Futbol

Spaniards are crazy about futbol.

One of the first questions my host family asked me was, "What is your futbol team?". I told them we had one in Seattle, and they told me that didn't count. "No," Said the Dad, "What is your European futbol team?" I didn't have an answer, and he said, "I'll give you a hint...the answer is Real Madrid."

There's no other answer when you're in Madrid. Madrilenos are about as crazy about their team as the 12's are about their Hawks. You can't go into Madrid without seeing people wearing Real Madrid jerseys or street vendors selling them. It was hilarious last week watching the fourteen year old, Santi, try and sit at the dinner table while a game was on. His Dad kept telling him to sit and eat, but he could hear the  t.v. and kept trying to get up and go into the other room. All of a sudden the announcer started yelling with excitement, and both Santi and the Dad jumped up from the table and sprinted to the t.v. room. My host Mom shook her head, looked at me and said, "Boys."

It's a big deal here. I had looked into getting tickets to a game before I came to Spain, but like American Football, seats don't come cheap. I was not going to pay a hundred euros just to watch a soccer game.

Then tonight, after tutoring, my host Mom called me upstairs.

"You want to watch Real Madrid play tonight?" She asked.

I thought she meant with the family on t.v., so I asked, "You mean on t.v.?"

She replied, "Yes, the one on t.v."

Still confused, I decided to just say, "Sure! That'd be great!"

"Good." She said, "We leave in ten minutes."

Still confused, and then excited, I threw on my boots and a coat and went upstairs. When my host Mom saw me she said, "No. It's going to be very cold. You put on more clothes." After adding another coat, a scarf, gloves, and a hat, I was apparently good to go. We got in the car and were at the stadium twenty minutes later.

The short walk to the stadium was crazy. Hoards of people were making their way across busy streets, oblivious to the fact that the signs were telling them not to cross. I was glad when we made it safely inside the stadium.

My host Mom and Dad have Season tickets, so I used one of theirs to get in. The seats were fantastic. We got there just as the game began. Real Madrid vs. Liverpool. The stadium was packed. At one end, up a few sections from where we were seated, was the "Fan club"as they called themselves. They had drums and flags and would lead the crowd in loud chants and cheers. The rest of the crowd was fairly calm. They sat the whole time (Except for the one goal scored in the first half) and clapped when something went Madrid's way. Maybe I'm just used to American Football, but I was amazed at how fast the game went. No breaks. Real Madrid is incredible. In the first half they scored once and had too many shots on goal to count. I kept thinking of Kylie and Hannah. I wish they could've been there to see it all too!

I think futbol players like to slide on their stomach, because there was sure a lot of that going on during the game. I also saw a few back flips. But no matter how bad the fall looked, the game just kept on going. That is, until Cristiano Ronaldo fell down. Then the game stopped, players surrounded him to make sure he was okay, and Real Madrid was given a free kick.

The crowd went wild when Madrid scored near the end of the first half. Halftime was quick, and the second half didn't produce any more goals. Final score: 1-0, Madrid.

Sometimes great experiences come from planning and waiting. Tonight I was given ten minutes warning, and it was still amazing. It was so cool to attend a futbol match while in Madrid. I feel like I've experienced just a bit more of their culture now. And being there was lot of fun. You definitely feel the energy and excitement.

Though, still not as much as a Seahawks game :)