19 April 2009

A Soccer Match in Huancavelica

Okay, so I have to say that I know pretty much absolutely nothing when it comes to soccer. Since I was five, I have played exactly four games of soccer in my life. One when I was five, one at summer camp where we made our own team and kept the ball away from everybody else, one in college where I jammed my finger so hard it is crooked to this day and one game in Huanchaco where I kicked an Australian so hard that my foot still hurts at times. This is my limited expereince with the game.

So, when I got to go see a match in Huancavelica, I was kind of excited. I have heard games can be freaking crazy with fans throwing stuff on the field, arenas being closed down and games finished without spectators, or that people arrive late and leave early due to rowdienss. I wasn't really expecting anything like that in Huancavelica, but who knew what could happen.

Well, we got there in the middle of the first quarter and one of the coach's had already been kicked out of the game, which meant he was pacing the bleachers right in front of us. Through out the rest of the game, he snuck back down on the field 4 or 5 times. Each time, being lead back out by the police in their riot gear. No glass bottles were allowed to enter the stadium, as apparently the fans liked to throw things on the field. So platic bottles and food were used instead. Frequently, almost every play in fact, a player would go down and stay down until the ref blew the whistle, which sometimes didn't happen. And while I don't really understand soccer, I can tell when the ref's are calling a one sided game, which happened.

To say the least, the game was fun to watch the fans and hear the taunting songs. The game ended in a tie. And I understood why the police with the riot gear were there, to protect the refs as they left.