deportes (sports)

This trip to South America would not be complete without a trip to a futbol game, or soccer for the North Americans. Therefore, I was extremely excited when my local cafe owner invited me to a game last weekend. I had no idea how close we live to the stadium, about a 15-20 minute walk.

There are two teams in Buenos Aires, we live in River Platte territory, which is not as famous as the cross town rivals Boca Juniors, where one is sure to attend a game with the legendary Maradona, who is the closest thing to a walking god since Muhammad "the last prophet." For baseball fans, a fitting analogy would have the Boca Juniors as the Yankees and River Platte as the Boston Red Sox; without the curse of the Babe that is, hence they actually have won a few championships over the years.

So I met my Porteño friend, who speaks no English, and left for the game. We entered the stadium that holds 80,000 people, and sat in the visitor section. Two kids sat in front of us and smoked their marijuana cigarrete to pass the time. "You wouldn't do that in the States" I told Juan, "the police (who were in an abundance in the walk ways of the stadium) would put a stop to this" His reply was that the police do not enter the seating section because they would be attacked. At this point I noticed the barbed wire fencing that encircled our section and made charging the field an act of futility.

Flags were being hung up in front of us, some of them blocking the view of the game. I asked why, and I got a very serious response that it is "importante." My favorite flags are enormous, streaming from the top of the stadium to the bottom of the stands, almost like a roll of toilette paper.

Clapping out the beat and belting out the words, the fans, or in Español, fanaticos, cheer on their team with songs. I was told, each team has "mucho," which became obvious as a turnover of the ball was sure to instigate a new song. When the visitor section around me quieted, I could hear the roar from the other side of the stadium.

Much like hockey, it is far better to watch live. And in true "soccer" fashion, the game was tied 0-0 until the very final minute of the game, at which point a player from the home team scored from short range after receiving a pass off his chest. Nice goal. I heard "hijo de puta" screaming all around me, and saw one young kid, with a terrible mullet, on the verge of tears. The home fans jumped and sang as the stadium literally shook.

But the game itself is not why this particular event has been in the news all week. It is no secret that the games can be dangerous, and this was no exception. There was a fight, and a kid was shot, there has been an investigation ongoing, but it is really just show, I am sure. The "barrasbravas" are a group of organized crime members that rule the stadiums and the teams in Argentina. The investigation this week revealed hidden knives in the stadium, but in general, the people do not talk. After hearing about the shooting, I understand why Juan brought me to the visitors section.

Before parents start freaking out, remember that one cannot even walk through a Salt Lake City mall without being on the wrong side of target practice.

A