The other day, I went to a football match (European football of course!) with my study abroad program. I’m a huge soccer fan, having played from age 5 through high school, so I was more than thrilled to be going! It was a World Cup qualifier between Holland and Turkey.
Honestly, the metro ride to the stadium was one of the more terrifying experiences of my life. The atmosphere was so charged that I wouldn’t have been surprised if a riot broke out. My friend and I were packed like sardines in the subway car, surrounded on one side by a solid mass of orange (the Dutch) and on the other, red (the Turkish). Because there is such a large Turkish population in the Netherlands, this was a particularly popular game and the Dutch never seem to miss out on the chance to get drunk and watch football! Over the course of our 30 minute journey, we probably heard 10 different songs in support of the Dutch team and the metro driver requested over loud speaker that we please refrain from stomping as the car was shaking quite a bit. I couldn’t help but notice the considerable police presence as we exited the station…
After that introduction, I could only imagine what it would be like in the stadium! The stands were full of orange and the raucous singing and stomping that had begun on the metro only got louder and, impossibly, more enthusiastic. There were fireworks and smoke whenever a goal was scored, which didn’t seem particularly legal, but nevertheless made for an interesting experience! The match was terribly tense, with Netherlands finally winning 2-0, scoring it’s last goal within minutes of the final whistle!