It’s always soccer season somewhere
I remember standing in the back row of a rickety, bare-bones soccer stadium in – of all places – Venice, Italy.

Venezia. La Serenissima. A town where, on many of its winding, warren-like alleyways, the average building is a 16th-century palazzo.

It was 1997. I hadn’t come specifically for soccer, but I wasn’t going to let this dream vacation pass without attending a match.

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World Cup heroes and villains
A new world champion on a new World Cup continent. An eighth name has been added to those already engraved on the base of the FIFA World Cup trophy. No more monkeys on generations of Spanish backs.

The great underachievers finally lived up to the hype. In a war of attrition with the Netherlands, Spain won the decisive battle and with it the biggest prize in world sport. Mostly it was ugly, but then wars are never for the faint of heart.

It was never going to be a classic. Both finalists knew there was far too much at stake to allow their opponent to play to their strengths. The opportunity to become world champions comes with conditions.

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Canada needs a soccer identity
smarts and determination from all sectors of our soccer industry.

One could write a lengthy document to outline why Canada will not get to Brazil in 2014, but nevertheless, if soccer stakeholders in our country can wake up to some of the true realities of what it will take to be a winner, then at least some building blocks will be in place for future success in World Cup qualifying campaigns, even if Stephen Hart’s current team fails.

Let’s start with three simple areas that require no more than an attitude shift.

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It was ugly – 11 yellow cards and an expulsion – but they got the job done. Spain have finally shed the the underachievers label and have joined the champions club.

Spaniards on the pitch and in the stands were tearing it up like the bulls in Pamplona after Andres Iniesta scored the clincher in the 16th minute. It was a clinical finish in a game that was marred by shoddy officiating – yet again – and numerous missed opportunities from both squads.

The night opened up with a giant standing ovation for former South African President and iconic humanitarian, Nelson Mandela. He waved to the 84,490 in attendance at Soccer City for a good few minutes. Turning 92 next week, Mandela was a little hard to distinguish from high up inside the stadium unil one spotter pointed out that he was wearing a black furry hat usually reserved for Russian military personnel in Siberia (Though it must be pointed out that it was freezing in Johannesburg). After he was carted around the pitch we were told he was flown back by helicopter to watch the match at his house.

After Mandela flew the coop, it was on to the pre-game festivities which was opened up by the always incredibly sexy Shakira, who sang the official World Cup theme song Waka Waka. The subsequent lightshow almost gave me a seizure as blue and red rays zapped across the stadium as traditional African music and dance took centre stage. The most unique and enjoyable performance was from a group that dressed in large white elephant costumes. It was a look into the future as Soccer City and other stadiums built for this World Cup will likely become white elephants themselves when the circus leaves town.

The crowd was definitely pro-Dutch as fans bought up all the orange-coloured knockoff merchandise outside. The seats were also orange, the colours of the on field security stewards were orange and with constant chants of HUP HUP HOLLAND, it just felt like the game was in Amsterdam.

When 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro placed the World Cup Trophy on a pedestal near the entrance tunnel, an idiot posing as a fan ran onto to the pitch towards the coveted statue and was mere inches away from grabbing it and even attempted to throw a red hat on it before a security guard viciously clotheslined him to the ground. The crowd loved the effort but one has to think why did he do it before the game and not after? You just missed the World Cup Final man!

I noticed a pair of Canadian flags tonight; one hung up in the top deck and the other being waved by a proud Canuck in the front row, way to land that ticket! A good friend from Bradford, Ontario, John Barroso also attended the match. John has travelled to countless tournaments with his giant flag proudly boasting his home city.

Fans were on the edge of their seats as Spain dissected Holland for the first 20 minutes, almost scoring with three minutes. Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg – spell that after a couple of pints – seemed to have more touches on the ball than any of their midfielders as Holland felt content to pass the ball back to him everytime they had it.

