Forget getting past England. The U.S. soccer team had to get past the pachyderms first. The U.S. team was delayed twice Friday when elephants blocked the road, the second backup coming as the squad was traveling to its training session at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa. The elephant was munching on a tree as the Americans left the Bakubung Bush Lodge, and it moved to the side of the road after about four minutes.
“Everybody had their cellphones out, pictures were being taken,” coach Bob Bradley told The Associated Press. “It was all part of the experience.”
Earlier, a bus carrying 10 players on their way to an open-air market got stuck behind an elephant. Players had timed the trip to get back to the hotel in time for the start of the Cup opener between South Africa and Mexico.
“It was cool,” U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra said. “A big elephant, just eating on the path out of our hotel.”
It wasn’t clear if the same elephant caused both delays. Or whether it will now have a starring role in today’s U.S.-England coverage by Walt Disney-owned ABC.
