Hammers in the Three Lions Den

So a lot has transpired since the last edition of the Hammer Times. Tomorrow I will recap in detail our adventures getting to South Africa and getting to our lodging but all you need to know now is that we are safe in Durban and........Rachel and I had the most amazing time Saturday. Let me share please while it is still fresh in my mind.

So up until a week or so before we left Minnesota I was content with being in the same country as the biggest match in USA soccer occurred, USA v. England. We were planning to go to the big screen at the FIFA sponsored FanFest in Durban, wearing all our gear and cheering as loud as possible. Then I had a sleepless night being tormented with the thought of being so close to the biggest match in USA soccer history and not at least attempting to be there. I am sure that my brother Rolf had similar tormenting thoughts when the Seahawks were in the Super Bowl in Detroit. So I researched the distance between Durban and Rustenburg. My heart began to race either from the cup of black tea I was drinking on an empty stomach or the fact that the distance between the cities was a measly 7 hour drive (I think it was the former). I drove seven hour road trips with my dad when I was 13. And when I say I drove, I drove. I laugh at 7 hour road trips. This was the beginning of my brain child which became the most spectacular sporting experience in my life.

Rachel and I left Durban at 9 am in our rental car, headed for Rustenburg, without a map and limited experience driving on the wrong side of the road. We acquired and compiled three different maps of South Africa that combined to be about a half of one good map. At this point Rachel began her quest for Woman of the Match by performing amazingly at piecing together information from three maps to get us to Rustenburg without having to battle Johannesburg or Pretoria. Rachel is a premiere navigator. We arrive in Rustenburg at about 5.30pm (a little longer than 7 hours but still "No Big Dill", copyright Matthew Kopicky) after some hemming and hawing on my part about whether to continue on our voyage because of the threat of multiple tolls along the highway but once again Rachel made a significant push for Woman of the Match by stating, "This match only happens once and we are here," in my greatest time of need. So by the hand of Rachel's encouragement and navigation we park in a park n'ride lot only to begin immediately checking the availability of tickets to this match. We thought we would ask around until an hour before the match and if we were unsuccessful we would drive the 30 km back into Rustenburg to watch the match on the big screen at the FIFA provided FanFest which is in every host city. The first group of USA fans that we see are very welcoming but unfortunately did not have any tickets for sale. After spending 45 minutes asking all the big groups in the park n' ride lot we decided to take a mini-bus to the stadium to see if anyone might be selling there. That is when boom goes the dynamite (if you do not know that reference look up 'boom goes the dynamite' on YouTube). The only decent English men and a rather tight a$$ed American lawyer sold us their spare tickets allowing Rachel and I to experience the greatness. To step back a few moments, I was awe struck as Rachel and I walked up to Royal Bafokeng Stadium for my first World Cup match which was USA v. England. But walking through the gates I almost had shateria running down my leg I was so excited. The lights of the stadium with the sunset behind and the most USA soccer fans I have ever seen high-fiving each other. It was beautiful. Since we had tickets from two separate people our seats were not together. So the first ticket we went to was just to one side of mid-field and in the middle of the second level and the seat was on the aisle so one person could sit in the seat and the other would sit on the stairs(Yeah, I can hear y'all saying the same thing Rachel and I were thinking, "Who sits at World Cup matches?" We will cover that soon). I will just say we were close enough to see Stuart Holdin's highlights in his hair (which let the record show I think he really needs to get rid of. Stuart, if we win the Cup will you let me shave of all your ugly highlights?). Amazing seats!!! After walking around the stadium, waiting in an hour long at times violent ridiculous line for hot dogs and beer we made it to our seats right at first kick. My hands were shaking so badly from excitement/nervousness I could not hold either my beer or dog. Rachel and I are standing and hollering when what is this?!?!...."We are trying to see the match too!! (Imagine that in a little girl's, whinny English accent) "You need to sit down!! (Again whinny English accent). We turn around to see a sea of English fans, SITTING ON THEIR FAT CANS!! Can you believe that, English football (which is actually called soccer) fans sitting at a match?!? A World Cup match at that. A World Cup match against the USA. In the 2nd minute of the game. English fans in my mind have dropped several notches in the hierarchy of soccer mania. But then came the moment which solidified Rachel's position at the undisputed Woman of the Match. She turns around and yells, I am talking like she was yelling at New Orleans Public School students, "Why are you sitting? This is a soccer match!!" This threatens an English fan just enough for him to think it would be alright to tug on Rachel's coat to try and have her sit down and she responds with, "Are you kidding me? You are soccer fans?" and then sits while waving her Stars and Stripes. Rachel has released her inner soccer hooligan. Y'all better watch out.

We both had to hang our heads a bit because minutes after that interaction, the USA showed poor defending and allowed a goal which left us feeling a bit uncomfortable surrounded by snaggled teeth. How does that saying go, the lower the valleys the higher the peaks or you can't have the good times without the bad times. Any way, all that said to say that the moment Greene, the keeper for England, could not handle the shot from Dempsey, we reveled in the opportunity to wave our flag and cheer as all those Englishmen and women hung their heads in shame. What a magnificent experience. Tomorrow I will post some more thoughts of how we played as well as pictures and videos. I will also recap our adventures getting to South Africa.

Thanks again everyone for reading and posting comments. So the internet is not as easy and I thought it would be easier to find here so I still hope to post everyday from here on out but bear with me. Stay up, y'all.