In South Africa, football is not merely a sport, but an institution.

F is Football

The professional league is known as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and is independently run. The season runs parallel to the major European leagues.

The senior national team is known as Bafana Bafana, which is Zulu for 'the boys'. South Africa has a tendency for nicknaming their national teams; the U-23 national football team is known as Amaglug-glug.

Football in South Africa is governed by the South African Football Association (SAFA). SAFA has recently become a member of the FIFA family. It was banned from FIFA in 1975 for its segregated sports practices, but was readmitted in 1992 with a standing ovation. In order for this to happen, four historically divided football associations, servicing different parts of the South African population had to amalgamate into a single unified association.

Football culture has also emerged from the passion South African fans have for the beautiful game. Makarapas and Vuvuzelas are standard accessories for the dedicated fan.

The 1990s was certainly a good decade for South African football. Highlights included:

• Bafana Bafana winning the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996.
• Qualifying for France 1998, South Africa's first-ever FIFA World Cup.
• Orlando Pirates winning the CAF African Champions Cup in 1995 and a year later, winning the CAF African Super Cup.
• The South African national team qualifying for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan.

E is Eleven Languages

There are 11 official languages in South Africa. These languages are enshrined in the country's constitution. They are recognised to be Afrikaans, English, Ndebele (isiNdebele), Northern Sotho (Sesotho sa Leboa), Sotho (seSotho), Swati (siSwati), Tsonga (Xitsonga), Tswana (Setswana), Venda (Tshivenda), Xhosa (isiXhosa) and Zulu (isiZulu).

There are also the Khoi, Nama and San languages that are indigenous to the ancient hunter-gatherers who roamed Southern Africa. The /Xam language of the Khoisan became extinct in the early 20 ^th century. These languages and languages used for religious purposes such as Arabic and Hebrew are also protected under the South African constitution.

Zulu is the most spoken language but most people in the larger cities also speak English. South Africa has pockets of German, Portuguese, Greek and Italian speaking peoples. All documents are written in English as well as road signs.

The influence of the many languages in South Africa has resulted in a hybrid of words borrowed from different languages used in common conversation.

The motto on the South African coat of Arms, "!ke e: /xarra //ke" is written in the extinct Khoisan language /Xam. It literally means 'diverse people unite'.

B is Big Five

The term 'big five' was historically used to denote the five most dangerous animals to hunt in South Africa. However, at present, the term simply refers to South Africa's most popular and exciting creatures: the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros.

The so-called king of beasts, the lion, is on everybody's list of animals to see. The fascination is no doubt due to the size and awesome power of this big cat, as well as its formidable hunting prowess.

A more elusive cat than the lion, the leopard, is the most adaptable of the large predators and may still be found in close proximity to man. It is able to survive in almost any environment, be it the forest, savannah, desert or mountain top.

The African Elephant is the largest land mammal and perhaps the continent's most charismatic creature. Their magnificence and apparent compassion captivates game viewers and seemingly the whole of the human imagination.

Closely related to the domestic cow, the African buffalo is one of the most successful and ecologically important mammals on the African continent. Buffalo are completely dependent upon surface water, so are absent from arid and semi-arid regions but are widespread and common in savannah, woodland and forest environments.

The final member of the big five is the rhinoceros, encompassing the white and black rhino species. Apart from differing facial features, the two species of African rhino are similar in height, averaging about 1.6m at the shoulder, but the Black Rhinoceros has roughly half the mass of a White Rhino, weighing in at a demure 1000 kg. The most noticeable difference between the two is that the White Rhinocerous has broad lips, while the Black variety has pointed lips.

Z is Zulu

Zulu culture, its history and tradition, has become an integral part of the diverse tapestry that is South Africa. The Zulus are historically descendants of the Nguni people who migrated south from the Great Lakes region around approximately 800AD. A man named Zulu ('Heaven' in the Zulu language), started to establish his own sphere of influence and settled with his family in KwaZulu, 'the place of heaven'.

