By 12, we were ready for the brief coach ride.
By 12:45 we were frustrated by the fact that the bus arrived late. We boarded, but hadn't started moving.
By 1:00, Ben meant business. 
At 1:30, we were outside of Ellis Park Stadium, a beautiful facility and the infamous site of the South African Springboks' rugby world cup victory in 1995. (Note the presence of Chris, the infamous "lost boy" from the U.S.-England game and the subplot of my entry.)
The South African fans in attendance were jubilant. Upon entry, many cheered the foreigners, and one man asked to take a photo with us. Apparently we located the only person in the world who cannot take a photo--it took three or four tries and all somehow cut off huge chunks of the group. After finding a capable photographer and striking yet another pose, we told our new fan, "Go U.S." to which he replied, "Sure sure" (pronounced rapidly, shoshow) a common South African response. But then he added an, "ATL," hip-hop culture's call sign for Atlanta, Georgia. After some confused looks and a hearty laugh, we made our way towards the festivities outside the stadium, something we were not able to do in Rustenberg last week.
Our journey offered a mingling of Yanks, Slovenians, and South Africans. After getting clarification on the reason for Slovenia's green jersey and red, white, and blue flag, we asked the question on everyone's mind: Why use Charlie Brown's jagged stripe on the jersey? It's not about Peanuts, one fan said, it's the mountains in Slovenia, and the one in the center is taller than those that surround it.
We found the Slovenians to be extremely proud. We learned that they enjoy Sacramento's reception of their native Beno Udrih. They reminded us ad nauseam that their country contains only 2 million people. Given that fact, we found the number of supporters present at Ellis Park to be quite impressive. They also mentioned that Slovenia's publicity for the World Cup cast Johannesburg and South Africa itself in quite a dangerous light--not unlike that in some mediums in the U.S. The experience for these fans, however, had so far unfolded contrary to those warnings. They admitted South Africa felt safer and more welcoming than did Korea during their World Cup travels in 2002. (These sentiments may have been, in part, a result of the eager, cheery beer vendors in Budweiser's beer garden behind us.)
In a fit of anger after the game, Ben ultimately regretted bonding with this Slovenian, for obvious reasons.
Once inside, we had yet another reason to smile. Stephanie had unknowingly purchased tickets located in the first row of the upper deck, an unobstructed location where we could drape our flags, hover over the ledge, and slap the glass excitedly. Strangley, even with people standing behind us, the usher told us to sit on more than one occasion.
We watched the re-airing of the match again this morning. Apparently these seats also led to a television camera capturing me jumping up and down (twice, briefly). While the location of the seats no doubt increased the likelihood that the cameras would focus in our direction, having someone playing a hand drum to my right certainly didn't hurt my chances.No one tells Ben he cannot stand. Later, he perfected the blasting of his long-coveted U.S.A. vuvuzela, conceding that it's an instrument that can only be mastered when one feels impassioned.
This stands as the last picture of me in these eyeglasses, excitedly celebrating Bradley's equalizer. Sometime during the fiasco associated with Edu's disallowed goal, they twirled into the lower bowl.
Ben, dejected and wearing the details of the day.
Our trip back to the coach was less treacherous than the one described in our trip to Rustenberg, but it was still flawed. Security blocked the route we needed to take, and the flow of people led us again toward unfamiliar territory. After an impromptu television interview with SABC and a subsequent wrong turn, Stephanie led Ben and I on a jog through the gates of the complex. With only one stumble on the way, she got us back to a bus that Chris claimed he kept idle on account that it could not depart without Zook, party of three, safely on board.
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