The Last Post

July 11, 2010 has come and gone.

I worked for the better part of 3 years to get myself in a position to make it to South Africa and watch the final in Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg.

Unfortunately, it was not meant to be.

Having said that, watching Sunday's final between my adopted country Spain and Holland felt right.

Undertaking a project of this magnitude by yourself is always daunting. There were many times I wanted to give up, simply because the scope of the endeavor was vast. I'd never done anything like this before ... who did I think I was?

But as time rolled by, it became great fun. I learned more and more about the intricate world of African football, the happy demeanor and joyous breadth of anecdotes that dot the continent. Besides that, I met some incredible people: people I'll consider friends for the rest of my life.

I've learned to pay more attention. Football is not just about South America and the money-rich European landscape. The game's soul resides in the streets of cities like Nairobi, where great people are doing work using the game of football to teach youngsters the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases.

Or in cities like Abidjan, Ivory Coast, where a superstar like Didier Drogba uses his fame to literally calm a civil war.

That's the power of the game. That's something I hold near and dear to my heart.

So I didn't make it to South Africa for the final game. I didn't rub shoulders with Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma like I wanted to ...

But I did learn a great deal about the game and myself in the process. And had a blast doing it.

Standing at my local pub in New York City, watching the scenes unfold from South Africa as my team scurried around the pitch with the trophy, I felt at peace.

My life was good. I've traveled an interesting, winding road to get to July 11, 2010. I got to the 'final', sort of speak.

Maybe it wasn't in South Africa. Maybe the final was always a personal journey.

I'll have more information up in the next few weeks for anyone that wishes to follow my journey to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and possibly, the 2012 European Championships in Poland.

Stay tuned. I'm not done yet!!!

4 Days To Go: The 5 Best Games of the First Round

4 days left and the 2010 World Cup gets underway!

There's SO much news on the internet, magazines, newspapers, television, etc.
I'm but a lowly blogger trying to carve his niche in the big, bad soccer media world.

Having said that, I'm BEYOND excited for the Cup, even if I can't make it to South Africa.
I'm making lemonade out of lemons, looking forward to enjoying the Cup in New York City!

So what are the 5 biggest matches of the first round?

1 - USA vs. England (June 12, 2:30pm)

Call this the teacher vs. the student, if you wish. It's the colonial power against the formerly subjugated. The football powerhouse against the budding superstars.

USA-England has all the drama of a Spanish soap opera.

Most prognosticators give USA little chance against the magic of Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

Having said that, USA's not as bad as many pundits think. They're scrappy, they're quick and with Landon Donovan and Michael Bradley, they have pace and vision.

Expect a tough one before the USA succumbs to the English brawn and power.

2 - South Africa vs. Mexico (June 11, 10 a.m.)

Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg will be rocking for the opening match of the 2010 Cup. South Africa's not a strong team, but Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has provided the squad with much needed structure.

Mexico is consistently one of the quickest, most offensive sides in the world, so this should be a show stopper and a fancy way to open the Cup.

3 - Argentina vs. Nigeria (June 12, 10 a.m.)

The unstable Diego Maradona guides the likes of world player of the year Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain into a match against one of Africa's powerhouses. Who knows what'll happen here?

Expect a raucous atmosphere. It's one of Africa's best hopes of advancing out of the first round against a perennial power, coached by the greatest player of all time.

Must See TV, anyone?

4 - Brazil vs. Portugal (June 25, 10 a.m)

Brazil is the co-favorite to win it all. Portugal boasts the world's most expensive player in Cristiano Ronaldo and a fast, loose style.

Both teams will be looking to finish first in the group, as the second-place side settles into a likely match with co-favorite Spain. So expect a knockout, drag-out fight by these two Portuguese-speaking nations

5 - Ghana vs. Germany (June 23, 2:30 p.m)

Who will feel the injury bug the most: Ghana, who is missing Michael Essien? Or Germany, who is missing Michael Ballack?

The Ghanaians will be hard pressed against the efficient Germans, but their freewheeling style may cause fits of anxiety for the former World Champions.

The pro-African crowd may play a part in this.


All in all, five games that will entertain and excite. What do you think?

8 Days To Go: I Haven't Left!

I missed yesterday's post.

