Confederations Cup Thread

[Mango Chow!]

Mango Chow yuh have real patience.....

  A fine kwalitee in a husband (in case yuh lookin' fuh one nuh) 

[frico]

Mango Chow here's a question,how much do you think England would have put pass Brasil yesterday or for that matter SA?
I'd like to say again that there's too much hype about Brasil and Argentina,when you watch them play they look as ordinary as any lowly rated European team,their players are sold for exorbitant sums and the majority dont produce.Mnagers live in hope that their magic would show up,It does now and then.African players on the other hand have been getting exposure for many years,the fact is only one African team showed that they can match anybody but sadly they haven't progressed enough.You said that I should wrap myself in the Union Jack,tell yuh the truth,I wont even do that when they win the WC IN 2010,HOPE YUH SEE WHAT I'VE SAID,WHEN THEY WIN THE WC 2010.

[Arazi]

Mango Chow here's a question,how much do you think England would have put pass Brasil yesterday or for that matter SA?
I'd like to say again that there's too much hype about Brasil and Argentina,when you watch them play they look as ordinary as any lowly rated European team,their players are sold for exorbitant sums and the majority dont produce.Mnagers live in hope that their magic would show up,It does now and then.African players on the other hand have been getting exposure for many years,the fact is only one African team showed that they can match anybody but sadly they haven't progressed enough.You said that I should wrap myself in the Union Jack,tell yuh the truth,I wont even do that when they win the WC IN 2010,HOPE YUH SEE WHAT I'VE SAID,WHEN THEY WIN THE WC 2010.

as any lowly european team?

nah sir, they have days they look disjointed every other game but they produce alot more than you say, the only thing I'd if anything I think their managers don't do there jobs very well and are often over-reliant on their name players making the result for them...and often when the plan a fails they don't often have a sufficient plan b..

Argentina  in 2006 played some of the best football in the tournament and were unfortunately to go out on PKs to the host..
England very likely would have looked just as bad against South Africa, you remember how threatening England looked against T&T two years ago?

African teams have raw talent and probably suffer from a lack of know how..but I can't say they have better teams or players than South America...

[Filho]

Mango Chow here's a question,how much do you think England would have put pass Brasil yesterday or for that matter SA?
I'd like to say again that there's too much hype about Brasil and Argentina,when you watch them play they look as ordinary as any lowly rated European team,their players are sold for exorbitant sums and the majority dont produce.Mnagers live in hope that their magic would show up,It does now and then.African players on the other hand have been getting exposure for many years,the fact is only one African team showed that they can match anybody but sadly they haven't progressed enough.You said that I should wrap myself in the Union Jack,tell yuh the truth,I wont even do that when they win the WC IN 2010,HOPE YUH SEE WHAT I'VE SAID,WHEN THEY WIN THE WC 2010.

frico...just as you don't think people shouldn't be too high n Brazil, you are kinda going overboard on describing what you consider their mediocrity. Brazil stutters every now and then, but generally they've been class. You really think Brazil has been poor when winning 4 of the last 5 Copa Americas. Playing in 3 of the last 4 world cup finals and winning 2. Kaka and Robinho looked poor yesterday, but that is an exception, not the rule. Sure the playing field is a lot more even, and their transfer prices are not an indication of their superior skill, but a combination of playing ability, marketability etc..Brazilians command a kind of implied premium simply by being Brazilian. Don't get mad at that...sure they are benefitting from their past style and success, but they do bring some serious skill and joy to the game even today. So, did you see Brazil beat Itay 3-0 in this tournament...why didn't you make your point about their mediocrity then? What about the 2-1 over Italy earlier this year in London, or the 6-2 thrashing of Portugal before that? What about the thrashing of Argentina in the Copa America, or the last Confed Cup final, or the 3-0 win the friendly in London. This Brazil team is not my favorite, but have some balance. One poor performance and you come out of the woodworks...were all the other successes just luck.