One has to wonder if Germany had made the final, would the Mexican/Canadian referee trio that called the 3rd place game have been selected for this match? Benito Archundia, the most hated ref in Canada, or the man at the helm today, Howard Webb? Pick your poison. A ridiculous 5 yellow cards given out in the first 30 minutes. It was definitely a chippy affair that Webb failed to control throughout the match.

Both goalkeepers, Casillas and Stekelenburg, saved the day for their respective team’s and it’s likely that after the match Casillas will be given his own island along with riches meant for the Sultan of Brunei for his contributions and accomplishments to Spanish soccer. The really scary thing is that he is only 29 years old! Goalkeepers are traditionally starting to come into their own at that age and yet Iker – as the fans affectionately chant at every match – has already won a pair of Champion’s League titles, a FIFA World Youth Cup (Now known as the U20′s), the European Championship (2008) and now he has to find space on his mantle for the World Cup Trophy. He may go down as the greatest goalkeeper of all time when he is done.

With the shock of seeing countless sure-goals missed withstanding, the game was quite boring to watch. Sergio Ramos, in particular, should have headed home the winning goal in the 2nd half. It felt like you were watching your buddies play a really bad game of FIFA 2010 on your Playstation.

When it went into extra time everyone more or less sighed, fearing another penalty shootout like in Germany. There was a collective AWWWWW! from the crowd when Cesc Fabregas missed that breakaway and surely the dreaded penalties were on the way… but alas, Andres Iniesta struck gold and, as the kids say, the Spanish fans went buck wild. The bulls on the pitch were parading mere minutes after as a new champion was crowned, a well deserved champion too.

Another fan tried to run onto the pitch to celebrate with the team but was quickly taken down, WWE style. Spain then headed towards the stage, which was in the stands this time around. It was a lousy move by FIFA to have it there as an easy 25,000 fans missed out on the ceremony. A more logical solution would have been to out it in the middle of the pitch for all to watch.

Many of the Spanish faithful flooded the front rows of their sections, crying and chanting for Casillas and Iniesta for quite a while after the game and then were off to drink up in the city for the night.

In the end, the best team in the tournament won playing an captivating style of soccer and despite the Dutch making an incredible run, their brilliant fans here in South Africa made it a highly enjoyable tournament from start to finish.

After being fortunate enough to have covered 13 games at this World Cup I am off to hang with the fans for one great last night of camaraderie, drinks, and of course, plenty of World Cup banter. Not a bad way to end it all.

Germany’s pointless place on the ‘podium’
Congratulations to Germany for finishing third at the FIFA World Cup. In the so-called “bronze medal” game they held sway over Uruguay. Except there are no medals, and there is no point.

When will FIFA end the torture of a meaningless 3rd/4th place game between two teams who are merely following protocol? Their respective hearts ripped out just days before, the World Cup organizers force the beaten semi finalists back onto the field.

If the Germans didn’t take it seriously, why should any of the rest of us? A team composed largely of fringe players braved the atrocious elements in Port Elizabeth where only their competitive instincts saved the day.

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World Cup fraternity set to welcome new member
Spain did soccer fans all around the world (except in Germany, of course) a big favour Wednesday night.

Not only did La Roja’s 1-0 victory over the Germans send them through to Sunday’s final against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, but it also ensures that we will see a new name etched on the World Cup trophy.

How refreshing. Nothing against the Germans – they would have been worthy champions had they defeated the Dutch.

But from a neutral point of view, the chance to witness a country win the World Cup for the first time – something that hasn’t happened since France took the crown on home soil in 1998 – is very exciting.

It also breathes new life into a competition that is the sporting equivalent of an exclusive country club.

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Spain finally finds its groove
Heading into the World Cup in South Africa, Spain was heralded as legitimate title contenders. With a wealth of talent at its disposal, Spain was expected to dominate games from start to finish, seeing off opponents with relative ease.

