Goooooooooooooal!

Last weekend, I finally made it to a Peruvian football match. There are two home teams in Cusco, Cienciano and Garcilaso. The former I had been planning on going to, but they were on a road trip for the past few weeks. Garcilaso however had a game on Saturday and my roommate´s bf invited me at the last minute.

First of all, the ticket window was just a hole in the wall that was slightly above most people´s eye level.  

Ticket prices are based on location, but also takes in consideration which is the sunny side and which is the shadey side (cheaper).  The third tier is the goal ends (cheapest). Within these ticket levels, it´s general seating and no one wants to sit at field level. We got seats on the shaded side, but since we showed up late, we sat on the corner, near the goal that was surrounded by the visiting club.

I´ve heard from many Cuscanians that they don´t care for watching the local teams play at the stadium. I found that hard to believe, knowing how futbal is more important than man´s first-born child in South America. After seeing one game, I understand. Football is a running sport. Maybe (probably) because of the high altitudes,  players only seem to run when the ball is in their immediate vicinity.  Otherwise, they just dog it across the field, waiting for the ball to come their way.

The match was at least competitive. Garcilaso was playing the top Peruvian team (at least historically) - Club Universitario, based in Lima. Within minutes of me sitting down (the game had already started by probably 15 minutes), Garcilaso scored a goal. My roommate and bf showed up ten minutes later and things were lame until the second half when the action was on our half of the field.   Universitario was barely attacking, but was able to get a goal to tie the game. Then with 20 minutes left in the match, Garcilaso had a corner kick that was kicked into the goal to take the lead for the rest of the game.

Perhaps more entertaining than watching the game was watching the fans on both ends of the stadium behind each goal. The home team fans seemed subdued compared to the Lima fans. In fact, people have told me that they refuse to take their family to games in Lima because of the probability of riots in the stands. This day was not as intense, but I can see where this could lead to.

Just because of such history, there are police in riot gear throughout the stadium. When the game stopped for halftime, a dozen cops, surrounded the home team as they went into their locker room. During the game, there were over a dozen cops in the stands directly in front of the Lima fans and more on the field behind the goal.

During the game, there were chants, drumming, and lotsa explosives (M40s, probably) being set off, but isolated in the Lima fan section. Only once, did the cops get to administer a beat down on a fan. I turned my head and suddenly saw three cops with batons flying up and down on one man and a line of cops as backup. Other than this one incidence, I thought the crowd was rather jovial and calm.

 the unruly fan is on the left side of the photo... 

...and emerges alive and proud to support his team! 

the billboard for the Peruvian Clinic has the tagline, a goal for the team is a good for your health!