what would England do yesterday? England could not even qualify for Euro 2008 so you'll never know. I saw a bland Brazil play England last year at Wembley and hold them 1-1..Even when Brazil plays poorly, they know how to get a result most times. And they did it in England. Again...you pick and choose your spots, but don't look at the overall picture. In recent years, Brazil and their players have been top level by any standards. I not saying they are unplayable or unbeatable and I sure not saying to discount the US either, but you kind of overdoing it. Brazil eh mediocre...Easily on of the best teams on the planet with some superbly gifted players. They just not the only ones

[Lifeisgood]

This is brilliant news for CONCACAF and we should be proud of what the US is doing to make our football acceptable the world over.The dismantling of the African Champions was great but beating Spain,well! no one can argue with that.I have said before that African football is over-hyped and Asian football is no where CONCACAF standard.I am backing USA to beat another over-hyped Brasil,who came close to losing to SA,a team that we beat before.Having said that we have ameeting with USA later on,we are going to turn things on its head by beating them,no probs.

Frico - I see that you have 500+ posts on this forum...so it is amazing that you would post this kind of back-sideness on this thread.  Do you not realize that is big big football supporters on here??  African football over-hyped? - - where in today's game African players are at a premium because coupled with there obvious talents on the fields, they are physical specimens.  Over-hyped Brazil - - ok by a show of hands how many of us would love to see our SW team play, the mess that Brazil play against SA? .... come on people, Brazil had a sub par performance..for Brazil - over hyped (Negro please!)... can they lose to the US? Ofcourse...that is the beauty of the game.

However, for the sake of the beauty of the game - I certainly hope that the US does not win.  Their "brand" is not beautiful - by any stretch of the imagination.  After the first two games people were saying that they have no purpose to their play..they looked lost...how has that changed?  The major change / improvement has been Davies and Merrit.  Other than that, not much possession .. hustle and hard work..which obviously pays off.  I will give Jack he Jacket and admit that the US did what they had to to win...but cyar ever say I supporting the US side - too damn arrogant for me sah! and doh tell me to get over Nov 19 (like I read in an earlier post).  I was in the stadium that day and cried just as many were.  You never entirely forget that 1st true love and 1st heartbreak....the country fell in love with the Strike Squad, could NEVER get over dat.

Frico, you are entitled to your opinion - but fella please know that you will get pung everytime.. with mess like that. For many of us on here, the priority is clear...
T&T - 1, Brazil - 2....anybody vs. the US - 3 .... is not hate or jealousy or any of that, but is like how yuh would feel about de man dat coasting on yuh, because he brushin de ting dat used to be/supposed to be yours.....yuh jes cyar like dah man!!

 

Final prediction: Brazil 3 US 0

[kicker]

Mango Chow here's a question,how much do you think England would have put pass Brasil yesterday or for that matter SA?
I'd like to say again that there's too much hype about Brasil and Argentina,when you watch them play they look as ordinary as any lowly rated European team,their players are sold for exorbitant sums and the majority dont produce.Mnagers live in hope that their magic would show up,It does now and then.African players on the other hand have been getting exposure for many years,the fact is only one African team showed that they can match anybody but sadly they haven't progressed enough.You said that I should wrap myself in the Union Jack,tell yuh the truth,I wont even do that when they win the WC IN 2010,HOPE YUH SEE WHAT I'VE SAID,WHEN THEY WIN THE WC 2010.

People were saying the same thing in WC 2002 before the England - Brazil clash...oh how Brazil are overrated, blah blah blah...England this, England that...and what happened? It was men against boys.  

And you have to be kidding when you say that Brazil & Argentina are on par with lowly reated European teams...please.  

[Midknight]

lord...sando new screen name is frico...

[dinho]

This is brilliant news for CONCACAF and we should be proud of what the US is doing to make our football acceptable the world over.The dismantling of the African Champions was great but beating Spain,well! no one can argue with that.I have said before that African football is over-hyped and Asian football is no where CONCACAF standard.I am backing USA to beat another over-hyped Brasil,who came close to losing to SA,a team that we beat before.Having said that we have ameeting with USA later on,we are going to turn things on its head by beating them,no probs.

