The Soccer Game

The football (soccer to us Americans) game was the highlight of the trip. Upon arrival at the stadium, fireworks were being set off by large groups of people sitting around the food vendor stalls.

Pure energy filtered through every person. We moved into the stadium to see 41,000+ people on their feet from the beginning to the end.

A riot occurred in one section of the stadium near where I was seated sending the stadium into a momentary frenzy. As it was occurring, I felt the push of the crowd press on me and for a moment, I felt the sting of panic. Fortunately, while I was looking for an escape route, a gentle Medellin soul looked down on me and mouthed the word “relax”. If it wasn’t for him, I was ready to sprint towards the field to escape the chaos, but the locals understood what was happening. 

Streamers pelted the field, banners stretched across multiple sections, people chanted hometown songs while beating drums all the while a game was being played. One of the most jaw dropping parts of the spectacle was watching fans hang from the edges of the second deck holding onto these elongated plastic streamers. They were literally balancing between life and death in the hope their passion would spur on the players. 

Within the first five minutes of the game starting, the aisle ways were at standing room only as people clamored to get closer to the field. Did I mention there were 41,000+ turbo charged men, women, elderly, and children there? Towards the end of the game, even though the mini-riot had been quelled by riot police, there were many more fights happening, so we left with five minutes left in the game. Did it matter who won or lost? I have no idea because it was the moments beyond the game that will burn in my memory.