Zulu's descendants, the amaZulu (people of heaven), are divided into different clans, run by chiefs. The different chiefdoms are part of the Zulu Kingdom, over which the King presides. King Goodwill Zwelithini is the current king of the Zulu nation.

Shaka Zulu, is one of the most well-known Zulu kings. His strategic battles and ruthlessness earned him nickname the 'Black Napoleon' and has been immortalized in movies such as Shaka.

Music, in Zulu culture, is also important for communication and evokes emotion and explains situations that words often are not able to do. It has made the transition to mainstream music through artists such as Johnny Clegg and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Among the early winners of the first black professional league were Zulu Royals in 1972. The club later changed its name to AmaZulu (the Zulus) and are still among South Africa's biggest and best-supported clubs.

3:1
3:1 (2:0)

• Alvaro SABORIO (2')
• Celso BORGES (13')
• Pablo HERRERA (68')

• Landon DONOVAN (90')

Referee Neal BRIZAN

CRC

USA

• 1 Keylor NAVAS (GK)
• 3 Jose FERNANDEZ
• 4 Michael UMANA
• 5 Celso BORGES
• 7 Andy HERRON (-71' )
• 8 Esteban SIRIAS
• 9 Alvaro SABORIO (-76' )
• 10 Walter CENTENO (C)
• 11 Brian RUIZ
• 15 Harold WALLACE (-55' )
• 17 Junior DIAZ

• (GK) Tim HOWARD 1
• (C) Carlos BOCANEGRA 3
• (-62') Pablo MASTROENI 4
• Oguchi ONYEWU 5
• Marvell WYNNE 6
• DaMarcus BEASLEY 7
• (-80') Clint DEMPSEY 8
• (-46') Francisco TORRES 9
• Landon DONOVAN 10
• Michael BRADLEY 12
• Jozy ALTIDORE 17

Substitute(s)

• 2 Pablo HERRERA (+55')
• 6 Cristian BOLANOS (+71')
• 12 Andy FURTADO
• 13 Gonzalo SEGARES
• 14 Armando ALONSO
• 16 Carlos HERNANDEZ (+76')
• 18 Ricardo GONZALEZ

• Ricardo CLARK 2
• (+62') Freddy ADU 11
• Jonathan BORNSTEIN 13
• Jay DeMERIT 14
• (+80') Charlie DAVIES 15
• (+46') Sacha KLJESTAN 16
• Brad GUZAN 18

Coaches

Rodrigo KENTON (CRC)

(USA) Bob BRADLEY

Officials

• Referee: Neal BRIZAN (TRI)
• Assistant Referee 1: Joseph TAYLOR (TRI)
• Assistant Referee 2: Michael RAGOONATH (TRI)
• Fourth official: Geoffrey HOSPEDALES (TRI)

Cards

3 Jose FERNANDEZ (30') 2 Pablo HERRERA (66') 17 Junior DIAZ (90')	(53') Michael BRADLEY 12 (65') Sacha KLJESTAN 16

Substitutions

(55') 15 Harold WALLACE 2 Pablo HERRERA (71') 7 Andy HERRON 6 Cristian BOLANOS (76') 9 Alvaro SABORIO 16 Carlos HERNANDEZ	(46') Francisco TORRES 9 Sacha KLJESTAN 16 (62') Pablo MASTROENI 4 Freddy ADU 11 (80') Clint DEMPSEY 8 Charlie DAVIES 15

Costa Rica golpeó temprano y mostró el mejor balompié de toda la era Kenton

La Tricolor gana y es líder

Al Mundial se va así, ¡arrollando!

Costa Rica golpeó temprano y mostró el mejor balompié de toda la era Kenton

Estados Unidos vuelve a doblar la rodilla en Tibás ante un rival muy superior

Gustavo Jiménez M. | gujimenez@nacion.com

Publicado: 2009/06/04
C.R.-U.S.

La Selección de Costa Rica exhibió su mejor repertorio en años, desbarató una vez más a Estados Unidos en casa y cinceló con lujos una victoria que deja muy a la mano el sueño mundialista.

