Okay, let me start out by stating I am not a big soccer fan. I do know the general rules of play; but I don’t know the fine details of the game including strategies, the players and all the rules. Nevertheless, while in Colombia, I decided that we had to attend a football (soccer) game; after all, it is the number one sport of Colombia and Latin America.

As with the popular sports in the United States (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey), the fans love their teams and love to show off their colors. They are proud of their teams, win or lose.

In Medellín, there are 2 big soccer teams: Atletico Nacional and Independiente Medellín. Both play in the first Colombian division and both are quite successful nationally and internationally. If either of these teams has an important game, you can observe that nothing works as usual in Medellín, stores close early, traffic is worse than usual, people leave work early to sit outside bars and restaurants to watch the game. Everyone walks around wearing their team’s jersey and if there isn’t a TV around people hear listen to the game on the radio.

Our Colombian friend, Angela, invited us to a football game between Atlético National and Deportivo La Guaira, a professional football club from Venezuelan, based in the coastal city of La Guaira.

The only thing we knew before the game was the name of the home team. That was important because we didn’t want to commit the mistake of not cheering, or worse, cheering for the wrong team because we could be in serious trouble with our amigos.

The Venue

We were lucky to have a local person to guide us through the entrance to the stadium, purchase the tickets and get in the right line to enter the stadium. The game was played at the home team’s stadium called Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín which holds over 49,000 people.

This stadium is part of a massive sports complex remodeled in 2011 in preparation for hosting the 2011 U-20 World Cup. The complex hosts over 60 sporting activities in 18 different venues. Some of the activities include soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming, cycling, volleyball, and tennis. The stadium complex is open every day to the public for recreation, sports leagues, and classes; and for residents, the cost is minimal or free.

Pre-Game

We were told to meet at the Estadio Metro Station at 4:30. I asked, “Why should we arrive two hours before the game?” I soon found out that pre-game partying is essential to the sport. Upon arrival at the station, we were greeted by our friend, Angela, her fanatic-fan brother German, her twenty-two-year-old son, Camilo, who had planned the outing, and five of his friends.

The station was next to the sports complex which was very convenient. We walked and weaved our way around the complex to arrive at the ticket stand to purchase “General Seating” tickets. I realized at that time that we were NOT wearing the team colors. I feared that the opposing team colors would be blue (the color Kathy and I had on). Luckily, our fears were not warranted.

Once we had our tickets in hand, we stopped at one of many bars to begin pre-game activities. We all ordered a beer. In addition, Camilo ordered a bottle of Aguardiente (a licorice-flavored alcohol which is the national drink of Colombia) and a bottle of rum for shots. Did we sign up for this? What about the game? How are we going to stand and cheer if we drink too much? Well, 1 ½ hours later, we finished off our beers and the bottles of liquor and we left to get in line to enter the stadium.

Entrance into the Game

The line to get into the stadium extended far outside the stadium gates. We were told there was no way all of the people standing in line would make it into the stadium. Apparently, it is common to oversell general admission tickets. Camilo acted quickly by cutting into line near the stadium entrance. Venga! Venga! he yelled to the rest of us to join him in the line. I was surprised there was not much resistance to us cutting into the line. Security came over and that’s when I realized Camilo was paying off the people in line and the security guards. As we approached the entrance, we were each searched, and we walked to the “general seating” section as the game was just starting.

The Game

I was warned about the high energy fans, but I was not prepared for this experience. Our seats (and I use that word lightly because we NEVER sat down during the entire game) were at the south end of the stadium. The “general seating” section was where the hardcore, intense fans stood. It was a sea of green and with many fans holding banners. Throughout the entire game, a small band played music and the fans were on their feet singing and moving to the music. Every five to ten minutes, there was a different song and everyone in our section sang and danced along.

On the upper deck, there were fans standing on the railing, jumping and singing as they held banners. The only thing keeping them from falling was a green sash that was tied to them and to the top bleachers on the upper deck.

No one could purchase or drink alcohol inside the stadium. I could only imagine what the place would be like if alcohol was permitted. However, I could smell the marijuana floating in the air despite everybody being searched at the entrance.

The Final Score

Even though we were pretty far from the game, the action was exciting to watch. There was no score after regulation time, so the game ended as a tie. At the end of the game, fans just stopped dancing and singing and headed to the exits. Everybody was very polite as they moved out of the stadium. We said our good-byes and headed for the metro station. As crowded as the streets were, the crowd moved very quickly, and we were on the metro in no time heading for our apartment. We enjoyed the experience of attending a game and the Paisa’s (the name for people who live in Medellin) intense love of soccer and the home team, but we don’t feel compelled to go again.

It is interesting to see how integral soccer is to life in Colombia. As we walk around our neighborhood at night, televisions in bars, restaurants and small grocery stores are tuned to soccer. People gather outside them to watch the game and share a beer together. As in the United States, the game and the home team bring the city together and provides a common bond for the people of Medellín.