I spent last Sunday at the stadium with the neighbors (who happen to be the former owners of the local soccer team) and watched Cochabamba lose to Santa Cruz 2-3 in the last two minutes. I wore blue by accident – not the right color in a solid red crowd – but soon turned the shade of the home team anyway, since it was 80, sunny, and I forgot my sunscreen. Fun nonetheless. Highlights include empanadas from the Quechuan women in the stands, Bolivian sport event harassment (whistling instead of booing, and lobbing half-full Coca-Cola bottles at the other team during corner kicks), and the bicycle kick that Cochabamba scored in the last 5 minutes of the game.
Soccer’s everywhere here, though Cochabambinos will admit to not being very good at it. Not like the Argentineans, they say. I pass pick-up games along my running route every Sunday, but I’ve yet to join a game with guys my own age (haven’t seen a single girl playing soccer here). I’m working my way up, though – ten year olds in the street last weekend, and next time I’ll search for some middle-schoolers.
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