IN BRIEF: Opening day is greeted with two draws, the first scintillating, the second a bit of a bore. Mexico falters at the finish in the tournament opener, losing two points as South Africa avoids becoming the first World Cup host country to lose its first game in a 1-1 tie at Soccer City in Soweto. Game two is about Uruguay's bunker defense, which holds off the indifferent French in a scoreless tie at Green Point in Cape Town. And so everyone in Group A has a point, but only South Africa and Uruguay have reason to celebrate.

WOW! MOMENT: Siphiwe Tshabalala's smashing left-footed shot into the upper-right corner, from Kagisho Dikgacoi's diagonal through ball on a marvelously constructed counterattack, to give South Africa the lead 10 minutes into the second half.

BEST PLAYER: Mexico's Giovani Dos Santos repeatedly carved up South Africa's defense in the first half, creating chances for teammates and nearly netting a hat trick, with the best chances curling just wide or forcing an acrobatic save from goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

BEST GOAL: Tshabalala's strike will contend for best goal of the Cup.

MIGHTIEST MISCUES: South Africa's defense failed to do anything right on Rafael Marquez's 79th-minute equalizer, giving Mexico's storied midfielder an open path to finish Andres Guardado's cross at the right post. And how did French attacker Sidney Govou miss on Franck Ribery's perfectly weighted cross early in the first half.

TRULY UGLY: Uruguay's Nicolas Lodeiro, on the field for just 18 minutes, was sent off with his second yellow card in the 81st minute after a late, studs-up challenge on Bacary Sagna. France made nothing of its advantage.

RIGHT CALL: Mexican supporters, casual fans -- and even the ESPN match analyst -- couldn't believe it when Uzbeki linesman Rafael Ilyasov raised his flag when Carlos Vela scored after a corner kick late in the first half. Surely, he must be wrong! (“What an awful decision,” rattled color man Efan Ekoku after watching the replay.)

Watch again: The call is absolutely correct. Khune comes off his line on Gerardo Torrado's corner, leaving one defender, Steven Pienaar, on the goal line when Guillermo Franco heads the ball to Vela. There needed to be, of course, two defenders behind Vela when the ball came off Franco's head.

WORTH NOTING: Thierry Henry came on for Nicolas Anelka in the 72nd minute, becoming the first Frenchman to play in four World Cups.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 1: “It was almost a beautiful 0-0, but I would have preferred a bad 1-0. … The result is what it is.” -- France coach Raymond Domenech, after the mostly listless draw with Uruguay.

QUOTE OF THE DAY, PART 2: “Mexico is the most daring team in the World Cup.” -- Carlos Alberto Parreira, South Africa's Brazilian coach, after Bafana Bafana held off an electric Tri in the first half.

ALL ABOUT U.S.: The U.S. team bus ran into heavy traffic twice Friday, en route to a Rustenburg market and heading to training from their hotel. The cause? Elephants. Both times.

Nothing novel about this -- the Americans' hotel, the Bakubung Bush Lodge, has a sign warning: "ELEPHANTS COME CLOSE TO OUR FENCE KEEP A DISTANCE OF 30 Metres AND PLEASE BE QUIET” – and the team enjoyed the show, snapping photos with their cellphone camera.

“It was cool,” said U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra, from Alta Loma. “A big elephant, just eating on the path out of our hotel.”

THE RESULTS
At Johannesburg
South Africa 1 (Tshabalala 55), Mexico 1 (Marquez 79)
At Cape Town
Uruguay 0, France 0

STANDINGS
Mexico 0-0-1 (1-1) 1 point
South Africa 0-0-1 (1-1) 1 point
France 0-0-1 (0-0) 1 point
Uruguay 0-0-1 (0-0) 1 points