Please don't boo me out of the building.

I was sick but your friendly neighborhood blogger is back, ready to provide you with news regarding the 2010 World Cup.

8 days away and the news is ratcheted up. There's so much information out there regarding the tournament, it's quite literally information overload.

But that's why I'm here.

Today's Tidbits

1 - Goalkeepers dislike the official World Cup Adidas ball more than Diego Maradona dislikes reporters and photographers, according to the New York Times.

As reporter Jere Longman says, 'the ball is being criticized for being too light and too curvy, as if it were a fashion model obsessed with too little food and too much plastic surgery.'

I love that analogy ...

2 - Spain's sports daily MARCA has the best World Cup fixture calendar I've yet to see. It's in Spanish but I'm sure you can figure it out. It's brilliant.

3 - The BBC has a wicked 2010 World Cup site. It's obviously geared towards the English national team. But what's this? WHAT'S THIS?! Stop the presses ...

One of the blogs there, Piers Edward's football blog, has your friendly neighborhood blogger linked on the side!!!

Sorry, I had to gloat some. It's great to be linked to the BBC ...

4 - The 2010 World Cup is already lucrative to FIFA. You think?

5 - Nelson Mandela will attend the 2010 World Cup. The 91-year-old will attend the opening match between Bafana Bafana and Mexico as well as the Final scheduled for July 11 at Soccer City Stadium. Great news!

And because I wasn't here yesterday, one extra news tidbit:

6 - North Korea tried to pull a fast one on FIFA, listing one of their strikers as a goalkeeper. Tsk tsk ... Bad, bad Korea ...

What I Think I Think

Football's a global phenomenon but for fans, it's also a personal experience.

Let me delve inside my fandom for a bit and touch on a news story.

Today, Liverpool confirmed Rafa Benitez is leaving the club after 6 seasons.

"It is very sad for me to announce that I will no longer be manager of Liverpool FC," Benítez said. "I would like to thank all of the staff and players for their efforts.

"I'll always keep in my heart the good times I've had here, the strong and loyal support of the fans in the tough times and the love from Liverpool. I have no words to thank you enough for all these years and I am very proud to say that I was your manager."

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Spanish club Valencia CF, where Benitez made his name. While managing Valencia, Rafa guided Los Che to their first Spanish title in 31 years and two years later, the double, winning the Spanish league and UEFA Cup.

Since Rafa's departure, Valencia's star has fallen.

But Benitez has been a star, capturing the 2005 UEFA Champions League in dramatic fashion over AC Milan in a match no one will ever forget. He also led 'Pool to the 2007 final against the same AC Milan team, losing 2-1.

Ultimately, Rafa's undoing was his failure to capture the English championship, which has eluded Liverpool since 1990.

Where does he go now? Inter Milan? Back to Spain?

Who knows ...

What I do know is that Rafa's provided me with some of my favorite football memories.

From Valencia winning 2 Spanish titles to the UEFA Cup against Marseille.

From the incredible 2005 Champions League final to some heart stopping matches against Chelsea in the CL semifinals, Rafa's teams have consistently provided entertainment and excitement.

Sure, one of Rafa's criticisms are that his teams play 'boring' football. But whatever. The guy's a winner and that's all that matters to the fans.

He didn't win the English Premier League and that cost him his job. But that doesn't mean Rafa doesn't deserve accolades.

Thanks for the memories, Rafa. We wish you the best in the future.

10 Days To Go: Time Flies

Time sure does fly.

I feel like I started this blog a few months ago.

But it's been 3 years now and here we are, a mere 10 days away from the 2010 World Cup.

Time flies!!!

Today's Tidbits

1 - Brazil will win the World Cup! According to an executive producer of the BBC, at least.

2 - Theo Walcott fails to make the final England squad. Tough break for the young lad.

3 - A movie review of 'Looking for Eric.' The Eric in question is Man U legend Eric Cantona.

4 - Speaking of movies, if you're in the New York City area, check out the 2nd annual Kicking and Screening soccer film festival. Some great films here, folks.

5 - D.C. United midfielder Andy Najar is the first MLS academy product to make a major impact. Many could follow, altering the landscape of American soccer.

What I Think I Think

Now THIS is a soccer advert ... are we all ready for the USA-England match? Should be a classic!