That hasn’t been the case, however, and leading up to Wednesday’s semi-final matchup against the in-form Germans, it would be fair to say that Spain hasn’t had an easy time of things.

That all changed against Germany, though, when the real Spain decided to make its first appearance at the tournament.

Despite the narrow 1-0 margin of victory, it was a complete performance from the Spaniards. They dominated possession of the ball from the early stages of the game onwards, and they never allowed the Germans to get a foothold in the game.

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Spaniards shed underachiever label
The metaphorical monkey that has for decades weighed down Spain and made it a near-cripple is now one good whack away from being beaten off the Spaniards’ back once and for all.

Soccer’s greatest underachievers took a giant step toward immortality with a 1-0 win over Germany Wednesday night courtesy of a Carlos Puyol goal in the 73rd minute, advancing to their first World Cup final.

The ultra-stylish Spanish side masterfully dictated the pace of the match and made the mighty Germans look ordinary by playing some brilliant attacking soccer, with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso pulling the creative strings in midfield.

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As expected, the vibe was definitely bumping in Cape Town when the Dutch beat Uruguay the other night. The anticipation for kickoff grew with every step towards the stadium and along the way hordes of fans as far as the eye could see were cheering for Holland, completely decked in the mandatory orange clothing that you will find at any tournament they are in. One innovative group of college girls set up their jam on a balcony on top of a pizza place along the vastly popular fanwalk by placing orange couches and chilled out, waving and cheering to those down below.

Naturally, many were supporting Holland merely because they despise the way Uruguay eliminated Ghana in the quarter-finals. A young couple bounced around the fanwalk; one painted with the word GOING, the other saying DUTCH. Both featured a black star with a white hand in the middle of it. The husband, gleefully drunk, said that it was to signify Suarez’s handball on the ‘Black Stars’.

“Those South Americans are cheating bastards!” he yelled out.

Hundreds of people eventually dripped out into local bars knowing tickets were scarce for the match. Some were clinging to one last glimmer of hope by scribbling stuff like ‘1 TICKET WANTED PLEASE!” or “Give me ticket, I buy drinks, Deal?” onto sheets of paper. They were going to dig deep as the going rate outside the stadium ranged between $250-$800 depending on the location (Categories 1-4 with 1 being the priciest).

My big brother Steve flew in from Toronto to join me in a World Cup adventure and was attending his 1st ever World Cup match, his third ever pro soccer game.

He had just left his cozy position as a downtown executive to embark on a fantastic voyage he would never forget and this game definitely did not disappoint. He loved the experience the first time he sat in the south stands at BMO Field with the boys from USector, but was truly blown out of the water by the sounds, flavours, action, and intensity that a live World Cup match experience brought to the table.

“It’s pretty special to be able to say I was 1 of 60,000 to be here, to see this, to be a part of history. Incredible.

For every Uruguayan fan in the stands there were about 100 Dutch supporters inside the stadium. Despite team preference, a lot people -myself included – really enjoyed bopping to Uruguay’s jovial national anthem – it sounds like something out of Fantasia.

Like fellow Canadian Cory Hart, I had to put on my sunglasses at night so I could actually watch Holland as they were rocking the brightest jerseys I’ve ever seen in my life.

As the singing starts – unfortunately cut out short after random vuvuzela tooting – I carried on my tradition of searching for Canadian flags in the stadium. I found two on this night, one of which was right beside a couple of soccer teammates from good ‘ol Saskatoon that placed a huge banner reading KORMISH McWILLIAM, with a big red maple leaf in between. I’m pretty darn sure we met them afterwards at a restaurant when I noticed one guy wearing a vintage 1996 Canada soccer jersey.

The noise inside the acoustically perfect Green Point – though I still can’t believe $750 million was spent on it – hit fever pitch when Van Bronkhorst scored that sizzling golazo just under 20 minutes in. Personally, it’s my vote for goal of the tournament, the stuff you dream about in the schoolyard.

