Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Spirited American Fans Impress at Football World Cup Americans buy tickets en masse for tournament, party on in South Africa despite World Cup exit Darren Taylor | Johannesburg, South Africa 29 June 2010 As the drama of the later rounds of the World Cup in South Africa unfolds, hundreds of thousands of football fans continue to enjoy the host nationâs hospitality. Prominent among the hordes of overseas visitors in South Africa for the soccer spectacle have been supporters from the United States. Even when their team hasnât been playing, theyâve packed stadiums to watch others in action â always highly visible in their shiny, striped red, white and blue suits, star-spangled top hats and long, snow-white Uncle Sam beards. ASSOCIATED PRESS The US loss to Ghana - both a high and low point for American football fans The US teamâs exit from the tournament after last weekâs defeat by Ghana has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of many American fans in South Africa, who are determined to remain here to soak up the atmosphere. âPlenty of Americans have not just gone to US games but have attended as many games as possible and will continue to do so,â says Catherine McMahon, a member of Samâs Army, as the vociferous American fans are collectively known. She says some American fans bought tickets for as many as 10 World Cup matches, including the semifinals and final. Many â including McMahon - attended the competitionâs opening game on June 11 between South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City stadium near Johannesburg. âAt first I thought (the ticket) was a little too expensive, and then I just said, âHow can I not go to that?â Everybody was just so excited; it was so fun,â McMahon recalls. Americans âbrightenâ World Cup with âpassionâ World Cup organizers say US football supporters have so far bought more than 160,000 tickets - more than the combined totals of traditional soccer powerhouses England and Germany, and second only to South Africans. McMahon herself is âsomewhat surprisedâ â given that the US is still recovering from a deep recession â that so many American football lovers made the long, expensive journey here and spent so much money on match tickets. âMaybe itâs just because itâs such a long trip, and once youâve invested that much time and money, you just figure â whatâs another few hundred dollars (for more tickets) as long as youâre already here?â she ponders. But, whatever the reasons behind the large American presence at South Africaâs World Cup, the countryâs people are grateful for it. âAmericans are the best tippers. They even tip when I know the service hasnât been so good!â says Johannesburg sports bar waitress, Glorious Motaung. US fans have also packed South African memorabilia stores to buy local soccer paraphernalia, including the jerseys of the host countryâs national squad. US midfielder Landon Donovan waves the US flag after the Group C first round 2010 World Cup football match US versus Algeria at Loftus Verfeld stadium in Tshwane/Pretoria. US won the match 1-0, 23 June 2010. AFP US midfielder Landon Donovan Yet the Americans have impressed their hosts with far more than their willingness to spend dollars. âI love their attitude,â says Joe Pinheiro, a South African football fan who attended two matches involving the US. âWhen unfair calls were made against them, they moaned and swore for a few seconds but then immediately carried on singing and backing their team. Theyâve just brightened up this event with their passion and goodwill.â Thozamile Nkosi, who attended the Ghana versus US game, also praised the American visitors. âTheir attitude was, âWe are going to celebrate no matter whatâ and nothing got them down; they even partied with Ghana fans after they lost.â South Africa, a land of contrasts McMahon says US fans feel âprivilegedâ to be at Africaâs first ever football World Cup, and werenât put off by media reports of rampant violent crime in South Africa ahead of the tournament. The Washington DC-based first-time visitor to the country said sheâd ânotedâ stories of âstreet crime and carjackings and robberiesâ before the competition, but that they didnât concern her. âIâve traveled around a lot (as an aid worker) so I sort of know that that stuff gets exaggerated,â she said. âI havenât seen anything (in terms of crime) since I have been here.â McMahon, though, has come to realize the problem is real. âThat you can see just by looking at peopleâs houses in Johannesburg,â she says. âHigh walls, and you see the electrified (security) wire everywhere ...â Iscar Blanco McMahon remains âamazedâ though by the âlevel of developmentâ in the host nationâs big cities, such as Johannesburg. âThereâs six-lane highways, and thereâs a huge downtown of high-rise buildings, and it looks like almost a European city,â she explains. But the contrast between this âsophisticationâ and Johannesburgâs sprawling squatter camps, McMahon says, is âstark ⦠The income disparity (between South Africans) definitely seems dramatic. The suburbs in Johannesburg are very nice, but then just close by you see all these tin shacks.â âIâll never forget South Africaâ McMahon says thereâs âplentyâ sheâll remember from her âfirst but hopefully not lastâ visit to South Africa On her second day in the country, in the city of Pretoria, she found herself caught up in the host nationâs mass euphoria ahead of the World Cupâs opening match. South Africans hit the streets at noon, screaming, dancing and blowing their vuvuzela trumpets in a show of support for their team. Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. The biggest stadium in Africa Creative Commons - Bernard Shane Diaz Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. The biggest stadium in Africa âIt was thousands of people, and completely spontaneous ⦠I have never seen such a spontaneous outpouring of joy!â McMahon exclaims. âI will never forget South Africa and its people.â In particular, she says, sheâll âalways rememberâ South Africansâ concern for the well-being of foreign football fans. âIâve â unsolicited â been asked by half a dozen people â âAre you having a good time; are you having any problems; is anyone ripping you off; we really want you to have a good time!ââ McMahon will also remember South Africaâs âfantasticâ World Cup stadiums. âI heard some people say Ellis Park (in Johannesburg) was really old and rundown, but I thought it was a really nice stadium, and well designed ⦠Soccer City was a great stadium â really beautiful.â McMahon says another memorable event for her was her first taste of South African boerewors, or âfarmerâs sausage.â âA little gamey; but I liked it; a little spicy,â she laughs. Wish for soccer to be âmajorâ sport in US Besides the opening game, McMahon attended all the USâs group matches and was âecstaticâ when her team topped Group C ahead of more favored England. Her happiness has, however, been tempered by USâs loss to Ghana, thus eliminating it from the tournament ⦠But not curbing McMahonâs enthusiasm and belief that soccer will someday soon gain its ârightful placeâ as a âmajorâ sport in the US. âMy friends are writing me and telling me the World Cup is playing in more (US) bars ,and people are skipping work to watch the games, and everybodyâs talking about it,â McMahon says. âSoccer is getting bigger and bigger in the US, and you can see that by the very many American fans that have made the effort to get to South Africa.â  .