The world is going to get a huge soccer fix in a few days with the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Soccer in South Africa. The tournament lasts from June 11 to July 11.The country has made a significant investment in facilities and infrastructure to host the world. Five of the ten stadiums are brand new, and the other five have been brought up to date.
The main venue is Cape Town's sleek new Green Point stadium. "This stunning white apparition rises like a porcelain bowl from a podium set in restored parkland, between the breakers of the Atlantic and the commanding backdrop of Lion's Rock, Devil's Peak and Table Mountain. Is there a stadium anywhere in the world with a more sublime setting?
It is fifteen storeys high with curving walls and sheathed in a translucent fabric mesh, made from woven fibreglass coated with Teflon.
Green Point is certainly an emotional touchstone. It used to be home to an 18,000-seat stadium dating from the 1940s, hosting acts such as Michael Jackson, Paul Simon and U2; this historic, if modest, building was demolished in 2007 to make way for the new."
North Americans in particular may have mixed feelings about soccer, but the pendulum seems to be swinging toward more interest. Elsewhere, soccer is the #1 sport and billions pay homage to the players, their team, and the drama on the pitch.
The article in the Guardian gets one thinking about the favourite stadiums and sporting events one has enjoyed.
I train. I add more fuel. At just the right moment I light the match. ~ Mia Hamm, female American soccer player
We lost because we didn't win. ~Ronaldo, Brazilian player