11 Days To Go: Summer Time

Bright, sunny days such as today in New York City remind me what I love so much about soccer.
Lush, green grass.
Warm, balmy weather.
Dust being kicked up from the tracks of football players.

It's the sight, smells and feelings of playing the sport that drive one to identify so much with the Messis and Ronaldos of the world, who'll be vying for the world's richest sporting prize in 11 days time.

What's the weather going to be like in South Africa anyways?

Today's Tidbits

1 - Fabio Capello looks set to steer the England ship until 2012.

2 - USA lands safely in South Africa. USA, USA, USA!

3 - Nice pictures of South Africa's World Cup stadiums.

4 - Guess who's the new coach of Real Madrid? The Special One, Jose Mourinho. A match made in heaven, if you ask me.

5 - What's the mood in South Africa less than two weeks before the start of the Cup? The World Cup and CSR blog has an interesting take, with a view of the ongoing situation before the Cup starts from blogger Adam Boros.

What I Think I Think

Can it be? Could someone from FIFA actually be talking sense?


According to the football website The Spoiler, the annoying South African noisemaker known as the vuvuzela may be banned during the World Cup.

Joy of joys!

Look, I'm all for expressing your unique cultural qualities.

Singing, dancing, etc. I think it's fabulous.

But the vuvuzela is incredibly annoying.

It's 50,000 people blowing their air horns (vuvuzelas), making a noise that can only be described as a nasty beehive descending on your head.

Remember the Confederation Cup last year? How indescribable the noise of the South African noisemaker was? You didn't hear cheering or singing or boos and yays. You heard a non-ending BZZZZZ that kept going and going and ...

According to the website:

Prior to South Africa’s warm-up friendly with Colombia yesterday, fans were warned the plastic horn was still ‘under review’ and could be banned from the World Cup if too much noise was made during the match. Apparently TV networks have been struggling to cope with the 140db onslaught during broadcasts, while players have complained of not being able to hear their manager, or even each other.
Making a point of not actually referring to vuvuzelas directly, head of the World Cup Organising Committee, Danny Jordaan, warned fans to choose the right moment to make their noise:

'If there is an order to evacuate that stadium and an announcement is made, you have to ask yourself, will everyone in that stadium hear that evacuation order?'

Jordaan also made it clear the instruments would banned if “one incident of violence [occurs] involving a vuvuzela”. We’re not sure how much damage you can do with a plastic stick, but there you go, the man has spoken.

Hallelujah!!!

18 Days To Go!

Ok, I'm finally back. And this time for good!

The 2010 World Cup is a mere 18 days away!

Time flies when you're having fun, eh?

From here on out, this is how the site will work:

- 5 links each day to interesting World Cup stories.

- My daily opinion on the day's events.

- Since I can't make it to South Africa for the Cup, I'll enjoy the sights and sounds of the US's most cosmopolitan metropolis, New York City, and hit up some of the city's best foreign enclaves to watch the matches with fans and soak up some international atmosphere.

That's a decent consolation prize, no? No?! Hey, it's the best I can do. Unless you can get me $10,000 in the next two weeks.

Ok, so here we go ...

Today's Tidbits

1 - How about a preview of one of South America's under-the-radar football powers, Paraguay?

2 - If you're going to the World Cup, be careful about getting sick ...

According to a new study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, visitors traveling to South Africa will need to worry less about 'exotic' tropical diseases such as malaria, and concentrate on protecting themselves from a wide range of more common travel-related diseases, such as acute diarrheal illness, sexually transmitted diseases, febrile illnesses, insect and tick bites, and vaccine-preventable infections, especially influenza and measles.

So maybe it's good I'm staying here in New York? Yikes!!

3 - US 'keeper Tim Howard is proud of America's goal keeper tradition.

4 - England beats Mexico in a friendly ... and more friendly results from Monday.

5 - Spain's Xabi Alonso thinks Spain can with the World Cup. Ya think?

What I Think I Think

Umm, let's see.

I didn't watch the friendlies, so can't go there.

The World Cup is weeks away, so why bother at this point ...

Hmm ... Oh! I know ... Did we all watch Inter Milan's domination of Bayern Munich in the Champions League final this past Saturday?

