Football World Cup fever

Germany vs England 2010. All my photos in this post
German goal!
The football World Cup has just started in Russia. This brings back a flood of memories when the World Cup was hosted in South Africa in 2010. Who would have ever thought that our little city of Bloemfontein would play host to, not just one, but six matches. There were five group matches here and one of the round of sixteen matches. I bought tickets for that match, not knowing who would be playing. The most likely team to top their group was Germany, so I was pretty sure that at least one of the teams would be Germany. The other group that would contribute a team to the match, had England and Australia in. All bets were on England to top that group. In the group match, a bad goalkeeping error gave Australia the win, and England ended up second in the group and had to face Germany. So, I had tickets to see the greatest rivalry in world football, in Bloemfontein. The rivalry between England and Germany is so great that there are stories of a Christmas Day truce in the First World War and a football game broke out! What an experience! England and Germany!


Japanese fans
Japan vs Nigeria
With the first round of games we went to the stadium before each of the games. What a buzz! I think the most interesting group of  fans were Japan. They were just so colourful. The Greeks were a close second. South Africa played France in Bloemfontein as well. The South African spectators were also amazing. To see a nation standing as one was amazing. Then there were the Vuvazelas! What a noise. They really created an atmosphere at the matches and in the stadium you could not even hear yourself thinking! But Bloemfontein was totally taken over when the British arrived. They took over the Waterfront Mall close to the Stadium and had flags ever where! All of spectators before each of the games were amazing, but the vibe between England and Germany was just something special. The fact that we were on our way to the game might have also contributed to the feelings!




South African supporters

South African fan
A country united
The day of the game we had tickets for. Into the stadium. Germany and England. One the players that I really wanted to see was Steven Gerrard, then the captain of Liverpool. Roony was also still in the England team and Beckham was there in a consulting role.
Beckham looking smart at a football match
English and German fans

Bloemfontein eventually taken over by the British
Spitfires at the game - cannot win a soccer match, so celebrate the winning of the war!
He is about 100 years too late to be in Bloem

German fan
German flags flying high
Some familiar looking fans at the game
Gerrard with the ball.

A really good game which Germany won 4 - 2.
The face of defeat

A truly great event for South Africa and we (the country) and Bloemfontein were wonderful hosts. All of the tension and crime in the country seemed to have been put on hold for the great game of football.

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