Last night I attended one of the most drama-filled sporting events I have ever heard of: it was a soccer game between Ibagué local team Tolima and a team from Bolivia, and it was a high stakes game - the winner advances in the South American cup.
Here are some game stats:
Tolima goals: 2
Bolivian team goals: 0
# of times someone was taken off the field on a stretcher: 6
# of broken bones: 1 (tibia of a Bolivian player)
# of fist fights: 3
# of yellow cards: 5
# of red cards: 2
(experience: priceless)
More details:
A scuffle over the ball in which both players pulled each other to the ground turned quite quickly into an full on fist fight, with both teams rushing in to protect their player. Once the fight was separated (it seemed like hockey or baseball after someone almost got hit in the head by a wild pitch), both of the fight initiators were thrown out with red cards. The Tolima player was given a standing ovation by the crowd. The player from Oriete Petrolero of Bolivia was booed by the entire stadium, and the riot police that I had wondered at why they were present were sent straight to work - kids started throwing water bottles at the player as he walked off the field (from a height, water bottles could do damage)...
10 minutes later another fight broke out, and the substitutes & coaches from both teams bolted onto the field... intensity.
At halftime (once the teams had taken the field again) there was a second firework show, and a rogue streamer went diving into the stands, smoking up and requiring an momentary evacuation...
2 of the 5 yellowcards were given out while a wall was set up in front of a free kick.
At one point the linesman called a corner kick (& it was accurate, it should have been a corner), and the crowd screamed PICARO which is apparently a word for theif. Once again the riot police came in handy, as they protected the player taking the corner kick - again, a water bottle was thrown and exploded over their shields. What the heck.
A Tolima player was downed by a Bolivian player, but no whistle was blown, and so in retribution a Tolima player clotheslined a Bolivia player behind the referees back.
Oh drama.
 |
| Amalia & Me before the game! |
 | ||
Wine & Gold
|
 |
| Deportes Tolima |
 |
| Firework show before the game |
 |
| Line-up |
 |
| Deportes Tolima Flag & Trojan (?) |
 |
| GOOOOOOOOOOOL |
 |
| Riot police protecting the referees (necessary). They also had to protect the Bolivian team's player when he took a corner kick, and the player who was thrown out for fighting.... Woah emotions. |
No comments:
Post a Comment