my first south american soccer game! and what a matchup...colo colo vs. universidad de chile ranks among the biggest rivalries in the country. it's the chilean equivalent of the yankees vs. the red sox. i'd never been to a sporting event before where riot police patrolled the stadium en masse or where fleets of black armored buses menaced the parking lots, just daring spectators to get out of hand. but, as i learned today, many things occur in chilean stadiums that would never be allowed to happen back home. in the states, for instance, spectators are hardly permitted to set off their own fireworks and flares from the stands, throw bottles at riot police in the fields, or set fire to their seats. over here, though, that kind of behavior doesn't really seem to faze anybody anymore.

so how was the game? now, i don't know much about chilean soccer teams beyond what i witnessed today. but from those modest observations, here is my breakdown of the two rivals:

team: universidad de chile
colors: blue and red
advantages: more half-naked fans, more drums, more jumping, a better goalie.


team: colo colo
colors: white and black
advantages: more pyrotechnics, more toilet paper streamers, more fans, more players with colorful cleats.


one of the things these two fan bases had in common was their ability to memorize and recite a surprising array of team-specific chants, cheers, and songs. many of the lyrics were explicitly graphic in telling the other team what precisely was thought of them, or what exactly they should do with themselves. it's an experience to hear thousands of people chanting profanities in singsong unison...especially whenever seven-year-old kids gleefully join in.

here is a little excerpt from a conversation, as the first half of the game drew to a close.
ABBY: time's almost up. i wonder what kind of show they have for a halftime.
EMILY: (looking around) i don't think there are cheerleaders in chile.
ABBY: (spotting movement on the grass) oh, apparently that's their halftime show. a large group of policemen carrying shields marching across the field. fun fun.
EMILY: (startled) they're rounding up the referees. did the officials do something wrong? are they arresting them?
ABBY: no...wait...they've circled them and are escorting them off the field...huddled under a solid dome of shields.
*silence*
EMILY: well, it is safer...
ABBY: and surprisingly more entertaining than a dance squad.

thankfully, thankfully, the game ended in a tie. this averted much greater levels of chaos and violence (nobody likes losing, and for some reason humans like to destroy things when they are happy, too). nevertheless, there was still plenty of chaos to go around. below are two quick movie clips containing some good ol' post-goal insanity.

colo colo scores a point - and players get in a fight
goal for uchile - plus a taste of chilean cheers

i had planned to catch a bus home after the game, but changed my mind once i realized that the river of humanity overtaking the streets had brought all traffic to a standstill. what buses i did see were so filled with flag-waving fans, they were literally dangling out the doors and windows. walking all the way home did give me the chance to witness various acts of vandalism and road rage, however. all in all, an unbeatable cultural experience.