Boca Locura!

So my first foray into the world of Blogging! Boca vs Independiente,  the Sunday i had been waiting for (and somehow managed to get Fran on board!). The day couldn't have started any better.... On our walk to catch the bus to the big game a rather large tree fell inadvertently onto my wonderful girlfriends head, she was fine, so i was allowed to feel the comic glow as we walked in the sunshine. Due to  changes at Boca Juniors, only members can get tickets to home games, meaning the only way we could go was to join a guide and go with them. It was expensive, but in the end money well spent. After chatting to the other members of our group, assembled from all corners of the world, our guide Artur  finally arrived and we hopped onto our bus and headed towards the Bombanera. On the way Artur gave use some background to Argentina and Boca juniors, asking questions about the football club, annoying I expect for the rest of the group, I answered the majority! 

With an hour or so to go before the game started, all the tourist were herded into what i can only describe as a small stable in the rather colourful barrio of Boca about 200metres away from the stadium. Here we were given a tasty Choripan and given beer to help get us in the mood for the main event! We were also unsurprisingly  given the opportunity to buy a plethora of knock-off memorabilia, which most took advantage of. In fact after Fran purchased a shirt and scarf, i had to put my foot down, if I hadn't I think she would have entered the stadium in the full replica kit, including shin pads and boots!

Us in the waiting stable:

Our walk to the stadium itself was only short, however security was high, three police searches before we even used our loaned 'members cards' to get through the gates ( I think i was called Frederico Finocchetti and Fran was Jonathan Carlos Lopez, a rather large individual!) 

Jonathan Carlos Lopez:

Walking up to the terraced stand behind the goal at La Bombonera (the 'candy box') our excitement grew with every step. As we got up to the top, we pushed our way down into the terrace and, remembering the advice of Artur, made sure we were not below the away fans in the stand above us. Apparently they liked to throw an array of "liquids" down during the match and as we later found out programmes set on fire!

La Bombonera:

Now it may sound like i have clubbed together a group of football clichés which of course comes pretty easy for me, but I don't know how else to describe it. The sound really was deafening, we were really greeted by a sea of blue and yellow and there was great excitement in the air! Opposite us was the section where the famous 12th man sat - La 12 (the name of the Boca hardcore fans). With five minutes to go before the kick-off a gang of blue and yellow clad flag wavers rush out and at this point the drummers and the fans hanging from the side of the stands start orchestrating the stadium and cajoling the rest of the crowd to jump up and down and join the chants. The hand flicking started, the confetti started flying around the stadium and from that moment on, the noise didn't stop, it just got louder and more passionate. 

La 12 arriving:

The game itself, while exciting, was not a great standard. It could have been 10-10 by the end mainly due to defensive mistakes, but to be honest, i spent most of the match watching the fans and trying to work out the Spanish chants that got me jumping up and down. After the ref gave a Boca player his first yellow - i think i learnt at least 3 or 4 rather extreme Spanish profanities which should keep me in good stead for watching future games in south america!  The game finished 2-1 to Boca, and as the final whistle went the chanting and bouncing got to its crescendo!  The home fans attention turned to the away support as they rather impolitely wished them as cheerio. The experience was amazing, the colour, the noise and the passion I've never seen anything like it - not even at Carrow road! 

Oh and I forgot to mention the half time entertainment: