Welcome to the new and improved Goal Post, where we will be bringing you unparalleled content throughout the World Cup.
Here are some preliminary, half-baked musings on Group A, which will shortly be found on the soon-to-be-remade group pages of the Goal Post:
Our generous hosts, South Africa have either graciously laid out an enormously expensive welcome, or displayed lavish indifference to the impoverished populations living and working around the new stadiums, for our quadrennial tournament. There is no denying, however, that South Africa is hungry to win, and fearful of embarrassment. South Africa's team draws on relatively few players playing without their national borders. One of the mid-tier clubs in South Africa's Premier Soccer League, Ajax Cape Town, is a feeder club to Ajax Amsterdam, a formative club for much of the Dutch artillery, but that's more of an interesting tidbit than an ace up their sleeve.
Steven Pienaar is the man with all the pressure on his shoulders to bring home the Cup. On a recent BBC interview he sounded upbeat about making it out of the group stage, but he sounded much less confident when evading the question about winning the cup itself. It seems that History is not lost on Pienaar, however, who cited Nelson Mandela when expressing the power of sports to bring people together. Speaking of history, is it coincidental that the last time South Africa was captained by a Pienaar, they won a World Cup that transformed their nation, and left the world looking on with our mouths agape and tears in our eyes. Granted that was in rugby, and that Pienaar (Francois) was an Afrikaaner, but maybe there'll be magic again for South Africa.
It should also be noted that host nations have historically enjoyed highly favorable outcomes in the World Cup, particularly in the group stages. Therefore, I'd give South Africa a fighting chance to beat out Mexico, and my wishful blessing towards whupping France. It should be a very telling match when South Africa faces Uruguay. Whichever team loses that battle will probably not make it out of Group A.
read more...
Here are some preliminary, half-baked musings on Group A, which will shortly be found on the soon-to-be-remade group pages of the Goal Post:
Our generous hosts, South Africa have either graciously laid out an enormously expensive welcome, or displayed lavish indifference to the impoverished populations living and working around the new stadiums, for our quadrennial tournament. There is no denying, however, that South Africa is hungry to win, and fearful of embarrassment. South Africa's team draws on relatively few players playing without their national borders. One of the mid-tier clubs in South Africa's Premier Soccer League, Ajax Cape Town, is a feeder club to Ajax Amsterdam, a formative club for much of the Dutch artillery, but that's more of an interesting tidbit than an ace up their sleeve.
Steven Pienaar is the man with all the pressure on his shoulders to bring home the Cup. On a recent BBC interview he sounded upbeat about making it out of the group stage, but he sounded much less confident when evading the question about winning the cup itself. It seems that History is not lost on Pienaar, however, who cited Nelson Mandela when expressing the power of sports to bring people together. Speaking of history, is it coincidental that the last time South Africa was captained by a Pienaar, they won a World Cup that transformed their nation, and left the world looking on with our mouths agape and tears in our eyes. Granted that was in rugby, and that Pienaar (Francois) was an Afrikaaner, but maybe there'll be magic again for South Africa.
It should also be noted that host nations have historically enjoyed highly favorable outcomes in the World Cup, particularly in the group stages. Therefore, I'd give South Africa a fighting chance to beat out Mexico, and my wishful blessing towards whupping France. It should be a very telling match when South Africa faces Uruguay. Whichever team loses that battle will probably not make it out of Group A.