Excuse me, Mr. Diego Maradona ... but what exactly were you smoking when you left Inter striker Diego Milito off your squad list? Tsk tsk. And he brought 87-year old Martin Palermo instead? I dunno. I'm not sure how this move will pay off.

The Greatest Player of All Time may have some explaining to do come the end of the tournament.

Long Time No Talk!

Hey there, how are you? Long time no talk!

It's been some time since I've written on Road to 2010 and I wanted to update everyone on what's going on.

First, unless I win the lottery or someone sends me $10,000, I won't be going to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup. Sad but true.

The premise of this blog was to document my journey to South Africa and the World Cup. In that vein, I've failed.

What happened? A variety of factors caused my desire and passion to wane.

One, I grew cynical about the game of football.

Football is a never ending sport, with fixtures popping up almost every weekend of the year. This saturation (over saturation?) caused me to loathe the game. I tried to stay away from it rather than embrace it.

Second, my economic situation changed. That's something that's happened to many people, not just me. The economy has been a whirlwind the past few years. I've been personally affected.

Lastly, I hit a wall. I didn't know how to continue the blog, my writing or my journey. I grew frustrated. I threw my hands up and simply called time out.

But not all is lost.

I feel I've got my mo jo back! I'm loving the Beautiful Game again and I'm excited to come back to this platform and write.

I'm looking for ideas on how to continue this blog through the World Cup and beyond.

I've a few good ideas. I'd like to hear from you, the readers and see what you think as well.

E-mail me at cesarbenoitjr AT gmail DOT com and let me know what you think. All suggestions and comments will be greatly appreciated.

The blog is back!! Hope to have you along for the ride.

Road to 2010 Final Update

I'm back from my summer vacation!
We're a mere 289 days from the start of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Not much time to get myself there.

I started this website about 2 and a half years ago with the idea of getting myself to the World Cup Final. That hasn't changed.

So the Big Push starts now.

Sure, I could just buy the tickets and make my way out there. But what fun would that be?

My goal and vision is to raise money for a pertinent football charity in Africa, make my way out there and chronicle my experience, watch some amazing football, meet some incredible people and have a great time.

I've been lazy. I've been complacent. There's no doubt about that.

But I'm determined to give it my all in this short amount of time. I'm committed to getting to Africa and to raising some money.

I hope you'll help me.

I hope you'll enjoy the journey.

I hope I'll meet some of you on the way to South Africa.

And I can't wait to watch some goose-bump inducing football along the way!

Stay posted for more frequent updates and a different approach as I make my final push to the World Cup finals next year ...

South Africa, here I come!

Broken Computer

My computer is broken. Such is life.

I can’t:
- Write blog posts.

- Communicate with anyone.

- Keep up with 2010 World Cup news.

- Function normally.

The problem should be fixed by the beginning of next week. So expect new posts and ‘witty’ comments then.

Imagine if this happens to me on the road to South Africa ... what then?!?

I'll be back ASAP, stronger than ever. So don't leave me just yet ...

2010, here I come!

Road to 2010 Update

So we're 409 days away from the opening game of the 2010 World Cup, about 440 days until the Final game that will crown a world champion and the game I want to be at.

How am I doing on the Road to the 2010 Final?

Good and bad.

The good?

- I've learned a great deal about Africa, the World Cup and football in general.
- I've met some amazing people.
- I've made some money!
- I've received some good press and honed my writing skills (I think).

The bad?

- It's a lot harder than I thought!

I hope to get to South Africa without spending a cent of my own money.

I'm not sure this is possible. I've received exciting proposals from readers in Africa that I'm still following up on.

When and if something pans out, I'll let you know.

At the bottom of it all, I want this blog to be:

- Educational. Africa's a varied continent and not just the doom and gloom the Western media would like us to believe. Football is but one way of showing this.
- Fun! Why do this if it isn't fun? The people I've met, the games I've watched ... ALL worth it, so far!
- A source of information for anyone wanting to go to South Africa for the matches. More on that in the next few weeks and months.
- A way to raise money for a charity or two in Africa that deals with children and soccer. More on this, as well.

I have a LONG way to go.

I need to step up my game.

To put it in footballing terms, I'm still in the qualifying round, but I need to get my act together and rally the troops.

