Superclasico! (Buenos Aires)

This game was the sporting event I've been waiting for down here. A match so big, the city stops to watch. And they did.

This was River Plate against La Boca! The biggest rivalry match in all of South America. These two teams have the support of more than half the country split between them. The fans hate each other. So much so that the visiting section is totally separate from the home crowd stands by a 10 foot tall fence lined with barbed wire at the top. They aren't allowed to leave until the home fans have all gone home.

At least...that what would have happened if there hadn't been so many fights recently that they banned all visiting fans from attending the other team's home games. They also banned alcohol from being sold in a 20 block radius around the stadium. It doesn't matter though, because the atmosphere was electric from the beginning. The fans were singing all the team songs (there were about 20 or so) before the game started.

I had to go to the stadium about two hours beforehand just to get a seat, and I barely got one. There were 65,000 people and there were boisterous. They lived and died with every play. I saw people clutching their heads, their hearts, standing and not sitting for the entire game! There was no need for loudspeaker sound systems because the fans singing altogether was so loud.

When the home team came out there were fireworks and flares that went off, even though the police pat you down before you enter the stadium. The game started in the day and went into the night. Both photos of the stadium are pretty cool...but I like the night time one better.

It was a good day at the futbol stadium even though the home team lost 1-0. I can't imagine how that place would have erupted if River Plate had scored. Oh well, maybe next time.