A Sudáfrica 2010 hay que ir así, ¡arrollando! Porque detrás de la victoria –que coloca a la Tricolor al frente de la hexagonal– no hubo casualidades, ni golpes de suerte.

El marcador retrata con precisión lo que pasó en la cancha: le hace justicia a la versión más depurada de la Sele en la era Kenton, que resultó superior, muy superior, al débil cuadro visitante.

El efecto que causa el estadio Ricardo Saprissa en el equipo estadounidense no es ninguna leyenda urbana. Es una realidad que cada eliminatoria confirma.

La Tricolor empezó con las revoluciones al máximo y se saltó el llamado round de estudio, ese absurdo desperdicio de tiempo que solo aplican los equipos medrosos. Este tipo de partidos hay que comenzar a jugarlos desde antes de que el árbitro pite.

Así que mientras la selección tica montó su primera jugada fulminante apenas al minuto uno, los visitantes todavía estaban terminando de cantar los himnos.

Álvaro Saborío y Andy Herron idearon ese dardo inicial. El artillero del Sion de Suiza se encargó de colgar la pelota al ángulo para darle cifras a la pizarra.

Un gol tempranero puede ser arma de doble filo si no se sabe administrar. Ahí radicó una gran virtud costarricense: en lugar de sentarse a contar los billetes del primer botín, saltó a buscar el segundo golpe, sin darle al rival posibilidad de acusar recibo.

Entonces vimos lo mejor del encuentro. Una jugada que deberá quedar en la videoteca. Entre Sirias y Ruiz desquiciaron a toda la defensa con un pie a pie incontestable, que Borges se encargó de acomodar en los cordeles. Bien se ha dicho que el futbol es inteligencia más movimiento. Esa combinación demuestra el por qué.

Solvencia. Con el 2-0, Costa Rica pudo manejar con comodidad el resto del encuentro. En lugar de hacer las cosas a la tica, al final, corriendo con el reloj encima, esta vez la Tricolor impuso condiciones desde el principio. Y sin perder la ambición de incrementar su patrimonio.

La velocidad de Pablo Herrera agregó más veneno sobre la porosa defensa estadounidense. El 3-0, con bailoteo incluido, fue justo premio a ese futbol desequilibrante.

EE. UU. descontó en tiempo de reposición. Una anécdota minúscula que no estropea el brillante triunfo del cuadro tico, un equipo solvente que se acerca con botas de siete leguas al Mundial 2010.

The victory put the Ticos atop the six-team final round after four games

The victory put the Ticos atop the six-team final round

FIFA World Cup
Costa Rica beats USA 3-1, jumps atop CONCACAF World Cup qualifying standings


6/3/2009 - SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Alvaro Saborio scored 82 seconds after the opening kickoff and Celso Borges added another in the 13th minute to spark Costa Rica to a 3-1 victory over the United States Wednesday night and the lead in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying.

The victory put the Ticos atop the six-team final round after four games with nine points, two better than the United States. It also kept Costa Rica unbeaten at home against the USA in their nine games in Central America.

The match was the only World Cup qualifier played Wednesday due to a schedule change to accommodate the United States’ participation in the Confederations Cup later this month.

Saborio scored from just outside the penalty area, taking a ball from the right side, eluding USA midfielder Jose Torres, touching the ball inside Pablo Mastroeni and unleashing a curling, dipping left footer that swerved just out of the reach of goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Costa Rica doubled its lead 11 minutes later. Bryan Ruiz broke free on the left side and fed Esteban Sirias, who sent a simple cross through the top of the penalty area where Borges struck a right-footed volley into a virtually open net.

The United States struggled to create quality chances, not attempting a shot until Landon Donovan turned 25 yards away to send a ball over the bar in the 16th minute.

The United States had a bit more possession in the second half but Costa Rica consolidated its victory in the 69th minute when second-half substitute Pablo Herrera dribbled around U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley and struck a left-footed ball to beat Howard with a low shot to the near post.

