The USA vs. Ghana game provided another great opportunity for the US fans to show their support, and they came out in full force. Returning to Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, where they drew with England in their first match, the grounds were buzzing many hours before game time. I brought my South African friend Tertius and it was his first soccer match ever, so this was a special experience for us both. We joined a large group of fans that gathered inside the gate to watch the Uruguay v. South Korea game on the big screen. The stadium itself was an open-air style, which made things very cold once the sun went down. But this had no effect on our fans, who were singing and chanting while taking photos of each other. In the stadium, our fans were outnumbered 3-1, with all of Africa behind the last African team in the tournament. But you couldn’t tell from the noise level coming from our fans. Even when we went behind early, the fans never wavered and they played a big part in Donovan’s equalizer. Going into overtime, the feeling around the stadium was that we were headed towards victory. Unfortunately, our run of good form ended after a goal from Gyan early in overtime. Although upset and disappointed, the American supporters stayed long after the game had ended, showing their appreciation for the team and consoling one another. The US run was over, but it gave us many emotional moments that we’ll never forget.
What a night in Pretoria! Needing a win to progress, the US came through in the extra time to send us to the top of the group. All our support was rewarded in the end, although we should have put the game away much sooner, and we were very fortunate not to concede an early one to Algeria. Loftus Versfeld Stadium, normally a rugby field was absolutely electric! US fans gathered 4 hours before game time in the park and rides to tailgate and take photos, and many strangers stopped by to introduce themselves from other States and countries. The park and ride was filled with Americans chanting U-S-A! and snapping photos of all those dressed up in American flags and face paint.
The atmosphere here in South Africa is like nothing I’ve ever seen. From the moment our plane touched down in Johannesburg, we were greeted with open arms. South African hospitality is similar to that of the southern hospitality we might find in the States. Within hours of arriving to the Fan Fest in Pretoria, a young South African couple invited us to a traditional braai, or meat grill, and it did not disappoint. Thanks to Tertius and Melanie, we sampled some traditional dishes and enjoyed more bbq than we have ever seen. They invited 15 of their friends over to meet us and show us some traditional South African dancing. Tertius, Melanie and their friends have shown us how welcoming and kind this country really is.
Q & A with LA Sol (and former WCSC) player, Val Henderson:
Question #1: You were drafted in the 5th round for the Women's Professional Soccer league by the LA Sol. Having played and starred for UCLA, how did you feel being drafted by your local team?
In a competitive training environment, each age group should have its own coaching philosophy and specific goals. These are the goals that we have laid out for our U9/U10 competitive program.
This website needs documentation! We have the companion wiki where we post how-to's and answers to other questions as well as documents for running this site and the Club. Documenting everything is a huge task but it is an important task so that new club members will know how things are done.
If you have some spare time, and know how or have figured out how to do something on this site, please take a moment and write up a quick how-to so we can post that on the wiki.
The USA vs. Ghana game provided another great opportunity for the US fans to show their support, and they came out in full force. Returning to Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, where they drew with England in their first match, the grounds were buzzing many hours before game time. I brought my South African friend Tertius and it was his first soccer match ever, so this was a special experience for us both. We joined a large group of fans that gathered inside the gate to watch the Uruguay v. South Korea game on the big screen. The stadium itself was an open-air style, which made things very cold once the sun went down. But this had no effect on our fans, who were singing and chanting while taking photos of each other. In the stadium, our fans were outnumbered 3-1, with all of Africa behind the last African team in the tournament. But you couldn’t tell from the noise level coming from our fans. Even when we went behind early, the fans never wavered and they played a big part in Donovan’s equalizer. Going into overtime, the feeling around the stadium was that we were headed towards victory. Unfortunately, our run of good form ended after a goal from Gyan early in overtime. Although upset and disappointed, the American supporters stayed long after the game had ended, showing their appreciation for the team and consoling one another. The US run was over, but it gave us many emotional moments that we’ll never forget.
What a night in Pretoria! Needing a win to progress, the US came through in the extra time to send us to the top of the group. All our support was rewarded in the end, although we should have put the game away much sooner, and we were very fortunate not to concede an early one to Algeria. Loftus Versfeld Stadium, normally a rugby field was absolutely electric! US fans gathered 4 hours before game time in the park and rides to tailgate and take photos, and many strangers stopped by to introduce themselves from other States and countries. The park and ride was filled with Americans chanting U-S-A! and snapping photos of all those dressed up in American flags and face paint.
Updates from Jady Nunan:
