FC Barca vs FC Mallorca

I cannot put a reason behind it, but since about 9^th grade I’ve always had a thing for FC Barcelona. Me and my friend Tim used to play Fifa 2001 as if we were getting paid for it, and for every game, I made sure that FCB was my team. This was in the day when Pep Guardiola was still a player. I never expected at the time that some day I’d be going to see a game live.

I have always been a fan of futbol, and it intensified as I watched Spain win the World Cup this summer. I became familiar with all of the players and found out that the majority of the players on the Spanish National team also play for FCB. By the time I finally got here, the FCB game with CEA was one of my highest priorities.

The game was scheduled for October 3^rd. They were set to play FC Mallorca. I didn’t know anything about FC Mallorca, however I assumed that because of the size of Mallorca, it’s location in the middle of the Mediterranean, and the fact that CEA was able to buy a hundred tickets to the game, that FCB would have no problem getting the win. Unfortunately I was wrong.

From the moment I stepped into Camp Nou, I couldn’t help but compare the whole experience to sporting events back in Philadelphia. The first difference I realized was the fact that they only served non-alcoholic beer there. I know that back in the states, the pre-game drinking is more important to about 90% of the fans than the actual game is. I really respected the Catalans for having such passion for their team that they didn’t need to get shitfaced before hand. It’s really annoying back home when someone you’re with is too drunk to get into the game and you have to stay out in the parking lot with them. Yea, that happens.

Another interesting thing about the fans at Camp Nou is how they watch the game. Back in the states, fans converse throughout the whole game and get up numerous times to get food. For some, going to a sporting event is nothing more than a social event with a field in the middle. But in Barcelona, once the whistle is blown to start the game, every fan is zoned in on the field. They clap when their team does something good, and they jeer when the ref makes a ‘bad call’. I stood up with about 10 minutes left in the first half and went to get a 4euro hotdog. But I didn’t seen anyone else stand up until it was halftime, then it seemed like the stadium emptied out in minutes. They all came back for the second half though.

My favorite player on the team is Andres Iniesta. He won me over when he scored the game winning goal of the World Cup final. I know that Catalan's were kind of indifferent to the Spanish victory because of their Catalan pride, but I can't help who my favorite player is. The game was very enjoyable. It was one of the number one things I wanted to do while over here, and I was happy to see Messi (the best player in the world) play. Even though they tied, it was still a good night. I hope to get to at least one more game before I depart this lovely city.