World Cup tickets like African gold

JOHANNESBURG – Frank Deford, the celebrated sportswriter, once wrote that it is approximately as difficult to buy a World Cup seat as it is to score a goal in the World Cup.

And it seems to be true, especially now that the 2010 World Cup, being held in 10 different venues here in South Aftrica, has entered its lose-and-go-home stage, heading all the way to the finals.

Unless you’ve made previous arrangements for tickets to the Round of 16 or onwards, chances are you’d end up watching the matches here in a hotel room or some bar, your hand wrapped around a beer bottle.

Because tickets, from this day on, are like African gold.

In the official World Cup website, tickets to the matches pitting United States vs Ghana, Germany vs England, Argentina vs Mexico or Spain vs Portugal, range from $425 to $475 or the equivalent of P20,000.

In the quarterfinals, they shoot up to as high as $700, for the semifinals to $1,425, and for the title match to as much as $2,700. And chances are there’s none left if you’re late calling, and you’d end up at eBay.

In the online market, the prices are definitely much, much higher, as high as $3,000 for the Argentina vs Mexico encounter in the Round of 16. For the finals, at the 94,700-seat Soccer City, it should go twice or even thrice as much.

Everybody wants to be there because every match is played before a sellout, with easily 50,000 fans packing each stadium on any given day. They come in all colors, all forms, painted faces, dressed like kings, clowns or super heroes.

And while the stadiums are packed all the way up, out in the streets it’s just as festive. To many, all they needed was to be here in Johannesburg, enjoy the matches in some square fitted with wide, hi-definition screens.

At the Melrose Precinct here in Johannesburg, probably the trendiest area in the city, soccer fans can enjoy the matches as much as they would if they’re inside the stadiums.

It’s a huge party place that doesn’t seem to close at night, and the fans gather in an open-air section, surrounded by expensive bars and restaurants, under the biting cold.

Friday evening’s match between Chile and Spain had the Melrose crowd going wild. The Spaniards won a tight one even if by the sound of it, the crowd was predominantly Chilean.

They exploded and blew their vuvuzuelas hard when Chile scored a goal two minutes into the second half, but failed to draw the equalizer from the team they loved to win. They loved every minute of the match.

But how they wished they still had those tickets.

Notes: Roberto Copello, the Italian journalist who’s here for the Emirates Media Tour involving 111 journalists from 21 countries, said he couldn’t forget the time, more than 20 years ago, when he had the chance for a one-on-one interview with the late Corazon C. Aquino. “She was on the visit when I had the chance. And I remember having that interview,” said Copello, of the Class Editori magazine. Asked how he remembered the former Philippine president, and icon of democracy, he said, “She was keen, diplomatic and very polite with her answers.” Copello, a film critic, political writer, travel writer and photographer rolled into one, is enjoying this World Cup. “Because I love the job,” said the man who’s also fond of Manny Pacquiao, and just kept on asking about the boxer’s next fight and his upcoming stint as member of Congress. “Do the people really like him?” he asked. Then he answered his own question. “Well, I have no doubt about it.” A group of Australian soccer fans came up to the Filipino scribe wearing a Team Pacquiao jacket Friday evening, and were just so interesting to find out of the 31-year-old superstar is in town. They knew who Pacquiao is, they know about the Philippines, and they knew all about the ongoing negotiations for the Super Fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. “But I don’t think that would happen because Mayweather is scared of Pacquiao. Mayweather is all talk. And there’s nothing there. He’s all talk,” said one of them.