What a great evening ! This started out as a game I thought I wouldn't see and ended up with the 3 of us seated in the front row on the halfway line !
Spain vs Chile was always going to be a big clash but with the Spanish now having to win to qualify it had become a match of gargantuan importance for both teams. Lose, and you faced the very real prospect of going. For Spain, as favourites and European Champions, that would have been an unmitigated disaster. For Chile, having won their first 2 games of the tournament, it would have been too much to bear.
A mouth-watering prospect, and I didn't have a ticket ! I had got confused when buying up front and had only got 2. I was prepared to wait outside while my kids watched.... but luck soon intervened in the shape of a kind gentleman who let me have his ticket at face value. Yess.....I was going inside !
Having seen my kids safely to their seats high up in the rafters I set out to find my own seat. As we all know, it's not the destination that matters, it's the journey....and how this journey worked out for me !
Loftus Versfeld is one of the refurbished old stadiums being used in this World Cup and, unlike the new stadiums, it does not process crowds quickly. I took one look at the crowd squeezing into the (only) tunnel leading to my block and realised it was at least a 15-minute wait. Not only that but the crush looked uncomfortable and, possibly, dangerous.
Now, Loftus has one rather odd feature. There is a wide access path that runs the length of the pitch in front of the main stand. The stewards were directing supporters along this path last night to find their seats. So, when I couldn't get to my seat I thought, let me go hang out on that access path until the crush clears and I can take my seat.
That's exactly what I did and, to my amazement, I was allowed to just kind of hang around the halfway line area, right in front of the main stand and virtually at pitch edge. After a few minutes the officials took the covers off the front row of seats to alleviate some overcrowding behind. (I've never understood why they cover the first 1 or 2 rows. You see it at Champions League matches too.)
When someone offers you a front row seat on the halfway line at a World Cup match you take it....so I sat down. Long story short is that I then called Dylan and Shea and told them to come join me. There were seats available and the view was the opposite extreme of what they had at the very top of the main stand. (You can see the difference between their 2 views in the slideshow of pics above.)
All a bit resourceful I know but, my gosh, sometimes resourcefulness has its pay offs. We were so close to the action and the likes of Iniesta, Villa and Torres. Best of all though was the crowd. We were in amongst a huge contingent of Chile supporters whose exuberance was hardly tempered by the fact that their team was chasing the game for most of the 90 minutes. They simply couldn't sit still.
It was hilarious to watch the headmaster-like, older Afrikaans man who was clearly in charge of security. He must have been a veteran of running the security show at countless big rugby matches here at Loftus, the home of the Blue Bulls. "I know this is soccer" he told the restless Chile supporters, "but just stop it !"
Of course the Chileans got even more exuberant when word filtered through that Switzerland were only drawing against Honduras. At full time, even though Spain had won 2-1 and topped the group, it was Chile who were going through with them.
Perfect result. Perfect night.
Began the day with an interview on Kfm with Ryan O' Connor. have a listen:
http://soundcloud.com/2010roadtrip/02-20100625-074255-walls-trip-25-june-2010
25 June - Pretoria - Spain vs Chile
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Posted by Dylan and John at Saturday, June 26, 2010
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4 comments:
Radio interview cool. Love Dylan and Shea's video. Nice to see them still giggling and not a Romeo in sight! I'm wondering does she like 'oh my gosh' better then 'OMG'? Wish we were still there but still feeling it. Colette X
Hi guys. Spain v Chile i thought was rather a strange game. Terrific first goal from the spaniards. Only game i can focus on now is Germany v England.It doesnt come much bigger in soccer terms. 25,000,000 brits will be watching.Expect trouble if we loose. No love lost here..
Best wishes Alan
Ah you haven't lost the accent boy!
Tis a good thing.
Please don't ever, ever look like Russell Brand :)
Alan
Got your second programme for you. Good luck for tomorrow. Will be rooting for England.
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