ANY and ALL suggestions would be much appreciated. Any HELP would me much appreciated.

Thanks for reading and for accompanying me on the Road to South Africa.

Never Left a Comment Before? Let's Start Now!

Readers of Road to 2010 (I know there are some of you out there) will notice small changes taking place over the next few months.

One of the many things about my readers I'm interested in is what you want to learn more about on the road to the World Cup, what you'd like to read about and what you think I can do to improve the site.

So, I'm encouraging you to use this post to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.

It would give a much broader picture of the diversity of the readership and some clues as to what makes people come back and keep reading the site.

In the comment field under this post, please take a minute to leave a comment answering the following questions (you can answer some of them, all of them, or just one of them - whatever you’d like):

What is your geographic location?
How did you find Road to 2010?
Why do you keep coming back to Road to 2010?
What do you want to read more about?
What can I do to improve the site?

You do not have to leave your real name in the “name” field below - feel free to make up whatever name you wish. I fully understand the desire for privacy and I don’t want this to be an intrusion on your privacy at all, just an attempt to get a feel for the people out there reading Road to 2010.

Thanks for your time and see you in South Africa! I HOPE!

2 Years to 2010 World Cup Final

Time flies when you're having fun!

I'm still not over the euphoria of Spain winning Euro 2008 and what do I see?

That today is July 11th.

Which means we're a mere 2 years away from the World Cup Final, a game that will decide the world champion of professional football.

Time flies.

I have a more concrete idea of how to get there. Definitely more concrete than I had this time last year.

Now, I better get my butt in gear! There's no time to waste!

Check back for more updates on my journey to the Final ... two years away!!! I can't wait!

822 Days to Go and a Change in Direction

For some time now, we here at '2010' have talked about change.

I've often said I'm tired of the current format. Cutting and pasting someone else's work doesn't do the reader or the poster any justice.

Just a few months ago, I talked about this very thing.

Well, I'm here to say that after much internal debate, I'm making a move.

The first thing you'll notice is the new design of the site.

Nothing extraordinary. I simply got tired of the dark look of the pages. I needed something more vibrant. Hopefully in the next couple of months, I'll have a more professional layout up.

Next, I want to rededicate myself to the original purpose of this blog.

As the caption above says, this blog is about 'My journey from Brooklyn, New York January 4, 2007 to the World Cup Final match July 11, 2010 in South Africa. How will I get there? I have no idea. Join me as I travel around Africa, write a book, make some friends and watch the beautiful game!'

I'm not in Brooklyn anymore. I've yet to go to Africa. I'm not even sure I have a book in me. But I'm passionate about the game. I love football now more than ever.
And I still want to get to the Final.

And more importantly, I want to help some people along the way ...

I'm not entirely sure how to do this.

But I'll figure something out very soon.

So some may ask: Why do it this way? Why not just buy a ticket to the game?

I stated some reasons for this in a previous post.

Unfortunately I may have to pay, especially if my original intent doesn't pan out.
But where's the fun in that? Where's the sense of adventure?

I want the experience of it. I want to face this challenge and know I can do it.

I've thought about this long and hard.

Cutting and pasting other people's work here doesn't work. You can find that news anywhere. Why come here for it?

So I'm looking for more original content, more feature pieces about football personalities, more fresh commentary about the sport I love.

I've said this before. But I think you'll find I'm staying truer to my pursuit this time around.

Simply put, this is my journey from a passive fan to an active participant in a sport I cherish.

I love this game. But watching isn't enough. I want to affect it, too.

How can I leave a mark and satisfy my passions as well?

How can I get to the Final game in July 2010 and also help people along the way, while having a blast and enjoying the Beautiful Game?

Another way of saying it: This is not just a blog about African football. It was never intended to be. Of course, the focus is on the continent's action as the 2010 Cup is stationed there.

But really, this is a personal journey. About how I love the game and how I want the game to move me in some way.

I hope this doesn't sound too selfish. I suppose in some ways it is.
Maybe that'll change in time.

I think you'll find the purpose isn't that selfish in time to come.

I've struggled long and hard on this. I think this is the right way to go ...

822 days to go. I have a LOT of work to do!

Wish me luck.