Soccer

Starting a blog entry at 4:15 is not a good idea.  But, if I don't do it now, it won't be as exciting.   Not to mention I'm wide awake, and tomorrow I'll no doubt be a zombie (and not wanting to do any blogs)!

While we were doing laundry today, I saw in the paper that there was a soccer game tonight.  Living right next to the stadium, even though we have never known in advance (I kind of think they just throw their schedule together at the last minute here), it would have been easy to go to a game.  The street fills with cars and you can hear the crowds.

When we left Papá's, we stopped by the stadium to get tickets.  We got the cheapest ones which were 50 pesos.  That basically meant we were behind the goal in unnumbered cement rows.  

At 7, we left the house and made our way to the north gate.  I had SUCH a good time!  

Culiacán's team is called the Dorados, which means goldfish.  The middle picture above was my attempt to capture the mascot.  Unfortunately, lots of little kids got in my way and a good picture was impossible.  The mascot has bulging legs and torso (which is funny, considering it's a fish) and kind of a cartoonish head.  I cracked up every time I saw him!

We got there within the first five minutes of play.  But imagine my surprise as I saw that play clock on 7:57 when the last time I had seen it it said 5:38.  The clock goes forward!  

Now, it's no surprise that I'm not a true Sporty Spice.  I have come a long way, but I still have plenty to go.  But here's the thing.  I feel like I more or less get the goal of basketball.  Football, I have a serious handle on (relative to the handle I had on it just three years ago).  Baseball I own my ignorance.  

Soccer, on the other hand, I had no idea about, but thought I was with it.

Things that were not how I thought:

1- The clock moves forward.

2- Soccer players are violent (there were 4 yellow cards given in the first half)

3- The ball seems to be very high in the air as often as it is near people's feet.

4- These players all wore different colored shoes.

5- These players would exaggerate falls in hopes of a foul (or yellow card or whatever) and if they didn't get it, miraculously they were on their feet sprinting again.

6- Soccer players are super fast.

7- It's no wonder most of my soccer playing friends in college had ACL surgery.  There is some serious footwork attached!

I definitely have a new appreciation for the game and would actually like to see another (maybe from the good seats) before I leave here.

In the end, we beat León 3-0.  But we left before the time was up because there were cops blocking the León fans (above us) from leaving until the Culichis got out of the way.  I suppose they were trying to prevent trouble, but that didn't work.  As we were exiting, policeman were carrying what looked to be a 3 to 4 year old boy with blood trickling down his face.  I don't know what happened, but we didn't want to stick around to find out.

I hated that it had to end that way because it really was a great experience.