Atmosphere by CharlieB12345
I went with my mate Paul and a black Brazilian guy called Gerson. We got tickets from a tout not far from the stadium. It was Argentina v Colombia in 1997-8, a World Cup qualifier, though it was a dead rubber. The atmosphere around the ground was electric before the match. Almost everyone in the crowd except for us was a Morocho – brown skinned, dark hair – we stood out like a sore thumb (especially Peroxide Paul). The singing and jumping up & down was almost non-stop. There were huge flags and ticker tape all over. It was a celeste y blanco shower.
Big downer was getting spat on by racists from the terrace above – (looking so English and Brazilian was not popular). I didn’t mind jumping to ‘El que no salta es ingles’ but it wasn’t convincing! There was also a sense of danger, but it was definitely worth it overall.
over 6 years ago
