River 3 - Boca 1
"You are River fanatics today, if you so much as even smile when Boca score, they will kill you". Thats what our guide told us as we got into the minibus to take us to River Plate vs Boca Juniors.
We were going to be sitting with the River fans in their home stadium. Other class quotes from our guide Phillipe included, "If you find yourself in any trouble shout my name and I will come and help", "Only take your ticket out of your pocket at the very last moment, do not show any money, they will take it from you".
As it turned out we had amazing seats in a relaitvly safe area. The most dangerous people around us were a pair of gold chain wearing 5 year old boys with beer bellies, sticking their fingers up at the Boca fans, and even they played patter cake together at half time.
It was everything we had expected, the stadium filled 2 hours before the game, and only started emptying one hour after the end. The noise throughout was thunderous, the stadium under your feet shakes, your eyes and nose filled with flare smoke, hands and throat raw from joining in. The stadium doesn´t have the imposing feeling of Twickenham or the Millenium Stadium, there is no roof and an athletics track puts abit of space between you and the pitch. However it is full to capacity at 75,000, and the passion of the fans manage to make it one of the most stomach churning, rib cage shattering atmospheres I have ever seen, or felt. The noise is beond belief.
River start with red and white ballons each, then out come the vertical banners stretched from top to bottom of the stands. Next a train of about 100 people walk into the stadium and line the back of the stand with which looks like could be the biggest flag even sown, they dont unravel it yet. Next comes the band marching in with countless drums to a solid beat, then a parade of guys with red and white umbrellas, and flags on poles about 20 meters square each. Finally the gigantic flag drops down to cover the entire River end from top to bottom. Its an unbelievable sight.
It quickly gets ravelled back up just as River run out to the pitch. The stadium moves under our feet and hundreds of red and white flares get let off to clouds of ticker tape. The Boca fans reply with a slighlty smaller flag, banners, ballons, bands, and fire.
The game starts well with River scoring, but Boca coming straight back with a goal. It´s noticable how neither fans stop shouting at any point, even when the opposite team scores. I remember in the Molineux the Albion fans used to go quite for half an hour after the Wolves scored.
Second half was class with River scoring two more. Still Boca fans refused to go quiet and gave an impressivly intimidating show.
The final goal.
The game was brilliant, but the atmosphere better. When the full time whistle blew, we all had to hang around waiting for the Boca fans to leave first. They didnt, they ripped the seats out the stands and threw them down onto the River fans below. Then, for good measure set the stadium on fire.
We got out six hours after we entered with our skin and bones intact. I think the british football fans can learn something from these guys, it really was an awesome expericence, an atmosphere I think can never be beaten.
We were going to be sitting with the River fans in their home stadium. Other class quotes from our guide Phillipe included, "If you find yourself in any trouble shout my name and I will come and help", "Only take your ticket out of your pocket at the very last moment, do not show any money, they will take it from you".
As it turned out we had amazing seats in a relaitvly safe area. The most dangerous people around us were a pair of gold chain wearing 5 year old boys with beer bellies, sticking their fingers up at the Boca fans, and even they played patter cake together at half time.
It was everything we had expected, the stadium filled 2 hours before the game, and only started emptying one hour after the end. The noise throughout was thunderous, the stadium under your feet shakes, your eyes and nose filled with flare smoke, hands and throat raw from joining in. The stadium doesn´t have the imposing feeling of Twickenham or the Millenium Stadium, there is no roof and an athletics track puts abit of space between you and the pitch. However it is full to capacity at 75,000, and the passion of the fans manage to make it one of the most stomach churning, rib cage shattering atmospheres I have ever seen, or felt. The noise is beond belief.
River start with red and white ballons each, then out come the vertical banners stretched from top to bottom of the stands. Next a train of about 100 people walk into the stadium and line the back of the stand with which looks like could be the biggest flag even sown, they dont unravel it yet. Next comes the band marching in with countless drums to a solid beat, then a parade of guys with red and white umbrellas, and flags on poles about 20 meters square each. Finally the gigantic flag drops down to cover the entire River end from top to bottom. Its an unbelievable sight.
It quickly gets ravelled back up just as River run out to the pitch. The stadium moves under our feet and hundreds of red and white flares get let off to clouds of ticker tape. The Boca fans reply with a slighlty smaller flag, banners, ballons, bands, and fire.
The game starts well with River scoring, but Boca coming straight back with a goal. It´s noticable how neither fans stop shouting at any point, even when the opposite team scores. I remember in the Molineux the Albion fans used to go quite for half an hour after the Wolves scored.
Second half was class with River scoring two more. Still Boca fans refused to go quiet and gave an impressivly intimidating show.
The final goal.
The game was brilliant, but the atmosphere better. When the full time whistle blew, we all had to hang around waiting for the Boca fans to leave first. They didnt, they ripped the seats out the stands and threw them down onto the River fans below. Then, for good measure set the stadium on fire.
We got out six hours after we entered with our skin and bones intact. I think the british football fans can learn something from these guys, it really was an awesome expericence, an atmosphere I think can never be beaten.
posted by Chris at 12:41 AM
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