Frico - I see that you have 500+ posts on this forum...so it is amazing that you would post this kind of back-sideness on this thread.  Do you not realize that is big big football supporters on here??  African football over-hyped? - - where in today's game African players are at a premium because coupled with there obvious talents on the fields, they are physical specimens.  Over-hyped Brazil - - ok by a show of hands how many of us would love to see our SW team play, the mess that Brazil play against SA? .... come on people, Brazil had a sub par performance..for Brazil - over hyped (Negro please!)... can they lose to the US? Ofcourse...that is the beauty of the game.

However, for the sake of the beauty of the game - I certainly hope that the US does not win.  Their "brand" is not beautiful - by any stretch of the imagination.  After the first two games people were saying that they have no purpose to their play..they looked lost...how has that changed?  The major change / improvement has been Davies and Merrit.  Other than that, not much possession .. hustle and hard work..which obviously pays off.  I will give Jack he Jacket and admit that the US did what they had to to win...but cyar ever say I supporting the US side - too damn arrogant for me sah! and doh tell me to get over Nov 19 (like I read in an earlier post).  I was in the stadium that day and cried just as many were.  You never entirely forget that 1st true love and 1st heartbreak....the country fell in love with the Strike Squad, could NEVER get over dat.

Frico, you are entitled to your opinion - but fella please know that you will get pung everytime.. with mess like that. For many of us on here, the priority is clear...
T&T - 1, Brazil - 2....anybody vs. the US - 3 .... is not hate or jealousy or any of that, but is like how yuh would feel about de man dat coasting on yuh, because he brushin de ting dat used to be/supposed to be yours.....yuh jes cyar like dah man!!

 

Final prediction: Brazil 3 US 0

lol... good post.

kinda encapsulates my sentiments.. people need to relax with the rationale and let men hate in peace.

[Lifeisgood]

Oh yeah sorry Frico... the newest addition for the SWNet Dictionary..

back-sideness
Meaning:  When someone .. (today we will use Frico as an example) is talking out of their arse.  Also known as Loose bowel syndrome of the mouth.

 

[Midknight]

.. people need to relax with the rationale and let men hate in peace.

unless they Jamaican...

of course

[Mango Chow!]

Oh yeah sorry Frico... the newest addition for the SWNet Dictionary..

back-sideness
Meaning:  When someone .. (today we will use Frico as an example) is talking out of their arse.  Also known as Loose bowel syndrome of the mouth.

 

  I like de word but I would prefer if yuh spell it "backsided-ness".  Dat extra "d" in dey give some symmetry in pronunciation. 


  Omar calling fuh man to let odder man hate in peace.  Tank yuh very much, Omar.  Like a man cyah jook de usa on dis site at all boy.  Is only a setta 9-eleveners comin' wit dey gunz blazin!   

[Lifeisgood]

Oh yeah sorry Frico... the newest addition for the SWNet Dictionary..

back-sideness
Meaning:  When someone .. (today we will use Frico as an example) is talking out of their arse.  Also known as Loose bowel syndrome of the mouth.

 

  I like de word but I would prefer if yuh spell it "backsided-ness".  Dat extra "d" in dey give some symmetry in pronunciation. 


  Omar calling fuh man to let odder man hate in peace.  Tank yuh very much, Omar.  Like a man cyah jook de usa on dis site at all boy.  Is only a setta 9-eleveners comin' wit dey gunz blazin!   

I good with that.  Motion to change the mess that Frico talkin from back-sideness, to "backsided- ness approved.!!...

All in favor ...say "yes I"

[Filho]

Oh yeah sorry Frico... the newest addition for the SWNet Dictionary..

back-sideness
Meaning:  When someone .. (today we will use Frico as an example) is talking out of their arse.  Also known as Loose bowel syndrome of the mouth.

