United States fans: Your four-year World Cup wait is over

RUSTENBURG, South Africa -- Forget what I said a while ago about dodgy security at the stadiums. Security at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium is massive.

But this is weird … it smells like weed inside the stadium. Seriously. Not what I expected to be telling myself before the most highly anticipated match in U.S. history.

Lineups are out, in case you haven’t already been be-Twittered with ‘em.

Oguchi Onyewu will start alongside Jay DeMerit in the back. Jozy Altidore and Robbie Findley are up front. Ricardo Clark will partner Bradley in the middle of the park. Otherwise it’s what you’d expect: Howard, Cherundolo, Onyewu, DeMerit, Bocanegra; Donovan, Clark, Bradley, Dempsey, Findley and Altidore.

It’s been hot for every World Cup match I’ve ever been at …well, save for a wind-swept night in Marseilles. Anyway, the cool night really adds something to the match. (So does the fact that it’s at night, even if it’s mid-afternoon where you are.)

So…teams are out for warmups … temperatures are falling … music is blaring … vuvuzelas are overwhelming … Fabio Capello’s chin is sticking out even further than usual … even the journalists seem nervous ... your four-year wait is over …