Donovan finally scored for the United States in the third minute of injury time, converting a penalty kick for the Americans' first goal in Costa Rica since 2000. Trinidad referee awarded the penalty after defender Oguchi Onyewu was fouled on a long throw-in.

Costa Rica has scored 32 goals and allowed only five at Estadio Saprissa in its last 11 games and hadn’t allowed a goal at home in its previous seven World Cup qualifiers.

Both teams play again on Saturday with Costa Rica travelling to Trinidad and the United States returning home to face El Salvador in Chicago. The United States will be without Bradley, who drew a yellow card for a foul on Walter Centeno and will be suspended for accumulated cautions.
U.S.-Costa Rica tilt highlights play as final round of World Cup qualifying hits midpoint


6/1/2009 - By Michael Lewis

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- CONCACAF reaches its midway point in World Cup qualifying this week ? appropriately with the two standings leaders in the ?hexagonal? tussling for the top spot.

Second-place Costa Rica hosts the United States on Wednesday with first place the prize. The Ticos , who have won two of three and lost the other, can take over the top spot with a win as they try to qualify for their fourth World Cup since 1990. A second game for both follows Saturday with the United States hosting Honduras and Costa Rica travelling to Trinidad, and both teams will have played five out of 10 qualifying games.

"It will be very difficult," Costa Rican forward Alvaro Saborio told La Nacion.

If the Americans, who have won two of three and drawn (2-0-1, seven) can overcome history and win -- they have never won at their Central American hosts -- they could solidify their quest to reach the World Cup for an unprecedented sixth consecutive time.

"We certainly view these two games as very, very important," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "We had a good start. Quite obviously, Costa Rica and Honduras are tough opponents. We understand the challenges in these games. We feel very strongly we have a great opportunity to really finish the first half of this round and put ourselves in a good position in the final five matches."

Going undefeated would put the U.S. on the verge of clinching a spot in South Africa, according to midfielder Landon Donovan.

"Our mindset is that if we can get four of six points out of the next two games, we are very close to qualifying," he said. "And that's our goal."

The U.S. matches were moved up to accommodate the team's participation at the FIFA Confederations Cup, which kicks off in South Africa on June 14.

The Ticos are unbeaten at home against the U.S. in qualifying, winning six and and drawing the other, but they are giving the Americans the utmost respect.

"They are the best team in the zone and the qualifying leader," Saborio was quoted in La Nacion. "It is necessary to know how to play them very well. Their players have much experience in Europe and MLS."

Defender Gonzalo Segares, who plays in the U.S. with the Chicago Fire (MLS), did not sound overconfident in a recent interview.

The U.S. would be more than satisfied with a draw at Saprissa Stadium, but Donovan felt the Americans can come home with three points. The Americans' only qualifying point here came in a 1-1 draw in Alajuela in 1985.

"We feel like a more talented team and we feel like we're a better team," he said. "If we want to become a team that can compete on a real level at the World Cup, these are the games we need to win. We have a good opportunity."

It sure looked hot on TV, but the Americans’ effort was so flagging that the third goal seemed

June 3, 2009, 9:40 pm

World Cup Qualifying: Costa Rica 3, U.S. 1

By Jack Bell AND Andrew Das

Coverage of the United States national team’s World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica.

Update | Postgame, 12:03 a.m. AD: Well, unless you’re Costa Rican, you probably wish you had those two hours back. In hindsight, we all probably knew it was over in the second minute, and we can agree it absolutely was in the 13th.

As bad as those first two goals were, the third — by Herrera in the 69th minute — was downright embarassing for the U.S. A wide-open player (Centeno, I think) controls the ball in the area and, despite no apparent concern on the part of the U.S. defenders, pushes it away from the goal to another open player (Herrera) on the wing. A tiring Bradley wanders over for a look, but is quickly rounded by Herrera as he cuts back inside. Sacha Kljestan fails to engage (”He looks exhausted,” John Harkes says on ESPN, noting that Kljestan came on only 20 minutes earlier) and suddenly it’s 3-0. Wow. Tim Howard played well when he had a chance, but he probably deserved an apology from his team last night.

