas Restaurant in Fullerton, CA was the place to be for Tapas and fútbol. Fans gathered for lunch and for the Spain vs. Portugal match. The restaurant has a nice feel and was the perfect atmosphere to watch the game, with two TV's hanging on each corner.

After an exciting first half Portugal and Spain were locked at 0-0. Portugal finished it off strongly but Spain dominated possession at half.

Spain fan, Lizzy Perez said, "Spain has to win and I think they are doing a good job, they just need to score now." Being a huge soccer fan Perez traveled to South Africa to root for the Spanish team. She was able to attend the match against Switzerland, although it was disappointing to see Spain lose, it was a great experience, she said.

Dennis Salgado, predicted a scoreless game. "I'm thinking overtime, penalty kicks. It will be 0-0 then they'll get extra time. They'll have opportunities, but they'll miss and they'll go to penalty kicks," he said.

Salgado wants to see Brazil in the final playing a South American team.

After 62 entertaining yet scoreless minutes, Spain finally scored and the fans at Lizarran got rowdy.

Spain delivered the only goal and game-winner with a 1-0 victory in the first World Cup meeting between the Iberian neighbors.

Jose Manuel Roberto, a tourist from Spain stopped by Lizarran to watch the game. "I knew Spain was going to win, they had possession of the ball from the beginning and in the end they made their magnificent goal, " he said while enjoying some Tapas with his son. Roberto is sure Spain will be in final and will play Argentina. "The final will be defined by Argentina and Spain and of course we're going to win," he says with confidence

about his home team.

Tony Lopez, thinks Spain has what it takes to win the World Cup. "I truly believe they can take it, they are the European champs. I really think that they have the potential to win," he said.

Spain sends Portugal packing and they advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.

(end of game, fans chant and cheer)

Not many fans cheering at Thirsty Isle

Where are the fans? Certainly couldn't find many at a local dive bar in Long Beach, CA. At 11:30am on Monday morning only a few regulars and working men on their lunch break were hanging at Thirsty Isle. This dimly lit restaurant and bar was not filled with many fans during the Brazil vs. Chile match. 

A couple of weeks ago I read an article on OCWeekly.com about places to watch the World Cup and it included Green Field Churrascaria as a place to watch Brazil play. I arrived at Green Field about 30 minutes before the game and the Brazilian restaurant was empty. The hostess greeted me and I told her about our blog. She proceeded to say, "To be honest there will not be many people watching the game here, we have two televisions but the audio does not work." She recommended I go to Downtown Long Beach, but with limited time I didn't want to take the chance of missing any of the game because of the time it would take to find a place and parking. I called a friend to see if she could recommend any places nearby. She told me about an Irish pub called Brien O'Connors and Thirsty Isle. I came up to Thirsty Isle first and decided to stop by. It was very small and although there weren't many people watching the game, there were a few so I decided to stay hoping more people would come through.

The scoring came in the middle of the first half with Brazil making goals in the 34th minute and then in the 38th minute they scored once again.

David Kesikowski calls himself a true Brazil fan "all the way". "It's pretty one-sided right now, Brazil always wins the South American teams, " he said. Kesikowski was one of the few fans watching the game while having lunch at Thirsty Isle.

Arturo Suazo, who comes to Thirsty Isle during lunch told me even though he shared the same last name as a Chilean player he was rooting for Brazil. "Brazil is like the New York Yankees of soccer. They look exceptional it's going to be tough, but I think they can win the World Cup."

Brazil never looked like they were working too hard during today's match, easily scoring each goal and scoring the 3rd one in the 59th minute.

Luis Aragon, Jessica Jaugueri and David Samoa, three friends having lunch and some beers at Thirsty Isle. At the end of the game they told me their thoughts. Aragon said, "I knew Brazil was going to win, but I thought Chile would put more of a fight." Jaugueri also believed Brazil would end up winning today's game. "I was hoping in the back of my mind that Chile would win, just so Brazil wouldn't go on because they always win, " she said. Samoa added he wasn't surprised by the outcome.

Jaugueri believes if Brazil beats Netherlands in the quarter-finals then they will mostly likely be the World Cup champions.

Samoa believes Ghana is the biggest competition to Brazil. "I think Ghana is going to pose the biggest threat to Brazil, they played really well against US and they'll score a lot of goals. It's going to be pretty close," he said.

There you have it Brazil wins 3-0. Easy game for Brazil, but now they get to face the Netherlands in the quarterfinal.

