Futbol

This is an interesting article from Bill Simmons, a newly-converted soccer fan, on what it was like to watch the U.S. Soccer team take on Mexico in the extremely intimidating Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. An excerpt:

Opponents never feel safe. Inside the bowels of the stadium, the
players walk down a concrete tunnel that feels like it was built in 1362. Emerge
from the tunnel, and Mexican fans are suddenly right there, wearing green
jerseys, yelling obscenities and pounding the fence in front of them. The venom
starts immediately -- booing and hissing, horn blowing, various "Meh-hee-CO!
Meh-hee CO!" chants -- and never really stops. The Mexican fans had no problem
drowning out "The Star-Spangled Banner" with jeers. They tossed drinks and
debris at the U.S. bench for most of the second half ... which didn't matter
because Azteca's opposing bench has an impenetrable plexiglass roof, but still.
During a corner kick in extra time, they showered Landon Donovan with such a
staggering amount of debris that he briefly staggered back toward the field in
disbelief, shrugging his hands as if to say, "How could anyone act like
this?"

It is an entertaining read.