First off I should say that I’m not actually interested in football, though I’ve occasionally watched important matches. The UEFA Cup final in 2003 comes to mind. And so last night, just before the Spain/Netherlands World Cup final began I suggested to Nog that we go out and find a bar showing the game on television. We first tried Cervecería Giralda across the street but it was packed out. Then I remembered that when I was giving a mini tapas tour the previous week I took my client to Casa Roman – there was a match that night too and all the staff were standing around like meerkats, eyes glued to the telly. So we went over there and, sure enough, same scene but not overly-crowded. In fact, we even managed to pull up a couple of chairs quite close to the “action” and grab a couple of beers. The match had begun.
As football matches go, it wasn’t a very exciting one. But it was fun to be in the midst of a small yet exuberant crowd who were very vocal about, well, everything. In fact, I was enjoying their reactions more than the match itself. But then as they went into extra time I started to get excited too. Could we win? Hell yeah, we HAD to win. I found myself perched on the edge of my chair and when Spain scored their winning goal I was up on my feet laughing and cheering and yelling with the rest of them. I’m so glad I went out to watch this with friends and neighbours – it really felt wonderful sharing all that excitement and happiness. On the way home we stopped by the fountain in front of the Cathedral as I was sure it was going to be full of crazy revellers – and I was right.
2010 FIFA World Cup Final
Spain 1 / Netherlands 0
casa azahar 
I’m sure the ambiance of sitting alone in the living room at 4 am, on a cold winter morning was nothing like your experience. I’ve been in Spain for 3 World Cups, but their time had yet to come. Glad you had a good time!
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Well, first I thought that I’d just turn it on at home, but it made all the difference going out and watching it with real football fans. Very glad I did that.
Plus, we got to eat chocos… 😉
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Didn’t see the whole match – but I saw enough to know that Spain deserved their win. Don’t think there’s a chance of Scotland ever winning the World Cup – hells bells, we can’t even qualify to take part 😀
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Well, the UEFA final I referred to was Celtic FC vs Portugal, and Seville was awash with happy drunken Scots for at least a week before the match. Seriously, they drank the bars dry and many slept out in the streets … no way even half of the number who came here could have fit into the stadium, but they came to show support. And everyone here loved them. No fighting, no stupidity, just good-natured jollity and untold amounts of cashola spent in our fair city. I think everybody was quite sad when Portugal won – the streets were quiet as the grave that night.
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We may be crap at international football – but we’re world class drunks 🙂
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Guess i must be the sole person in the world not to have watched a single game of this football frenzy that has stupefied the Globe the last month or so.
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Nope. I haven’t either. Don’t know and don’t care.
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Eh, me, either.
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So I guess you wouldn’t have done this either…
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Wish I’d been there. I’ve been pulling for Spain throughout the Championship, and we did have a little cheer when they won – it was well deserved and I know how much it meant to the Spanish.
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We should have gone to that match 2 years ago!! 😉
I had my own Spanish experience, I was at a pub with my daughter and her boyfriend for lunch in my usual red teeshirt and shorts (I just happen to like red and I have six red shirts). During the meal a large group of Spanish supporters took over three tables near us, singing and drinking (this was after the game, our time). After my daughter and her friend left, the others sent over wine for me, thinking I was a fan. I said no but they insisted so I sent over a pitcher of sangria (not as good as Maria’s!!). One thing led to another and here I am at work Monday with a splitting headache!
¡Ay, caramba!
ROFL
Good to see you had a fun time, take care!
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I am not a “sports person” but watched the odd bit of a game and a goof part of one game while I was at the Eye Institute because it was on the TV in the waiting room. It is fun to watch a bit and see the near-,misses and groan along with the crowds on TV.
Good-natured excitement after a win, especially when a team has never won or hasn’t one in many, many years, is fine.
What really makes me mad is when certain fans think everyone should enjoy it to the extent they do or their “celebrations” turn into destructive free-for-alls, as often happens on North America. Personally, I don’t see how breaking into HMV or flipping cars over expresses pride in your city or country’s team.
I also don’t understand the fact that in several countries, the sale of tranquilizers and anti-depressants increased tremendously before and during the games. I mean… seriously…. It is a game.
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“good part”…
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ah, I haven’t watched a single game of this world cup, either. But I’m glad you had a fun night – watching a sporting event in a crowd of supporters is always bound to be more fun than seeing it at home on one’s own. 🙂
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Watching the video was just about the right amount of participation for me. But I played it for football fan clients of mine. Great amusement here.
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What you see in the video (and in most newspaper reports) are tons of under-25s draped in flags, screaming and drinking and “partying”. If I hadn’t gone out to watch the match at Casa Roman that’s all I would have seen too. The small crowd at the bar was mostly 40-60 years old, including my neighbour Joseph (and others I know by sight) along with all the bar staff that I’ve known for years. And it was great fun to watch them watching the match, and their responses. A few of them were shouting at the telly, especially when someone from the Dutch team (they played like thugs) did something “illegal” and the ref didn’t red card them, and they would leap out of their seats and storm around the bar for awhile. Others kept up a steady stream of quiet encouragement (“that’s right, now you’re doing it”, “c’mon, let’s go”, “don’t worry, that was nothing”) almost under their breath with eyes fixed on the screen. At times – and I love this about Seville “audiences” – they would break into “las palmas”, with everyone clapping a flamenco beat in unison.
And man, when Spain scored it was amazing. We ALL jumped up and I don’t know what I looked like but all I could see were faces that went from shock & surprise to pure joy. Absolute unadulterated joy that was beautiful to see. And I know it might sound stupid to some, but there was a real sense of “WE DID IT!”, that included all of us. There was no drunken mauling or kissing or otherwise carrying on, just those few moments after the winning goal, and again after the game ended and Spain was declared the winning team, of sharing all that wonderful joy.
Nice article in the BBC this morning…
Spain’s Party of Lifetime After World Cup Triumph
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we were hoping (very briefly) that the world cup might bring a bit respite to us here in Blighty, but was not to be. Anyway am thrilled Spain won – really well deserved I thought. Am very envious of your chocos and chips though.
PS. see, I am doing as I’m told and responding!
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Heh, Sled had a good post about why Blighty was never going to win it…
No chips there, my darling, just a plate of chocos.
And really … when people tell me in an email or on facebook that they liked this or that blog post it just confuses me. Like, why not tell me here? So, I am VERY pleased to see you doing as *suggested* … 😛
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