"The Office" Fans Upset with Mexico's Pull-Out

The Office Sports Bar and Grill, Santa Ana

The number one undefeated team, Argentina slaughtered American-border Mexico June 27 in Johannesburg. Fans for both teams could be found with eyes glued to TV screens inside The Office Sports Bar and Grill in Santa Ana at 11:30 a.m. Some were overjoyed while others were quite the opposite, though they could not deny the reality of their predictions.

Fans watching the match inside

Mexico's Marquez was the only athlete who was yellow-carded--another rare statistic. Argentina's Tevez scored a goal about 25 minutes into the first half when the crowd was yelling that the shooter was offsides. The ref decided to keep the score and continue the play. Argentina's Higuain scored in the 33rd minute followed by Tevez's third career FIFA World Cup goal in the 51st minute. El Tri's only scorer, Hernandez, made his second goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup at 71 minutes. The last remaining score was 3-1. Argentina now advances to a quarter-final dual with the German team.

Crowd Reactions to Goals

Tustin-resident Jeff Irby's team was Argentina during this game. "They're my team to root for until the end until they lose." Ruben Cortez, from Guadalajara, Mexico was rooting for El Tri. His hopes for Mexico to defeat Argentina were vanished as the better team won the match after he spoke. He predicts that Germany and maybe Argentina will play in the finals. Both of these men are regulars at The Office. Juan Romero, from Zacatecas, Mexico said the score was "no good." He mentioned that Mexico's team should have played better. Apparently, this fan knew that Mexico's assistant coach believed in astrology signs, having doubts or optimism for the players on the pitch. Romero is the cook at this sports bar and said it is a "beautiful place" to watch the matches in Orange County. He makes chips and soup from scratch.

Juan Romero /// Jeff Irby /// Ruben Cortez

The following are photos of fans during the game at Mozambique, Laguna Beach.

Credit: Marvin Castellon

South Africans React to England's Match

South Africans woke up at 7 a.m. to watch Germany defeat England 4-1 on their home televesion sets. Some people do not have the urge to hit the pubs on an early Sunday morning. The question is: What do they do if they don't receive ESPN? Simple. They improvise. Turn your TV to 34, a Spanish-speaking channel that is showing the World Cup. Next, find a live English-speaking radio station with commentators and you are good to go.

Germany overwhelmed their old rivals (dating back to World War II) June 27 in Bloemfontein. Klose scored in the 20th minute, Podolski in the 32nd minute and Mueller in the 67th as well as 70th minutes. However, there has been some extensive controversy over England's shot that should have been a goal, as portrayed by the slow-motion replays that clearly revealed that the ball bounced behind the goal line. Moreover, both teams--Germany's Friedrich and England's Johnson--were yellow-carded only once, which is less than the average per game for this tournament.

John Hemmens, born in Cape Town, South Africa and living in Orange County, California for more than 14 years, stated that England was "long overdue for a win to get the Cup." He thought England could beat Germany, but was worried about Germany's striker. "It was very disappointing that England didn't get that second goal, because that was a definite goal." Commenting on the poor referreeing, he said "there have been a lot of decisions that have gone the wrong way." He also mentioned the positive aspects of his home country hosting the World Cup, but is disappointed that only one African nation, Ghana, has advanced and South Africa as well as Cameroon have not gone through to the Round of 16.

John Hemmens shares his thoughts

Roger Nichols, who was born to English parents in South Africa, was also upset with England's result: "It was not expected." He thought the English team's manager had better options, yet he picked the wrong team. "He's Italian, so we'll have to forgive him for that!" Nichols also thought David Beckham was best to stay out of the game. Furthermore, this fan talks about the new soccer ball's benefits: it's lighter, has less panels, moves in the air differently and provides for more accurate corner and free kicks. "I don't think it's fair, I think it gives the German team an unfair advantage." He believes the ball could be contributing to the low number of goals scored during this competition. He predicts that Argentina and Brazil could be playing in the finals, or possibly Spain. "Although the Germans did look good today, I don't know if they got the quality to actually make it to the final...if you had to say who would I put money on, I'd say it's probably going to be Brazil," who has won the World Cup five times so far--more than any other country.

Roger Nichols on England's /// Roger Nichols on Germany's

Manager and David Beckham /// Ball and Possible Winners

Fans disappointed by USA's defeat

(the large crowd that gathered at Tilted Kilt)

During yesterday's U.S. and Ghana match, Tilted Kilt was the place to be in Downtown Denver, located on the 16th street strip mall. It created history as the most watched 2010 World Cup match with more than 14 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings. Many gathered at this popular spot, where the waitresses are dressed in tiny kilt like uniforms and the men are dressed in longer kilts.

