From the Field: The Big South African Soccer Game Drive (source: unknown)
Total Footblog: The Crossroads of Global Football & American Soccer began as a blog about my experience at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It was called From The Field: The Big South African Soccer Game Drive and covered every aspect of my 25-day adventure in Cape Town, Rustenburg, and Amsterdam.
Click here to find that blog’s final post. You can see the other 60 originals by reviewing the posts that proceed that one. In case you are genuinely interested in the tournament, what it’s like to travel to the World Cup, or simply are planning a visit Cape Town or Amsterdam, I have included links to most of the posts below, followed by the original page describing the blog:
THE CUP THAT WAS: And the Blog That Will Be
LOOKING BACK: Robben Island & How Football Changed South Africa
THE CUP RUNNETH OVER: Slobbering Up the Latest Football News
THIERRY HENRY: Handles the Ball Well
SOCCER IN AMERICA: Henry & Hendrik
LOOKING BACK: The Exceptional Eleven
LOOKING BACK: The Cape of Good Hope
THE 2010 WORLD CUP FINAL: A Battle Of Style And Guile
THE CUP OF LIFE: My Thirst Quenched For Another Four Years
LUIS SUAREZ: The Final Word On A Loathsome Loser
FROM GERMANY, WITH LOEW: Deutschland Ist Drittes!
FINAL PREVIEW: It’ll Be Like Kissing Your (really hot) Sister
THE BATTLE FOR THIRD: Search For the Second Best Loser
THE DUEL IN DURBAN: A Bit Of A Dud
JABULANI: Only Dicks Blame Their Balls
ORANGE JUSTICE: Cheaters Never Win
PREVIEW: The Netherlands vs. Uruguay
FLESH FEEDING FRENZY: Culinary Cape Town & Beyond
CRASH & BURN: The Last Two Quarterfinals
ROLLERCOASTER RIDE: Reflections On The First Two Quarterfinals
FAREWELL TO THE ASS CAVE: Leaving Cape Town
THE GREAT WHITE SHARK HUNT: A Cage Rattled
QUARTERFINALS: Better Than The Final?
FOR FIFA, WITH LOVE: How To Make The Beautiful Game A Little Less Ugly
THE DUST STARTS TO SETTLE: The Latest Action from Around South Africa
TAMBOERSKLOOF TREASURE: The Daily Deli
BLACK STARS & STRIPES: America Loses As Africa Wins
SWEET 16: The Americans Advance
VUVUZELA MEA CULPA: Blow It, Baby, Blow It
GREETINGS FROM THE ASS CAVE: Lessons from the Dark Incontinent
THE CRAZY CUP: A Review of the Latest Action
FOZZIE BEAR SUES SHAKIRA: Wocka Wocka to the Bank, Bitch
GO TO EUROPE AND TURN RIGHT: The Road to Cape Town
THE UBER BRACKET: Who Will Win The World Cup?
Why Most American Sports Journalists Don’t Like Soccer
THE LONG ROAD TO SOUTH AFRICA: Copa Del Mundo Italia 90
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER: Does America Really Have A Shot?
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The World Cup
This blog began as a walking commentary on my travels during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The text is inspired by the writers I admire, though in no way resembles their talent: M. Bowden, A. Bourdain, N. Chomsky, A. Dershowitz, T.L. Friedman, E. Hemingway, S.M. Hersh, H. Hesse, J. Kerouac, H. Miller, A. Nin, E.A. Poe, J.D. Salinger, J.P. Sarte, W. Shakespeare, H.S. Thompson, M. Twain, K. Vonnegut, T. Wolfe, B. Woodward, F. Zakaria, and H. Zinn. The photos and video were taken with my Nikon D90, SeaLife DC1000, or iPhone. Visit Flickr for the photos and YouTube for the videos.
I’d also like to thank the folks at the Mustang Internet Cafe in Tamboerskloof, Cape Town, without whom little of this would have been possible. Bar, cafe, and Internet access – a good thing. I spent a lot of late nights there, cranking out this stuff, listening to tunes, and watching replays of games. And many thanks to the band Goldfish, who always seemed to be playing in the background. Cheers!
The Battle of Rustenburg: A Coming of Age Story
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