 

  I like de word but I would prefer if yuh spell it "backsided-ness".  Dat extra "d" in dey give some symmetry in pronunciation. 


  Omar calling fuh man to let odder man hate in peace.  Tank yuh very much, Omar.  Like a man cyah jook de usa on dis site at all boy.  Is only a setta 9-eleveners comin' wit dey gunz blazin!   

oh gyad....backsided-ness, 9 eleveners...allyuh on fire today

[Dinner Mints]

Ah, daiz where de problem come out.

relax with the rationale

I doh do this very well.

[acb]

Oh yeah sorry Frico... the newest addition for the SWNet Dictionary..

back-sideness
Meaning:  When someone .. (today we will use Frico as an example) is talking out of their arse.  Also known as Loose bowel syndrome of the mouth.

 

I like de word but I would prefer if yuh spell it "backsided-ness".  Dat extra "d" in dey give some symmetry in pronunciation. 


  Omar calling fuh man to let odder man hate in peace.  Tank yuh very much, Omar.  Like a man cyah jook de usa on dis site at all boy.  Is only a setta 9-eleveners comin' wit dey gunz blazin!   

I good with that.  Motion to change the mess that Frico talkin from back-sideness, to "backsided- ness approved.!!...

All in favor ...say "yes I"

I eh know whey you come out from today - but that is 3 brilliant, heart-felt posts that could get applied to much more than football.

men go have tabanca for lunch today

[Lifeisgood]

Yeah boss ..real people could relate to that on a few different levels.  Tooth ache is the only pain - forgive me ladies, because I have never experience child-birth - pain worse than Tabanca!

Before today I was reserving comment on the whole US feel good win/story ...because I did not want to react based off of emotion (I was sick when they beat Spain) -- but I eventually got over it, recognized it for what it was...manned-up and moved on...

...and then Frico...hav to come an pull Brazil into it and oh how he proud ah de US - pull mih right back een!!

Have not posted on the Forum for a while (new name) - and it take a man like Frico to get mih back in de mix.  So in a way Frics...I appreciated the _________ - ness, yuh post today!!  Cheers brethren 

[dinho]

Ah, daiz where de problem come out.

relax with the rationale

I doh do this very well.

neither do I beans... i not on blind bias and subjectivity but on certain topics, no amount of sense and good talk bringing me around..

doh try to tell me about why i should support the USA because i living there and they beat a few teams..

doh tell me we was lucky to draw against sweden..

doh tell me under any circumstances that jamaica doing better than us..

doh tell me crouch good..

it have a few more on that list, but on dem topics just leave me de *** be..

[Dinner Mints]

Ah, daiz where de problem come out.

relax with the rationale

I doh do this very well.

neither do I beans... i not on blind bias and subjectivity but on certain topics, no amount of sense and good talk bringing me around..

doh try to tell me about why i should support the USA because i living there and they beat a few teams..

doh tell me we was lucky to draw against sweden..

doh tell me under any circumstances that jamaica doing better than us..

doh tell me crouch good..

it have a few more on that list, but on dem topics just leave me de *** be..

lol. Seen.

[frico]

You fellas making meh laugh with that new word "back-sidedness" I'll start using it on meh English work mates,that is first I heard that one.I luv it doh.

[Zeppo]

Here are some facts for you to consider:  Ever since the original WC in 1930 up until 1978, concacaf was ALWAYS given either 1 or 2 slots, and I want you to hold on to that point, but consider the following:  As the wheels of colonization started falling off, African nations in particular, started emerging to the point that they no longer had to go into a playoff between themselves and other confederations and CAF first started consistently getting their lone slot in 1970.  Just ONE SLOT.   Fifa made this change while the field for the WC was still only 16 teams.  There have twice been expansions to the field from 16 to 24 in 1982 and from 24 to 32 in 1998.   Over that period of time, concacaf has gained 1.5 additional slots and CAF has gained 4.  I am well aware of Trinidad having used that .5 slot to qualify for Germany and we can thank expansion and jack warner for that. 

