June 10, 2012
Soccer
fans across both the “old continent” and throughout the world have been eagerly
anticipating this 2012 European Football Championship since the 2010 World Cup, when Spain, one of the few national teams who play the game “the
right way,” were deservedly crowned champions. Spending that summer in Granada, Spain
and observing the infectious euphoria of a nation was special, but I wanted to
be in the thick of the action, I wanted to see the real thing. I wanted to be
‘under the lights’ when it all happened.
Under the lights of Arena Lviv
Overused
as this adjective is, there is something completely magical about witnessing live football, especially when
that match is a European Championship clash between giants Germany and
Portugal. Even the best camera work cannot fully capture the speed, technique,
or emotional investment in such a match. Televised viewing often gives off a
mundane impression of football, yet live viewing confirms the technical virtuosity
required to perform a seemingly simple action such as a back pass, defensive
clearances, or an off-the-ball sprint under such immense pressure. In the heavy atmosphere of such a
match, one cannot help but glue their eyes on every movement with the fixation
of a predator following its prey.
Thus, I knew that attending any match, let alone the Germany-Portugal
match, would satisfy a long-held inner craving for an authentic soccer
experience. In this case, the unfamiliarity and magnitude of the occasion rendered it more
memorable than the outcome of the match-a grinding 1-0 German victory courtesy
of an early second half Mario Gomez header. In hindsight, I will forever
cherish the experience and look forward to future evenings under the lights.
Many
North Americans who follow soccer, or “football” as it’s known in the rest of
the world, dream of one day crossing “the pond” and finding their Mecca at the
Ibrox, the “Theatre of Dreams,” or at Camp Neu in the company of
fellow Bhoys (Glasgow Celtic), Red Devils (Manchester United), or Cules
(Barcelona). The Euros, however, present an entirely different scenario-the
prospect of international glory where the stakes are higher. In both the Euro and the World Cup,
supporters must temporarily set aside their club affinities for the “good of
the nation.” The Euro, unlike the World Cup, however, is a shorter, and more
concentrated tournament that presently includes seven of the world’s top ten
national teams, and consequently, many consider it more difficult to win. In other words, each Euro match is more
meaningful, there is less room for error, and considering the history between the Germany and Portugal teams, those in attendance had something special to look forward to.
In coming to Lviv, Ukraine for the group
stage of the tournament, I anticipated a feverish excitement. I knew that
merely stepping into the Adidas Fanzone (a glitzy fenced off area in the center of the
city for viewing matches), let alone attending a match, would cause a certain
giddiness and unbearable excitement that I associate with viewing an
eagerly anticipated movie or attending a live performance of a beloved musical act. Yet with Finland never
having qualified, I also felt privileged to be able to analyze the events as a
neutral-a true fan of the sport.
Inside of the Adidas Fanzone
My
pessimism initially grabbed hold of me upon reading that all matches were sold
out, and I resigned to spending several sweaty hours watching matches in the
Fanzone. Acquiring a ticket, it turned out, was as simple as standing in the Fanzone during the tournament’s opening
match. The turnout at the Fanzone for an eventful and numerically underwhelming
match between Poland and Greece was impressive. Several thousands gathered near the famous Shevchenka Statue
to witness the tournament's official inauguration in Warsaw. Germans,
Poles, Greeks, Portuguese, Canadians, Brits, Danish, and of course, Ukrainians,
crowded the square to get a view of the action.
Fans of many nationalities
My
chance for the golden ticket came when a middle-aged, red haired German fan passed by my host Ioora and I with an extra ticket in hand during half time. Spotting the opportunity, Yura raced toward the man and inquired about the price. He was
asking for face value on the ticket-a mere 120 Euros (a bargain
really). Having left most of my money at Yura’s house, I cursed my luck and
nearly drifted over to the beer vendors to quench my sorrow in some cold
suds. But I was in
luck-Ioorah lent me money to buy the ticket-which he claimed he had no interest
in-and I was set to join a group of three Germans at the Germany-Portugal match!
Despite my initial
reluctance to break neutrality and sit with this group, I soon relented after the
vendor sold me the ticket for 20 euro less than he had initially
suggested. Now I was truly a “kid
in a candy store,” so excited that I even ignored my jetlag, which I had yet to
extinguish. Jumping for joy and so thankful for Ioora, we made our way back
home.
That
night I barely slept. I kept
dreaming of an audacious Cristiano Ronaldo backheel, an incisive Mesut
Ozil assist, or a thumping long range strike from Nani. On paper, this was about as exciting an
encounter as world football can offer, yet the past few international matches
between these countries-a handful of overly physical friendlies, and the quarter
final of Euro 2008-were both chippy affairs with plenty of fouls and a
stop-start pace that had, until recently, typified the German ethos. Now Germany was a balanced offensive machine,
with a plethora of attacking options, and more than ready to face the most lethal offensive player in
the world-Cristiano Ronaldo.
Groggy,
but with butterflies swimming all over my stomach, I woke up late and spent most of the day with Yura in Bryukhovychi-a sleepy, forest-covered suburb of Lviv. The match would not begin until 21:45, so we decided to stop at a pub in the city center and watch some of
the Netherlands-Denmark match, which turned out to be an enormous upset. Somehow the Danes pipped the Dutch to
three points following a narrow 1-0 victory. Three half-litres of Lvivsky “1715” (local) lager, two pork blini
(eastern European crepes), and several potato varinicky (traditional Ukrainian dumplings) were more than enough
to calm my nerves and satisfy my stomach.
