There have been some incredible goals in the FIFA World Cup so far, starting with what could be the goal of the tournament, by Bafana Bafana’s Siphiwe Tshabalala.
The top goal scorers as of this morning, 27 June 2010, were as follows:
This table may look very different after tonight’s games! Look out for an update during the week.
If you’re heading down to Cape Town to support your team in the upcoming games, be sure to check out our gourmet backpackers, with private rooms for R400/ night.
The World Cup is here and the rhythm of the South African nation has united like never before. The world’s most expensive and top players are also here to make a contribution to their respective teams during the tournament.
The greatest players such as Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal and Real Mandrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina and Barcelona), Luis Fabiano (Brazil and Sevilla), David Villa (Spain and Barcellona), Wayne Rooney (England and Manchester United), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands and Inter Milan), Gianluca Buffon (Italy and Juventus) and Miroslave Klose (Germany and Bayern Munich) have spearheaded the matches.
The atmosphere of the country certainly convinces any individual about the quality of the hospitality offered by South Africans to the tourists who are here for the celebration of the first FIFA World Cup to be held on African soil.
Different melodies and sounds make this World Cup truly African, especially the vuvuzela, which is a horn-like instrument that is commonly blown by fans at football matches in South Africa. Throughout entire matches, supporters blow their vuvuzelas hysterically in an attempt to intimidate and stir-up competition with the opponents.
The games have been interesting and challenging. Many teams in their different groups such as Brazil (Group G), Uruguay (Group A), Germany (Group D) and Argentina (Group B) have shown dominance over the matches they have played. With only three weeks left before the end of the tournament, who do you think will take the championship title at the 2010 FIFA World Cup?
All the teams competing in the 2010 Soccer World Cup have one goal in mind – Lifting that coveted golden trophy high above their heads, come 11 July 2010. They play for the glory, the pride and the adoration of their country.
Some players however, have dreams of lifting a more personal trophy as well. – The golden boot award. This is the award given to the top scorer at each World Cup tournament.
This award is hotly contested and it has proven to be a favourite amongst the fans as well. Fans have taken to betting on who will win this individual award and it has become quite a lucrative business.
This year’s favourites are:
David Villa – Spain
Lionel Messi – Argentina
Wayne Rooney – England
Luis Fabiano – Brazil
Fernando Torres – Spain
These are not the only players competing for the prize though. Other players such as Robin van Persie (Netherlands) and Christiano Ronaldo (Portugal), who won the golden boot in the 2002 Soccer World Cup, are also on the list of players to watch.
If you are staying in accommodation in Cape Town during the World Cup, you might even the get the chance to see Luis Fabiano and many of the other Brazilian players in action, so you can judge their skills for yourself.
If you haven’t booked your World Cup accommodation yet, go to www.highsteadhouses.co.za for affordable accommodation in Cape Town.
As a loyal supporter of which ever team you might have chosen, you obviously believe they are not only going to do well but dominate and win the 2010 Soccer World Cup. After all having faith in your team is what makes you a true supporter.
But there is something to be said for statistics and cold hard facts. Here is what is most likely to happen in the World Cup based on the teams’ past performances, rankings and attack/ defence ratings:
The predicted winner of the 2010 Soccer World Cup will be Brazil with a 23.4% chance of winning, followed (not so closely) by Spain, with a 17.0% chance of winning.
If you have bought tickets to the semi finals and are just dying to know who exactly it is that you will be watching, here is the most likely outcome:
England vs. Brazil (With Brazil the likely candidate to win)
Argentina vs. Spain (With Spain the likely candidate to win)
Setting up a phenomenal Spain vs. Brazil final
But do not despair; this is purely based on past performances. We have seen numerous times in past World Cups and international soccer games alike that the underdog often comes out tops.
So if you support France or Nigeria, Germany or USA, or any other team participating in this year’s World Cup, be a true supporter. Stick with your team and show them the support they need. After all, it’s about the game not who wins or loses.
If you have tickets to watch the semi final taking place in Cape Town and have not got a place to stay yet, go to www.highsteadhouses.co.za for affordable accommodation.
If you bought a World Cup ticket for your girlfriend who is now an ex-girlfriend, or got a little over excited when the World Cup ticket sales started and have ended up with one too many, you may be able to get a refund or give the extra one to someone else.
