::A Geek in Korea::

This is even more evidence I’ve “gone native” as it were. I’ve been to yet another soccer game. Today was Memorial Day in Korea ( 현충일 Hyeonchung-il). We had the day off school, and I was very excited to have plans for my day off. I’ve been telling students for a week that I’d be going to a soccer game!

The Korean National Team had a qualifying game against United Arab Emirates to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They lost their first game against the Netherlands, 2:0.

This game was important for qualifying for the international competition. I guess. I’m more of a “casual” soccer fan than some of the people in the stadium I suppose. I watch them play, and I want them to play, but I only know a few player’s names.

The man in the picture above holding the red noisemaker got into an argument with the man with the headphones in the white shirt before the game got started. The man with the noisemaker was showing his daughters how to use the two air filled sticks by banging them together like the thousands of other people in the stadium.

The man in front of him got annoyed because they were banging the things in his ears and it was too noisy. They got into an argument because there are “Red Devil” fans that beat drums and chant constantly, but this man thought cheering was “too loud”. If you are coming to the game and don’t want to cheer, you’re at the wrong place. The air sticks are annoying, but let the guy cheer and support his team with his kids.

Because it was Memorial Day, they did a moment of silence. These are some sort of traditional Korean musical marching team. The Red Devil fan’s drums were much louder. The fans should have stopped banging on their drums to let these guys play.

Red Devils Logo was actually two huge banners, then they dropped to the side and a gigantic Korean flag popped out. Their coordination to haul these things around is really neat. They organize and arrange things like this through the game. It’s one of the coolest parts of visiting the stadium in person.

Their previously mentioned drumming is the other reason to go to the game. It’s infectious to sit in the stadium while they chant their team to victory. I became a soccer fan after being in Daejeon during the World Cup in 2002, and I can still clap a certain sequence and get people to cheer to the song. Everyone in the stadium is chanting and cheering along. It’s much more participatory than watching sports in the States. Even the rowdiest hockey chants had nothing on the prolonged noise created by the Red Devils.

 After the game, there is absolute gridlock on the streets around the stadium. No Fear, as the Daejeon World Cup Stadium lies near the subway system! However, after a game it’s a very crowded ride. We squeezed in for a ride back to our apartment satisfied with our team’s win!