You seem to be a bit hazy on how the whole thing unfolded, so let me remind you that when the WC was expanded to 32 teams in 1998 CONCACAF received ONE extra spot. The additional half spot didn't come until 2006. This was because the defending champion no longer automatically qualified after 2002 and it freed up a whole place.

Now when FIFA divided it in half they had to decide who to award those playoff spots to, and I'm sure your Uncle Jack did a fine job when arguing the case for our region. But if you think that he would have been able to pull it off without having the luxury of pointing out how 2 out of 3 CONCACAF teams had advanced from their groups in that previous WC then you are just plain delusional.

I know you're uncomfortable pondering the fact that the U.S. team's performance was instrumental in T&T having the playoff spot to compete in -- especially since it blows apart your fallacious argument that other CONCACAF teams don't benefit from strong U.S. (or Mexican) performances in high-profile tournaments. But that's a problem you'll just have to deal with.
 

[Bitter]

[size=110pt]Organizers look at work ahead for 2010 World Cup[/size]

By Stuart Condie, AP Sports Writer
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-06-26-3167495452_x.htm

JOHANNESBURG — With just two games remaining at the Confederations Cup, South African organizers are looking at the work still to be done to prepare for next year's World Cup.
Fourteen games have been played at the eight-team warmup for next year's tournament and organizers said on Friday that they were largely happy with how things had gone but would wait until after Sunday's final and third-place game before making their report.

Then, it will be time to see what needs to be done to improve transportation, stadiums and other infrastructure for the 32-nation World Cup.

"We must not celebrate too long," 2010 World Cup organizing committee head Danny Jordaan said. "We must knuckle down and deliver the conditions for the World Cup, which is a huge competition."

The Confederations Cup was designed to help organizers highlight areas in need of improvement before the World Cup, and organizers said it had again been a worthwhile experience.

"We must look to the 2010 World Cup through the eyes of the Confederations Cup," Jordaan said. "We must realize we are not hosting the Confederations Cup in this country again."

Jordaan said the standard of the facilities will be better next year. The Confederations Cup featured only four venues, all of them shared with rugby.

"We have played in existing stadiums and these are our worst stadiums," Jordaan said of the venues in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Rustenburg. "Our best stadiums are still to come. The co-use of stadiums is not an issue."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter also highlighted the performance of the tournament's less favored teams as one of the competition's successes, with South Africa narrowly losing to Brazil in Thursday's semifinal and the United States reaching the final by stunning top-ranked Spain on Wednesday.

Blatter said he hoped nations such as the United States had an even greater chance of success at the World Cup, with a seeding system for the first-round draw making it almost impossible for the Americans to face such a tough group again.

The United States progressed to the semifinals by finishing second in a group also containing Brazil, World Cup holder Italy and African champion Egypt.

"There are no more dominant teams," Blatter said. "In the World Cup, it will be easier because there are 32 teams and in the draw for the groups, teams are seeded. In the World Cup, such a group could not be possible.

"As FIFA president, I must be very happy to have an American final: north against south."

Jordaan agreed that the United States' success was good for soccer.

"The USA (team) is a revelation in terms of interest now in the U.S.," he said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Mango Chow!]

Here are some facts for you to consider:  Ever since the original WC in 1930 up until 1978, concacaf was ALWAYS given either 1 or 2 slots, and I want you to hold on to that point, but consider the following:  As the wheels of colonization started falling off, African nations in particular, started emerging to the point that they no longer had to go into a playoff between themselves and other confederations and CAF first started consistently getting their lone slot in 1970.  Just ONE SLOT.   Fifa made this change while the field for the WC was still only 16 teams.  There have twice been expansions to the field from 16 to 24 in 1982 and from 24 to 32 in 1998.   Over that period of time, concacaf has gained 1.5 additional slots and CAF has gained 4.  I am well aware of Trinidad having used that .5 slot to qualify for Germany and we can thank expansion and jack warner for that. 

