GOOAAALLLL!!!

We hit up the Roma vs. Panathinaikos soccer game on Thursday night. This was the second game I've been to since my arrival in Rome in August. Last semester we went to a game and while it was fun, it was pretty chill. There wasn't a very large crowd and we were able to navigate our way thru the stadium easily. Not this time.

Roma lost to Panathinaikos in Athens earlier in the season, so this was a very important game for Roma. The stadium was packed! The noise level was insane and the people were going nuts. We got to the stadium late thanks to traffic and a mix-up with a change in the game time. When we got there we found that they'd closed our section so we had to find our own seats elsewhere. Trying to figure this out in the another culture and one that goes insane over soccer wasn't exactly easy. Finally during halftime we were able to secure seats. So, we sat down and soaked up the culture. The Curve Sud (where season ticket holders sit) was boisterous and lively. Flags were flying, songs were sung...it was crazy. The energy in the stadium was like nothing I'd ever seen. On the opposite end of the stadium was the other team's supporters. Despite being smaller in number they still managed to make their presence known.

Sadly, Roma lost the game. The fans were not happy, but it was fun nonetheless.