At
19:30 we left the pub and I followed the mass of supporters, dressed nearly every color, to the bus station. Chants, songs, and the sound of improvised musical
instruments filled the air as the revelry stretched through the streets of
downtown Lviv. Such was my
excitement that even with time to spare, I began walking at a frantic pace to the bus station and
began needlessly perspiring from head to toe. With my wallet and passport in one pocket, and my camera and
precious ticket in the other, I shoved my way into one of the Stadium-bound
designated buses amidst the Deutsch Fussball-Bund supporters, who
were smiling, singing, and chanting all through the 30-minute ride to the
marshy outskirts of Lviv.
Squishing into the bus
It's the "European Way"
The
stadium was not visible from the bus stop, but a host of male Germany fans, sporadically urinating on the side of
the sparsely-paved walking path to the stadium, were. I decided to spare my
fellow attendees such a graphic display and answered the call of nature in the
no less disgusting stadium bathrooms. My heart leapt as soon as the
pentagonal-shaped metal stadium came into view, and every step brought more joy
to my heart. “This is the greatest
day of my life,” I kept telling myself-a hyperbole no doubt, but it made
me truly happy to think that I was fulfilling one of my life’s goals.
Arena Lviv in all its glory
A thorough pat-down and a ticket
scan later I made my entrance into the sparkling new Arena Lviv, completed only two
weeks prior. All around me were
smiling faces, sometimes brushed with the colors of German or Portuguese flags, but always smiling. I drained one more forgettable Carlsberg beer
as the dull sun left its final streaks of color on the flat landscape beyond,
and then headed inside.
Up, up, up, and...
Freshly planted seed waiting to be destroyed
I
will never forget the moment I emerged from the stadium hallway into the
seating area: it defies explanation and I can only compare it to being re-born. The fresh grass was surrounded by a
surprisingly intimate seating arrangement where spectators, even from the upper
levels, felt close to the field. It all seemed so perfect and accordingly pristine. I soon found my companions on the "B-level" (second story) seating, who immediately wrapped me in a Germany scarf, to which I
begrudgingly responded with a, “okay, but just for today, I’m a neutral.”
Meine Freunde" (90 Minuten)
Deutsch Fussball-bund fans
The first thing I noticed after taking my seat was the
quantity of Germany supporters.
Nearly half of the stadium was blanketed in their colors, while the
Portugal supporters were reduced to one small corner. I attributed this to Germany’s proximity to Ukraine and a
stronger economy.
The first half
witnessed each team showing too much respect for the other; each one prodding, testing, and defending without constructing any meaningful plays. Barely 15 minutes had passed when a few dozen Germany supporters started throwing crumbled up pieces of paper onto the
pitch, obviously aiming for the Portugal players. When Portugal winger Nani
won a corner he was hit by several, and complained to the referee, after which
he was booed loudly. After five more minutes of insipid play, during which neither
team created a chance, an announcement on the loudspeaker in English,
German, and Ukrainian proclaimed, “we understand your desire to support your team, but
throwing paper onto the field is bad sportsmanship and could result in the
match being canceled, and your team being penalized.” With that the disrespectful contingent ended their paper
charades.
Portugal's Nani takes a corner amidst the garbage
You stay CLASSY Germany fans
Portugal
defender Pepe nearly brought the crowd to its feet right before the end of the first half. Capitalizing on a momentary German defensive lapse, he smashed a loose ball against the crossbar that bounced downward and almost into the goal. But instead it fell tamely for German keeper Manuel Neuer, and it was not to be for Portugal.
Profligacy was the name of
the game for both teams until a well-taken header by Germany forward Mario
Gomez (born in Germany to Spanish parents) in the 74th minute. The stadium erupted into cheers of
“YA!” and “YA VOL!” and the match never seemed like it would shift courses after that.
Despite the childish behavior by one faction of their fans, I must say that I
was rather impressed by the level of German support. The mere presence of so many Deutsch Fussball fans should be
credited with giving the team a slight edge in the form of a “12th man.” Even the vast majority of Ukrainians seemed to be lending Germany their support
(one wonders if western Ukraine's abhorrence of anything Russian and the old World War II animosities between the Germans and Russians
have anything to do with this...).
Germany lining up for one of many free kicks
It was to be "Ze" Germans' evening
The
match felt like a blur, and before I knew it the final whistle blew. Germany
had won 1-0 and picked up three deserved points, a giant step toward qualifying for the knockout
stages from the “Group of Death.” Just like the three previous international
tournaments in which Portugal had participated, Cristiano Ronaldo was disappointing and
failed to produce, though not for a lack of effort. The world's second best player seemed isolated on the left wing and appeared to be playing
at a different pace and skill level than his lesser teammates. But he would have other opportunities
to prove himself.
I
left the temporary companionship of the Germans, quickly gave them back their
scarf (vowing never again to wear German football gear), and crowded onto
another bus headed for the center, but not before snapping another
photograph of the Arena Lviv in its nighttime splendor-a transparent pentagon
of pleasing metal and concrete spines.
Arena Lviv at night
Some
of us dream of attaining riches, fame, or universal admiration, while others
have more humble desires. My fantasy, however, was far simpler: to cross
the ocean and attend a match at an international soccer competition. Because of
its physical distance, the prospect of attending such a match once seemed so
unattainable, and even mystical, which reinforced my desire. For so long I dreamt of taking my seat
under the lights and watching the very best the world had to offer, and now I
have. After last night, I can honestly admit that I may now die a happy
man.
(You'd think I could at least stifle a smile?)