‘The Oranjes’ fell off the tree after Robben scored Holland’s 3rd final goal fans went wild and trickled down the aisles behind the Dutch goal to form a massive conga line – first one I’ve seen in four years. It’s one of those things you watch soccer fans do and can’t help but stupidly grin ear to ear and enjoy.

Not sure if people watching on TV saw, but soon after Uruguay pulled back that late goal, an anxious video crew dashed onto the middle of the pitch, thinking the game had ended. A couple of irate Uruguayan substitutes yanked them off and gave them more than a few choice words.

When the final whistle did blow, the conga line had filled the bottom row the whole section didn’t leave the stadium for at least 30 minutes as they celebrated with a handful of players who did a congratulatory lap around the field to show their appreciation.

Drinks were definitely flowing at the world class waterfront area which is only about a 5 minute march from the stadium. A pint here at a bar/restaurant in South Africa typically costs between $1.50-$3.00CAN at most, which is cheap for foreigners. Even inebriated, there was no way these brightly orange clad fans were going to get hit by any vehicles on the way back home.

Hopefully by the time they hit Johannesburg on Sunday, they’ll have recovered from this hangover. If their team can jump that final hurdle to deliver the first World Cup title in the nation’s history, they’ll gladly deal with the mother to end all hangovers come Monday.

I have a tendency to stay awake the night before vital matches contemplating lineups and formations, replaying highlights in my head, and really just enjoying the anticipation of the next game.

Last night was different though.

At dusk, the horizon in Cape Town brims with fervent shades of pink, eventually settling on casting a dark orange for the night. Last night the glow was definitely brighter than what I have become accustomed too. The soccer fan in me couldn’t help but think it was a sign of things to come within the next 24 hours.

Practically everybody in this breathtaking coastal city is pulling for the Dutch in today’s pivotal semi-final clash against Uruguay. And they will be covered from head to toe in orange.

Surely one of the prime reasons for that is the fact that Uruguay ousted Africa’s last tournament hope in Ghana, and did it in a way that wasn’t reminiscent of what the beautiful game is all about. All one must do to see the disdain for Uruguay – actually more towards striker Luis Suarez who stopped the ball with hands to prevent a sure goal, is take a look in the local and national newspapers here. Pictures of the specific handball, and subsequent missed penalty compliment hordes of scathing commentary.

There isn’t a single person though who will openly admit – though deep down they would – that they would have done the exact same thing in Suarez’s boots. But it doesn’t matter; he has now been sculpted into the official villain of this World Cup and Uruguay is the most hated team of the remaining four hopefuls.

If you wander around the Western Cape, you will also notice that the majority of white people actually look Dutch; fairly tall, usually thin, light haired, with a defined facial structure. It’s not a coincidence. The city of Cape Town specifically has been home to thousands of Boer (Dutch) settlers since the 17th century when a Dutch trading company set up shop and they’ve never stopped coming in. Numerous companies feature Dutch names, usually Van something, and there is even a team in the Premier Soccer League – South Africa’s MLS – called Ajax Cape Town, owned and named after the most famous club in Holland.

Hundreds of thousands of fans trek the 2.5km through the fan walk from Cape Town central station towards Green Point Stadium and is lined with countless cafes, restaurants, and tiny shops, all featuring orange scarves and t-shirts in their windows. The Dutch who have flown in from Amsterdam are amongst the most loyal, peaceful, colourful and die-hard fans on earth. Some of them concoct the most interesting costumes you will ever see at a World Cup and many of the gents have a taste for hats featuring long winding braids – in orange of course.

If Holland, favoured heavily by pundits and bookmakers alike, can get into their first World Cup final in 32 years, there will be an epic celebration throughout the main streets and along the waterfront as the team moves closer to shaking off their stigma as the best team to have never won a World Cup.

If that happens, the ‘Oranje army’, as always, will surely follow.