RobbyRicc: Wakka Wakka Soccer Soccer

Holy Cow! Ok. My head is still spinning from the soccer madness. I've been travelling around the country squeezing in as many games as possible. Around this I have been working like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: laptop at the ready and willing to work at a moment's notice. Although this is my off season for training, I feel as though my body is at it's limit. My nutrition has taken a dive: - hotdogs, boerewors rolls, chips and beer have become my staple diet.

Enough whining. It is awesome and I am glad I came back to South Africa to witness this soccer festival.

Here's an art piece at a Nando's chicken restaurant. Fast food maybe, but with class.

USA v Slovenia 2-2. One of the best comebacks of the tournament. I was supporting the US as: I don't have Slovenian flag PJ's; some of my best friends are from Missouri; and my god daughter, Sabrina, was born in the US.

This is my god daughter Sabrina. A beautiful, loving, crazy girl who is more competitive than anyone I have ever raced against.

Mexican reporters interviewing some American fans. The Mexicans have arrived here in their droves. They are a rowdy and loveable bunch.

Americans have Americana. We have South Africana. Here are some donkeys and their drivers a few hundred metres outside the Rustenburg stadium where we saw Australia v Ghana.

Ozzies having a braai (barbecue) in the parking lot of the Park n Ride. Lots of Roos and stubbled Ozzies were at the game. I overheard an Ozzie couple speaking about their friends who had come over for the Soccer World Cup as part of their honeymoon. At the wife's request. Classic.

The Ozzies erupting with Australia's goal. They would go on to draw the match with Ghana after a penalty and sending off of an Ozzie player, Harry Kewell.

I love the Italians. Riccardo, my brother's cousin in law, is adourned with Italian couture at its finest. It's his Sestriere T-shirt where Italians and the rest of the world love to ski. Note the English as written by an Italian. Pretty funny.

Soccer City aka the Calabash. Those are not broken windows (as some foreigners have quipped). It is to let the natural light into the stadium as well as to allow for its ventilation.