You seem to be a bit hazy on how the whole thing unfolded, so let me remind you that when the WC was expanded to 32 teams in 1998 CONCACAF received ONE extra spot. The additional half spot didn't come until 2006. This was because the defending champion no longer automatically qualified after 2002 and it freed up a whole place.

Now when FIFA divided it in half they had to decide who to award those playoff spots to, and I'm sure your Uncle Jack did a fine job when arguing the case for our region. But if you think that he would have been able to pull it off without having the luxury of pointing out how 2 out of 3 CONCACAF teams had advanced from their groups in that previous WC then you are just plain delusional.

I know you're uncomfortable pondering the fact that the U.S. team's performance was instrumental in T&T having the playoff spot to compete in -- especially since it blows apart your fallacious argument that other CONCACAF teams don't benefit from strong U.S. (or Mexican) performances in high-profile tournaments. But that's a problem you'll just have to deal with.
 

Well, here's where your theory don't hold water.   In 1994 two out of the two concacaf teams advanced past the group stage.  In fact, one of those teams even came out group winners beating out Italy, Republic of Ireland and Norway to top the group.  The other team pulled off a major upset by defeating Columbia in what turned out to be a national tragedy for Columbian football.  Now, wouldn't it stand to reason, (using your levitated argument, of course) that for the next Tournament, when they increased the field by 8 teams, that concacaf should have gotten at least 2 of them slots?  How come they only got 1 when 1 is what they would have gotten anyway?  How come "our" uncle jack wasn't able to use concacaf's success rate to bargain for more than just an obligatory slot in an expansion tournament?   Please transpose your theory and explain that for me. 

[Toppa]

This is brilliant news for CONCACAF and we should be proud of what the US is doing to make our football acceptable the world over.The dismantling of the African Champions was great but beating Spain,well! no one can argue with that.I have said before that African football is over-hyped and Asian football is no where CONCACAF standard.I am backing USA to beat another over-hyped Brasil,who came close to losing to SA,a team that we beat before.Having said that we have ameeting with USA later on,we are going to turn things on its head by beating them,no probs.

Frico - I see that you have 500+ posts on this forum...so it is amazing that you would post this kind of back-sideness on this thread.  Do you not realize that is big big football supporters on here??  African football over-hyped? - - where in today's game African players are at a premium because coupled with there obvious talents on the fields, they are physical specimens.  Over-hyped Brazil - - ok by a show of hands how many of us would love to see our SW team play, the mess that Brazil play against SA? .... come on people, Brazil had a sub par performance..for Brazil - over hyped (Negro please!)... can they lose to the US? Ofcourse...that is the beauty of the game.

However, for the sake of the beauty of the game - I certainly hope that the US does not win.  Their "brand" is not beautiful - by any stretch of the imagination.  After the first two games people were saying that they have no purpose to their play..they looked lost...how has that changed?  The major change / improvement has been Davies and Merrit.  Other than that, not much possession .. hustle and hard work..which obviously pays off.  I will give Jack he Jacket and admit that the US did what they had to to win...but cyar ever say I supporting the US side - too damn arrogant for me sah! and doh tell me to get over Nov 19 (like I read in an earlier post).  I was in the stadium that day and cried just as many were.  You never entirely forget that 1st true love and 1st heartbreak....the country fell in love with the Strike Squad, could NEVER get over dat.

Frico, you are entitled to your opinion - but fella please know that you will get pung everytime.. with mess like that. For many of us on here, the priority is clear...
T&T - 1, Brazil - 2....anybody vs. the US - 3 .... is not hate or jealousy or any of that, but is like how yuh would feel about de man dat coasting on yuh, because he brushin de ting dat used to be/supposed to be yours.....yuh jes cyar like dah man!!

 

Final prediction: Brazil 3 US 0

lol... good post.

kinda encapsulates my sentiments.. people need to relax with the rationale and let men hate in peace.