It sure looked hot on TV, but the Americans’ effort was so flagging that the third goal seemed to break Harkes. “I’m upset,” he muttered in the 71st minute. Three minutes later Jozy Altidore, who looked about as good as a player can after not playing for two months, drove a cross into the area. Unfortunately the two U.S. players in position to put a head on it at the spot didn’t even lean in, and a charging defender leapt in to knock it clear.

Landon Donovan scored on a PK in injury time after Onyewu was yanked down on a throw-in, but spoiling the shutout barely qualifies as a highlight. The goal felt like a solo homer in the ninth inning of a 14-3 loss.

The upside for the U.S. coming out of tonight? I’m open to suggestions.

The downside? Michael Bradley picked up a yellow card that will keep him out of Saturday’s game against Honduras, and Costa Rica’s 3 points pushed them over the U.S. and into first place in the group standings. Those standings now look like this (everyone has played three games except last night’s teams, who have played four):

Costa Rica 9
United States 7
Honduras 4
Mexico 3
El Salvador 2
T & T 2

Update | Halftime Andrew Das checking in: Game plans go out the window when you give up a goal in the first two minutes, and they come into question when you give up two before 15 minutes have been played.

Bob Bradley’s wishing that DeMarcus Beasley can become a solution at left back won’t make it so. It was his too-easy giveaway (which forced his slashing attempt at a clearance seconds later) that set up Costa Rica’s first goal. Alvaro Saborio’s shot would have beaten any goalkeeper, but he never would have taken it if either of the two players in position to stop it (Mastroeni and Torres) had bailed out Beasley by sticking a foot in.

Beasley may have all the tools to play left back, but he needs to actually do the job to get the plan to work. Remember, he was burned for the second goal in El Salvador, a mistake that was largely forgotten when the U.S. rallied for a 2-2 tie. The problem is that when Beasley has bad touches, or sends all his passes back to Howard or to Bocanegra in the middle, it takes Torres (and by extension Altidore when he’s up front on that side) out of the game as well.

Bradley’s experimental back line was burned on the other side in the 13th minute, when Oguchi Onyewu let himself get pulled all the way to the sideline and a quick give and go left him and Marvell Wynne apparently covering the same man — the one who had just slipped a pass into the clear. Again, a great finish and no chance for Howard.

The early goals gave way to some American pushes (but no real chances) in the final 20 minutes of the half, but that’s hardly surprising. Costa Rica certainly has every reason to pull back on the reins a little and protect the 3 points, which would leapfrog them over the United States in the Concacaf standings.

The U.S. salvaged a point in a tough spot in San Salvador in March, but they may have dug themselves an even bigger hole tonight.

Pregame Here are the 11 players chosen by Bob Bradley to start in Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifying match against Costa Rica in San José:

Goalkeeper Tim Howard (Everton/England)

Defenders DeMarcus Beasley (Rangers/Scotland) Carlos Bocanegra (Stade Rennais/France), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege/Belgium), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC/M.L.S.)

Midfielders José Francisco Torres (Pachuca/Mexico), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado/M.L.S.), Clint Dempsey (Fulham/England)

Forwards Landon Donovan (Los Angeles/M.L.S.), Jozy Altidore (Villarreal/Spain)

Substitutes Goalkeeper Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/England); defenders Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA/M.L.S.) and Jay DeMerit (Watford/England); midfielders Freddy Adu (Benfica/Portugal), Ricardo Clark (Houston/M.L.S.) and Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA/M.L.S.); forward Charlie Davies (Hammarby/Sweden)

Note: Brian Ching (Houston/M.L.S.) did not dress because of a hamstring injury

Tropical flora, exotic fauna and fake grass will greet the United States

Goal

Adverse Habitat Awaits U.S. in Costa Rica

By JACK BELL

Published: June 2, 2009
Tropical flora, exotic fauna and fake grass will greet the United States when it plays Costa Rica on Wednesday in a World Cup qualifying match at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá in San José.

