FIFA U20 World Cup

I never thought that FIFA U20 World Cup would be big in Canada. I was proven wrong. Last Saturday, I went to the First Round game between the host team Canada and Chile. Because of my frugality, I didn't purchase the ticket ahead of time (to avoid the $6 convenience charge). My friends also encouraged me to get the tickets at the door for reason that soccer was not a big thing in Canada. When I arrived at the National Soccer Stadium, I was stunned by the degree of vivacity in and outside of the stadium. People have filled the 45,000 capacity stadium in red (color for Canada). Others hold Chilean flags, chant and dance as they walk.

Of course, there were no more tickets, not even a single sign of sculpers. The result: I joined 20 other soccer ethusiasts to hop up the stairs of a building outside the stadium, in order to catch a glimpse of the game. Towards the end of the game, I was finally able to sneak into the stadium to enjoy a brief moment of excitement. In the end, Canada lost to Chile 0:3.

On last Tuesday, I was able to get ticket to see another game of Argentina vs Panama. The game was held at the Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa. Before the game, many entertainment events were set up in the south Quad of the stadium, accompanied by percussion from a group of Brazilian drummers.

This is my first time watching soccer live. I have to say that the field looks much smaller than it appears on TV. Argentine players did not score any goals in the Saturday's game, but they were on fire on yesterday's game, scoring four goals in the first half, and another two in the second half. What could've been more entertaining than watching 6 goals in one game! On the other hand, Panama did not grasp their chances of scoring, nor did they fence up their defense to counter the fierce offense of Argentina. In the end, Panama lost to Argentina 0:6.