To qualify for a ticket transfer you need to have bought your World Cup tickets online via www.FIFA.com or via official paper ticket application forms. If you bought them as part of Authorized Travel Packages or Official Hospitality Packages you should contact the Hospitality Agents directly for all customer service issues.
If you qualify to transfer your ticket, you can do it in two ways: a ticket transfer to someone you know or a ticket resale, where you will receive a refund if your ticket is resold.
Guest ticket transfer
If you want to transfer a ticket from one guest to another you need to submit a transfer request online within the “View your application” menu item of www.FIFA.com/2010 or at a FIFA Ticketing Centre within South Africa. You will also need to give a ‘valid reason’ for transferring the ticket. This can be done from now up until three days before the match that you have tickets for.
Valid reasons for guest ticket transfers include things like a guest being ill or unable to obtain a valid visa to travel to South Africa. Documentation may be required to establish the grounds for the valid reason, and FIFA retains the right to refuse a transfer if the supporting documents are not supplied upon request.
Unfortunately you can’t transfer your own ticket, however if you can’t attend a match you can submit it for possible resale.
Ticket Resales
You need to go through authorized sales channels to resell your ticket, and do it before you have printed out a hard ticket. You will only get a refund if your ticket is resold, and there is no guarantee that this will happen. If your Tickets are resold, you’ll receive a refund no later than 4 weeks after the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, less a 10% administration fee.
You will also have the opportunity to give tickets that you cannot use to the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Ticket Fund, which is a programme designed to allocate tickets for worthy social and development initiatives within South Africa. Read more on FIFA.com.
If you’re coming to Cape Town and haven’t organised your accommodation yet make sure you check out our gourmet backpackers, Highstead House, with private rooms for R600/ night.
The captain of Portugal needs little introduction, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous football players in the world. As with all supremely talented sports stars, there are those that adore him and those that deplore him. The general rule of thumb is that those who adore him support the team he plays for and those that deplore him support the team he plays against.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro started playing “formal” football at the age of eight. He played for an amateur team in Portugal called Andorinha. As a player bursting with talent he was swiftly spotted by a professional Portuguese club called Sporting CP who signed him for an undisclosed amount. Before long he made waves in the English football world when Sporting CP defeated Manchester United in 2003. Ronaldo’s performance left an impression on some of the Manchester United players who encouraged Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him on.
Ronaldo shot to fame when stepped into the rather large boots of David Beckham at Manchester United. Alex Ferguson insisted that Ronaldo wear the Number 7 jersey, the same number that Beckham had immortalized in his years at Manchester United.
Ronaldo’s career has been nothing short of astonishing, his achievements in club football are so numerous that listing them would probably bore you, so here are some of his most noteworthy achievements to date:
In the 2006 – 2007 season Ronaldo was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the PFA Young Player of the Year awards and the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year. Ronaldo was also one of eight Manchester United players named in the 2006–07 PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
He finished as the runner-up to Kaká for the 2007 Ballon d’Or, and was third in the running for the FIFA World Player of the Year award, behind Kaká and Lionel Messi
In 2008 Ronaldo became Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or recipient since George Best in 1968 and went on to win FIFA World Player of the year.
What is simply astonishing is that Ronaldo’s has amassed all these (and other) accolades before his 25th birthday.
Although his club football career is littered with trophies and awards he has not been able to achieve the same success playing for his country. There is also a question mark surrounding his ability to lead and his appointment as captain of Portugal. Can he step up to the plate and lead his team to lift the coveted trophy? Time will tell.
With just a couple of days until the World Cup starts, time is running out to book your accommodation. If you have not booked somewhere to stay in Cape Town yet, click here to book accommodation at Highstead House.
Let me guess, some of us are wondering if we’ll gain weight this winter with all of the invites to events during the World Cup. You don’t have to be a recluse and decline the party invitations as there are ways to party it up and keep fit and healthy at the same time. There’ll be no watching the games indoors, all alone, with a cup of soup on the couch. So let the dancing begin!
To get into the mood and get the party started, you can simply listen to the South African Afro-Fusion band, Freshlyground and Shakira’s newly released song “Waka Waka”. It is an official 2010 Football World Cup song which incorporates the element of the band’s unique sound with Shakira. The tone of the song will transform you into the soulful atmosphere of Africa and get your body moving.
The music video is remarkable and builds anticipation for the World Cup. Take a look at the ‘in the making’ video and listen to the song below – the official video is due to be launched soon and is the first ever 3-D music video to be produced.
