My friends and I decided from day 1 of the program that we wanted to see a futbol game while we were in Rome. One of the more popular teams in Italy is AS Roma, Rome’s main team. They play in Serie A, the highest level of Italian soccer. At 15 euro, the tickets were a steal. Although the game wasn’t supposed to be very good (AS Roma is third in the league while Siena is dead last) we still wanted to see them play. We started the day with futbol block at our apartment and trecked all the way to Stadio Olimpico on the north side of Rome (the trip included 2 busses and a tram).

We didn’t get their until nearly halftime (whoops) when the score was tied at 1. Italian soccer fans are absolutely insane. There was a small Siena contingency not far from our section. To say that they were heckled would be an understatement. Expletives and obscene gestures were in constant use. It seemed that everyone in the stadium was wearing an AS Roma scarf and heavy winter coat while furiously puffing on a cigarette and insulting the other team’s mothers. It was hilarious and couldn’t have been more different than a US sporting event.

In the 87th minute (near the end of the match) Okaka, a player more than a year younger than me, scored an exciting goal to put Roma ahead. The stadium went ballistic. It was one of the cooler sports moments I’ve experienced in a life full of them. With little time left, Siena couldn’t tie it up again and Roma won 2 – 1. The game was quite the experience. I always knew soccer fans were crazy, but not that crazy. Everyone needs to watch a soccer match in Europe at some point. The level of passion the fans have for their team is unmatched.