The paradox of a month-long football tournament is that the closer you get to the final, the lower the enthusiasm. While the games are getting more important, they are becoming fewer in number and more spread out. Whereas there used to be games every couple of days in each host city, we're down to four games in four cities over 8 days. It's hard to maintain the early atmosphere.
As I sat in the Johannesburg airport waiting for my flight to Cape Town today, the change from when I first set foot in South Africa was night and day. A month ago, it was packed even at 8AM, with vibrant signs, bustling merchandise shops, and the constant blare of vuvuzelas. Today, it was very subdued, bare, and quiet.
I can't say I miss the noise, but it is a sad reminder that the World Cup is drifting inevitably towards its conclusion . . . and we're getting closer to another four year wait.
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