 

Tell meh dis ting nah!

[frico]

Lifeisgood I understand all about why people doh like USA coz after 89 I hated the bastards more than any place on earth but I came to my senses.I honestly feel that it would be a great fillip for USA to beat Brasil on Sunday.
For too long CONCACAF been treated like the CINDERELLA of the football world,even Asia get treated better.I now back all CONCACAF teams no matter who they play,I even back Jamaica when they play outside of the CONCACAF.I want our teams and players to be taken seriously and that will happen when CONCACAF START BEATING UP TEAMS OUTSIDE THE REGION.I dont understand the hero worship that the South Americans get when man kick 2 good ball, while our players play their bollocks off and dont get anywhere.One day when we beating people regular we players will be accepted.Nuff said!

[acb]

sounds familiar huh?

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-wcup-southafrica-security&prov=ap&type=lgns

World Cup: Enjoy South Africa, just be smart
By SIMON HAYDON, AP Sports Writer
16 minutes ago
 
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - There are times you could mistake South Africa for heaven on earth.

The place has stunning wildlife, a climate ranging from pleasantly warm in winter to sizzling hot in summer, dramatic coastlines and cities that can be nonstop fun. Its food and wine rank among the best in the world. And in less than a year, it will become the first African nation to host the World Cup, one of the planet’s greatest sporting events.

Yet an aura of fear hangs over the country.

The white minority lives, for the most part, in opulence behind high walls with electrified fences. Much of the black majority lives in townships, crowded and impoverished legacies of apartheid where violent street crime is common.
 
Security has become a major concern for the hundreds of thousands of visitors planning to make the journey next year. Is it safe? Will I be robbed, or worse?

The answer is, unfortunately, not simple. Parts of South Africa are certainly dangerous and to be avoided. I received conflicting advice on a daily basis while in South Africa for the Confederations Cup soccer tournament, a warm-up for the 32-nation World Cup next year.

“Don’t worry about going jogging, it’s safe. Just don’t wear an iPod,” was the confusing tip from a young, white South African talking about the safety of the leafy streets in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs, for many years the preserve of wealthy whites.

Another young white man advised against taking a 10-minute stroll to the local shopping mall from my green and pleasant guest house, protected by a 24-hour guard and high walls like every other house in the city’s northern suburbs.

“And yes, that fencing on top of the wall is electrified. And the current’s switched on at night,” one guard said.

Even the Johannesburg Tourism Company’s official map, handed out to journalists and visitors, bears the following advice.

“Don’t drive at night in unfamiliar areas … the northern suburbs of Johannesburg are easy to drive in and explore. However newcomers should avoiding driving south of Braamfontein into the old city center as it is extremely crowded, making it easy for smash and grab thieves to operate.”

Help! Where’s Braamfontein? And am I south of it?

This was the problem facing four British men who flew in to South Africa to watch rugby last week, hired a car at Johannesburg airport and headed off for the opulent suburb of Sandton, using a satellite navigation system.

Unfortunately, they ended up in southern Johannesburg and found themselves robbed at gunpoint.

But would those four men have been any safer if they’d wandered into parts of any major city? Probably not. Also, they were four of 15,000 rugby fans currently enjoying the time of their lives in South Africa.

Marcel Desailly, the Ghanaian born ex-captain of the France’s soccer team, is a seasoned international traveler. “At the end of the day, Johannesburg is like any big city, London, Paris or New York,” he told The Associated Press. “There are ghettos but there’s really no reason to be worried. All the places will be secure next year. It’s a key moment for Africa.”

While South Africa’s black population is emerging from decades of oppression, the country’s white population—several million strong—appears to be confused about just what kind of nation they’re inhabiting.

On a sunny June day, it’s just plain crazy to think that the broad streets outside my hotel are dangerous. In the nearby mall, even with beggars plying their trade nearby, trendy restaurants are busy.