The scoring opened up quickly in the 5th minute when Ghana scored on its first shot of the game. At halftime the score was 1-1 Ghana.

David and Oscar Calvo are two brothers and US fans that were hoping USA would prevail in the second half. Oscar Calvo said, "They need to pick it up, Ghana is strong right now, the US looks too conservative, they need to be more aggressive." David said, "I think the U.S. can come back they just need an extra attacker, more power, he also predicted the score would be 2-1 U.S. in overtime (it was almost like he predicted but it was Ghana not US).

The brothers have been following the World Cup and predict a team that has never won the World Cup will take the big win, "I think the Netherlands will take it, that's a team to watch out for." Oscar said.

Another US fan, Chris Bernier disagreed with the players the US coach decided to play in the beginning of the game, "I love Bob Bradley, but the starting line-up is questionable."
Bernier orginally from Michigan and has been living in Denver for the last seven years. He gathered at the Tilted Kilt to watch the game with friends, and chose the pub based on what he's heard. "It (Tilted Kilt) sounded English and it sounded like people knew something about soccer," he said.

Rordan Shane, predicted the final score at 3-1 " I can see Landon Donovan scoring 2 and i'll leave it to one of the forwards for the other one," he said. Shane, like many I spoke to knew USA wouldn't make it to the final round believing it will be Brazil who takes it overall.

In the second half, the US would get a break in the 60th minute when Ghana fouled US. The hero from last Wednesday's game against Algeria, Landon Donovan stepped up and equalize the match at 1-1.

(After the goal by Landon Donovan)

At the end of the normal time the score was 1-1, so the match was continued in overtime. In the 93rd minute, Ghana shot and scored the only goal. Ghana defeats the U.S. 2-1.

(A fan that left the pub crying)

Grant Hetz was one of the many fans that left the Tilted Kilt disappointed. "It sucks but we played well, we're not really known as a soccer powerhouse, but I think we're better than that, we could've done better," Hetz said.

(upset fans when the US fails to make the shot)

Throughout the game emotions at Tilted Kilt shifted from anger, to joy, to sadness. Definitely a sad end to the tournament for the US. 

Is that a real trophy?

Credit: Marvin Castellon

The above photographs were taken in Monarch Beach by a World Cup fan after the England vs. USA match. The photographer asked if the trophy was real and the man said, "Sure, it is!" He was wearing the Italian team uniform. Apparently--the man said--there is a tradition that "the trophy goes on a road trip during the World Cup." We hope it will be back in time for the awards ceremony on July 11.

Brazil and Portugal's Goalless Draw Leaves Rudy's Fans Unimpressed

Rudy's billboard sign draws people in

Group G winners, Brazil and runners-up, Portugal have moved on towards the Round of 16. The teams fought hard throughout the 95-minute match June 25 in Durban, yet neither changed the scoreboard even once. Rudy's Pub and Grill in Newport Beach was open well before 7 a.m. to turn on the many TVs inside for their guests to watch.

At the start of the game, Brazil was in first place and Portugal was third, according to the FIFA World Cup rankings, even after their players have been warned or kicked off the field for more than just fouls. Brazil's Melo was yellow-carded about 40 minutes into the game. Portugal's Coentrao was yellow-carded four minutes later. In the second half, Brazil's goalkeeper, Cesar, had to have his back iced after a Portugal player attempted to score. Though it was a tough game to play, the final outcome remained the same at 0-0.

Rudy's bus blends in with the building

Happy that their team is advancing, Orange County-based brothers Dominick and Christian Diaz, were both rooting for Portugal. However, they were upset, because they woke up early to watch the match, expecting either team to win.

Dominick and Christian Diaz expect more from Portugal

The Portugal vs. Brazil game was expected to be a huge crowd-puller, but Rudy's was not packed like they have been in the past. It was a huge letdown that did not generate much information on the Southern Californian perspective. The cities of Orange County have not proved to be very World Cup spirited. It is possible that the time difference from South Africa has contributed to this disappointment, as the host country is nine hours ahead of California. Pubs might not want to risk opening their doors too early if people are not willing to come out to watch the games when they could be sleeping. One's best option is to locate one of the few genuine English or Irish pubs in the county.

Dubliner Fans Happy with Japan's Play

The Auld Dubliner, Tustin District

Japan's last chance to qualify for the second round occurred June 24 in Rustenburg. Denmark has been eliminated. World Cup fans slowly entered The Auld Dubliner in the Tustin District at 11:30 a.m. to witness Japan's win over Denmark.

