Arsenal vs. Independiente

Ok, I´m going to have to make this entry quick because I´m about to leave Buenos Aires behind and start the first leg of our 5 week journey to Peru. In the interest of keeping everything chronological though, I´m going talk about my first genuine Argentinian soccer match. A friend that Lisa had met in Peru, Nacho, scored free press tickets for Independiente vs. Arsenal. We took the bus out of metropolitan Buenos aires to Avellaneda, the barrio where the stadium was located. The game was played in the stadium of another team, Racing, because the other stadiums were undergoing renovation.

The violence associated with local Argentine soccer could be seen in the architecture of the stadium. The were separate entrances for fans of the two teams. Once inside the stadium, the two sides were separated by walls of concrete and barbed wire, with a line of police in riot gear just for good measure. As for the players, they were separated by an actual moat. That´s right, a moat, with water surrounded the actual field, and separated the fans from the pitch.