But after a fine meal in a Kosher vegetarian pizza restaurant, the streets are empty as I walk back to the hotel and I suddenly feel not quite so comfortable. As a journalist, I’ve covered wars and urban strife and I’ve never been comfortable with deserted streets. They often conceal danger and ordinary folks keep out of the way.

I’m relieved when I bump into a few colleagues also on their way home. Safety here is definitely to be found in numbers.

The atmosphere is a reminder that robbers are to be found late at night on the streets in cars, looking for lone victims. But precautions you’d take in any other major city will keep you safe. Police and private security firms are to be seen everywhere, and World Cup organizers will be flooding the streets of cities hosting matches next year.

Still, does that mean South African whites are right to be fearful, if not paranoid? Or are they victims of their own mentality, living behind psychological as well as physical walls in the cosseted surroundings they’ve enjoyed for more than a century?

Certainly, South Africa is working furiously to transform itself from the closed and brutal apartheid society it was famous for up to the 1990s, into the garrulous and lively country it wants to be. The chaos of transformation is to be seen everywhere, especially in the frantic buildup to the 2010 World Cup.

At Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo Airport, the terminals offer tourists a glimpse of the nation’s unrivaled beauty, with images everywhere of elephants and lions, seascapes and mountain ranges. The check-in desks, unfortunately, tell a different story. Baggage still needs to be wrapped in film to keep it from being ransacked and thousands pack into a space meant for a few hundred every time a few international departures coincide.

Outside Johannesburg and Cape Town, the fear factor plummets, even though I spotted a sign on the road from Johannesburg to the mining city of Rustenburg reading, “Do not stop: beware carjackings.” Small impoverished townships dot the countryside, remnants of blacks being forced out of their homes and into places where they would not be seen by the ruling whites, and crime around these areas is high.

But the townships are no longer the hovels they once were. The tin roofs and walls still exist in some places, but more often than not they have been replaced by brick, and transformed into small, but permanent homes offering running water and electricity. Successive governments since apartheid collapsed have pumped vast sums of money into developing the townships.

In what was a township but is now the bustling, messy and garrulous city of Soweto a few miles from Johannesburg, the waiter Massi serves me a huge steak served with pap (maize meal), smiling as my female colleague chomps at a large piece of meat. “She is Ugimba, lady who likes to eat a lot,” he smiles, paying her the ultimate compliment.

Most residents of Soweto, the former home of South African giants Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, make the journey to Johannesburg every day to work, much of the time in businesses run by whites who still appear to hold the purse strings of the economy despite the end of apartheid almost 20 years ago.

It’s still a common sight to see black house servants walking with little white children, an uncomfortable reminder of South Africa’s racist past for some but not, apparently, for the servants’ employers.

Next June, all South Africans will welcome the world to their nation.

For vast majority of visitors, it’ll be the holiday of a lifetime. An unhappy few will fall victim to crimes that are a symbol of the country’s battle to overcome odds that once looked overwhelming but today don’t appear quite so daunting.

[E-man]

Spectators wearin sweater, jackets, toques, and gloves.

This will be the first World Cup in history (I believe) where the teams will be playing in such temperatures.

How will it affect the balance of play?

Do the European teams have a bigger advantage?

Argentina 78 ??

Confed Cup gives first taste of winter World Cup - USA Today

[Mango Chow!]

Spectators wearin sweater, jackets, toques, and gloves.

This will be the first World Cup in history (I believe) where the teams will be playing in such temperatures.

How will it affect the balance of play?

Do the European teams have a bigger advantage?

Argentina 78 ??

Confed Cup gives first taste of winter World Cup - USA Today

  Well....cold wedder does have a way of keepin' crime dong so dem two-wrists and dem go be safe.

[Sando prince]

Hmmm if U.S win tommorow I still dont beleieve it will change the status of football in dat country..

[Brownsugar]

USA....USA....USA!!!.....

Bourbon ya owe mih!!...

[Bourbon]

USA....USA....USA!!!.....

Bourbon ya owe mih!!...

Cash it in when yuh ready.