Ballin'

A couple of weeks ago, my roommate and I went to a soccer game.

Buying tickets was easy. I walked two blocks straight out the front door of my apartment to the stadium's ticket window two days before the game. Five minutes later, I had a pair of tickets in my hand.

Sunday was game day. It wasn't exactly like a Philadelphia Eagles game, but the stadium, Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizquan, held the same fanatic party atmosphere. Fans stood outside talking, singing, drinking and getting amped for the big game. Inside the party was only bigger. In Philadelphia, everybody sings the Eagles fight song after the Birds score. In Seville, fans chant and sing nearly nonstop during the 90-minute match.

The game itself was great, especially from third-row seats. A friend told me it was the best effort he'd seen from the team all season. I actually prefer soccer to a handful of American sports. There may be few goals (actually three on this night), but the action doesn't stop for 90 minutes, which is much more time than the major American sports. Though the clock keeps rolling for goal celebrations and fouls, lost time is added back at the end. By the way, soccer players are terrible actors. Americans think basketball players are bad, but soccer players will just randomly fall and ask for a foul on the opposing team.

Everything is simple. The scoreboard only shows score and time, there's no special halftime entertainment or crab fries sold on the concourse. Fans are just there for the game.

You can find photos here from the team's 3-0 victory, while I've posted a video below. Listen closely to the crowd.