We were greeted by enthusiastic attendants at the Park and Ride location. They all wanted photos with the American supporters. After South Africa was eliminated, many of their supporters are now following the USA.
We were really dressed for the ocassion -- showing our colors and waving our flags. Everything was well-organized at the stadium. We were driven from the Park and Ride lot to the doorstep of the stadium and no cost. We were thinking that a shuttle bus ride, or at least the parking, would have cost plenty in the USA. Here all of the hospitality for the match was provided at no charge.
At the stadium, there were thousands of USA supporters. Of the 35,000 plus fans, there was perhaps a larger contingent of USA supporters than Algerians. The news reports that more tickets were sold in advance to Americans than any other country. We were in good company. All the supporters had a "YES WE CAN!" attitude. We screamed and blew our vuvuzelas until we were hoarse. It was all worth it when the USA team scored in the final minute of play.
The highlight of the day was that Bill Clinton was at the match. He drew almost as many cheers as the USA team. When he appeared, in the stands, it appeared that all the USA fans turned away from the field to get photos of him. We were sitting near where he was located, and managed to get a photo of him as well. I guess when you're as popular as Bill, it isn't hard for folks to be distracted -- even if he has no history of being a great soccer fan. On this day, we all were the most vocal soccer fans in the stadium.
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