Five for 5

So… no one tailgates at the World Cup. At least not that I have ever come across. I have only ever been to this World Cup and the one 4 years ago in Germany, but I think that’s a fair sample. It really changes the atmosphere. I honestly did not see a single drunk at the game. I did not see a single fight. All of the opposition fans are all quite cordial to each other. I know that we are not yet to the single elimination stage and the stakes will be higher later on in the tournament, but it is a very different vibe than an NFL game. I think it’s (at least in part) due to the no tailgating. The environment was electric, though! There is something different under the lights and this game was just huge!

Tonight was our last game. It was our 5^th game in 5 days. On paper, it was the most exciting match up, Brazil versus the Ivory Coast. Both teams are stacked with stars and it is one of the key games in the Group of Death. For those of you who are not familiar, in every World Cup, there is always one group from the first round of games where it is filled with all strong teams and will result in “killing off” two of them. That is always known at the Group of Death. This year, Group G, with Brazil, Ivory Coast, Portugal, and North Korea is that group.

The game was a great one. Brazil came out on top, 3 goals to 1.

We had a bit of an adventure getting home after the game. No one can park at Soccer City, which I find odd. You can either take the train or you can go to the park and ride to take a bus. We took a taxi to the bus. Going there was fine, but leaving the taxi driver's car broke and he sent someone else. And the people we were sharing the cab with were late. When we finally got to the hotel, we were locked out of the room (not our fault!) and the office was closed for the night. Drama, drama, drama. It all worked out in the end, but there were a few moments before we got help getting a hold of the owner that were a little stressful. It was a little too chilly to sleep on the bench. It really is winter time in the Southern Hemisphere!