Futbol in Santiago – 4/21/2013
Apr 22nd, 2013 by rallyadmin
We did a pro futbol game today in Santiago. It was a near season end match between Colo Colo and U Catolica. Or as the taxi driver told between the poor people (Colo Colo) and the chi chi set (U Catolica). We’re pretty sure we know who the taxi driver was rooting for.
We had searched all over town looking for tickets and everywhere we were sent didn’t sell them. This morning, the last chance at the Hites department store was no dice but the woman at the ticket computer insisted that after 2:30 (for a 3:30 match) tickets would go on sale at the stadium even though the team website said that tickets were not sold at the stadium. She insisted. We argued. She insisted.
In any event, we didn’t have any tickets. Back to the hotel. Grab a taxi and off to the Estadio Monumental Alex Varellano. The taxi says he knows how to get there but he stops at a redlight and asks another taxi. It seems to almost a straight line to the stadium and the taxi driver puts a pre-game show on the radio. In 20 minutes we’re there.
And so are thousands of other people. As soon as we stop the taxi, the driver asks the girl is there are tickets for sale at the stadium. She says no but she can get us some. Our first ticket scalping in South America. She yells for Jason who apparently is the scalper in charge. He has tickets. They’re pricey but we’re here. We pay and head for the gate.
South American futbol matches have a serious reputation for getting way out of control with occasional rioting breaking out. Teams attack teams, fans of one team attack fans of another team. We had already asked what the team colors would be so that we wouldn’t be wearing one team’s colors and sitting with fans of the other team. We don’t want to wear colors from either team.
We enter through the first gate and just show the ticket. The second gate scans the ticket and then scans the Chilean ID card which we don’t have. They scan our drivers licenses which probably defeats the whole purpose but we are in. At the next gate we are frisked for weapons. And finally, the last gate the ticket is scanned again. We’re in. I don’t know if this keeps the violence under control but keeps a lot f people employed.
The tickets we have are unnumbered so we can sit anywhere in the middle of the grandstand. We find a couple of seats just off the mid field line and settle in for the match. There is a match already going on but it’s a minor league game that’s a worm up for the big game that starts at 3:30.
The seats we have are in the Colo Colo fan area and there people seem to be middle class and on the young side. There are lots of iPhones and even families with small children. Not a likely hotbed of violence. The crowd though still filing in is pretty calm.
The first game ends with no drama and about 20 minutes later the teams for the main match take the field. The fans erupt with cheers for the Colo Colo players and with boos and whistles for the visiting U Catolica team. The subdued crowd is now anything but subdued. Theey are chanting, singing, jumping in unison. So much to subdued middle class crowd.
Colo Colo vs U Catolica – click for video
The match is enjoyable but not notable. Yellow cards flow rather freely from the referee and after ones issued to a Colo Colo player, the fans erupt in a chant that you don’t need to know Spanish to understand. He’s a brave referee.
The first half is played to a scoreless tie but U Catolica seems to have a better attack and a better defense. But for a couple of very lucky saves by Colo Colo they would be leading. The second half starts and Colo Colo seems to have more spirit and more movement but after the first 10 minutes, it’s more of the same. Finally, at about 30 minutes, U Catolica scores on a perfect header off a perfect corner kick. The small group of U Catolica fans are jubilant and noisy. The Colo Colo fans are dead quiet.
But soon they start the chants and start urging their team on. But it doesn’t look like the team really has it in them today. We decide that the better part of valor might be to leave before game ends since all indications are that Colo Colo will not pull out a win today. We don’t need to be in the middle of a sullen home team crowd.
Out to the main boulevard. Flag a taxi and head back for the hotel. All before the match ends. WE listen to the end of the match on the taxi radio and the match ends with U Catolica winning 1 nil. A bad day for the home team.
We head out for dinner but almost everything is closed. A block away from the hotel we find an open restaurant whose special dish is babyback ribs!? A pisco sour (John: you must have a pisco sour at least once in Santiago) and then a bottle of wine. The ribs are actually quite good. We finish up and return to the hotel.
A fun day. Maybe we get the car tomorrow. In any case, we have to change hotels. No room at this inn. We’re moving to our old friend, the Ibis just down the street.
Obi-wan
