Vamos Instituto!

(I'm posting this Sunday night but backdating it so it looks like I updated my blog Thursday)

Martín is a lot of fun.  We were in the lab working and mentioned wanting to go to a football game... Martín is an Instituto fanatico (Instituto is one of the teams in Córdoba- they aren't like a "major league" team but that doesn't seem to matter to their fans.

We got to the cancha (stadium) about 15 or 20 minutes before the game... it wasn't enough time because we didn't get in until 15 or 20 minutes into the game.  I didn't mind because it was very entertaining to watch the crowd's reaction.  Men would yell and whistle, shout obscenities and so on; even though Martín had earphones and was listening to the game, he was anxious and couldn't hold still because he wanted in.

We were literally hearded into a single-file line before entering the cancha.

The minute we got into the cancha Instituto scored a goal...Martín literally ran, jumped and shouted- as did the rest of the audience.  I enjoyed this game more than the one in Buenos Aires; it was smaller but we went with locals and sat with people that desperately rooted for their team.  The Riverplate game in Buenos Aires was fun, but we didn't get as close to the action.

Amanda and I had to be the only extranjeras in our section... we were there snapping photos and recording video while everyone else was intently watching the game.

I snook this photo of Martín; there 10 minutes or so of the game and he kept his fingers crossed willing Instituto to hold the lead until the end.  Ironically, his girlfriend Marisel is a fanatica of the Talleres- Instituto's rival team; she didn't come with us to the game.

I'm telling you, watching the audience was the funnest part!

I'm thinking I might try to sneak some flares into the next BYU game I go to... bring a little "culture" to good old Provo.

Martín said he'd teach us the canciones/cheers for the next time.  We listened really closely but just couldn't pick out the words.

Instituto won!  The cheering and song singing didn't stop after the game... crowds of people were jumping and cheering as they exited the stadium; as we walked home (the cancha is 12 blocks from our house) people were cheering and waiving Instituto banners out of their cars.

I forgot to make my Provo, Utah banner to hang on the fence... next time.