FUTBOL!!! Game 2

Game 2: Clausura Tournament (Regular Season), Buenos Aires, River Plate vs. Colón de Santa Fe
Jose called me before going to pick up the tickets. “The woman at the hotel says the stadium is dangerous, and we should go with a tour group, have you heard anything like that?” “Nah, just use common sense,” I tell him. The “tour groups” charge $65 (dollars) for basic tickets, Jose was looking the best seats in the house for less than $40.

Then I consult with another friend.

“Oh, sure, all the stadiums are dangerous. But it's not like Boca, two people got killed there last year.” He replies (in a misguided attempt to comfort me?).

“Yeah, I've heard they say women shouldn't go alone.”

“Yeah, it might be more dangerous for women, but being male doesn't guarantee anything, either.” He responds. However, thousands of people visit the games every year, including many tourists. And I hadn't heard any horror stories in my 7 months, so we continued with the original plan.

Jose consulted with a taxi driver, who offered, “Don't bring anything valuable. A hat, sunglasses, and a little bit of money--in your sock. That's it. No watches, no valuables.” A very different story than the summer tournament, where no one seemed concerned for anything. However, it seemed the key was being aware of the risk and playing it smart.

On the taxi ride to the stadium, we were congratulating ourselves on what a beautiful day it was. We passed the street vendors with t-shirts, hot dogs, and beverages, entering the stadium with crowds in red striped shirts. Jose had sprung for the expensive seats (120 pesos), so we had a great view of the field, away from the mishmash that frequently turns violent. However, we'd neglected to consult on which side of the field we chose, and were in a section of full afternoon sun. I was already parched, and the sun left a steady stream of sweat pouring down my face. Jose and Betina set off in search of water, and came back with child-sized cups of Coke.

“This is all they're selling,” said Betina. No water, no Sprite, not even PowerAde, although they were promoting it over the players' bench. We each took a deep breath and downed our 6 ounces of sugary hydration. Later we saw there was another beverage option—steaming cups of coffee. (The water and sodas that were being sold outside the stadium were allowed in, as they were in plastic bottles. No alcohol was allowed, which we all agreed was in our best interest, given the reputations of soccer fans.)

Luckily, the game started promptly, and River was playing strong. The refs made some bad calls, and we watched the fans go crazy, cursing and throwing empty (plastic) bottles. The stadiums are surrounded by moats, preventing anyone from rushing the field. Finally, River scored. The crowd went crazy, all the fans (the audience was about 90% male), jumping, and yelling, embracing. And they scored again! It was a great game.

Unfortunately, in the final 3 minutes, Colón scored a second point, tieing the game. River fans continued cheering on their team, but the Colón side went crazy as though they had scored a winning lead. Their enthusiasm continued through the final minutes, fans jumping and screaming, as security lead them out of the stadium. (For safety reasons, the fans enter through separate entrances, and they only allow one team's fans to leave at a time.) The second we exited the stadium, we made a beeline for the crowded vendors, selling water as though it were gold. For me, it was.

The day wrapped up beautifully, as we found some fabulous cheese-oozing pizza and Quilmes cerveza for dinner.