I have said often that no matter where you are in Costa Rica you are going to find three things in close proximity: a bus stop, a bar (with an Imperial sign hanging) and a soccer field. In Costa Rica fútbol, or soccer as it is called in the U.S., is religion. Every kid grows up dreaming of becoming a star of one of Costa Rica’s pro teams. In fact, observing the behaviour of the adult fútbol fans, I don’t believe that dream ever goes away. Costa Rican fans are a little animated to say the least. Every province of Costa Rica has a pro team, as well as some of the major cities within those provinces (for example, you have the Alajuela team, La Liga, but San Carlos also has a team). Then on the world fútbol scene, Costa Rica will select the best of the best from these teams for its national team known simply as La Seleción. Costa Rica’s national team opened the World Cup championship a couple yeas ago when they lost to Germany. However, La Seleción did put on a respectable performance in the opener. It is quite an exhilarating experience to go to a major game in a stadium such as Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in Tibás (a section of San Jose). That is especially true when the game pits the two biggest rivals together, Alajuela’s La Liga and San Jose’s Saprissa. Costa Rican games are not dangerous like sometimes you hear about in Europe, where fans riot or trample each other to death. Sure, emotions get heated and occasionally fights break out (but doesn’t that happen at Chicago Bears games too?). But it is quite a spectacle to see the stadium filled with fans dressed in their team’s colors and screaming at the top of their lungs every time their team threatens to score. And those poor referees. While the games do not generally break out in any uncontrolled violence, woe to any official that makes a controversial call that is a game changer. He will need to be provided with a bodyguard to get home that night and maybe for the next few days until emotions calm down. Since I live in San Jose, I do call myself a Saprissa fan (a Saprissista as we say). Just so happens that this past Saturday night, Saprissa beat La Liga and were crowned champions once again. In arguments among locals, however, it is safer for a gringo (which I still am) to remain neutral in the matter. If asked, say that you pull for Seleción and it might just save your life!
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