WORLD CUP: Suddenly Very, Very Real

I hadn't specifically meant for this to be entirely dedicated to the World Cup, but in the wake of the draw, it will be exclusively that for the next few days and maybe weeks… there's just THAT much to geek about.  

For now, just one immediate thought on the draw as it pertains to the U.S.  I'll go into depth on the American's chances very soon but my immediate reaction to the draw with England is this: WHERE THE FUCK IS RUSTENBERG AND HOW IN GOD'S NAME IS IT GOING TO ACCOMMODATE THE WORLD CUP'S TWO BIGGEST ATTRACTIONS?  (Not biggest in a football sense, but these two nations were by far the most heavily represented in the WC ticket requests and given the resources available to their citizens, will almost certainly be the best represented).  The answer to the former is that it's a two hour drive from Johannesburg.  The answer to the latter is, quite simply, IT'S NOT.  Rustenburg, as far as my searches have yielded, has 7 hotels listed on the internet.  I'm sure there are more hostels and pensions and rooms for rent and maybe a few hotels not in the mighty reach of Google… but SEVEN hotels.  SEVEN!?!?!  Springfield, Missouri has more than 7 hotels!  Blacksburg, Virginia has almost twice that many.   

So, the inevitability?  English and American fans will take to the road after the game on the lone highway between Joburg and Rustenburg.  English football fans and rich Americans driving through Africa after a day of binge drinking… Nothing bad can happen here, surely.

Is fixture relocation possible?  I don't see why not: FIFA would only need to switch around two or three fixtures to ensure these types of scenarios don't happen.  Matches involving well supported sides are almost exclusively in Joburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, cities that have the infrastructure to host these fan bases (very poorly, but nevertheless).  The only exceptions I see are the USA v. England match in Rustenburg, France v. South Africa in Bloemfontaine and maybe France vs. Mexico in Polokwane.  How hard would it be to shuffle up to six matches months ahead of time?  For a progressive organization with logical and flexible leaders, easy.  For FIFA?  Well, just ask the Irish.

And by the way, a round trip flight from Cape Town to Joburg anytime around those dates is running between $600-700.  Then you would have to rent a car and brave the aforementioned the doomsday scenario… like most American fans, I've paid thousands of dollars to follow my team… from a TV a savannah away.