I Was There
Two of the most nationalistic days I have lived through and been at when they happened, have been around football. Actually very similar in a way because they felt either the most Costa Rican or the most Danish I could have ever felt. One was back in 2009 when I lived in Denmark and the other was in Costa Rica in 2013.
In 2009, Denmark faced Sweden at "parken" which is the name danes call their national stadium in Copenhagen. I had never gone to a big stadium and parken can hold around 39 thousand spectators per game. The winner would automatically qualify to the world cup that was to happen the next year in South Africa in 2010. The pressure was real and although I have known Denmark people and traditions for a long time, I had never experienced their football craziness. We got our tickets, food and of course beer, and when going into the stadium we got out faces painted red and white and as we were on our way in my friends taught me the most important team chants for goals and in general to support the national team. One was specifically to use if we won the game because of qualifying to the world cup. It was a close game (it ended 1-0) but the people at "parken" went COMPLETELY NUTS! It was awesome! I have never been so danish in my life! People threw beer up into the air to celebrate the goal and waited outside of the stadium in two "border lines" for the Swedish to come out and BOO them in the most intimidating yet respectful manner I have ever been a part of. I lost my voice for a day after that, but I felt so happy and fell in love all over again with football. Costa Rica did not qualify to the 2010 world cup so I only cheered for Denmark first and foremost, and then for Brazil (I will explain in a later football entry why I have always been obsessed with their national squad). None of my teams won the 2010 World Cup, but that match that I screamed my heart out at, I WILL NEVER FORGET.
Then came 2013, again one year before the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Denmark was not able to qualify and as fate should have it Costa Rica this time seemed like it would reach enough points to go. But this game was not about points, it was about revenge. You see, Costa Rica is a small country that does not have nearly close to enough population to compete with the Mexico or USA leagues of football... And yet we do. Some months before this game I am about to tell you about, Costa Rica lost to the USA in one of the most upsetting games you will ever see. It snowed like never before on a game pitch and yet the referee did not bother stopping the game, the reasons I don't care about, the result: we lost and had an agenda to make the USA pay when they came to play in OUR country.
The day could not come soon enough, and when it finally did THE ENTIRE small country of Costa Rica was as united as could be. Everyone in the streets was wearing the national football uniform and were full of faith. The game video speaks for itself, you do not even need to speak spanish to understand the craziness that blasted at the stadium.
We won but the most amazing and near tear-jerking moment was before the game started. We were all supporting the team by chanting non-stop while they warmed up and when the national anthems were sung. The stadium went completely silent as the American national anthem was sung, by silent I mean dead silent. And then came the Costa Rican national anthem... I almost cried of how LOUD the entire 35 and a half THOUSAND people in the stadium screamed the anthem. It's like we had won without the game having started.
Those 2 moments are the ones I most remember when people ask me why I am such a huge fan of football. I wish anyone who does not like football could experience moments like those and see what passion feels like when instead of coming just from a couple of people, comes at you with FULL FORCE from an entire country pushing 11 players.
Then came 2013, again one year before the 2014 Brazil World Cup. Denmark was not able to qualify and as fate should have it Costa Rica this time seemed like it would reach enough points to go. But this game was not about points, it was about revenge. You see, Costa Rica is a small country that does not have nearly close to enough population to compete with the Mexico or USA leagues of football... And yet we do. Some months before this game I am about to tell you about, Costa Rica lost to the USA in one of the most upsetting games you will ever see. It snowed like never before on a game pitch and yet the referee did not bother stopping the game, the reasons I don't care about, the result: we lost and had an agenda to make the USA pay when they came to play in OUR country.
We won but the most amazing and near tear-jerking moment was before the game started. We were all supporting the team by chanting non-stop while they warmed up and when the national anthems were sung. The stadium went completely silent as the American national anthem was sung, by silent I mean dead silent. And then came the Costa Rican national anthem... I almost cried of how LOUD the entire 35 and a half THOUSAND people in the stadium screamed the anthem. It's like we had won without the game having started.
Those 2 moments are the ones I most remember when people ask me why I am such a huge fan of football. I wish anyone who does not like football could experience moments like those and see what passion feels like when instead of coming just from a couple of people, comes at you with FULL FORCE from an entire country pushing 11 players.
