Japan's World Cup hopes take a hit as captain Wataru Endo exits three days before kickoff against the Netherlands.

"We never would have dreamt that, first of all, we'd get a World Cup here, and then your Dutch team plays here."

As the clock ticks down to the Netherlands' opening World Cup match, soccer fans are gripped once more by orange fever. Nowhere is the mood of euphoric optimism that descends on parts of this country every time its national team plays at a World Cup more glaringly obvious than on the Marktweg in The Hague,

Ismail Elfath, an Austin resident and veteran referee, will represent the U.S. as a center referee when Netherlands and Japan play at the World Cup in DFW.