[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DmLMd41VJI&feature=related]

The people in South America are celebrating as if they had already won the cup, and we saw last week, after Chili’s win over Switzerland, the people were going insane in Santiago. I guess they very well deserve to win because they are playing extremely good soccer. Also, it is obvious that the American team this year has very well improved compared to 2006. I think they actually have a chance of going far this year because you can feel that they play as a team and don’t rely on individual skills to win. Whatever happens this year, I truly believe that a South American team will win the cup, and more importantly, deserve to win it. For all the italians and french out there, the European Cup is only two years away, don’t worry.

This is a really fun commercial! We all know about the rivalry between Argentina and Brazil, especially when it comes to soccer (or should I say football). The AD is about Argentines who drink Skol (a Brazilian beer) and then begin dancing samba. It’s fun! You’ll enjoy it.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7aHfan3A0]

This one is the Pepsi commercial for FIFA 2010 World Cup. Oh Africa, by Akon is the official song of the commercial.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiB3683PztQ&feature=related]

This is a Nike commercial. Their work is brilliant, as always.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idLG6jh23yE]

That buzz is the sound coming out of the Vuvuzela, a plastic horn blown by South African fans. This “instrument” is the result of a failed toy imported by the US that’s been around for about 10 years. The vuvuzela is not banned as long as it’s shorter than one meter. It emits 127 decibels which is louder than a lawnmower or chainsaw. I can just imagine the ever lasting buzzing sound in fans ears following a game.

Although the vuvuzela is annoying for tv spectators, it’s also cumbersome for athletes. Part of soccer strategy is to communicate on the field. But with the sound of the vuvuzela’s in the stadium’s, communication between team players has become difficult. This is forcing players to find creative ways of communication on the field. The South African have a real advantage on the field because of the annoying sounds driving everyone absolutely crazy!

Here is a glimpse of the peformances that took place on the opening night of the FIFA World Cup 2010:

Shakira- Wakka Wakka

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6ZxikBM-Pg] 

K’Naan- Waving Flag

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Eokd-Ih1c&feature=related]

Black Eyed Peas- Gotta Feeling

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIj-8WsXuNw]

Cape Town
The city to be known as the central of all Africa and the “Mother City.” Only because it is famous all over the world for its dramatically beautiful settings and amazing water fronts. One must see place in Cape Town is the island of Robben. It is where Nelson Mandela spent his 27 years in prison. Though now it is well known to be a great museum. But besides exploring the city and wandering around the newly built stadium for the games, the national parks around Cape Town are the perfect place to see the true Africa scenery.

Johannesburg
This will be another very busy city in weeks to come, due to Johannesburg having two large world Cup stadiums within driving distance between each other. Many fans will not only be around the stadiums, but also sightseeing the city’s famous art galleries, markets, and restaurants. Yet, one major thing to experience in this large city is hear and see the latest Kwaito, which is known to be South African hip hop. Very popular among the locals, so if you want a taste of true African music I say takes a listen to this.

Nelspruit
Just a few steps away from Durban, this city is well known to be the hub for fruit farming. It is not near any of the Indian Ocean beaches, but it does contain abundance of national parks around the city itself. Very close by the South Africa’s flagship state park it is one of the many national parks to see real African wildlife. This area is also very common to be the perfect place for camping.

Consider this while you are visiting the hub of the World Cup, not only choose to see a game but also sightsee the many destinations South Africa has to offer.

So this is it ladies and gentlemen, the hockey season is officially over for the Montreal Canadiens, our beloved team, who went down 4-1 in the series versus Philadelphia. But hey! Great news, we have two weeks left to clear our throats and relax before we start cheering again for a soccer team in the 2010 FIFA World  Cup in South Africa. Now, we all know how important soccer is becoming in North America and all the different communities who are soccer fanatics have their teams to cheer for. I thought about writing about the fanatic movement in Montreal when it comes to hockey and soccer. We all know how crazy our city is for Hockey right, two years ago, when Montreal beat Boston in the first round people were jumping on cars and vandalising stores. This year when Montreal beat Washington and Pittsburgh, people were still jumping on cars and vandalising store to the point where 20 000 police officers were in the downtown area after game 7 versus Pittsburgh. And I know that a lot of people say: Oh come on, that’s ridiculous, and what a bunch of animals, but lets admit it, hockey is our national sport and besides hockey, wich other sporting event brings as much excitement or entertainment then hockey? It’s only normal that we overdo it. Yes we have the Grand Prix, the Rogers Cup and all the little sporting events, but none are as big as the Stanley Cup playoff.

But, fortunately, we also have soccer. I know Canada doesn’t do much in soccer, but it’s only a matter of time before our name appears on the world cup list. We are going to become just like the United States and France, a team composed of multi-cultural Canadians citizens. But, we must not forget about the big latin-american, african-american and European Montreal communities that are, without a doubt, going to cheer for their homeland teams. For example, when Italy won the 2006 Fifa World Cup, Rivière-Des-Prairies and Saint-Leonard, two italian communities, were jammed packed with people celebrating the win. No matter which team wins, it is for sure they have a fan base here in Montreal, and that is the beauty of our city. So ladies and gentlemen, I hope you have your flags ready, because all eyes are going to be on South Africa two weeks from now. Enjoy it and enjoy the beginning of summer.