Perfect Pitch

Best-Dressed Fans
Fans at the World Cup wear all sorts of makeup, clothes, hats and miscellaneous items to show support for their teams, but this one is my favorite. Spain may have the better team this year, but Germany has the better-dressed fans. Check out the guy in lederhosen.

Diversity And Unity
South Africa has a rich tapestry of cultures and languages, but the country was also once divided. From the side that the photo below was taken, the two arches represent that division, but the one arch on the opposite side reflects the country’s newfound unity. I’ve heard from some locals how this World Cup has helped unify the country even more.

Football For Hope Centre In Khayelitsha Township
I heard from family back home that this first of 20 Football for Hope Centres was featured by Tom Brokaw, so I won’t delve into what was most likely covered in the news story (the HIV/AIDS education, leadership and problem-solving skills kids can use in their communities, etc). What I’d like to focus on is the Centre’s work with girls.

They have special soccer programs for girls (girls only games, and games where the boys who are right-handed must kick with their left foot and vice-versa which makes them less aggressive on the field and gives the girls a chance to be competitive). The result is that girls who once thought soccer was just a boys game are now playing soccer, and going home and watching soccer matches on TV

with their dads, something only boys used to do. This allows girls to develop relationships with their dads, who are often not at home, due to going to work early and coming home late from work. It’s just one more example of how soccer is being used to build a stronger South Africa.

-- KRISTINA BRZEZINSKI