Calcio in Italian is soccer, and the games here are SO MUCH FUN! A couple of friends and I went to the Perugia vs. Perscara soccer game, and it was an experience I will never forget. One of the bartenders at one of our favorite bars has a roommate who is originally from Pescara and said we were welcome to join them in attending the soccer game. Of course we showed our interest and gave our money to have tickets on the visiting side’s stands.

Everything was way more intense in attending this game than any other I had attended in the States. Upon showing our tickets we also had to show them our valid ID and allow give them the caps of our watter bottles. Apparently anything that can be thrown needed to be taken away, and I guess caps were considered dangerous. The cheers and stomping were getting louder and when we finally made our way out into the stands and amongst all the blue scarves (Perscara is blue) a huge smile spread across my face, it was game time. Looking around I realized that we were the only girls in the stands, and that only drunk men of all ages were all around us screaming and cheering in Italian. Everyone knew all the cheers, when to sit when to stand, and most of what they were screaming at the other fans would not be “falcon friendly”. I learned many curse words that day.

I soon began yelling in English at the players and refs (whoops) and we all tried to follow along with the cheers that the crowd was performing. For the most part we felt as though we were part of a cult. Hands up clap clap clap, yell and call the other team womanly parts and female dogs while hands are up, clap clap clap…. At halftime we were approached by a huge drunk guy named Fabbrizio, who asked us where in America we were from and whether or not we liked Obama.

As the game progressed things were being thrown towards the field, the cheers were getting more disturbing, and someone decided to light a flare in the stands. It was great! By the end of the game it was a tie 0-0, and I was upset to learn that they would not play any overtime. We began to descend the stands, but we were told we might want to wait a little bit because we were locked in. Yes, they locked in all the fans supporting the away team until the home teams fans had departed from the stands. This was of course done to prevent fights. While waiting we felt as though we were animals on display. By this time more of the men had realized we were American and wanted to talk to us and ask to have pictures taken and asking if we liked the game. They were happy that we were supporting their team and told us the “real” Italy was in Pescara not Perugia. When the gates finally opened we left the stadium declaring that we would be back very soon…