American players, who generally dislike playing games on the artificial turf surfaces in four stadiums in Major League Soccer, will get to train for two days, then play a qualifying match in the Concacaf region on one of the few plastic surfaces used for top-level games outside the United States.

“I think for the most part, the players will tell you that the game is not the same on artificial turf,” Coach Bob Bradley said during a conference call last Friday. Coincidentally, the Americans will play several matches in next month’s Concacaf Gold Cup in the United States on artificial surfaces.

FIFA, the sport’s world governing body, only recently approved the use of artificial turf fields for international matches, including in several of its youth World Cups (U-20 in Canada in 2007, and U-17 events in Peru in 2005 and in Finland in 2003). The stadium in Costa Rica is also used by Deportivo Saprissa, which gained a waiver from FIFA in 2003 to install the turf because of consistently poor field conditions due to the tropical climate.

Playing surface aside, the United States (2-0-1), which leads the six-nation qualifying group with 7 points, will again have to deal with adverse conditions. The American team has an 0-6 record in qualifying matches in Costa Rica and has been outscored, 13-4.

“The fact that a number of our guys have been to Saprissa Stadium, who have played matches there, that will certainly be part of what we will discuss when we get the whole group together,” Bradley said. “Costa Rica has had great success at Saprissa Stadium. They are very comfortable there. They have great confidence there.

“And certainly, we are aware that we have never won there. So when we look at different challenges, talk about things that we still want to achieve, this is a good example.”

Victories at Costa Rica and against Honduras in Chicago on Saturday (when more than 50,000 fans are expected at Soldier Field) would virtually assure the United States of securing one of Concacaf’s three automatic berths to next summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

M.L.S.

Playing through in golf means one thing and something quite different in Major League Soccer. The league plays through the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, when most of the top major international tournaments pop up on the calendar.

It is that time again — when national teams put out the call for players, and M.L.S. plays through. This time, the league reports, 21 players have been drafted.

For the next two weeks, there are World Cup qualifying matches all over the world. This month, several of the league’s top American players will be with the United States at the Confederations Cup in South Africa. In July, the Concacaf Gold Cup comes to the United States, and another group of players will bid farewell to their clubs for up to three weeks. And in August and September, expect more World Cup call-ups.

France

Girondis Bordeaux ended Lyon’s seven-year stranglehold on the Ligue 1 title when Yourann Gourcoff scored the only goal in a win at Caen on Saturday. The victory allowed Bordeaux to preserve its 3-point lead over Olympique Marseille.

By winning the league title, Bordeaux earned the right to play in the Trophée des Champions, the season’s traditional opener, which for the first time will be played outside the country. The match, between the winners of Ligue 1 and the French Cup, will be played July 25 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

Bordeaux will face the Cup winner Guingamp, a second-division club from Brittany. Guingamp beat Rennes to become the first team outside Ligue 1 to win the French Cup in more than 50 years.

Notes

¶Afshin Ghotbi, the coach of Iran’s national team, confirmed that talks were being held between soccer officials from the United States and Iran about playing a friendly match in Tehran in November. Sunil Gulati, the president of the American federation, would not comment directly on the game in Iran, saying only that “we talk to many football associations about games.”

On-the-field issues could derail any possible game. (The two countries have only played twice: Iran won, 2-1, at the 1998 World Cup in France, and the teams played to a 1-1 tie in January 2000 in Pasadena, Calif.) The United States is expected to secure one of three automatic berths to the 2010 World Cup from the Concacaf region, but Iran is struggling to qualify from Asia.

¶Carlo Ancelotti was introduced as the coach of Chelsea of the English Premier League. In Spain, Real Madrid announced the hiring of Manuel Pellegrini as the coach and Zinedine Zidane as an adviser to the club president.