U.S. vs. Slovenia -- World Cup pregame

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The overwhemingly pro-U.S. crowd came dressed for a Halloween party with fans wearing an endless array of hats, scarves, pants, shirts and face paint in the design of the U.S. flag. There are also two people dressed as astronauts (carrying a sign reading ‘South Africa We Have Landed’), at least one Elvis impersonator and no small number of Mexican fans who have come out to cheer on their neighbors to the north.

Even FIFA President Sepp Blatter is at this match, though he is dressed more conservatively in a gray suit and tie. No doubt he is cheering for the U.S. too, however, since a long, successful run by the Americans will raise TV ratings in an important FIFA market.

The vuvuzelas are also out in force again, making it sound as if a giant and angry hoard of hornets is hovering about the stadium.

During the national anthem, each of the U.S. players placed his left hand on the shoulder of the nearest teammate and placed his right hand over his heart. This was true for the starters on the field and the substitutes hidden on the bench. Each the players pictured on the stadium scoreboard was singing the national anthem loudly.

There are once again pockets of empty seats around the stadium but some of that could be due to the heavy traffic and long security lines outside the stadium. Only a couple of the stadium’s many luxury suites appear to be in use.

-- Kevin Baxter in Johannesburg, South Africa