On Saturday, the group was able to sleep in. A couple of us went to a quick restaurant and at 2:30 we left for a Racing soccer game. The bus ride was about 30 minutes and the bus quickly filled with Racing fans wearing light blue. Upon arriving, we got drinks and choripans and made our way to our section. The field was surrounded by a mote to prevent fans from running on the field. As kick off started to approach, the stands started to become very rowdy. People were passing blue and white plastic bags to blow up and wave around, while others were tearing up newspaper to make confetti. The atmosphere was lively the entire time as the fans were constantly singing chants and songs throughout the game. This game was also special because one of the players was retiring and this was their last game. The retiring of a soccer player is like a death and is a very big deal. There were many banners hanging around, people were passing out flyers with his name on it, and there was an honorary sign made displayed on the field. The team received 2 penalty kicks during the game and the retiring player was allowed to take both, and scored on 1 of the penalty kicks. We left early to avoid the crowds but there was even a ceremony to be held after the game for the player. Overall, seeing a soccer game is a must if you want to experience the heart and soul of Argentina. Soccer is essentially a religion here and an extremely important aspect of Argentina’s culture.