Japan's Endo was yellow-carded in the 11th minute. The team's primary scorer, Honda, left-footed a goal on a penalty kick in the 16th minute. His teammate, Nagatomo, was yellow-carded in the 25th minute. Denmark's Kroldrup was yellow-carded after he tugged on his opponent's shirt in the 28th minute. Another goal from a penalty kick was awarded to Japan as Endo kicked the ball straight to the corner of the net in the 29th minute. A short while after the second half began, Japan's goalie was slightly hurt. Denmark's Bendtner was yellow-carded in the 65th minute, but his teammate, Tomasson, provided his team with a goal as the ball rebounded off the goalie during a penalty kick in the 80th minute. Japan's last goal happened late in the game to bring the result to 1-3.

Pub guests following the match

Tim Ong, from Placentia, wanted Japan to win and noted that it wasn't luck for the team to score on the penalty kicks. Kevin Vuong, from Irvine, was also rooting for the Japanese team. These men believe Honda and Matsui are the players to look out for.

Tim Ong and Kevin Vuong talk about Japan's performance

San Diego resident Peter Jensen, from Copenhagen, was disappointed that Denmark lost and said the team has played better previously. He hopes the USA will win, now that the Danish team has left the competition, but thinks Brazil or Portugal have the highest chances of owning the trophy.

Peter Jensen disappointed in Denmark

American-born Ichiro Suzuki, of Japanese heritage, was drinking rounds of Guinness and Johnny walker for his birthday at the Irish pub. He said the Dubliner has "the best Guinness in town." His team is the USA, whom he hopes will beat Ghana soon. Furthermore, he wants Korea to beat Uruguay so that The Yanks will have an easier game. He believes team USA will prove a point by defeating North Korea, since their communist dictator approves of negative political aspects. "I'm all about America winning and going all the way...go USA, go Donovan!" He also hopes Dempsey has a better game, because he was "pure rubbish!"

Ichiro Suzuki's hopes for the USA team

ESPN Zone Explosive for USA's Winning Goal

USA fans at ESPN Zone in Anaheim celebrated in relief as "Man of the Match" Landon Donovan scored a late-winning goal June 23 in Pretoria. Algeria-supporters were nowhere to be seen at this Downtown Disney location. The sports bar and restaurant had absolutely no downtime as soccer enthusiasts showed up before 7 a.m. to claim a place in the two-story building. Anyone arriving at the start of the game could forget sitting down.

USA's Dempsey made the first big attempt to score about 20 minutes into the game, but it resulted in an offsides call, which in turn caused uproar that the goal was taken away from them again. One Yanks team player was hurt in the 25th minute. Algeria athlete Lacen was yellow-carded as USA's Altidore went down. A late yellow card awaited USA player Beasley in the 89th minute. Donovan managed to change the scoreboard to 1-0 USA with a tie-breaking goal in the 90th minute of the match. As the Group C winners have officially advanced to the knockout rounds, the African nation has stepped out of the tournament.

USA fans cheering on The Yanks

American reaction to USA's winning goal (shaky camera, but one gets the picture)

Rudy, from Claremont, was rooting for team USA and said the game was "a little brutal for 90 minutes [yet] all worthwhile." Nancy, from Orange County, thought the game was "hard to watch...but it was worthwhile in the end." When asked whether he wanted the USA to win the World Cup, Steven, from La Habra, replied, "That's the plan."

USA Fans Rudy, Nancy and Steven comment after the match

USA-supporter Robert Pedace, from Rancho Cucamonga, said the game was "really nerveracking...next time they shouldn't scare us like that and score in the last minute." Ricky Galdo is confident that the USA will win the tournament in his brave statement: "they shut the world up today." Ruben Mendez believes The Yanks will go far, saying, "We never give up, we play 100 percent and that's how we do...it's always been in history, read the books!"

Robert Pedace, Ricky Galdo and Ruben Mendez are overjoyed with USA's win

ESPN Zone will continue to be a top sports destination, having multiple TVs and breakfast for the early games. If one is seeking a large place without hopes of finding a seat, then the "Zone" is perfect for their World Cup viewing needs. All sports, from tennis to basketball, are broadcasted on ESPN for the "zoners" to catch all of the action.

Fans at bar #1

Fans at bar #2

Guests waiting for the second half to begin

Fans at bar #3

Applause for USA's first and only goal of the game

People can't take their eyes off the screen

USA-supporter waves the American flag in pride

Audience watches replays of Donovans tie-breaking shot

The party continues

Outside ESPN Zone, Anaheim as Donovan speaks to the media