His game:
It’s a football fan’s dream to watch a local derby in Buenos Aires, and while this one wasn’t the ‘Super Classico’ between River and Boca, it was the next best thing – a ‘Classico’ with River (or “Los Millonarios’ as they are known locally, in stark contrast to Boca’s grassroots favela base) playing cross-town rivals San Lorenzo.
I’d decided before the game that, despite wearing a borrowed River shirt, whoever won would be the team I would support in South America.
We’d arrived fairly early to beat the crowds and soak up the atmosphere, and after we had the obligatory burger, the San Lorenzo fans started to arrive in force and make themselves heard . . . . . followed by the River fans who, despite filling the stadium, left a place behind the goals for the arrival of the hardcore drums and singing crowd who, we’re told, always arrive at the last minute and get herded in for free, adding even more noise to the cauldron.
The atmosphere was like nothing I’ve ever experienced; the whole crowd sang, jumped, swore, shouted and screamed their way through what turned out to be a pretty average 1-1 draw. But we were treated to some of the trademarks of South American football, with glimpses of real skill, plenty of diving, and players happy to trick their way past the same player several times rather than pass to their team mates . . . . we even had an unfair sending off and a huge blunder from the River keeper (letting the ball straight through his hands) to further rile up the crowd . . . . all in all living up to all my hopes and expectations!!
But who to support . . . . . . Los Millonarios are more glamorous and have better players and haven’t ever been relegated . . . . . but there was just something about San Lorenzo. Not sure if it was the fact the B&B owner where we were staying was a supporter, or the fact that they play in almost identical colours to Crystal Palace; perhaps it was the passion and noise of their 5,000+ travelling support, or maybe it was just that they played the more positive football despite being away from home . . . . . . but the next day I bought a San Lorenzo shirt so again seem destined to support another underdog team!!
Her game:
They call it The Beautiful Game and from where I was sitting, just ten rows, a partition ditch, twenty fluoro-coated security guards and a couple of fully-armoured riot cops away from two teams of very hot, very fit young South American men…well, I couldn’t agree more.
John pop-quizzed me on the more nuanced aspects of latin-style futbol before kick-off (over a greasy sportsground burger bearing absolutely no resemblance to the beef the country is famous for) so I was ready for some high drama and fancy footwork!
There’s something primal about the football crowd; it pulses with an intensity that swells and peaks to the constant beat of drums and song. Thousands of away fans, fenced off with barbed wire, jump up and down as one, chanting words that send the home fans around us into sudden fits of angry arm-waving and cojones-grabbing.
After a confetti-showered, crowd-roaring start and a tantalising filigreed dance of a game (very different to the bullish kick and charge of the last English game I watched), the 1-1 ending was perhaps a little abrupt. Where were the riots, the chair-tossing and pitch-raids? Was the security all show? I’m assured had there been a decisive win, our exit might have been less civilised!
Regardless, it was a highlight of our time in BA – and a unique opportunity to appreciate some local hotties to boot! 😉