Our guess is that ‘party central’ will undoubtedly be the Mother City, here you will definitely be accommodated with some of the best hospitality in the world. Cape Town is known for its rich heritage values, affordable accommodation prices, lifestyle and historical elements of South Africa as a whole.
The cheap accommodation in Cape Town offers you the perfect party lifestyle as it’s modern, authentic and only 5 minutes walk from essential places such as banks, restaurants, bars and the Rondebosch train station. You definitely won’t be late for the games either, as this accommodation is less than 20 minutes away from the Cape Town football stadium and international airport.
68 000 lucky football fans will watch each of the games at the Cape Town Stadium live, starting with Uruguay versus France at 20:30 on Friday, 11 June 2010 and ending with a semi-final on Tuesday, 6 July 2010.
If you’ve managed to secure a seat in the Stadium, make sure that you leave plenty of time to get there, and enjoy the festivities along the Fan Walk on your way. The Fan Walk route is 2,2 km long and runs from the Cape Town Station on Adderley Street, to the FIFA Fan Fest on the Grand Parade, along Waterkant Street, across the new pedestrian bridge at Buitengracht, along Somerset Road ending up right outside the Stadium.
There will be police, security, information points, toilets and refreshments en route, as well as a number of restaurants and cafes if you want to stop for a bite to eat or rest your weary legs.
The Cape Quarter is situated right in the centre of the Fan Walk and is an ideal place to enjoy the World Cup celebrations. The Piazza and the Square will be transformed into festive party zones with an array of live entertainment and plasma screens to watch the games.
If you didn’t manage to get tickets, make your way to one of the many restaurants or bars showing the matches on big screens, or secure a spot at the Grand Parade to experience the electric atmosphere and watch the games amidst roaring crowds of fanatical supporters.
The Grand Parade, with a capacity of 28 000, is the official FIFA fan festival for the duration of the World Cup. Entry will be free of charge and all 64 matches will be broadcasted live. Food and drinks will be available and additional entertainment will be provided between matches.
If you haven’t arranged your accommodation for your stay in Cape Town yet, check out our Gourmet Backpackers, with private rooms for R600/ night.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee has released a comprehensive, user-friendly and colourful 92-page guide to the tournament. The official mascot for 2010, Zakumi, talks the reader through useful information on the stadiums, host cities, fan parks and lots more.
The fan guide offers assistance with everyday matters such as banking and food, as well as safety tips. There are maps which indicate how to get to each stadium, where to buy tickets, the nearest airports and transport – including road, rail and air – as well as accommodation and communication.
The rules and safety guide explains to readers which items are prohibited in stadiums and also outlines a code of conduct to promote maximum safety at all times during games and when fans are out and about.
Zakumi also introduces each host city to the reader with a breakdown of interesting facts, history and an entertaining guide to the local SA slang.
Oranje is the nickname that was given to the Dutch football team in recognition of their “Total Football” method of play in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. During this tournament the Netherlands adopted a method of play in which any player can take over the role of another, producing a performance that ran like “clockwork oranje”. Given that the Dutch have never won the tournament this nick name is somewhat misleading, come to think of it they have been infamous underachievers at previous World Cup tournaments. The Oranje made it to two consecutive World Cup finals in 1974 and 1978, but lost both finals to their respective host nations West Germany and Argentina.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Gio for short) is the man that has been selected to lead the Oranje in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. A brief glance over his career induces a sense of awe in the reader, in my opinion this man is one of the truly great, no nonsense sort of players in the game today.
Gio has played club football in Scotland (Rangers), England (Arsenal), Spain (Barcalona) and his homeland the Netherlands (RKC Waalwijk and Feyenoord). He started his international career against Brazil way back in 1996. Since then he has earned 96 international caps, played for his country in two World Cups (1998 and 2006), as well as three European Championships (2000, 2004, and 2008).
At 35, Gio is one of the oldest captains/players in world football. His wisdom and leadership ability is reflected in a quote from an interview in 2009:
“We’ve always produced outstanding players, but for whatever reason, we’ve only once come up with one truly great team.”
Gio understands that the greatest obstacle the Oranje face is getting 11 supremely talented players functioning as one unit. As captain he is perfectly placed to instill a teamwork approach within the Oranje. Gio has never captained Holland in a World Cup, is he the man who will he unite his team and kiss the golden trophy in July 2010?
2010, Football, Soccer | Emma Donovan June 27, 2010 | 
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