Korea DPR v. Nigeria

I went to my first World Cup Match last night! The stadium at Durban, Moses Mabhida Stadium, is amazing. People have compared its design to the Sydney Opera House, and I definitely see the connection. It has a giant arch that goes over the entire stadium; there is a cable-car attached to the arch that visitors can ride when the stadium is not in use. Rumor has it that one can also bungee jump from the very top of the arch.

Before the Nigeria / Korea DPR match at the stadium, I went with some people from LRC to a bar/restaurant on Durban's famous Florida Road to watch the Bafana (South Africa) / France match. Most people know that I support, and have always, supported France, but, like many France supporters this time around, my enthusiasm began to wane before the Cup even started. Needless to say, it was incredible to watch the South African team play, in South Africa, surrounded by South Africans. I don't feel like a total hypocrite for wearing a Bafana jersey instead of advertising my allegiance to France (I can't say I didn't let out a little cheer after France scored in the second half). It was probably in my safety's best interest to not wear a France jersey.

After the Bafana game (they won, but not by enough to advance to the next round; the over all sentiment in South Africa is pleasant, however, and most people seem to be very proud of their team), I made my way to the stadium. We arrived almost two hours before kick-0ff, but there was plenty to keep us occupied before the start of the match. (A full walk around the stadium took about twenty minutes.)

I'm still shocked at the pricing for the World Cup, from tickets to concessions. A "Category 1" ticket for the first stage of matches cost the same amount as a mediocre regular-season Yankees ticket. No regular ticket in any entire stadium, even during the final match, compares to the "Premier" seating at the new Yankee Stadium. (I say "regular" because there are some "VIP" seats reserved for, well, special people, which are not on sale to the public, so I don't know how much those are worth... but the VIP seats themselves aren't especially noteworthy, I think the VIP is more about the treatment and amenities.)

Anyway. The match. Was amazing. The seats were extremely close, and very close to the center (see below). The stadium lighting is extraordinary, and I could see every play from where I was sitting. There were more South Korean fans at the stadium, but, from what I could tell, everyone who did not have a set allegiance to a team (most of whom, like myself, were wearing South African jerseys or apparel) were cheering for Nigeria, probably because it is an African country. The match was fast-moving and exciting; four goals were scored total, the final score coming to 2-2. The result, in the end, was a win for South Korea, as they only needed to draw to advance to the next round. Nigeria, over all, played a better game and were more driven, so the draw (a loss, really) was very disappointing. The main referee seemed to be favoring the Koreans too, calling foul after foul against the Nigerians, whereas he called barely any against the Koreans. (But, in his defence, just about the only foul he did call against them resulted in a penalty for Nigeria, which helped them to tie the game 2-2.)

The view from my seat...

The atmosphere was so exciting; I can't begin to imagine what it will be like on Friday for Brazil v. Portugal, where I think almost every attendee will have a set allegiance (or clear favorite). Some have called it the most anticipated match of the Cup. The rivalry between the two countries very deep-rooted. I'll be supporting Portugal (I found a Portugal tshirt for R30 - about $3), not necessarily because I like them, but because I loathe the Brazilian soccer team. From the map of the stadium, the seats I have aren’t as good as last night's, but the way the stadium is set up (oval-shaped, rather than rectangular), there really isn't a bad seat in the house.

Re:vuvuzelas. Honestly, at the stadium, they weren't that bad. Yes, they were extremely loud, but I found that, when blown in unison continuously for over 90 minutes, it is much easier to block them out than when an individual one is blown sporadically throughout the day. They would get much, much louder when something exiting was happening during the match. A group of Nigerian fans might have one upped the vuvuzelas: they brought their own band, complete with a percussion session.

Needless to say, it was a tremendous experience, and I'm excited I get to go to [at least] to more matches!

(I took pictures on my phone; wasn't sure how safe I felt bringing my camera - I will definitely be bringing it next time!)